Cricket Clubs - how to avoid the high cost of grass cutting machinery

Have you found it hard to interest your local garden machinery company in servicing your old wicket mower or square mower? Have you been told that they can no longer get the parts?

We do not take the common option of writing off a perfectly usable lawnmower by claiming that the parts are no longer available in the interests of selling you an expensive new machine or a worn-out nearly new one - if it is cost effective to overhaul an engine or a mower then we will always choose this option. We have an extensive range of new and tested second-hand parts to call upon for British mowers up to 50 years old and the experience to overhaul thoroughly and provide future support.

The Old Lawnmower Company is a family business specialising in the overhaul and maintenance of old cylinder lawnmowers. Our policy is to preserve, overhaul and maintain wicket mowers and square mowers, and because we are not linked to sales of new machinery (unlike the majority of garden machinery servicing companies) we give independent and objective advice on whether a lawnmower can be repaired, overhauled and serviced.

If it is possible to interest your local garden machinery company in servicing your old cylinder mower then their approach will probably be the same as it would be for a newer mower (basic maintenance such as grinding the cutting cylinder, changing oil and sparking plug). At the Old Lawnmower Company our servicing is far more thorough because we understand what is required to keep old machinery running and reliable.

Contact us today with your requirements and let us help preserve your mowers and save your club money. Please look at our Lawnmowers for Sale below.

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Sharpening Cutting Cylinders on Lawnmowers

Many garden machinery servicing departments will tell you how important it is to always grind a cutting cylinder when a lawnmower is serviced. Of course, they have to justify their cylinder mower service and sometimes have a vested interest in selling new parts (or indeed complete mowers) by artificially wearing your cutting cylinder out!

Is it really necessary to lathe-grind a cutting cylinder every time a mower is serviced? The answer has to be a resounding No!

It is only necessary when the cylinder has been severely damaged, otherwise the removal of metal by a machine serves only to reduce the life of the cylinder and thus often the mower. In 95% of cases, the proper answer is to use a process known as back-lapping whereby the blades are sharpened carefully using carborundum in a similar way to how you sharpen a knife.

Ransomes, the oldest manufacturer of cylinder mowers, continue to recommend back-lapping as the means of sharpening the cutting cylinder in the servicing instructions of their premier wicket mower- the Super Certes.

With old lawnmowers it is often not possible to replace the cutting cylinder, once it has been worn down through grinding. With our ethos of preserving old machinery, the Old Lawnmower Company primarily uses back-lapping to sharpen cutting cylinders and bottom blades and, indeed, sells their own Blade Sharpening Kit to enable customers to carry out the process themselves, should they wish to.

The Old Lawnmower Company know from experience that a carefully back-lapped and set cutting cylinder will give superb results and, that by choosing not to machine grind a cutting cylinder, you are not compromising the quality of your cut.

Lawnmowers for Sale

The Old Lawnmower Company supplies quality and fully overhauled British lawnmowers ideally suited for regular use on sports grounds. We have reconditioned and sold many wicket mowers and square mowers that are in regular use on cricket pitches and bowling greens and from our experience of working on and supplying classic British mowers we are confident that one of our overhauled machines will give the same performance as equivalent modern mowers - we are able to compare with the many new or nearly new sports ground mowers that we service on the other side of our business.

At the Old Lawnmower Company, we have the expertise and motivation to keep these older mowers working to the same high standard as when they were first made, making them reliable, suited to the rigours of everyday use and up to the exacting standards of a Groundsman. Through superior engineering, these older lawnmowers have been made to last and give fantastic value, when compared to the cost of investing in a brand-new machine.

In addition to supplying these high quality and dependable sports ground mowers, the Old Lawnmower Company has all the spare parts available to keep them running for many years to come. Each mower comes fully serviced and operating correctly with a First Season's Use Warranty (Terms and Conditions apply).

Below is a selection of the fully overhauled mowers that are currently available for sale:

Wicket Mowers

Ransomes Auto Certes

This 1970's Ransomes 20" Auto Certes with its 10-blade cylinder and shaver blade is the classic mower for cricket wicket or bowling green and its derivatives are still used on Test Wickets today. It is powered by the beautifully smooth BSA/Villiers F12 engine.

Lloyds Paladin

The Lloyds Paladin is a classic wicket mower which was first made 50 years ago and is still in production today. It is substantially unchanged apart from the engine and minor operational details and is still used at Lords and other Test grounds - one of its key features is the short 'wheelbase' which prevents the scalping of slight undulations.

This particular model is from 1971, it has a 21 inch cut and is powered by a classic Villiers F15 engine. It has had a 'back to bare metal' repaint and a complete mechanical overhaul including a brand new cylinder and bottom blade. This is a completely reconditioned mower at a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Ransomes 14" Certes

Designed for the final cut of a bowls green or cricket pitch, the 10-bladed Certes is a rare and outstanding machine. Excellently designed and made in the 1950s, producing a fine cut with the weight and gearing to glide over the turf. A pushmower such as this is a gentler and more civilised way of preparing a wicket, equally as effective as any motor mower and cheaper!.

Cricket Square heavy roller mowers

Ransomes Twenty Four

The Ransomes Twenty-Four dates from the early to middle 1970s, powered by the Villiers F15 4-stroke engine. Maintaining the hallmark Ransomes build-quality, the Twenty-Four gives a superb quality of cut and rolled stripes (due to the weighty rear rollers) and is highly manoeuvrable due to its design. Villiers manufactured fine engines and although only 150cc, the F15's long stroke and heavy flywheel means that it is powerful and can easily tow a trailing seat.

Webb 24 (belt driven)

The Webb 24" belt driven lawnmower was one of the most successful large mowers from the 1960s until the early 1980s. Its short 'wheelbase' gave it excellent manoeuvrability and the ribbed, rubber-covered rear rollers very good traction. Originally sold with a Villiers engine, by the late 1970s when this model was made it was supplied with a Briggs and Stratton 5HP unit.

Webb 24 (chain driven)

The Webb 24 chain driven lawnmower, the AB1480, was the last version of this classic mower and considered by many to be the best. As well as having all the excellent features of the previous model, including the 5HP Briggs and Stratton engine, it also had strong chain transmission with clutch plates driving an uprated, heavy duty cylinder. It was made from 1984 to 1987 and was a sad loss when discontinued by Atco who by then owned Webb.

Dennis Premier

The mighty Dennis lawnmower is a favourite with groundsmen and those seeking the ultimate in grass cutting. Of epic proportions, but balanced to retain manoeuvrability, the Premier was designed to run all day, cut large areas of grass to the highest standard and deliver an unparalleled rolling effect, to lawns and sports grounds alike.

Square mower and wicket roller combined - by using a 7cwt. mower like the Dennis regularly on a cricket square, you will not actually need a separate, expensive roller for your wickets.

The Old Lawnmower Company can offer the Dennis Premier in 30” and 36” cuts, with the classic 600cc Dennis engine with handle start from the 1970s or the more modern Kohler Magnum 12 from 1988.

Dennis Premier 36




Dennis Premier 36 (Kohler Magnum 12 engine)





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