We have something similar, I think. People who steal for a living, anything not nailed down that can be sold. On the other hand, many of us own guns and know how to use them so they steal from those who they see as weak and unprotected. Where I live, in a rather rural area, shooting guns is a part of daily life. The local police have little sympathy for some joker trying to steal something only to get a butt full of rock salt for his trouble. A trip to the hospital and a room in the grey bar hotel is his reward, word spreads and criminals find some place else to be. Kinda sad, but it is true.
Do something like that in Britain and you'd probably get a Life sentence and have to pay the criminal thousands in compensation!
Nice looking machines, particuarly the condition of the demon,the BSA engine on the bantam is the rarest of all engine options as they were used as a stop gap when the supply of Villiers and Howard's ac120 dried up due to material shortages. There isn't much in the way of references to the BSA being fitted in my litriture apart from one small blurry photo and the mention of the BSA not fitting the saw bench attachment.
My 200 is regularly worked at the moment, but I am keeping my eyes open for a suitable bantam again.
I will say that i have always considered the bantam to be one of the best all round allotment rotavators others may say the 350, at the mo i have a 200 and 220 both capable but im still on the look out for a bantam
I just been looking up in my litriture and have found one reference to the coronation bantams. I've seen 3 survivors. The bantam is one of my favourite Howard's to use, most are only 10 inches wide so go very nicely up the rows and the side shields protect the plants. Being slightly heavier than a 200 means they are also very nice to use.
i know that some manufactures produced gold machines to celebrate the coronation don't know how that relates age wise to the gold bantoms though think that it was 1952
Here's a couple of other shots of the very rare BSA engine option next to a demon and 200. The last photo shows a bantam that I re engined with a Chinese Honda and used for about 5 years on my veg plot before moving it on.
Nice collection , Why is the second from the left a different colour to the others ?
someone had thrown a tin of paint over it, but howard did do a gold bantam, a limited edition,at the moment I can't remember the reason behind it. The grey one in this photo was very tired so has now been replaced with a better example.
Nice photos, have allways fancied getting a merrytiller scince selling mine when i wa 17,how old is your lab, mine is 8 but has arthritis setting in allready as she had a major opp on her leg when she was 3.
Scary how the years roll by Gareth, I can't believe its three years since we took the Tarpen display there...
That also means its 3 years scince I last ran the gem. I'm ashamed to say that I parked it in the shed when I got home and it hasn't moved scince, I suppsose though that a lot of things have happened in the three years.
Hello Gareth, when I bought it the previous owner said it was seized up... I have managed to free it off and its got bags of compression but as yet no spark...
With Tractor World imminent it has been prettied up for the show and then further investigation will take place after the show
Thanks John, as you know we are not trophy hunters but I want to put a good display on , hence the hours thrown at Number 3 to get it at least presentable for Joe Public to look at...
Tractor world soon comes round, can't believe its allready 3years scince I last showed there. Maybe next year ill manage to get a few exhibits along.
Hi Paul, that's a quick transformation, did it take much to get the engine on numbe 3 going as it looks like a 2stroke, and I allways find them much more temperamental than four strokes?
There's sign by us in pontrilas that tells you to turn left to go to Hereford, yet everybody knows that you actually turn right, as its a lot quicker, shorter and better road???
Very nice collection! Makes me want to restore my howard rotovator, they are really great rotovators.
Tom
Thanks for the compliment, re yours,I'd say go for it then. The small ones are quite easy, but due to the shear size and the fact most have been worked to death, a gem takes a long time to do.
havent got a clue where blackwood is?? i think the coil pack might be ok the problem was when we got it, it wasn't running so on inspection i found what can only be described as spaghetti gone wild with solder after solder on lots of odds and ends of wire
Blackwood is near Tredegar in Wales, next time I speak to him ill ask if he's got any ignition parts left.
It's a pity you're not near Blackwood, I could put in touch with a guy who is red hot on those engines, is it just the points that have gone or the coil?
I'm fairly sure it dates from the 1960's so not even run in yet. Apparently when the beds were cast they were then left outside for 3years to let all the stresses come out before being machined.
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Do something like that in Britain and you'd probably get a Life sentence and have to pay the criminal thousands in compensation!