In 2004 I had 1/4 acre of scrub land to clear. A quick pub conversation yielded 2 scrap 8hp Westwood Gazelles; both quite early machines, one with the underslung exhaust.
One working machine was the result, and within a few months it had done the job.
I was about to retire, and had a couple of part time start up business's drawn up on paper, but knowing which one to go for was not an easy decision.
In the event a third option was sitting in my shed.
Post card advertisements in newsagents etc., and a pleasant surprise, or surprises. Within about 6 weeks I had a small grass cutting (not mowing) round, providing an adequate pension top-up, without any outlay.
It grew into a 3 day a week business, and kept on going until 2018 when an arthritic knee finally made me stop.
Fairly early on I built myself a see-saw trailer, which cut my loading / unloading time from 15 odd minutes to about 3.
I started buying "uneconomical to repair" mowers, from a local mower repair business, and ended up with 3 machines, for different ground conditions, plus 1 that was lodged with the customer during the season. Coincidentally, they were all Westwoods, although other makes have yielded back axles.
Yes back axles, you could sometimes build up a good one, out of two; not now, it's more like 3 or 4, to get one working again.
Today, I have a mid 90's T1800, plus potentially 3 complete machines, out of my grave yard of bits.
My 1/4 acre is now 1/2 acre, when a neighbour didn't take up the option of "his" strip of land behind him.
I still enjoy mowing, as much as the engineering side.
Regards
Mike
