Triumph66

Alain, Very interesting photos. You wouldn't think looking at the photos that the area was experiencing heavy rainfalls and flooding.

Alain, You are doing another sterling job on this Bolens. Your methodical approach to this project is inspiring. Looking forward to seeing you getting this back up and running and on the road (at least on the lawn!). Cheers Andrew

Alain, no offence taken at all by me. It's a free country with free speech after all.

Thanks Iain; that's my thoughts too on having a backup as well! I have just been looking at some of the YT videos on the Allen scythe; look very capable. The trick to cutting wildflower meadows is to cut when it is dry and then leave the brash for a few days to die off prior to raking it. The rake to use is a curved grass rake from Shelwoods which make life a lot easier to use as when the grass inevitably stick to the tines you push the grass rake away from you on the ground and the grass falls away. Also rake in the direction of the cut and do it in sections. At the end of the session a good pint of Real Ale will set you up nicely! The other way to do this is to cut the grass and then get someone to bale it up for hay using a small compact baler producing square bales if it's free from ragworts and dog mess. Usually you can get someone to do it for nothing if they can have the hay themselves, particularly if it's organic. Indeed we had contractors taking our hay away for nothing in exchange for cutting and baling it. Here's a close photo of the curved tines.

Thanks Richard for confirming my thoughts on the Oxford Allen. I have never used one myself and it's good to know that they easy to move around. You are right about the idyllic location as my customer lives in Dittisham on the River Dart in South Devon; the orchard itself consists of the rare variety of Dittisham Plums. The jam from those plums are divine. Thanks Andrew

Sisis equipments are a quality bit of kit for lawn maintenance. It should be orangey yellow in colour but what the disc harrows are for in relation to turf care I do not know. I guess at one time they manufactured a broader range of kit than they do now. A good find though Chris.

You jest Sir, but I feel you are weakening to the magic of the Bolens!

One of my customers want me to look after the management of the orchard in her garden as the other gardener is retiring at the end of the season. Robin does all the grass cutting there which she will farm out to another gardener to cut but she want me to create a conservation wild flower meadow in the wilder parts of her garden. To do this I need to acquire a sickle mower to cut the long grass and then rake it off to reduce the fertility. I could buy a modern sickle mower but these are downright expensive and I will not have call to use it that often. I could strim it of course but the sickle mower is the way forward and less intrusive noise wise. I have thought about buying a Oxford Allen Scythe or a Mayfield equivalent version. Have anyone got one or another vintage scythe mower they are using to cut their long grass? How good is the cut and how easy are the parts to obtain? The Oxford Allen scythe is the more common one to buy so parts should be fairly easy to source I suspect. I do have a Haban sickle mow to attach to a garden tractor but need to buy the right Bolens for this to happens and in any case space is restrictive to use a GT with a sickle mower. Thanks in advance.

Iain, In your case quadrupled numbers are not enough! Do I see a shift in Chris' allegiance from Wheel Horses to Bolens......We saw it here first chaps......

Iain, you just bought a red Bolens !

Brilliant!

Another good haul Chris. By the way Iain and Chris, what model is John's Bolens? It look very tidy from what I can see.

I think Chris is older than his tractors......

That's a lovely looking WH you got there Neil. I do like the round hood Wheel Horses myself.

Many happy returns Chris. Al the best Andrew

Glad to hear you that you survived the flooding and that you're safe. Might be a good thing to retain the earth bank around your property for possible future flood threats.

Congratulations Alain on your Reverendship but, like Norman, your services are not required for gay marriages! However, what's your view on bigamy? I ask as there are a couple of hot chicks I know!

Best of luck Alain; hope you can avert a potential disaster.

Thanks Paul. Enjoy the rally. Cheers

Paul, just out of interest which show is that? Thanks Andrew

ROMM is Right Old Moaning Mincer!

I have to agree it is a cracking looking van that was, hence the photos of it. They are difficult to find these days.

Alain, a fascinating post and a very interesting dig I would have thought.

Also are you using the proper oil for air cooled engines? You should be using SAE30 oil otherwise know a s lawn mower oil as the oil is formulated specially for air cooled engines.

This morning I attended the rally as a visitor to have a good mosey around. There were very few garden tractors on show except for a Simplicity and a Jacobsen. The rally was a very relaxed affair and had a good selection of vintage tractors, bikes, vehicles and oif course stationary engines. Spoke to a chap who created a replica Field Marshall tractor to scale. There was even a working steam fired thrashing engine working. A very enjoyable event and worth making the effort to attend. Here are some photos.