Wouldn't you just be SO PI$$ED if they still did and it was the only model available? ESPECIALLY keeping in mind that the example in this video has been MODIFIED by adding an electric starter motor! Man it must have been more than a bear to start for the owner to bastardize an original antique ...maybe it was that or not being able to prove it even runs? Or else it would be ungodly unsafe to start by hand? ...Sounds like you what? Had to grab a pulley and giver a spin?? lol....GLAD they don't build em like THAT anymore!!!
+Doug Chaney They probably knew how to start it back then. Pull it forward two feet with a mule,car,tractor,etc. and it would probably start instantly. A rope wrapped around a pully works also, you just have to re-wrap each pull.
That was absolutely amazing! It sounded like it was barely turning fast enough to keep running, yet it accepted a load without missing a beat. That is some low end torque!
Surprisingly enough I can have my 1983 Lawn Boy 2-cycle running damn near that slow and it still cuts grass that hasn't gotten too wild perfectly. Up to speed it'll cut through the thickest lawns where other mowers wouldn't. I'd take an old Lawn Boy over a new 4-cycle any day.
@@MCatwar Plow ground you've gone over with a heavy roller and no grip?It could maybe have pulled a cart with a seat for the operator.This is is for smooth flat grass work.
Most likely used on a golf course back in it's day....they STILL use these same style cutter heads on GANG mowers today. They group several of them together and PULL them around with a tractor.
Don't you think you would be happier if you got yourself a new mower instead? Just kidding! That is a neat mower I have 9 old reel mowers with out motors. Couple made 1890'. Couple weeks ago I got ahold of a 1951 gambles reel mower with briggs 5S motor.an I have a 1959 YAZOO YR60 rider. That was a great showing!! Thank you for taking the time an bringing out to show. Mowers have come a long way. Thank-you!
That's how you knew it needed to be changed the old one would just snap and slap you in the face, people were tougher back then so they didn't mind lol
I had a similar unit as kid, Ideal Model R or Model S. The build date was stamped on a steel plug on the underside of the crankcase . Mine was from 1913. You can get some more speed out of the little bugger by tightening the spring on the governor. Nice add with the electric start.
motoforlyfe absolutely!! I love Watching the relationship you have with your dad, and being in the landscaping field myself it is nice to learn new things. You do a great job explaining what you are doing and the comedy is a good relief as well
OMG I am really dating myself now but I totally remember these things. My Grandfather had an estate in Great Neck, NY and my Grandfather's gardener would mow the lawns with one of these. Thanks for posting. Really brought back memories.
steve michigan I think you're right. Golf courses to this day use multiple bank reels instead of rotary decks for the finer greens cut. Much better cut, far less shock to the grass. As a teen, cutting lawns in the neighborhood for money, I had an old reel type gas mower. REALLY nice cut. Customers remarked on how much better their lawns looked, and how they seemed to grow better after being cut a few times with my "old fashioned" reel mower !
Yea man you're rite I never thought about that.this is so kool,things like this get my intrest.hopefully others but I really like that,so awesome to see a lawnmower this old run
I bet that thing cost a fortune when it was new. Only the elite of the elite could afford to equip their groundskeepers with that thing when it was new. It sure is cool.
So much better than the stuff we get today! The roller is actually for leveling the ground like they do with machines that cut professional golf greens or bowling greens...this thing will give you a close shave.. they should manufacture those again.. it will make your garden look like the greens at Augusta National
+c3h8O people kill their lawns with these newer mowers, the good thing about the reel mower is it puts the clippings back on the lawn which gives the nutrients back to the grass in its proper spots not spin it around in a circle and spread it all over the damn lawn thus creating dead spots
That's funny, I didn't know that modern-day mowers obligated you too take the grass with you. I do believe they shoot the grass back out in the yard too, not to mention they make mulcher blades.
This video 2 minutes in made me hit sub I hope you have made this a working lawn mower awesome this is Makes you wonder that if only richer people had these back in the 20s
Hi I was at an Old Engine show one time and a guy showed me, that if a hit or miss engine gets a load on it, it will fire on every stroke. Jay Leno has a couple of these engines on his web site.
I had problems with my old mini bike running,I tried several additives in the fuel and it still ran bad,so I put in some ERC leaded race fuel I have for my race boat and it runs like it did in 1966!
once it is cut with the blade at the front the big roller makes a stripe one way then you turn th mower round go down next to the strip you cut and it makes a line the other way giving a line effect on your grass it looks realy good
Nice! She is a beauty! Nice & light huh. ..lol. I believe that to be an important antique to show how we got to modern lawnmowers so, when children complain about cutting the grass, you have them use that mower & then, they will never complain about using a modern lawnmower again.
My grandpa had an old self propelled reel mower.so old it was still a wood frame.he let me mow with it once.wish i would have gotten it from the estate aale.ive seen one other one since
jeeze i thought my 48 farmall cub was old. its amazing how much things changed from the time this thing was built until 1947 when the cub was introduced. i think the cub brought about a mowing revolution, mine still mows 2 acres a week. im not sure, but i dont think the cub had belly mounted mowers until later
If it was a green mower for a golf course that would explain the roller on the bottom. It makes sense to me that an early powered mower like this would have been designednfor golf courses rather than home owners, too.
As a kid, back in the '50's, a golf course in my hometown had one. The greenskeeper used it to mow and roll the greens at the same time. I used to retrieve balls from the water hazards....I was 8-9 years old....
We eventually got the reel hooked up to actually cut grass, check it out: goo.gl/xxMZL3
motoforlyfe does it still work 6 years later
This is one of those moments where your grandfather says "they just don't make em' like they used to."
Wouldn't you just be SO PI$$ED if they still did and it was the only model available? ESPECIALLY keeping in mind that the example in this video has been MODIFIED by adding an electric starter motor! Man it must have been more than a bear to start for the owner to bastardize an original antique ...maybe it was that or not being able to prove it even runs? Or else it would be ungodly unsafe to start by hand? ...Sounds like you what? Had to grab a pulley and giver a spin?? lol....GLAD they don't build em like THAT anymore!!!
Doug Chaney safety was using the gray matter between the ears. they start pretty easy when in good repair
+Doug Chaney They probably knew how to start it back then. Pull it forward two feet with a mule,car,tractor,etc. and it would probably start instantly. A rope wrapped around a pully works also, you just have to re-wrap each pull.
Stuff back in the day was built to last
Super heavy, inefficient and expensive? Yer darn tootin.
Uhhh, what I said was they built things to LAST, As in holy shit its still running.
Justin Nicolas
And its still running because its built like a rock.
Exactly 😂 that's my point.
and not built to break so you have to buy a new one in a year lol
My right ear feels left out
+WinXPwhiz I thought my professional headphones where broken when the video was only plaid in mono
Arc so true
Same!!!!!
That thing will be running in another 100 years from now. Cool video.
Good thing its self propelled, can you imagine pushing that thing?
+G56AG of course its self propelled. the whole contraption is basically just the normal push mower of the day with a motor attatched
down hill no problem up hill here's the solution
ok let's take it apart and bring it up piece by peice
Or harness it to the wife!!
+hashtag outdoors nah I'll use my dually to pull it,others will have a problem but I won't haha
yeah they had push mowers back then. that would kind of ruin its purpose. its pretty simple logic.
That was absolutely amazing! It sounded like it was barely turning fast enough to keep running, yet it accepted a load without missing a beat. That is some low end torque!
Surprisingly enough I can have my 1983 Lawn Boy 2-cycle running damn near that slow and it still cuts grass that hasn't gotten too wild perfectly. Up to speed it'll cut through the thickest lawns where other mowers wouldn't. I'd take an old Lawn Boy over a new 4-cycle any day.
Let's start up the red Vette next...
+John Be Good Looked like a 67 Vette.I would love to own that Vette.
Still works because it was not made in China, it has a nice beat to lol
Haha!
It was made to use not to sell.
This unit was used to power many attachments not just mower reels. Often used by truck garden operations or grounds keepers.
Yeah buddy! Thanks for the comment!
ware jc yeah that's what I thought, judging by the towing ball on it. made me think it can also plow. pretty cool multi purpose machine!
@@MCatwar Plow ground you've gone over with a heavy roller and no grip?It could maybe have pulled a cart with a seat for the operator.This is is for smooth flat grass work.
Nice to see and hear the old machines running! Thanks for showing.
Awesome machine ! I love the hit'n miss engines.
Most likely used on a golf course back in it's day....they STILL use these same style cutter heads on GANG mowers today. They group several of them together and PULL them around with a tractor.
Thanks for checking it out man!
Sweet!! There is an old ad on Harry's old engine site $375, back in the 1920's!!
It is pretty amazing, I thought it was ready to conk out at the end but it kept going till we hit the kill switch!
Glad you enjoyed the video. Hope to get this thing out some more and get the reel hooked up
That was amazing. 90 years old still runs well.
So sweet!!! THANK YOU for posting this video!!
I could mow lawns all day listening to that thing chug away.
Don't you think you would be happier if you got yourself a new mower instead? Just kidding! That is a neat mower I have 9 old reel mowers with out motors. Couple made 1890'. Couple weeks ago I got ahold of a 1951 gambles reel mower with briggs 5S motor.an I have a 1959 YAZOO YR60 rider. That was a great showing!! Thank you for taking the time an bringing out to show. Mowers have come a long way. Thank-you!
Belt gards? We don't need no stinkin belt gards.
One time my dad got his finger caught in the cooling fan!
That's how you knew it needed to be changed the old one would just snap and slap you in the face, people were tougher back then so they didn't mind lol
Beautiful hit or miss engine sound. Love it.
I love these old IDEAL mowers. They sound so good.
Nice. Glad to see something that old still running
That's because it was never meant to be a "MOWER". It was designed to be a turf ROLLER.
Yup!
Fishkiller 41 whats a turf roller
It's a roller for turf
use it to paint the turf green, will save you water ;)
Looks like something used on golf course greens. Thanks for the video, DB and DDB.
The safety features of this machine are awesome!! lol love it!!
I had a similar unit as kid, Ideal Model R or Model S. The build date was stamped on a steel plug on the underside of the crankcase . Mine was from 1913. You can get some more speed out of the little bugger by tightening the spring on the governor. Nice add with the electric start.
Nice.
And compared to a new mower it is so silent and will work for the next 90 years.
rgds
nice... loving your work with old machinery
Hit AND miss lol, just couldn’t help myself, I love your channel, please keep them coming
Thanks Fred I'm glad you enjoyed!
motoforlyfe absolutely!! I love Watching the relationship you have with your dad, and being in the landscaping field myself it is nice to learn new things. You do a great job explaining what you are doing and the comedy is a good relief as well
Glad you enjoyed!
Really cool stuff, that old red machine to your left at about 2:40 is an eye catcher too.
OMG I am really dating myself now but I totally remember these things. My Grandfather had an estate in Great Neck, NY and my Grandfather's gardener would mow the lawns with one of these. Thanks for posting. Really brought back memories.
Absolutely Blown Away on these old school Motors studying them and realizing how they work
love the timing on that sucker!
This was the original walk behind mower! So cool
Glad you liked it!
Glad you liked it yup most people probably never even think about what preceded the current day lawnmower!
Pretty neat looking old time mower, never seen anything like that before.
I would guess these were made for golf courses. Early 20's lot courses around. Not for a lawn. Those big rollers. So wouldn't make marks in greens.
steve michigan
I think you're right. Golf courses to this day use multiple bank reels instead of rotary decks for the finer greens cut. Much better cut, far less shock to the grass.
As a teen, cutting lawns in the neighborhood for money, I had an old reel type gas mower. REALLY nice cut.
Customers remarked on how much better their lawns looked, and how they seemed to grow better after being cut a few times with my "old fashioned" reel mower !
Chris Russell
Dude you're WAY WAY off ! Hope you're kidding.
When I was a young laad, I worked in a cemetery , and they had an old one like that...And it still ran good.
Haven't been out there yet but would like to one of these years
It's amazing how I'm used to seeing it so I don't think twice about it but everyone else is fascinated!
Yea man you're rite I never thought about that.this is so kool,things like this get my intrest.hopefully others but I really like that,so awesome to see a lawnmower this old run
They're pretty rare, we've only seen one or two others at the shows! Thanks for looking
I bet that thing cost a fortune when it was new. Only the elite of the elite could afford to equip their groundskeepers with that thing when it was new.
It sure is cool.
I don't think people will find it on their own and be interested but if you showed it to people I bet they'd like it!
So much better than the stuff we get today! The roller is actually for leveling the ground like they do with machines that cut professional golf greens or bowling greens...this thing will give you a close shave.. they should manufacture those again.. it will make your garden look like the greens at Augusta National
Awesome mower man and great vid :)
Loved that! John Deere colors to boot! "hit or miss" engine. that's a new one me. Thanks- very cool
if your still having problems with low idle try tightening up the latch out spring or getting a new spring.
I like it! Nothing like a antique. You won't get that out if a new mower 90 years from now
my left ear enjoyed this video...
I just subscribed to your channel and hello from New Hampshire.
Hi Paul, thanks for the sub!
I will look into this. Definitely want it to be running right
Pretty cool lawnmower. I'd love to see it running with the blades
i want that lawn mower now its so badass i would mowe my lawn that its so cool just to watch it run and actually function after 90 years
Very cool! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for leaving a comment!
Glad you liked it buddy!
Thanks Jos
Impressive! Good job, guys!
You'll have to come try it out sometime!
No lawyers involved in that design....
that was cool. I have never seen an old mower like that with a Hit and Miss
real sweet .came with all the safety features. no plastic still does its job. love those hit n miss they make me sleepy.
Pop Pop Pop!
When I think about it, it is pretty darn cool for being 90 years old!
My pop and I have thought about selling it now and then but it's just too neat, even if it does take up a ton of room!
That is so NEAT !!!! I would hope I would work that good at 90
my left ear loves the sound of the motor...
That sound is awesome - FOR LYFE!!!
Yeah man!!!
old golf course roller,they still have them that look close to this,just updated motor and drive of course.
mowers were so much quieter back then you could mow at night, why are they so loud now lol
+c3h8O people kill their lawns with these newer mowers, the good thing about the reel mower is it puts the clippings back on the lawn which gives the nutrients back to the grass in its proper spots not spin it around in a circle and spread it all over the damn lawn thus creating dead spots
or you could take off the bag.
+Mitchell WildFlame or use the mulch or side discharge........
All these old men arguing about lawns 😂😂 #getoffmyyard
That's funny, I didn't know that modern-day mowers obligated you too take the grass with you. I do believe they shoot the grass back out in the yard too, not to mention they make mulcher blades.
This video 2 minutes in made me hit sub
I hope you have made this a working lawn mower awesome this is
Makes you wonder that if only richer people had these back in the 20s
+Shaun Lionudakis Thanks Shaun!
Amazing that it still runs.
YES PLEASE!!!! awesome - I'm getting lawn mower woodie!!!
That's in great condition for such an old age
This is actually the best type... It cuts grace like a scissor instead of ripping it like the fixed staight blades ones...
Hi I was at an Old Engine show one time and a guy showed me, that if a hit or miss engine gets a load on it, it will fire on every stroke. Jay Leno has a couple of these engines on his web site.
Yep, had to in order to keep the RPMs up
That fan pointing to the cylinder is so snazzy!
Thanks very much!
Cool old lawn mower
Nice old mower, sure would like to hear it, or the narration.
Hopefully this summer we will get it going!
If u bought one today from a big box store next may it won't run
Isn't that the truth!
My dads Honda still runs after 15 years! Mows the grass every week!
My left ear loved this video
Very cool! I've never seen one of those mowers.
I had problems with my old mini bike running,I tried several additives in the fuel and it still ran bad,so I put in some ERC leaded race fuel I have for my race boat and it runs like it did in 1966!
That's cool!
Springs on the regulator need re-tensioning! That would fix the slow-running problem.
+scowell You mean governor.
regulator and govenor are 2 different words for the same. and yeah see if you can adjust the tention or else replace them. that should do it nicely
sweet,worth waiting for thanks!!!
So this thing drives like a tiller, neat! Anyways I love antiques, this is a great video!
Hope you enjoyed, Kay!
once it is cut with the blade at the front the big roller makes a stripe one way then you turn th mower round go down next to the strip you cut and it makes a line the other way giving a line effect on your grass it looks realy good
Nice! She is a beauty! Nice & light huh. ..lol. I believe that to be an important antique to show how we got to modern lawnmowers so, when children complain about cutting the grass, you have them use that mower & then, they will never complain about using a modern lawnmower again.
I think that tow hitch on the back is for the operators seat on a small trailer.
My grandpa had an old self propelled reel mower.so old it was still a wood frame.he let me mow with it once.wish i would have gotten it from the estate aale.ive seen one other one since
Pretty neat!
holy crap..cool old mower
jeeze i thought my 48 farmall cub was old. its amazing how much things changed from the time this thing was built until 1947 when the cub was introduced. i think the cub brought about a mowing revolution, mine still mows 2 acres a week. im not sure, but i dont think the cub had belly mounted mowers until later
If it was a green mower for a golf course that would explain the roller on the bottom. It makes sense to me that an early powered mower like this would have been designednfor golf courses rather than home owners, too.
As a kid, back in the '50's, a golf course in my hometown had one. The greenskeeper used it to mow and roll the greens at the same time. I used to retrieve balls from the water hazards....I was 8-9 years old....
+AJ Wilson Pretty cool AJ!
Good beat.
Cool mower!