My Grandad had one in the 60's that He was very proud of. He had a rotorvater attachment that He used on His 1/2 acre garden where He grew our Familys food. As We did in those days.
I knew someone who ended up in A&E as a result of standing in front of one of these. Fortunately it was in 1963 when there was an A&E that was properly resourced.
There is a holder for the baler twine ( sash window cord is also good) on the right hand arm. Some blue Locktite is also a good idea on these old Shakers. My son who lives near Fishguard would love one of these.
You can buy them still. There is almost always a working one on eBay and compared to a new one they are not expensive. You need a wilful mentality to run one though.
The old machine still did a great job Owen. Wish I had one. I usually have a similar thankless task on Arranmore…! Plus that looks like an old Massey Ferguson. Wish I had one of those too!
I had an old Allen scythe in the 70's. The carburetor was worn out and the float no longer floated so I put the carb from a Tina motor scooter on it making up a new inlet manifold, must have tripled the power at least. It became an absolute monster going along at a good run when the throttle was opened, I had the grass of a chicken farm to cut with it and the thing went so fast that it overtook and mowed down a poor chicken that had escaped. The idea of the curved up part of the cutter lever is to throw the grass to either side, only ever worked in a first or second year hay crop and no one grows hay in such small fields that they would use an Allen scythe to harvest it.
Poor chicken, I guess it was still delicious! I reckon these machines would be great for any crop that isn't matted, with the side blade and swath board I imagine they would make a very neat job of things. As it stands this is the fastest machine that will cut this awful grass. I have tried regular lawnmowers and they will cut but they put out an awful hay that is loose, strimmers are worse and I don't like running them. I have tried a Brott flail mower but it was underpowered and clogged. The allen scythe does a good job. Sometimes I will cut one area with a hand scythe, and I am getting better at it but I do like to run a machine! I have used this scythe to cut saplings in the past, it will cut up to about an inch and a half if you walk it by hand and take time, I might have a video of that in my allen scythes playlist.
I got this one from a display in a garden centre, the ignition system needed attention, and i think i did a similar job to your recent chainsaw video, enough attention to get it going, but that has lasted years and starts reliably since I put the clean petrol tank on top!
That kind of grass... I'd want an old fashioned scythe. For as much work as you went through with the motorized contraption, you could have had the field cut by hand. That said, coming at the problem from a blacksmith perspective, I wonder if you couldn't fabricate a shoe that fastens to the underside of the bar so it stands higher off the ground. The teeth are getting tied up in the half-rotted thatch, which you should leave behind to help build soil, so raise the whole thing up a few inches. I'm trying to see where you could install something like a cow-catcher to the thing so the cut grass was guided to the side and away rather than piling up in front and clogging things even worse.
Funny you should say that. Last summer I did it all with a scythe. But there was no thatch. Just a nice swath. I have posted videos of that and of accessories for the motor scythe that I have tried. You might enjoy them. They will be in my mowers playlist. Thanks
Looks similar to a barbers clipper set up? Anyway now I know why a primary school teacher of mine years ago used to say to the boys who chopped it off with electric ⚡️ clippers rather bluntly, “seen your hair had a run in with the lawnmower 🤣”
Owen, such are the multi layered problems of land management. I would plant the area up with trees to help slow down those Atlantic winds. You are suffering here with covid in that these machines are designed for a regular hay cut with animal grazing after that so that the meadow is short over winter, hence no thick thatch in the bottom. Again it's a balance between cutter speed and land speed for this operation,. Don't see why you don't list the video as public, some people may understand the issues, cheers
I have been thinking about some alder to go in there maybe mixed with sycamore. But there is no rush. The land is wet, and when one road was made to a house a few years ago they filled the land drain that kept it clear. that land drain was on maps from the 1800s but nobody was present to stop them and it is hardly worth digging 1m down through a road now to drain that little bit of land. As to why the video is not public, while the youtube algorithm may be an enigma, the method that I use to list videos publicly has no sense!. I tend to be 10-30 videos ahead, but I upload them as unlisted and put them in playlists, so they will play if you watch the playlist, then I can see how the playlists do. My removing thorns and splinters playlist will get 100s of views for an unlisted video but my lawnmowers playlist will not get many! With this video I can be pretty sure that all of the traffic has come from your comments section. The other reason is that I tend to edit a few videos at a time, but I don't usually want to release more than one a day.
@@bootsowen Owen, I'm thinking Alder ,Birch, Scots Pine, Sycamore. They will need to be good trees, not conservation grade. Trees are graded in the nursery and conservation grade has less vigour and poor form. I think you need good vigorous trees for this exposed site. maybe Hawthorn on the exposed edge, cheers
Birch didn't do well for me up there, my grandfather planted sycamore and a pine (maybe lodgepole?) The pine grows but it is pretty useless, knotty and I don't like it as firewood. I haven't seen any scots pine up there, not that close to the coast. I have never seen hawthorn up there, Willow does well, but stays as withies and doesn't bulk up. I guess doing anything is better than nothing!
@@bootsowen Owen, I suppose it's about habitat creation and changing the micro climate. I'm thinking Hawthorn will do well as I've seen it in coastal situations. Some Scots will add to the habitat and the winter colour. I'm sure Monterey Cyprus will be fine and it provides excellent bird nesting. The ubiquitous Leylandi is pretty hardy. It's all about a mixture and getting something established as a shelter on the weather edge for other things. All good experience, cheers
My Grandad had one in the 60's that He was very proud of. He had a rotorvater attachment that He used on His 1/2 acre garden where He grew our Familys food. As We did in those days.
My grandfather had one with the single plough attachment. The perfect smallholder machines, long may they last.
I knew someone who ended up in A&E as a result of standing in front of one of these. Fortunately it was in 1963 when there was an A&E that was properly resourced.
Is this some kind of political message. Or are you demonstrating that you know people who lack good judgment?
There is a holder for the baler twine ( sash window cord is also good) on the right hand arm. Some blue Locktite is also a good idea on these old Shakers. My son who lives near Fishguard would love one of these.
You can buy them still. There is almost always a working one on eBay and compared to a new one they are not expensive. You need a wilful mentality to run one though.
The old machine still did a great job Owen. Wish I had one. I usually have a similar thankless task on Arranmore…! Plus that looks like an old Massey Ferguson. Wish I had one of those too!
These tasks seem to find us!
The Sickle Mower Apache available from ISE forest garden Kilkenny may be a solution . € 1295.
I had an old Allen scythe in the 70's. The carburetor was worn out and the float no longer floated so I put the carb from a Tina motor scooter on it making up a new inlet manifold, must have tripled the power at least. It became an absolute monster going along at a good run when the throttle was opened, I had the grass of a chicken farm to cut with it and the thing went so fast that it overtook and mowed down a poor chicken that had escaped. The idea of the curved up part of the cutter lever is to throw the grass to either side, only ever worked in a first or second year hay crop and no one grows hay in such small fields that they would use an Allen scythe to harvest it.
Poor chicken, I guess it was still delicious! I reckon these machines would be great for any crop that isn't matted, with the side blade and swath board I imagine they would make a very neat job of things. As it stands this is the fastest machine that will cut this awful grass. I have tried regular lawnmowers and they will cut but they put out an awful hay that is loose, strimmers are worse and I don't like running them. I have tried a Brott flail mower but it was underpowered and clogged. The allen scythe does a good job. Sometimes I will cut one area with a hand scythe, and I am getting better at it but I do like to run a machine! I have used this scythe to cut saplings in the past, it will cut up to about an inch and a half if you walk it by hand and take time, I might have a video of that in my allen scythes playlist.
Starts and runs well,I've got a four stroke ts that I use fairly regularly,
They're a great machine!
Owen, never seen one a good as that, obviously my experience is tainted, runs and cuts smoothly cheers
I got this one from a display in a garden centre, the ignition system needed attention, and i think i did a similar job to your recent chainsaw video, enough attention to get it going, but that has lasted years and starts reliably since I put the clean petrol tank on top!
That kind of grass... I'd want an old fashioned scythe. For as much work as you went through with the motorized contraption, you could have had the field cut by hand. That said, coming at the problem from a blacksmith perspective, I wonder if you couldn't fabricate a shoe that fastens to the underside of the bar so it stands higher off the ground. The teeth are getting tied up in the half-rotted thatch, which you should leave behind to help build soil, so raise the whole thing up a few inches. I'm trying to see where you could install something like a cow-catcher to the thing so the cut grass was guided to the side and away rather than piling up in front and clogging things even worse.
Funny you should say that. Last summer I did it all with a scythe. But there was no thatch. Just a nice swath. I have posted videos of that and of accessories for the motor scythe that I have tried. You might enjoy them. They will be in my mowers playlist. Thanks
Pitch fork? Three ting. Rake and turning . Scything a bit.
Looks similar to a barbers clipper set up? Anyway now I know why a primary school teacher of mine years ago used to say to the boys who chopped it off with electric ⚡️ clippers rather bluntly, “seen your hair had a run in with the lawnmower 🤣”
I remember teachers saying that too.
IT's not an 'Oxford Allen' - it's an 'Allan Oxford' !!!
Hello mate, can you tell me the correct spark plug for a four stroke Allen scythe please 😃👍
Hi, identify the engine first, then search for it on villiers forums. I wouldn't know off hand.
@@bootsowen Thank you, sharing one spark plug between an 1921 Atco Standard and the scythe 😀👍
Owen, such are the multi layered problems of land management. I would plant the area up with trees to help slow down those Atlantic winds. You are suffering here with covid in that these machines are designed for a regular hay cut with animal grazing after that so that the meadow is short over winter, hence no thick thatch in the bottom. Again it's a balance between cutter speed and land speed for this operation,. Don't see why you don't list the video as public, some people may understand the issues, cheers
I have been thinking about some alder to go in there maybe mixed with sycamore. But there is no rush. The land is wet, and when one road was made to a house a few years ago they filled the land drain that kept it clear. that land drain was on maps from the 1800s but nobody was present to stop them and it is hardly worth digging 1m down through a road now to drain that little bit of land.
As to why the video is not public, while the youtube algorithm may be an enigma, the method that I use to list videos publicly has no sense!. I tend to be 10-30 videos ahead, but I upload them as unlisted and put them in playlists, so they will play if you watch the playlist, then I can see how the playlists do. My removing thorns and splinters playlist will get 100s of views for an unlisted video but my lawnmowers playlist will not get many! With this video I can be pretty sure that all of the traffic has come from your comments section.
The other reason is that I tend to edit a few videos at a time, but I don't usually want to release more than one a day.
@@bootsowen Owen, I'm thinking Alder ,Birch, Scots Pine, Sycamore. They will need to be good trees, not conservation grade. Trees are graded in the nursery and conservation grade has less vigour and poor form. I think you need good vigorous trees for this exposed site. maybe Hawthorn on the exposed edge, cheers
Birch didn't do well for me up there, my grandfather planted sycamore and a pine (maybe lodgepole?) The pine grows but it is pretty useless, knotty and I don't like it as firewood. I haven't seen any scots pine up there, not that close to the coast. I have never seen hawthorn up there, Willow does well, but stays as withies and doesn't bulk up. I guess doing anything is better than nothing!
@@bootsowen Owen, I suppose it's about habitat creation and changing the micro climate. I'm thinking Hawthorn will do well as I've seen it in coastal situations. Some Scots will add to the habitat and the winter colour. I'm sure Monterey Cyprus will be fine and it provides excellent bird nesting. The ubiquitous Leylandi is pretty hardy. It's all about a mixture and getting something established as a shelter on the weather edge for other things. All good experience, cheers
maybe a Plate som move the Grass to one side out?????? Oh Man,see how Farmer do it.
हमे होना सर बताए.