Lawn Mower Collectors?

[speedqueen]

Vintage mower...

I am now the proud owner of a 1985 Toro mower model 16570. The previous owner was meticulous with keeping it up. It looks like it is only a week old. By comparison to MTD side discharge, it is lighter, stronger and easier to push. I ordered the grass catcher kit, NOS on ebay. I will post pictures later next week when the side bag arrives.

 

[classictvman81x]

MTD Electric Mowers

Does anyone remember any of MTD's 1975-82 electric mowers? Here is a trio of electrics they sold in Canada, including to Eaton's (under the Viking brand).

Counterclockwise from right:
18" Standard Single Blade Mower (red steel deck; adjust wheels with wrench)
18" Deluxe Single Blade Mower (patina gray deck; height adjuster on all fours)
18" Deluxe Twin Blade Mower (patina gray deck; height adjuster on all fours)

This trio of electrics had the same CGE (Canadian GE) motor units as those mowers CGE themselves made, including those sold to Sears and Canadian Tire.

~Ben

 

[speedqueen]

It's later next week...

...and as promised here are the pictures of the Toro Model 16570. Sorry for the boasting of the last picture showing what a good job it does(and my hard work eliminating the creeping charlie).

As a side note we used to have a garden in that bare spot and I seeded it last week or so.

 

[philr]

I used to have a slightly older Toro Whirlwind II that had a similar deck.

 

[classictvman81x]

Hahn Eclipse Mowers

Is there anyone on here that owns at least one of these bad boy walk-behind mowers?

That's right: the Hahn Eclipse Pow-R-Pro 22! I know there are numerous Hahn Eclipse mower owners scattered throughout the USA, but are any of you here at AW.org among them?

The Pow-R-Pro series is unique in that it predates the CPSC's June 30, 1982 requirement of manufacturers being told to sell all their new walk-behind rotary mowers with some form of blade stopping. This one has the BBC (blade brake clutch), but on the early machines circa 1962 it was in the form of a slide lever similar to the engine throttle control, meaning you will have to disengage the blade by sliding this lever to off before you turn the engine off. Around 1968 that changed to a lever <span style="font-size: 12pt;">(what Hahn called the "BladeMaster") </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">similar to those units with the self-propelled power drive, for even greater safety (no longer does the blade remain engaged after you let go of that bail). </span>

~Ben

 

[michaelsemanoff]

Mowers

One of the reasons I joined today was to answer this thread. Yes, I collect mowers. I have over 200 vintage mowers,mostly power,including a Coldwell "H" from the late teens,a version of the first electric (1923 Coldwell) one of the first rotarys (1930 Pioneer). What do you want to know? I also have a collection of appliances, mostly kitchen smalls. Toasters, waffle irons, irons,few vacuums, I try to stay with Connecticut made stuff. To keep some kind of control-I know you all know what I mean- usually unsuccessfully. I recently picked up a Landers, Frary and Clark wringer washer.

 

[countryford]

Sounds like you have an impressive collection of vintage mowers. I for one would love to see pictures of them. Is there a site dedicated to vintage mowers?

Justin

 

[michaelsemanoff]

Mowers

There are several lawn mower organizations including a local (New England) bunch that gets together once a year. The guru is a gentleman from Massachusetts named Jim Ricci. He knows all. Heres a small sample picture. I overdo everything.

 

[lorainfurniture]

You wouldn't happen to have a vintage snapper with a cast aluminum deck?

 

[philr]

Or a correct handle for a 1954 Lawn Boy? Or rear wheels for a 1957 Lawn Boy?!

 

[classictvman81x]

michaelsemanoff

Michael,

I wonder if among the many mowers you have... any Hahn-Eclipse "Pow-R-Pro" belt-driven ones?

~Ben

 

[michaelsemanoff]

Mowers

I try (poorly) to keep to 40's and earlier. I do have a Snapper but it predates aluminum decks, I have most of the rotary mowers in another area. I do have about ten Lawn Boys. Four are reel type. I'll mine my way into the other storage area and see what I have. That goes for the Hahns also. There is a guy in New York that specializes in rotary mowers. He has close to 1000. I'll post a photo of the Snapping Turtle (note turtle on front) and some appliances.

 

[tolivac]

Remember the "Snapping Turtle" Snapper mowers were common among lawn services in the mid 60's in Florida-was fascinated by those mowers.They worked really well and were FAST!

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Hans, seriously? Lawn mowers, too?!

You are a walking encyclopedia!!!

If I were a millionaire I'd hire someone to follow you around and write down your information downloads. After it got organized and published you'd be a millionaire.

It's not a crazy notion. Dan Holohan did it with The Lost Art of Steam Heat.

Disclaimer: The above is a compliment. Hans is one of the members here who explains all sorts of fragments I remember from childhood and reassures me I was NOT imagining them as certain family members insisted I was.

 

[classictvman81x]

History of Hahn-Eclipse

As taken from a fan site about the defunct company:
http://hahn-eclipse.com/site/history/

~Ben

 

[norgeway]

Re Snapping Turtle

Believe it or not....You can tie a rope around the turtle head, and a post in the middle of a field, engage the drive, and it will circle round and round and wind itself up....mowing the field with no walking!

 

[norgeway]

Thanks Jim

Lord have mercy...I can remember all this stuff..and can lose my car keys and have them in my hand..LOL.....I have NEVER been able to remember anything I was not interested in!

 

[brisnat81]

This was the first mower we had that got me started mowing 3/4 of an acre by hand when I was 7.



These ads were everywhere from the 70's onwards, in Theory they had a 2 stroke engine with a ZIP cord, that started first time, every time. Thus the Zipedee Doo Dah jingle. The reality was that as they got older, you would pull and pull and pull, My grandfather had a 60's model that he'd park in the sun before he'd try and start.



This is the model my Grandfather had


They still built the 2 Stroke models in Australia up until 2016, by which time 8 million Victa's had been built since the early 50's. It was the Euro 4 compliance that put an end to unclean engines. The factory was closed and they're now all imported Honda and B&S engines fitted.

 

[classictvman81x]

2-Cycle Engines

Of all the more contemporary examples of two-cycle engines for walk-behind lawn mowers, the Suzuki M120X (or the GTS120 in Toro lingo) that also found its way into numerous Toro mowers from the mid-'80s to the early-'90s (and in commercial units to 2003) was quite a robust example!

M120X on a hover mower:


M120X on another hover mower:


GTS120 on a Toro 20684:


Last, but not least, would be a more contemporary version of the Lawn-Boy's legendary design:


~Ben

 

[northwesty]

Just picked up two vintage gas mowers

from my research that one on the right is a 56-59 or so and the one on the left is the one that came soon after. One is Sears and the other is Craftsmen. The older one is a two-cycle from what I can tell. I haven't had time to try to start either one unfortunately, but I am betting they both work. Thanks for looking.