Sunbeam Find

[danemodsandy]

Phil:

For a long time, Sunbeam essentially owned the electric mower market. They were a niche product for a long time, with few people choosing one; it was the age of suburbia, with lawns too big for what Sunbeam had to offer.

The twin-blade idea was also used by Sears and Black & Decker for a time. Eventually, the 18-inch cut was superseded by larger models with a single blade.

The electric mower I have today, a Homelite, is a 22-inch mower that is every bit as powerful as most gas mowers. It's actually more mower than I need for my 30' X 30' yard; if I found a vintage Sunbeam like the one above, I'd probably buy it in a heartbeat, for the joy of having something so simple. Parts are still available if you know where to look.

 

[tolivac]

Greenworks makes a recharcgeable cordless twin blade mower-it has two motors instead of one and the blades connected by belts.You can see those at Lowes.I have a cordless Homelite 20" use a Gater blade on it instead of the stock blade.Found a 20" blade that would fit it-cuts and mulches better.The Gater blade does discharge the battery faster-but its better performance is worth it.The mower will do my backyard-then needs recharging.

 

[classictvman81x]

Sunbeam Mowers

Speaking of the rarer Sunbeam mowers, have you guys ever came across a model 3148 twin-blade mower with a Tecumseh 85cc 2-cycle engine?

~Ben

 

[tolivac]

Never seen such a creature as a small Sunbeam gas dual blade mower.Usually gas dual blade or multiblade walk mowers are large-36"-48" or even on up.Usually used commercially.Beleive Toro made a small dual blade gas mower but it was discontinued --didn't sell.Folks liked the single blades ones better in the small sizes.Figure the small dual blade electrics were good becuase the electric motor could spin the small blades faster than a gas motor.

 

[philr]

I didn't know Sunbeam ever made gas-powered Twin-Blade machines! With a single chute and a bag! 

 

When I was a kid I had a green Electric Twin Blade from my grandfather's aunt which had a loose blade because of a worn bushing. This was my first attempt at replacing bushings in something! It did work after but I gave it to my cousin with a few extra parts and straps. 

 

[classictvman81x]

Sunbeam Electric Lawn Edger

Oh, and has anyone ever come across this rare Sunbeam electric lawn edger from circa 1983, a model 919?

I mean, the placement of the motor makes me believe they could have revived their electric reel mower but with the double-insulated 12 amp motor.

~Ben

 

[tolivac]

They could revive these tools with PM DC motors-rectified DC motors if used from 120V AC.And with todays technology-make them CORDLESS!It was fun running the edger-but cleaning up after it-no fun.These are FAR better than the hand pushed edgers of yesteryear-my Mom called them "Idiot Sticks"Guess powered ones --"Motorized Idiot Sticks" Think the motorized ones so much easier and do a better job!

 

[classictvman81x]

tolivac

Rex,

I forgot to add that regarding the Sunbeam 919, Sears also sold a Craftsman version of that electric edger under catalog numbers 71-85730 (1984) and 71-79645 (1985-86). With the same 2.1 HP motor as their electric mowers which delivers the equivalent amount of high-load torque as a 3 HP gas engine, that one was truly the most powerful electric edger, and was considered the best alternative to the 4-cycle gas edgers of the day.

BTW -- here is another rare Sunbeam electric mower for you and other Sunbeam fanatics: the cord-reel mower, model RE-1875 (18" cut; a 20" cut version was also available under model RE-2175). As proclaimed in Sunbeam's 1967 catalog, both the RE-1875 and RE-2175 had a "cord recovery system" which worked as follows:
"The mower motor and recovery reel are mounted in the mower housing as a unit. The torque of the blade caused by cutting grass causes the recovery reel to revolve in the opposite direction and reel in the extra cord. The mower does not lose power as a result of the recovery action" and these are the results:
* Cord is always reeled in.
* Cord is stored automatically after mowing.
* Easy, fast mowing around shrubs and hedges.

~Ben

 

[tolivac]

The "cord reel" Sunbeam-very interesting.Kinda like the self cord wind in Meile vacuums.

 

[classictvman81x]

Sunbeam RE1800



Unfortunately, the original handle assembly has been replaced on this vintage Sunbeam so there is no motor switch per se that would shut the motor on or off... considering this unit was made around 1965, the original motor switch would stop the blade in about 5 seconds, but due to the redneck modification, unplugging the cord would require the 10 seconds that I've counted to stop the blade.

~Ben

 

[tolivac]

Nice old mower-GREAT that it still works.The start up and spindown sound like the motor and gears are still healthy.During the movie-the thing sounds kinda like a gasa mower.When you start or turn it off-then the giveaway.The lawn being mowed is like mine is now-the pipeline construction work.In one area of my yard-its been attacked by THREE backhoes-well tilled.One for the power company,others from the water company.the work is going to be worth it-fewer water outages.

 

[classictvman81x]

Sunbeam Super Champ 2 Cycle Rear Bagger

Perhaps the holy grail of all Sunbeam gas-powered lawn mowers would be the "Super Champ" 160cc 2-cycle gas engine rear-bagging lawn mower. Has anyone ever heard about that one?

~Ben

 

[classictvman81x]

E-800 for Sale on eBay!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-195...er-Mower-model-E800-WORKS-GREAT-/122085101214

From the estate of an ex-Sunbeam employee for your consideration...

~Ben

 

[philr]

That mower belongs to a member here! Thanks for posting this link!

 

[classictvman81x]

Rare 1983 Wards Twin Blade Mower

http://www.ebay.com/itm/26257468189...8b3158e3485&bu=43177400950&cp=1&sojTags=bu=bu

It's not often you see a Sunbeam twin-blade electric mower sold by Montgomery Ward (or "Monkey Wards" as some of you affectionally refer to the defunct chain). The handle is also painted black! This unit is dated March 7, 1983. Other than who sold it, it is exactly the same machine as my Sears Craftsman 663.914126, also made in '83.

Buy It Now for $24, but for those of you living outside of Columbia City, IN you will have to contact the seller for shipping arrangements. The handle can be collapsed (by loosening the two wing nuts connecting the two parts of the handle) for easier shipping.

~Ben

 

[tolivac]

Remember those twin blade mowers-You can get something similar from Greenworks and Kobalt out of Lowes.These are twin blade,twin motor rechargeable electric mowers.They do work well.The new mowers have a rear discharge instead of side discharge.Black&Decker made something like that years ago.

 

[classictvman81x]

Sunbeam RE184B in Lake Oswego

Yeah, but $500 for something like this from 1964?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-ELE...1-/322274204340?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276

~Ben

 

[tolivac]

"Have no idea what this is worth"inquires the seller-certainly NOT worth 500 bucks!!Nice shape-and too new to be "antique".Another question are the belts good?

 

[classictvman81x]

Sunbeam "Mulcher"

This fellow turned his old 1971 Sunbeam single-blader into a mulcher, that he calls a "hot rod" going by its new paint job.


~Ben

 

[tolivac]

Very nice repaint job--But do remember that NOISEY circular saw type motor.don't miss the cords-take my QUIET cordless over this anytime!Note how he had to do the area several times.The decks on these weren't designed for mulching.You need the bowel shaped decks for this.He treats the mower like a pet!The cordless mowers I have are mulchers from the start.You can't just turn a regular side discharge mower to a "mulcher" by plugging the discharge and adding a mulching blade-the deck design is the main factor.