My dad bought one of these to do yards in town and it was about 1945. He kept it in our basement and one day I found a go kart frame, so I took off his childhood engine and made a go kart about 1969. He didn’t seem to mind but he did find me a 5 hp Clinton motor for it. He helped me fix it up to a nice kart. We took a part a Cushman bike to use the two speed transmission and the front and back wheels to use one the back. We spent a lot of time together from then on. Moving to mini bikes a couple more karts and eventually he got a 350 Honda bike after I go my 250 Yamaha. My dad passed this year. I cant express how much this means to me
You don't realize how much this channel means to you until you check in on a Sunday morning and there's not a Mustie1 video to watch! So glad you are feeling better-- kidney stones are no joke, and they can be a lot harder to fix than an old mower!
I'm 74, this episode brought back memories of my Uncle Ped. He was a WWII Vet earning a living as a traveling salesman, but also had a small business sharpening saws and small engine repair.. His Trophy was a huge six blade reel mower with more handless and levers than you could shake a stick at. It was big and heavy.... took two big men to pick it up. But, my gosh, that mower could cut grass!!!!That mower was the envy of the entire neighborhood! My first taste of a reel mower was blister powered. Straight manual... But, you want a nice looking lawn, get a reel mower...
My grandpa had one of these in about 1952 or 53. I was sooo impressed with it. He would let me walk with him with my hands on the handlebars. It was so mechanical and impressive to me! It was the beginning of my love for gas powered anything. It brings back memories…
after getting hit by a tractor trailer in 2007 disabiling me, i couldnt do much, thanks for making this part of my life more enjoyable, I hope your well
I started on one of these at 6 years old (Grandpa wasn't in to ''Safety''!) and it was the only kind of Mower Gramps would allow on his ''Turf''. He swore it made the yard like a Putting Green thus filling the neighbors with envy...and that was the Goal!
My dad had one like yours back in the early 50's. His was green. I think it was a Sears and Roebuck. The self propelled was on full time. You'd tip it back on the rollers to start the motor, also to keep it from moving. The wheels always turned. A little scary. But this was back in the day when things weren't dangerous. Yeah. Thanks for the nostalgia Bob
Back in the late 50's and 60's my 2 brothers and I each had a section of yord to mow. We used a push style reel mower. I remember when dad bought one like this one with an engine. It was a modern marvel back then. Good video and I'm glad you're feeling better.
In the late 80s or early 90s my gran gave us one of the old push-style ones, no idea how old it was. The blades were pretty blunt and the handle was as floppy as this one, making the whole thing really difficult to push. The tiniest twig would jam the thing and you'd bump into the handle trying to push. I was pretty happy when I got a beaten old electric Flymo and eventually threw the reel mower away. It was old but it had enough plastic parts to be beyond sensible repair.
@@timdoyle66 These were used in Australia and New Zealand as well, most push mowers some with engines, we can still buy them new down here, if you can find a vintage one with a engine you can pay big money for them. Yes they did do a great job.
Rubber is made with oil, a 14" tire in 1985 was made with about 7 gallons of various kinds of oils and waxes. Belts, have the same properties. With that said, never park your car/tires on a oily patch, as the oil in the tire will eventually react with the oil on the ground, and turn it into chewing gum. Today's tires have more synthetic oils, so they are not as suspectable.
I would be so chuffed to have a mower like this one! Always loved how much nicer a reel mower cuts, and this one is so light weight yet still a reel style. What a little gem.
About 70 years ago when I was a boy and mowed our lawn for the first time, we had a reel mower. One thing I recall was that the mowers travel was at a slower pace than Darren's jackrabbit "Homko." That gave the blade more time to repeat the cut and gave a nice flat mow rather than a spital look over the grass surface. Hope you're feeling better Darren. Best, George, Danvers, MA
One of my chores when I was a kid was to mow the lawn. This was the kind of mower we had. The yard was on a slope and I used to mow barefooted, early in the morning while the grass was still wet. Luckily nothing bad ever happened, but it was the machine where I first learned how to diagnose engine problems with my father.
Kidney stones are THE WORST!! I used to get migraines as a child, but not so much anymore. Glad you're feeling better, and I hope you continue to improve!
We had one of those but instead of a centrifugal clutch, it had a handle that engaged a belt tensioner. After the blade part died, I turned it into my first go kart. Fun times for all the neighborhood kids.
1:30:23 The utter joy of hearing "What could possibly go wrong ?" as you let go of the mower answers any question of your childhood influences. I love this.🤣
My Uncle had one of these back in the '60's. I thought it was so cool as all we had was a reel push mower, that was my job to cut the lawn every Sat. Really brought back memories for me.
That Briggs and Stratton engine looks like a model 6S. I used to have one of those. They were made between 1949-1957, all cast iron. Better than the aluminum engines of today. Glad to have you back, Mustie. Hope you are feeling better.
Flashbacks from 60+ yrs ago trying to use my Uncles, Pennsylvania brand, reel mower. Same setup save for a lever which engaged the belt idler. No grass catcher. After mowing the 1/4 acre, I then got to rake up the clippings. The mower was liberated by my Uncle from the Newport Casino (now tennis Hall of Fame) where he was Superintendent. It was used on the grass courts. The management were afraid that the Jazz festival attendees would trash the place. Thanks for clearing up how to start it. Narragansett Bay
I grew up using that style mower in the early 70's I'm 61. Many golf courses use reel mowers on the greens to produce that manicured end product. They really do a fine job. Godspeed for your recovery. By the way, I still miss the old shop. It was nice stopping by again!
Been waiting for years to see you work on this. When I was 7 I started cutting my Dad's grass with this type of mower. Did not wear steel boots. That was in the mid to late 60's. I have the engine from this mower and it still runs
When I was about 10, our neighbor, a retired engineer, opened up a lawnmower repair shop. He had a reel mower sharpening machine. It was a beast. I learned a lot from him. Now l’m 75 and learning from Mustie1 and Taryl. 😂
Excellent revival! I enjoyed visiting the original shop as there were so many fun moments associated with the projects completed in that, relatively speaking, lesser square footage space. Thanks for another great day of wrenching 👏🏻👏🏻❤️🔧✌🏻
Brings back memories of my golf course maintenance days! Used to mow greens with reel mowers. Of course they were made with today's technology as opposed to then.
I like it! I use a manual reel mower now, and would be glad to have this one. That thing was throwing some grass!!! Wow! Nice to see the snow blower again, my grandfather had one just like it when I was growing up. My dad used it after he died, and cleared our 300 foot drive with it. We live there in New England like you.
We had a Toro reel mower when I was a kid, it did a beautiful job cutting our lawn, it basically looked like a golf green, my father didn’t seem to be too concerned about our safety back then, my brother and I were mowing at about 10yrs old, it was one way to earn money, mowing the neighbors lawns
That mower was my introduction to yard work. It was ostensibly "self propelled" but as it was well used it only had one wheel drive. I mowed our yard and our elderly neighbors yard quite a few times and soon learned that it would ONLY turn in one direction. Fun! But I DID learn that you make the best of what you have to do the job.
I used a mower fairly similar to that one, except the grass went out the front into a grass catcher. I was about 9 years old then and I had about one acre of land to mow. I am 70 years old now. I loved using that mower it was lots of fun. Thanks for sharing this video, it took me back to when things were much simpler than. And yes I still have all my fingers and toes.
OH! WOW!!! I wish I had that old mower. That is what I used to mow our lawn and my grandparents lawn when I was a kid. My grandfather owned a blacksmith shop and in his later years it was his job to sharpen those mowers. Recently I visited that old shop that is still there and due to antique structure laws in my town, it is still exactly the same as it was 70 years ago. I mentioned my grandfathers job to the present owner and he pointed over to one side and said, "It's still here, and it still works", referring to the sharpening machine. The old mower was a B&S with the same rope pull starter. As a teenager, I secretly took the motor apart one afternoon to see how it worked and carefully put it back together, and, thank God, it still ran when I reassembled it.
"what could possibly go wrong?" immediately winds up targeted by the toe chopper 6000 and has to do his best matador impression. ole! lol! gotta love ya buddy.
Good to see you back Mustie, I hope you are feeling better. There is nothing better than watching all those clippings piling out the back of it, takes me right back to my childhood we used to have two mowers like that. Thanks for another fantastic video i live for Sundays with Mustie
My grandfather had a lawn mower of that type, fully manual though. Even well sharpened, adjusted, and oiled the damn thing was really a chore to push even through the small lawns he had. No wonder they made it motorized.
Mustie1, Very Glad to hear you’re feeling better!!! In my youth, I pushed a couple no motor “reel” mowers around until I could afford to buy a power New type mower to do yard work as a kid. It was great to see how you brought this one back to life. It cuts better than my old (no Motor) reel one cut…haha. That check valve was so tiny, but yougot it out. Yes, I was yelling at you to poke something through the hole on the clutch…haha! Great video, Thanks!
Watching from Brisbane, Australia. This is one of your best videos. Working it out as you go using your extensive experience. Love the final scenes with the “remote” mowing option. 😎
Looks like it did a pretty good cut…nicely done, Sir! When you started cutting I suddenly had a flashback to using one of these as a kid and totally trashing my new pair of Keds…looked like I was wearing grass sneakers. Thanks for the trip back!
I love seeing these old powered reel mowers. I have a 1956 REO Royale powered reel mower that I got for a project. It still runs, but it’s just rough looking. Huge 2-1/4hp REO engine on it the runs counter clockwise and uses an external gearbox to turn the blades clockwise. Glad to see this one running.
At 21:21 you said it all; this 60+ kid did indeed build his first go-kart using identical motor and lawn-mower, a real work-horse. The self-propel was broken, so the wheels were just stationary. My brother and I struggled behind that mower for years with stuck wheels. One day I put a key into a certain cog in the wheel drive mechanism and it self-propelled like a champ, for like a month, before Dad let me have the motor for our saggy bed-frame go-kart. We'd spin that rope-start cup by stretching a V-belt with a 1/3 hp electric motor. MAN was that 'Kart a lot of fun! But now I miss the mower just as much.
Glad your back and up 'n' running again. When I set up cylinder mowers, including sit on ones when Maintenance Manager in a Hotel group, I adjusted the cylinder so they cut a sheet of paper against the adjustable cutter blade. Best for giving a 'stripe' lawn finish.. 🤔👍🙂🇬🇧
My grandmother had one of those mowers with the bagger. I used to cut her grass when I was about thirteen. She would make me use the bagger because she didn't want excess grass killing her lawn. I hated using the bag. Wow, that was many years ago. I miss her.
My graddad had a top of the line, self propelled, multipal roller briggs and straton , green when i was a kid back in New Zealand. Must have been like 1966 for me to remember itt ! As much as parents want their kids to mow the lawn, granddad wouldn't let us get anywhere near it !
As a kid, we used to have a Suffolk punch with a similar design but with a big roller, and the blades were more accessible to adjust. Also, the clutch to drive it was centrifugal, where the weights were the friction points on the outer bell. Gave an incredible cut on the grass. The cut grass with the roller looked better than the smashed grass lol
I have one just like it, believe it or not. It had been abandoned in a backyard shed and the new owners of the house just wanted it gone. I brought it home just for the laughs and found out it does a great job on the fenced-in section of the yard that I had been mowing with a push mower since I can't get the JD 748 through the gates. They are oddly fun to use!
when I was 12 or so, had a lawn job that used one of these...hell to start and smokey and smelly. I earned every bit of my 5 dollars! Hope you're feeling better!
What a glorious machine! Elegant in its simplicity. I am surprised that, other than persuading the clutch to work, the business end worked so well. Thought it was going to require a disassembly, cleaning and lubing. Looks like she’s just one new belt away from being a regular user - for as long as the gas tank holds out. Great video! Get well, my friend.
I used this as a kid in the 70's. When the clutch is engaged you have to tip it backward onto the wooden rollers to stop it and steer in a different direction and then let it tip forward to again begin pulling itself down the lawn. It was a pain to manipulate the throttle and clutch at the end of each row of grass so you left it at full throttle. When you start it initially that was the only time it sat in the forward position. It was one of the first-generation self-propelled mowers. The earlier generation had no motor and you simply shoved it back and forth. I was too little to ever have the strength to do that. The grass catcher was a wire-rimmed canvas sack material with a metal bottom and at the front corners, it opened up to hook onto the side hooks at the end of each side of the wooden rollers. At the back, it was held off the ground with a simple chain that connected to the handle about halfway up. Freakin' dangerous machine. I'm surprised my dad let me operate it.
Sorry to hear about the "Kidney Stones". Hope you keep getting better. Always enjoy a Sunday watching those engines coming back to life. I have learned a lot over the years watching your channel. Keep well and looking forward to more engines. 🚗🚙😃👌👍👍
Im glad your feeling better brother. I had one of these in the 80’s me and my friends sent it back and forth unattended across the yard. Best b day present a Mustie upload
In the 1960s I had to mow our all lawns with a hand pushed version of a reel mower like this , NO engine, the wheels turned the rotary blades. My dad would set the blades so they would slice a sheet of paper, the full width of the cutter blade on each one. Mind you it was made of cast iron with a wooden handle. So when your a skinny 10 YO, it took some pushing !!! I still have it and it still cuts grass if you’re silly enough to push it. 😁. Great video Mustie
This was the first power lawn mower my dad ever had. It was used when he got it, and replaced a push type reel mower. It ran until the carburetor/intake mount broke. No one in town at thst time could weld it, so it went to the dump. But I mowed the yard for a number of years without loosing any fingers or toes. Thanks for the memories.
These sometimes had a flat half moon grass catcher that would hang behind it, that worked well. Also, this was the same engine on my first minibike. Not a lot of power but did ok on a flat parking lot. Lot of fun for a twelve or thirteen year old's first bike build. Tks for the memories, and thank you for the videos.
My grandpa had that exact mower I mowed with it many times.He bought us a newer version. Both were self propelled. When my friends dad went out and bought a fancy craftsman mower with self propel they made such a big deal out of it. I responded I have been using one for years.
WE were the first in our neighborhood to have one of these types of mowers because my Dad felt bad watching me sweat so much in the dog days heat. The plus side to having one of these was that he allowed me to make some side money mowing other people's yards...so that was cool. I'm now 72 years old.
Had one as a kid in the early 80's, was donated by my landlord when I asked him about it. He drove a 57 chevy truck so I dont doubt its from the 50's. Used mine with my fathers welding skills to build a home made go-cart using bed rails. Crazy to see it again all these years later.
my maternal grandfather (b. 1894, d. 1968) , a man that after retirement spent many hours gardening and maintaining his lawn, used one of these reel mowers. and claimed it was the only thing that could cut his Bermuda grass lawn properly. in fact, they perform poorly on most lawns with modern grasses. and on the OTHER side of my family, my fraternal grandmother (b. 1898, d. 1967) had a HAND operated one (no engine) that my dad used to use to cut her lawn when we visited in the summer. as a youngster, i wasn't even strong enough to push it fast enough to get it to spin the blades. ha!
@@gs1100ed They are... but two or three of them side by side are called a "gang mower".... and the groundsmen ones used in public parks hydraulically powered off the tractor...
1992 my mom bought one exactly like this from a 2nd hand store. We couldn’t afford a new push mower, but this thing lasted until 2010 when our neighbor bought it.😊
Congrats Mustie1 on repairing the 1970's type of mower. tells a kid, hey why don't u mow the yard with flipflops. 10th most dangerous tool, next to the hay sling.
@@Philc231 yeah My Father's was at least from the late 1940's, Briggs stopped making cast iron main engine blocks in the 1960's. This is a well preserved antique.
Glad you're feeling better. My wife had a kidney stone pass a couple years ago. She was in the hospital for 4 days if I remember right. She was jacked up pretty good.
Great video. Love all of your videos but this one is one of my favorites. By the way, I passed a kidney stone several decades ago, and it clearly was one of the most painful things I went through. Fortunately, it eventually passed. They suggested the analyze what the stone was made of so I could curb any excesses in my diet containing that substance. Now onto the lawn mower. I'm not an expert on this, but as I understand it this is the type of lawn mowers the best golf courses demand to cut their putting greens. The advantage being that the spinning blade captures the blades of grass between the fixed shearing blade and the spinning blade. That makes for an incredibly clear cut rather than todays lawn mowers that spin fast and tear/tug the blade leaving a rough edge. It might be an idea to fine tune the adjustments, and blade surfaces to perfect that shear all the more.
WOW! Talk about a blast from the past! Does that ever bring back memories! We had the exact same mower that my Dad had got given to him by my grandfather when I was a kid!
Mustie1 You are the Merlin Wizard of bringing all dead mechanical things back to life. I've learned so much from you. Thank you for bringing us all along.
Glad see you back, and feeling better Mustsie. Hopefully whatever meds was given is helping u. Thank you for a video this week. There never expected but greatful have you and them here.
Best wishes for improved health. Those reel mowers are great for grooming a nice yard once you get it cut to the height you want. Used on golf courses to take care of the greens. You did a great job on getting it to working mode.
Good morning! Good to see you up and around and back at it! Nice mower! I have two of those! Okay. I lied. Mine don't have engines. They're one "old horse" powered! 😆
I kind of remember mowers like that. Sort of. Maybe. Stupid brain cells. Glad prognosis looks better. Hang in. I have watched for many years and hope to watch for many more, depending on the health of both of us! Thanks for all the work you do to entertain and inform the World Of Mustonians!
Mowed lawn for $ as a Kid in the 60's. Used mower like this. Tied my wagon to it, and used it to pull me around the neighborhood as I went door to door looking for the next job. My father couldn't understand the amount of wear that I put on the tires. lol
I also had a side gig working security at a golf course that was opening. I used to watch a guy come in and sharpen all of the rotary mowers, it was pretty fascinating to watch him set it all up.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #1 НАЧАЛО ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯ [Новый сезон] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/380Q7gLWGvk/mqdefault.jpg)
My dad bought one of these to do yards in town and it was about 1945. He kept it in our basement and one day I found a go kart frame, so I took off his childhood engine and made a go kart about 1969. He didn’t seem to mind but he did find me a 5 hp Clinton motor for it. He helped me fix it up to a nice kart. We took a part a Cushman bike to use the two speed transmission and the front and back wheels to use one the back. We spent a lot of time together from then on. Moving to mini bikes a couple more karts and eventually he got a 350 Honda bike after I go my 250 Yamaha. My dad passed this year. I cant express how much this means to me
You don't realize how much this channel means to you until you check in on a Sunday morning and there's not a Mustie1 video to watch! So glad you are feeling better-- kidney stones are no joke, and they can be a lot harder to fix than an old mower!
...never had kidney stones- but I had hemorrhoids!!!
Trust me- there are SOME things that you wouldn't wish on your WORST ENEMY...(!)
I agree. I love this channel
@@GttC10 ...well, "if ya LOVE IT so much- then why don't ya MARRY IT?!"
@@daleburrell6273 What is wrong with you? Pls stay decent..
@@daleburrell6273 hahahaha I get the joke
I'm 74, this episode brought back memories of my Uncle Ped. He was a WWII Vet earning a living as a traveling salesman, but also had a small business sharpening saws and small engine repair.. His Trophy was a huge six blade reel mower with more handless and levers than you could shake a stick at. It was big and heavy.... took two big men to pick it up. But, my gosh, that mower could cut grass!!!!That mower was the envy of the entire neighborhood! My first taste of a reel mower was blister powered. Straight manual... But, you want a nice looking lawn, get a reel mower...
My grandpa had one of these in about 1952 or 53. I was sooo impressed with it. He would let me walk with him with my hands on the handlebars. It was so mechanical and impressive to me! It was the beginning of my love for gas powered anything. It brings back memories…
The best mechanic on UA-cam is back!!
If ANYBODY can make it run, Mustie can.
James Condon begs to differ.
after getting hit by a tractor trailer in 2007 disabiling me, i couldnt do much, thanks for making this part of my life more enjoyable, I hope your well
Hey brother, been in some bad car accidents myself. I hope you can get up and around ok and get yourself a reel mower to enjoy.
@@thesmartestmanintheworld2653 ty for your kind words
I started on one of these at 6 years old (Grandpa wasn't in to ''Safety''!) and it was the only kind of Mower Gramps would allow on his ''Turf''. He swore it made the yard like a Putting Green thus filling the neighbors with envy...and that was the Goal!
My dad had one like yours back in the early 50's. His was green. I think it was a Sears and Roebuck. The self propelled was on full time. You'd tip it back on the rollers to start the motor, also to keep it from moving. The wheels always turned. A little scary. But this was back in the day when things weren't dangerous. Yeah.
Thanks for the nostalgia
Bob
Back in the late 50's and 60's my 2 brothers and I each had a section of yord to mow. We used a push style reel mower. I remember when dad bought one like this one with an engine. It was a modern marvel back then. Good video and I'm glad you're feeling better.
In the late 80s or early 90s my gran gave us one of the old push-style ones, no idea how old it was. The blades were pretty blunt and the handle was as floppy as this one, making the whole thing really difficult to push. The tiniest twig would jam the thing and you'd bump into the handle trying to push. I was pretty happy when I got a beaten old electric Flymo and eventually threw the reel mower away. It was old but it had enough plastic parts to be beyond sensible repair.
We still have one, works well, takes a bit to push through longer grass.
This machine would be mostly used on an English lawn. Short and thick after witch you could play billiards on.
@@timdoyle66 These were used in Australia and New Zealand as well, most push mowers some with engines, we can still buy them new down here, if you can find a vintage one with a engine you can pay big money for them. Yes they did do a great job.
Rubber is made with oil, a 14" tire in 1985 was made with about 7 gallons of various kinds of oils and waxes. Belts, have the same properties. With that said, never park your car/tires on a oily patch, as the oil in the tire will eventually react with the oil on the ground, and turn it into chewing gum. Today's tires have more synthetic oils, so they are not as suspectable.
Good morning everyone ! Hope you’re feeling better Mustie . Kidney stones are no joke . Thanks for another awesome video !
Curious, how do you know he had kidney stones?
@@dougaranda6187 He mentioned it at the very end of the video.
He actually posted the previous week about why he didn’t have a video for the week .
I would be so chuffed to have a mower like this one! Always loved how much nicer a reel mower cuts, and this one is so light weight yet still a reel style. What a little gem.
About 70 years ago when I was a boy and mowed our lawn for the first time, we had a reel mower. One thing I recall was that the mowers travel was at a slower pace than Darren's jackrabbit "Homko." That gave the blade more time to repeat the cut and gave a nice flat mow rather than a spital look over the grass surface. Hope you're feeling better Darren. Best, George, Danvers, MA
One of my chores when I was a kid was to mow the lawn. This was the kind of mower we had. The yard was on a slope and I used to mow barefooted, early in the morning while the grass was still wet. Luckily nothing bad ever happened, but it was the machine where I first learned how to diagnose engine problems with my father.
Glad you’re back. Hope you’re feeling better. As a viewer in Southeast Asia your uploads are a routine for Sunday evening.
Same here, always after Sunday dinnertime with a nice coffee.
"Lets go get a small pry bar." Brings back something damn near the size of a slate bar. That's why I love watching these vids. That and I learn.
Kidney stones are THE WORST!! I used to get migraines as a child, but not so much anymore.
Glad you're feeling better, and I hope you continue to improve!
I like it when Mustie1 found the hole. Really got things moving back and forwards at that point.
We had one of those but instead of a centrifugal clutch, it had a handle that engaged a belt tensioner. After the blade part died, I turned it into my first go kart. Fun times for all the neighborhood kids.
I learned how to repair the same one with the lever after it became part of my first go kart! Great memories.
1:30:23 The utter joy of hearing "What could possibly go wrong ?" as you let go of the mower answers any question of your childhood influences. I love this.🤣
My Uncle had one of these back in the '60's. I thought it was so cool as all we had was a reel push mower, that was my job to cut the lawn every Sat. Really brought back memories for me.
That Briggs and Stratton engine looks like a model 6S. I used to have one of those. They were made between 1949-1957, all cast iron. Better than the aluminum engines of today. Glad to have you back, Mustie. Hope you are feeling better.
It's a 5s (5 fin block) 6s blocks have 7 😉
Flashbacks from 60+ yrs ago trying to use my Uncles, Pennsylvania brand, reel mower. Same setup save for a lever which engaged the belt idler. No grass catcher. After mowing the 1/4 acre, I then got to rake up the clippings. The mower was liberated by my Uncle from the Newport Casino (now tennis Hall of Fame) where he was Superintendent. It was used on the grass courts. The management were afraid that the Jazz festival attendees would trash the place. Thanks for clearing up how to start it. Narragansett Bay
My dad had the same mower in 1956, as a 12yr kid made spending money cutting neighbors yards. 😎
I grew up using that style mower in the early 70's I'm 61. Many golf courses use reel mowers on the greens to produce that manicured end product. They really do a fine job. Godspeed for your recovery. By the way, I still miss the old shop. It was nice stopping by again!
Thank you, these mowers bring back lots of remembers
Been waiting for years to see you work on this. When I was 7 I started cutting my Dad's grass with this type of mower. Did not wear steel boots. That was in the mid to late 60's. I have the engine from this mower and it still runs
Thanks Mustie for the walk down memory
lane. I use one of theses when I was kid.
When I was about 10, our neighbor, a retired engineer, opened up a lawnmower repair shop. He had a reel mower sharpening machine. It was a beast. I learned a lot from him. Now l’m 75 and learning from Mustie1 and Taryl. 😂
Welcome back Mr. Mustie! Hope you are feeling better!
The man the myth the legend is back! Hope you are doing ok mustie! ❤
I enjoy watching your videos.they are educational
Those old rotary mowers made the grass look better when done. Definitely an art to setup/adjustment with them. Great video!
Excellent revival! I enjoyed visiting the original shop as there were so many fun moments associated with the projects completed in that, relatively speaking, lesser square footage space. Thanks for another great day of wrenching 👏🏻👏🏻❤️🔧✌🏻
Brings back memories of my golf course maintenance days! Used to mow greens with reel mowers. Of course they were made with today's technology as opposed to then.
I like it! I use a manual reel mower now, and would be glad to have this one. That thing was throwing some grass!!! Wow! Nice to see the snow blower again, my grandfather had one just like it when I was growing up. My dad used it after he died, and cleared our 300 foot drive with it.
We live there in New England like you.
We had a Toro reel mower when I was a kid, it did a beautiful job cutting our lawn, it basically looked like a golf green, my father didn’t seem to be too concerned about our safety back then, my brother and I were mowing at about 10yrs old, it was one way to earn money, mowing the neighbors lawns
Woohoo! Nice one - hope you're on the road to recovery!
That mower was my introduction to yard work. It was ostensibly "self propelled" but as it was well used it only had one wheel drive. I mowed our yard and our elderly neighbors yard quite a few times and soon learned that it would ONLY turn in one direction. Fun! But I DID learn that you make the best of what you have to do the job.
Thanks for a great video! I love to see these old machines brought back to life.
I used a mower fairly similar to that one, except the grass went out the front into a grass catcher. I was about 9 years old then and I had about one acre of land to mow. I am 70 years old now. I loved using that mower it was lots of fun. Thanks for sharing this video, it took me back to when things were much simpler than. And yes I still have all my fingers and toes.
OH! WOW!!! I wish I had that old mower. That is what I used to mow our lawn and my grandparents lawn when I was a kid. My grandfather owned a blacksmith shop and in his later years it was his job to sharpen those mowers. Recently I visited that old shop that is still there and due to antique structure laws in my town, it is still exactly the same as it was 70 years ago. I mentioned my grandfathers job to the present owner and he pointed over to one side and said, "It's still here, and it still works", referring to the sharpening machine. The old mower was a B&S with the same rope pull starter. As a teenager, I secretly took the motor apart one afternoon to see how it worked and carefully put it back together, and, thank God, it still ran when I reassembled it.
Darren glad to see you are up and around. I hope it passed without troubles!
"what could possibly go wrong?" immediately winds up targeted by the toe chopper 6000 and has to do his best matador impression. ole! lol! gotta love ya buddy.
What a beauty. Awesome little mower.
Good to see you back Mustie, I hope you are feeling better. There is nothing better than watching all those clippings piling out the back of it, takes me right back to my childhood we used to have two mowers like that. Thanks for another fantastic video i live for Sundays with Mustie
My grandfather had a lawn mower of that type, fully manual though. Even well sharpened, adjusted, and oiled the damn thing was really a chore to push even through the small lawns he had. No wonder they made it motorized.
Keep on doing the right things and hopefully you will be back to your old self soon.
@@ben5156 Thanks for wishing me to be a young lad again. The experience is from 40 years ago.
Reel type mowers no motor made ya strong lol then we put motors on them but damn the grass cut so nice
Used one like that when I was an early teen. Brings back memories.
Mustie1, Very Glad to hear you’re feeling better!!! In my youth, I pushed a couple no motor “reel” mowers around until I could afford to buy a power New type mower to do yard work as a kid. It was great to see how you brought this one back to life. It cuts better than my old (no Motor) reel one cut…haha. That check valve was so tiny, but yougot it out. Yes, I was yelling at you to poke something through the hole on the clutch…haha! Great video, Thanks!
I used one like that to cut a lawn for an old friend of my parents.
That was about 1978 and it was pretty old then. It did a really good job.
I'm very glad to have you back Darren! I've been worried about you.
Musty, your back! Awesome! Can't watch at the moment but something to look forward to. Thanks!
Watching from Brisbane, Australia. This is one of your best videos. Working it out as you go using your extensive experience. Love the final scenes with the “remote” mowing option. 😎
Looks like it did a pretty good cut…nicely done, Sir! When you started cutting I suddenly had a flashback to using one of these as a kid and totally trashing my new pair of Keds…looked like I was wearing grass sneakers. Thanks for the trip back!
That little machine is quite the little trooper.
Glad you're feeling better. Sick in the summer sucks.
Great to have you back!
I love seeing these old powered reel mowers. I have a 1956 REO Royale powered reel mower that I got for a project. It still runs, but it’s just rough looking. Huge 2-1/4hp REO engine on it the runs counter clockwise and uses an external gearbox to turn the blades clockwise. Glad to see this one running.
At 21:21 you said it all; this 60+ kid did indeed build his first go-kart using identical motor and lawn-mower, a real work-horse. The self-propel was broken, so the wheels were just stationary. My brother and I struggled behind that mower for years with stuck wheels. One day I put a key into a certain cog in the wheel drive mechanism and it self-propelled like a champ, for like a month, before Dad let me have the motor for our saggy bed-frame go-kart. We'd spin that rope-start cup by stretching a V-belt with a 1/3 hp electric motor. MAN was that 'Kart a lot of fun! But now I miss the mower just as much.
Good to see you again, Mustie!
Good to see you darren hope your feeling a bit better .
Glad your back and up 'n' running again. When I set up cylinder mowers, including sit on ones when Maintenance Manager in a Hotel group, I adjusted the cylinder so they cut a sheet of paper against the adjustable cutter blade. Best for giving a 'stripe' lawn finish.. 🤔👍🙂🇬🇧
My grandmother had one of those mowers with the bagger. I used to cut her grass when I was about thirteen. She would make me use the bagger because she didn't want excess grass killing her lawn. I hated using the bag. Wow, that was many years ago. I miss her.
My graddad had a top of the line, self propelled, multipal roller briggs and straton , green when i was a kid back in New Zealand. Must have been like 1966 for me to remember itt !
As much as parents want their kids to mow the lawn, granddad wouldn't let us get anywhere near it !
As a kid, we used to have a Suffolk punch with a similar design but with a big roller, and the blades were more accessible to adjust. Also, the clutch to drive it was centrifugal, where the weights were the friction points on the outer bell. Gave an incredible cut on the grass. The cut grass with the roller looked better than the smashed grass lol
I have one just like it, believe it or not. It had been abandoned in a backyard shed and the new owners of the house just wanted it gone. I brought it home just for the laughs and found out it does a great job on the fenced-in section of the yard that I had been mowing with a push mower since I can't get the JD 748 through the gates. They are oddly fun to use!
when I was 12 or so, had a lawn job that used one of these...hell to start and smokey and smelly. I earned every bit of my 5 dollars! Hope you're feeling better!
Welcome back!
Another great Mustie! video! So glad to see you back!
What a glorious machine! Elegant in its simplicity. I am surprised that, other than persuading the clutch to work, the business end worked so well. Thought it was going to require a disassembly, cleaning and lubing. Looks like she’s just one new belt away from being a regular user - for as long as the gas tank holds out. Great video! Get well, my friend.
I used this as a kid in the 70's. When the clutch is engaged you have to tip it backward onto the wooden rollers to stop it and steer in a different direction and then let it tip forward to again begin pulling itself down the lawn. It was a pain to manipulate the throttle and clutch at the end of each row of grass so you left it at full throttle. When you start it initially that was the only time it sat in the forward position. It was one of the first-generation self-propelled mowers. The earlier generation had no motor and you simply shoved it back and forth. I was too little to ever have the strength to do that. The grass catcher was a wire-rimmed canvas sack material with a metal bottom and at the front corners, it opened up to hook onto the side hooks at the end of each side of the wooden rollers. At the back, it was held off the ground with a simple chain that connected to the handle about halfway up. Freakin' dangerous machine. I'm surprised my dad let me operate it.
Sorry to hear about the "Kidney Stones". Hope you keep getting better.
Always enjoy a Sunday watching those engines coming back to life. I have learned a lot over the years watching your channel.
Keep well and looking forward to more engines. 🚗🚙😃👌👍👍
Glad to see you back those stones can be a bear 7 times when i was a lot younger 35 to about 45 none since pushing 67 nock on wood
Im glad your feeling better brother. I had one of these in the 80’s me and my friends sent it back and forth unattended across the yard.
Best b day present a Mustie upload
In the 1960s I had to mow our all lawns with a hand pushed version of a reel mower like this , NO engine, the wheels turned the rotary blades. My dad would set the blades so they would slice a sheet of paper, the full width of the cutter blade on each one. Mind you it was made of cast iron with a wooden handle. So when your a skinny 10 YO, it took some pushing !!! I still have it and it still cuts grass if you’re silly enough to push it. 😁. Great video Mustie
This was the first power lawn mower my dad ever had. It was used when he got it, and replaced a push type reel mower. It ran until the carburetor/intake mount broke. No one in town at thst time could weld it, so it went to the dump. But I mowed the yard for a number of years without loosing any fingers or toes. Thanks for the memories.
I started tinkering with small engines in the late 50's. This mower looks exactly like an early one I worked on, but it was called a Jacobson.
They still make reel mowers.
@@Boodieman72 Yeah but not like this or made to last. Even if it looks like this im sure the blade are crap .
These sometimes had a flat half moon grass catcher that would hang behind it, that worked well. Also, this was the same engine on my first minibike. Not a lot of power but did ok on a flat parking lot. Lot of fun for a twelve or thirteen year old's first bike build. Tks for the memories, and thank you for the videos.
My grandpa had that exact mower I mowed with it many times.He bought us a newer version. Both were self propelled. When my friends dad went out and bought a fancy craftsman mower with self propel they made such a big deal out of it. I responded I have been using one for years.
Glad you're back!! Missed you man!
Great to see you back and a great video.
WE were the first in our neighborhood to have one of these types of mowers because my Dad felt bad watching me sweat so much in the dog days heat. The plus side to having one of these was that he allowed me to make some side money mowing other people's yards...so that was cool. I'm now 72 years old.
Had one as a kid in the early 80's, was donated by my landlord when I asked him about it. He drove a 57 chevy truck so I dont doubt its from the 50's. Used mine with my fathers welding skills to build a home made go-cart using bed rails. Crazy to see it again all these years later.
Best part of the Week. 🔧👍🇬🇧
my maternal grandfather (b. 1894, d. 1968) , a man that after retirement spent many hours gardening and maintaining his lawn, used one of these reel mowers. and claimed it was the only thing that could cut his Bermuda grass lawn properly. in fact, they perform poorly on most lawns with modern grasses.
and on the OTHER side of my family, my fraternal grandmother (b. 1898, d. 1967) had a HAND operated one (no engine) that my dad used to use to cut her lawn when we visited in the summer. as a youngster, i wasn't even strong enough to push it fast enough to get it to spin the blades. ha!
I thought that reel mowers are what the grounds crew uses to mow baseball fields?
@@gs1100ed
They are...
but two or three of them side by side are called a "gang mower"....
and the groundsmen ones used in public parks hydraulically powered off the tractor...
If they cut so poorly, why do you think golf courses use them?
1992 my mom bought one exactly like this from a 2nd hand store. We couldn’t afford a new push mower, but this thing lasted until 2010 when our neighbor bought it.😊
Lol. I'm going to go get a small prybar.. few minutes later he comes back with a 40ft canterlever bar. I love this guy
I don't remember the tank looking like that when I gave it to you....but then again I didn't mess with it
Thanks for the donation for the content
He just rusted it or dramatic affect.😂😂
Been sitting for years. Moisture and empty tank is not good.
I may not have even looked
@@danbartolini27 I probably wouldn't have either lol
Congrats Mustie1 on repairing the 1970's type of mower. tells a kid, hey why don't u mow the yard with flipflops. 10th most dangerous tool, next to the hay sling.
70’s ?
@@Philc231 yeah My Father's was at least from the late 1940's, Briggs stopped making cast iron main engine blocks in the 1960's. This is a well preserved antique.
Glad you're feeling better. My wife had a kidney stone pass a couple years ago. She was in the hospital for 4 days if I remember right. She was jacked up pretty good.
Great video. Love all of your videos but this one is one of my favorites. By the way, I passed a kidney stone several decades ago, and it clearly was one of the most painful things I went through. Fortunately, it eventually passed. They suggested the analyze what the stone was made of so I could curb any excesses in my diet containing that substance.
Now onto the lawn mower. I'm not an expert on this, but as I understand it this is the type of lawn mowers the best golf courses demand to cut their putting greens. The advantage being that the spinning blade captures the blades of grass between the fixed shearing blade and the spinning blade. That makes for an incredibly clear cut rather than todays lawn mowers that spin fast and tear/tug the blade leaving a rough edge. It might be an idea to fine tune the adjustments, and blade surfaces to perfect that shear all the more.
WOW! Talk about a blast from the past! Does that ever bring back memories! We had the exact same mower that my Dad had got given to him by my grandfather when I was a kid!
Top of the morning to ya Mustie..🖐
Mustie1 You are the Merlin Wizard of bringing all dead mechanical things back to life.
I've learned so much from you. Thank you for bringing us all along.
Glad see you back, and feeling better Mustsie. Hopefully whatever meds was given is helping u. Thank you for a video this week. There never expected but greatful have you and them here.
Good Sunday morning, always look forward to your video dropping!
Best wishes for improved health. Those reel mowers are great for grooming a nice yard once you get it cut to the height you want. Used on golf courses to take care of the greens. You did a great job on getting it to working mode.
Love these old mowers. Grew up with a manual one. Love seeing how they power upgraded it.
Good morning! Good to see you up and around and back at it! Nice mower! I have two of those! Okay. I lied. Mine don't have engines. They're one "old horse" powered! 😆
I kind of remember mowers like that.
Sort of.
Maybe.
Stupid brain cells.
Glad prognosis looks better.
Hang in. I have watched for many years and hope to watch for many more, depending on the health of both of us!
Thanks for all the work you do to entertain and inform the World Of Mustonians!
They still make them as they do the "best cut" for things like golf course putting greens, super manicured lawns etc.
Mowed lawn for $ as a Kid in the 60's. Used mower like this. Tied my wagon to it, and used it to pull me around the neighborhood as I went door to door looking for the next job. My father couldn't understand the amount of wear that I put on the tires. lol
I also had a side gig working security at a golf course that was opening. I used to watch a guy come in and sharpen all of the rotary mowers, it was pretty fascinating to watch him set it all up.
Hell yeah, the best UA-camr ever uploaded! I'm glad to have you back!
Good morning from Michigan. Glad your back.
Good morning from Traverse City