Testimonials from 2009 - 2020

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Stephen Croucher, Stanton Drew Cricket Club, Somerset.

We recently used The Old Lawnmower Company and cannot speak highly enough about the service we received. We are a small cricket club near Bristol with a small budget. Our trusty old mower a Ransomes Marquis which we have used for at least the last 20 years was on its last legs, or so we thought, that is until we spoke with John! We told him what we thought was up with the mower and he thought he could help, advising us to bring it along for an assessment.

7 I should now mention the money side of things. If repairable it should cost no more than £500 to £600, if not a replacement could be found from between £1000 to £1200. If you have recently had any work completed on a mower or have thought of buying a new one, you will know this represents fantastic value for money. When we took the mower to John (260 mile round trip) he looked at the mower and was surprised with its condition as were we. We returned to Bristol and awaited a more detailed inspection. John was very prompt and within a matter of days we were told what was wrong and what he could do to bring it back to life.

So after a sharpen, new bottom blade and casting and a brand new engine plus a complete overhaul, we have a mower that should last us another 20 years and all for well under £500 and within a couple of weeks! John's knowledge and attention to detail were outstanding and well worth spending 10 hours and 520 miles stuck in the car with the club Captain. I would without hesitation recommend anyone with an older mower to give John a call.



Steve Ashton, Lincolnshire.

I just wanted to thank John at The Old Lawnmower Company for providing me with an absolutely superb, overhauled and restored, Webb Witch. I first contacted John in late 2018 regarding my requirements and was kept informed during the winter. As promised the machine became available in March 2019 and is as good as new. I cannot praise John enough and would not hesitate to recommend him to others looking for a fully restored cylinder mower. Kind regards from Steve in Lincolnshire.







Ken James, Gloucestershire.

Just a quick line to express sincere gratitude for the wonderful job you did on my Webb mower - you will see the results it has produced. I cannot praise you enough and the machine is a pleasure to work with I would recommend you to all and sundry and I must say it has been a great pleasure to meet you and your father.









Roger Wicks, Boreham, Essex.

I realised that I had a problem when I wanted to overhaul my 1950`s dennis lawnmower because I was reluctant to entrust it to anyone (however reputable) who did not have the experience, knowledge and expertise that is needed to work on vintage machinery. I was therefore relieved to discover Mr Gregory and The Old Lawnmower Company. He made a superb job of the overhaul at a reasonable price and I have no hesitation in recommending him.



Martin Sharland, Dunsford Cricket Club, Devon.

Thank you for doing such a superb job on our mowers. It is a real joy to know they all start first time and cut properly! We are very glad that we chose to send our old mowers to you for refurb rather than buy a second-hand or 'cheap' modern mower. I have already told lots of people about you and will continue to do so and hopefully you will get more old mowers to restore and save from retirement.








Alan Schofield, Crewe, Cheshire.

John. Thanks for your e-mail, had a good journey back thanks. Have used the mower today great performance I am really thrilled with it cut my mowing time in half. Can't thank you enough for your service and hospitality if everybody in business were like you and your Dad we wouldn't have a problem. Thanks for the manuals they are great as a reference point. Thanks once again.



Tom Williams, Maydencroft Manor, Hertfordshire.

We found The Old Lawnmower Company online, my father and I both love old lawnmowers as the quality of build and the cut is far superior to anything produced nowadays. We needed work doing to a Ransomes 24 and a Ransomes Auto Certes. Ivor and John reconditioned both, giving a total overhaul to the engines as well as other work. They now both start FIRST time, EVERY time. Couldn’t ask for more. Friendly and reliable service, drop off and collection and great value for money. They will now last for many more years to come.







Mark Burrell, Horsham, Sussex.

Thank you for supplying us with the 36” Dennis Premier mower. As you know, it has been a warm, wet summer and our extensive lawn – which includes two full-size croquet pitches – has been mown often and well with the Dennis. Our head gardener, John Moore, is very pleased with it and is particularly happy to have the reverse gear function which is a great improvement over our old Dennis. I hope and expect that the mower will give us great service for many years to come.








Robert Stone, Hertingfordbury Cricket Club.

If any cricket club is looking to replace their groundcare equipment but can't afford the eye-watering sums for a new mower, then I highly recommend the Old Lawnmower Company. Ivor and John have an infectious enthusiasm for taking these superb old machines and restoring them to something of their former glory. They sold us a 1970s 24 inch Ransomes Matador which is a joy to use on the square, as well as overhauling our old wicket mower, a Ransomes Auto Certes, which we had thought was ready for the scrap heap.

The cost was a fraction of buying new, and these old British mowers have probably never been bettered. With care they should still be going in another 40 years.



Gary Conway, Haywards Heath, Sussex.

I wanted to say a big thank you for the supply of the Ransomes Ajax Mk4. It goes like a dream and cuts as clean and sharp as anything I have previously used. A real delight and a great sound! I would like to thank you also for spending the time to explain certain points and for the documents you have sent via email. A really fantastic machine that is going to be a joy to use for a long time to come. I will certainly recommend you and your company to my friends.








Danny Singer, Robertsbridge, Sussex.

I would like to thank you for the work you did on my Ransomes Matador last year. I found this machine in pieces in a corner of an outbuilding when we bought the house back in 2007. Having had no previous experience of these wonderful machines, I slowly cleaned it up, reassembled it the best I could, replaced the spark plug and the 60 year old mower spluttered into life at the first kick start. It is a beautiful example of British engineering at its best.

After using it for several years, it eventually broke down and I found it impossible to find anyone anywhere that had the skills or the parts to repair it until I came across The Old Lawnmower Company! It is probably the only place in the country (if not the world) that can service and restore these magical old machines. Although I live near the south coast, and I had to do two 4 hour round trips towing a trailer, it was well worth it as the Matador has been working perfectly since. No modern machine can achieve the quality of cut that these old beauties are able to deliver! Thank you!



Steve Schlemmer, Taunton.

I was delighted to find The Old Lawnmower Company on the internet. Ivor and John were very helpful in guiding me to settle on an Atco 28 Groundsman mower with trailing seat at a very attractive price. John reconditioned the machine which started and ran well when demonstrated. I had a short driving lesson from John and was able to cut some grass on his demonstration patch. After collection, John found me downloads of the illustrated parts list and owners manual, and later a hard copy of the manual. The mower has worked fine for two seasons now, it starts easily, is satisfying to drive and produces a fine finish. I would recommend people who are buying a mower to consider seriously a reconditioned, traditional machine and if they choose this option, then The Old Lawnmower Company can be used with complete confidence.




Trevor Benton, Liphook & Ripsley Cricket Club.

We had a non-working but complete 30 inch Dennis Premier stored in the shed for years. Having found The Old Lawnmower Company online I spoke to Ivor a couple of times and he assured me the mower was still serviceable and he could sort out the problems. I duly delivered the mower and was very impressed to see the enthusiasm that Ivor and John have for keeping these mowers up to scratch and in regular use. Approximately 10 days later I received a call to say the mower was ready for collection. Instead of winding away for ages the mower now started first or second swing and ran smoothly. I was more than happy to be told the cost of all this magic and was soon back at the ground mowing the square in a fraction of them time it was taking me with our other mower.



Ian Cross, Fleet, Hampshire

Firstly can I thank you both for the warm welcome you gave Marcus and I today. I could have stayed talking about British Leyland and mowers all day. The journey home was very swift and gave me chance to demonstrate the Marquis before lunch to my sceptical wife and daughter! Needless to say the quality of the cut is superior to any mower I have experienced and the sound is fantastic, I just have to get used to the cut height and additional power. I will not hesitate to recommend you to anyone seeking to buy a proper mower and now see first hand why buying a new 'plastic' mower is a false economy; the Marquis really is in a league of its own as is your preparation of it.






Ian Donnison, Wilnecote Cricket Club, Staffordshire.

Just to let you know, I took our Auto Certes down to the cricket ground when I got back to Tamworth and cut the square. What a job it has done! It started first time with minimum of effort and the evenness of cut is superb. Once again a very big thank you to you both for your hard work and perseverance. I will also put forward the argument for investing in a third mower for the club should the finances allow.



Rory Passey, Honfleur, Normandy.

I bought three lawnmowers from Mr. Gregory and his son in April 2010. Each mower was in an excellent state of repair and condition upon collection, I was carefully instructed and my vehicle was loaded with utmost care. The whole experience took about an hour and a half and the results have given me the very greatest satisfaction, in the event that you are interested in the art of English lawn engineering this in undoubtedly the place for you.

It is most important to add that, whilst Mr. Gregory senior is a most worthy negotiator, the experience of dealing with decent individuals who love the machines and the countryside is one of those things that any Englishman would savour. I am entirely happy to recommend this professional (and perhaps slightly eccentric) enterprise to all.




Jem Bennett, Wellington, Shropshire.

Hope your business is doing well. The Atco is going great, never had a lawnmower that cuts as well as this one does! I`m running it on stihl fully synthetic 2-stroke and it`s running fine. I soon got used to operating it and it does a great job. The mower is a fine example of 1950`s British engineering at its best, very robust and built to last. Also it's very enjoyable to use.








Euan Weir Landscaping, East Kilbride.

We discovered The Old Lawnmower Company last year after being told by our local repair agents that our Ransomes Marquis sloper was un-repairable and obsolete. We sent down our mower and received a report with an estimate which was entirely reasonable. Our old Ransomes came back like new. We have since purchased a further Ransomes from The Old Lawnmower Company which has been working all summer without a problem. We would recommend The Old Lawnmower Company to anyone who values the quality engineering of old lawnmowers over the modern equivalents.







Andrew Hampson, Altrincham, Cheshire.

I purchased a JP Maxees off you last year. It performs wonderfully and I have a lawn with stripes the envy of my neighbours.



Anthony Bowles, Castle Douglas.

I am very pleased with my reconditioned Ransomes 24 mower supplied by your company; it cuts my SW Scotland grass far better than a modern cylinder mower purchased three years ago and is a delight to use. I am looking forward to many years service from this machine.









Phil Brown, Kent.

Many thanks for all your help and advice. I really appreciate your knowledge and help you gave me. The service you supply is second to none especially in a field where experience on these older machines is very limited. Hopefully I will see you again next year for the yearly check up and not before, assuming I don't break something again!



Don Edge, Stockport.

I must thank you for supplying me with a superb ATCO Light 14, this year will be my Third with the machine and, I have to say, it's an absolute pleasure to use and has been totally reliable, the cut is perfect and the smell of two stroke oil is awesome. A machine for petrol heads and enthusiasts of sound British engineering at its best, can't recommend your service or the mower enough!








Andrew Whittaker, West Midlands.

It was lovely to meet you and your father and it was great to see the undoubted passion you have for maintaining old lawnmowers. I have just come in from mowing the lawns and I must say the quality of the cut and the stripe is something to behold - I am so pleased with the mower, thank you! I shall certainly look after the machine. Very best wishes to you and your father.



Geoff Derby, Pinner, Middlesex.

Many thanks for refurbishing my old Ransomes Ajax it has never cut my grass so well, never in the past 30 years, can you believe that? I have attached some photos of my efforts today, it was a joy to work away even though the lawn was still wet and with the grass still to recover from an earlier scarifying. Many thanks again.









Andrew Thorpe, Redditch, Worcestershire.

Just to let you know that the Webb has cut the lawns twice now (it would have been more save for the rain) and both my father and his gardener are thrilled at the result. The cut is so much better than when the lawns are cut with his spare Suffolk Colt. The gardener has had to give himself a bit of self training now that all the controls work as they should. John, I can only say thank you very much again. You have made an old chap very happy.



Bernard Smith, West Byfleet, Surrey.
www.surreygardens.co.uk

I bought a reconditioned Mark 4 Ransomes Marquis 20" cylinder mower from The Old Lawnmower Company to use on my lawns as I wanted to get a better finish than I can from my petrol rotary. I am delighted with it and it was exactly the one in the photo on their website and very nicely reconditioned.

On the day of purchase they gave me excellent instructions and a demonstration before I took it away. I received by email the operating instructions later in the day. Although I had a small problem they sorted it out in the best possible way. I judge every company on what they do when things go wrong, not when they go right and they were superb.

Although it is an hour away from me I shall certainly take the mower back to them when it needs its annual service. They are really nice people and I would not hesitate in recommending their services to all my friends.

Update March 2013: Hi John, I have used the 16 inch Ransomes Certes and the 24 inch Atco Royale for the first time after your service this week. Thanks for the excellent services to my 3 mowers that are all performing brilliantly. Thank you once again.



Ray Woodward, East Yorkshire.

As a teenager, I would mow my dad’s paddock with his Allen Scythe. The paddock was pretty rough, the three acres had been “landed” and mowing was not easy. However, the scythe always started, it had big wheels, a hefty four stroke grunt, cut through pretty much anything and was totally reliable. Forty years on, standing on the south facing slope of my own tiny piece of Italy, I contemplated the rough meadow, the steep, uneven slope and the rows of olive trees that had to be negotiated. Then, I knew exactly what I needed to get the job done. The local Italians have an abundance of machines that loosely resemble the Allen Scythe but are rarely for sale. When they do come on the market they command an astronomical price. I put my idea on the back burner.

Back home in England I scanned Ebay for a bargain. Allen Scythes are there, of course. They are in all states of disrepair. Many are beautifully painted but have magneto problems or just won’t start. Some claim to be in first class order but haven’t started this season and so on. I kept 'Googling' Allen Scythes and then I happened upon The Old Lawnmower Company. Ivor, the proprietor, and his son John had a sound machine which they were about to restore. They kept me informed as work progressed and then invited me down to Hertfordshire for a test run. The machine I saw in Ivor’s paddock was a dead-ringer for the one that had tugged my arms out of their sockets forty years previously. It has the same punchy start, fierce clutch and shoulder-wrenching drive but it’s the cat’s whiskers.

Thanks to Ivor’s care and attention to detail, he helped me ship a tip-top Scythe out to Italy by courier. The restored machine runs like a top, works like a horse and is the envy of my Italian neighbours who gaze on it in awe. Whatever your grass cutting needs, Ivor is an excellent engineer. He has a wonderful collection of restored vintage mowers, fit for a variety of purposes. He is an honest, personable bloke and a pleasure with whom to do business.



Peter Venables, Isle of Man.

When the large roller on my approx. 50 year old Webb 24 mower collapsed I thought the only solution was to leave it at the local amenity site, however a search on the internet came up with your firm The Old Lawnmower Co. On contacting you, to my delight you not only had a comprehensive list of spares but also were unstinting in advice and help. Due to my location you not only emailed but phoned personally to advise on assembly. I can't praise you highly enough for your help and speedy efficiency.



Adrian Risdale, Elgin, Moray.

Apologies for the delay in responding although I can confirm safe receipt of the Webb 14 last week. Luckily we had clear blue skies over the weekend and I was able to cut the grass and I am really pleased with the mower and impressed with the cut. Many thanks for your close attention and for providing a 1st class product.









Peter Aldridge, Chelmsford.

Many thanks for the service and repairs to my Webb 24 inch lawnmower. You will be glad to know that it has done an excellent job without any problems since I picked it up. My lawns and tennis court look really good.



David Burnikell, Kent.

You will be glad to know that after a full year of use I remain very pleased with the Marquis. It invariably starts first pull, runs sweetly, cuts cleanly (none of the brown ends you get with a rotary) and leaves stripes to please the most demanding grounds man. The engine’s friendly putter-putter always makes me smile and although the machine may be old it is a constant pleasure to use. Thank you for introducing me to it.



Yvonne Maybury, Middlesex.

I just wanted to say how 'over the moon' I am with the Ransomes Ajax. It is fantastic to use and I am so pleased to have one again. Thank you for your very friendly and conscientious service - it was great to find someone so enthusiastic about these 'old' machines. I hope your business continues to flourish and I have highly recommended you to my friends who have shown interest in having a mower like mine. Many thanks again for a great service.



Juliette Raine, Loughton, Essex.

Before and After

Just a quick line to say thank you so much for helping me choose exactly the right 'Old Lawnmower' for what was three rather scrappy pieces of lawn! You can see how much they've been improved with just a little tender loving care and the help of my 'new' trusty Ransomes Ajax! Wonderful to find such a special showroom, based in the middle of a beautiful meadow and with such great service and advice, thanks again.




G. Fielding, Stockport, Cheshire.

Simply a line to thank you for your superb service for what was a relatively small order. I have now fitted the new rollers and the aged Whippet is back to full health. Best wishes to yourself and the firm in the future.



Per Hultgren, Saxtorp, Sweden.

I forgot to enclose a photo of my croquet lawn after having been mown with the Marquis. Here you can see the excellent results.










T. Cox, Barton le Clay, Bedfordshire.

Webb Witch rollers received. Difference to mower is amazing. New rollers are almost twice the size as the originals which were 30 years plus old. I thought that I was getting past it to push a hand mower. Not any more! I can now mow by hand for many years to come. Many thanks. Regards, Tim Cox ( rejuvenated pensioner).



Maggie Love, Worcester.

The Commodore grassbox arrived today and it matches the old girl perfectly. Looks like they have always been together. A million thanks and Happy Easter to you both. P.S It was a pleasure to do business with you.



Charlie Stoddart, Chairman, Broomhall Cricket Club, Charlestown.

I wanted to write to you following our acquisition recently of the Ransomes Auto Certes mower from you that we use for our cricket square here at Charlestown in Fife.

As you know, our old mower gave up the ghost and we were at a loss what to do; the prospect of paying over £3000 for a new mower was impossible to contemplate and the opportunity to purchase a quality machine from The Old Lawnmower Company at a fraction of the cost and with a full guarantee was too good to believe. Not only have we acquired an excellent piece of equipment but we have had superb support from you and your team throughout the process and that is a great comfort to us, especially when we are 400 miles away. To know that help is a phone call away and that parts can be supplied as well is of enormous benefit.

Our club is grateful to you and if there is any future requirements for cricket cutting equipment then I am certain that the first call will be to you.



Steve Nash, Head Groundsman, Datchworth Cricket Club.

I came across The Old Lawnmower Company whilst surfing the internet looking for a replacement grassbox for our 1970s Ransomes Marquis 20 inch cylinder mower. Not only was Ivor able to supply and deliver a second-hand one in very good condition and at a fraction of the price of a new one but he was also able to give me excellent advice regarding the purchase of another mower.

Our cricket club already had 2 Ransomes 20 inch mowers (a Marquis and an Auto Certes) which have given excellent service over many years. One is used for maintaining our cricket square and the other for preparing the actual pitches. We have recently developed a second ground and I wanted to purchase a larger mower to cut both the two squares, leaving the existing mowers for pitch preparation only. Ivor was able to supply a reconditioned Ransomes Matador 24 inch (the Marquis’ big brother) in excellent condition and at a very reasonable price. He was also able to restore and modify an old Atco roller seat I had so that it fitted the Matador, making my job of cutting the 2 squares so much easier.

I have been very pleased with the pre-sales advice, the quality and value for money of the equipment, and the after sales service (one minor problem with the drive chain was fixed immediately and at no cost) and I am sure we will be using The Old Lawnmower Company again.



Bill Nicholson, Derby.

The lawn was just about dry enough for a cut so I tried it out. It worked perfectly! Thank you for your assistance in providing the new cylinder and bottom blade for my Webb 14.



John Holland, Potters Bar.

After struggling for a year or so with a brand new Atco cylinder mower with its "health and safety" controls, two clutches, 3 levers and throttle, I purchased from The Old Lawnmower Company a sixty year old restored Atco. This not only has a truly superior cut, but is more manoeuverable and is an absolute joy to use, with just one clutch plus throttle control - simplicity! Add to that its antique charm it makes grass cutting the pleasure that it should be. Thank you Mr. Gregory.








Philip A., Hampshire.

It was a pleasure meeting you and your son today and thank you for delivering the Allen Scythe and I hope you had an easy return journey. The Scythe is brilliant and needless to say, I have already cut some long grass and reeds at the bottom of the garden - it cuts very well. ... I have now fitted the Deflector Plate and Carburettor to the Suffolk Super Punch and it runs really well and ticks-over perfectly.







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