I used to use one of these Allen Scythes in the early 1970’s for Sedgefield District Council. These Allen Scythes take NO prisoners!! The longer the vegetation the more it loved it. They would go where the operator would be reluctant to follow!!
I remember them in Billingham, which was in County Durham at the time. They could cut along steep embankments. Recall them as a darker green, without a red petrol tank. Fine machines.
I doubt that even one of the workers at Allan Oxford would have expected that in 2024 some bloke on the internet (even: what´s the internet?!) restores their machinery. Great work, love your channel!
Great to see one again, I regularly used one to cut paths and swims on a lake in Suffolk UK in the 1960/70s when I was a water bailiff. There were extra blades you could add to make the cut twice as wide. The huge wheels made it perfect for rough ground.
@@MachineryRestorerit was a delight to see you restore it, I remember the odd field repair on it sitting beside a lake, and chucking an old tarpaulin over it between jobs. I was a young lad and all the older guys I was with are sadly long gone I guess. Thank you for the reminder of good times.
During the summers of the late 60's I worked on the gardens of Booth Hall Childrens Hospital in Manchester. I remember working on a slope with one of these beasts, it refused to go in the direction I wanted - I developed Desperate Dan muscles!
stuff designed to help feed an entire country under siege, to keep all classes of that country alive, was designed to be seriously reliable. Stuff that's designed to sell for a profit and failure doesn't cause the seller's company to be bombed, not so much. If people hadn't been encouraged to "upgrade" so many products over the years, most of those 40s and 50s machines would still be operational and in use I believe
@@rickbrasche8781 could not agree more. Now its all made in chine with a life span of how long it took them to make the crap in the first place. I will be so happy to see production start up in other countries that actually care about what they are making and take pride in a product that is of quality over chinas quantity. I do my utmost not to buy "made in chine" but its almost impossible . Ill be glad to get back to quality instead of the junk coming out of china.
My Dad purchased one of these machines second hand in 1958 to make hay on our small farm in Lancashire. It was absolutely bomb proof It never broke down... ever. and was still in use until 1984 with just annual maintenance. It was sold on to another small holding in Wigan and was still in use up till 1989 that I know of, It still may be going till this day..
Have you ever seen a Gravely? We have them here in the states and they're a bit similar to this. Can still find them for sale in a lot of places. People know what they're worth though unfortunately 😅
Both, the video and the restoration are really well done. A pleasant voice, no unnecessary music and a little digression into the history of the manufacturer. This makes Sunday mornings really enjoyable! Best regards from Germany
Goes without saying, you are a brilliant craftsman. The historical photos of the fabrication factory and the information was excellent. Thank you for saving this machine, and even moreso, for documenting it.
This restoration is incredible and yet the one thing that really caught my attention is how perfect your cotter pin installation is! I wish every cotter pin was installed so nicely!
@Mind-your-own-beeswax We've always called them cotter pins in my area, but yes, you are correct. Pennsylvania has a lot of alternate names for literally everything 😂
I love to see old machines given a new life. As a 42 year industrial electrician now retired my greatest joy was making an old machine work better than when new with modern parts and a skilled machine shop backing me up.
What a cracking, informative video: Back in 1984, a kind neighbour provided me with a recently refurbished Allen Scythe when I moved into my new house. I had half an acre of tall grass to cut and my Flymo hover mower was not up to the job. The Allen Scythe proved to be a marvellous bit of kit.
This is an amazing restore video, I love how you added the back story of the company with photos and description. Was a very nice touch and learning curve for me
thank you so much for not only showing the restoration process, but also explaining the history of the manufactoring company. And of course todays usage of the terrain. Best regards from saxony, germany. (please: excuse my terrible english...)
One of your best, most interesting restorations yet. Thank you for restoring this great vintage piece of equipment. Still very practical after all these years. Still very durable. I think it was worth all your time and effort to save. I hope your video encourages more people to preserve these solid, tough machines.
I must add another comment to amend my previous one, which was flippant (albeit good natured). This machine is a mechanical work of art, a prime example of superlative British manufacturing and craftsmanship. You definitely did it proud with your exceptional restoration!
In addition to the impeccable filming, painstaking engineering , focused diagnosing and immaculate end product, I like the background of birdsong - takes me back to happy days growing up in England. Greetings from NZ🇳🇿and thanks for all your hard work.
i remember as a lad my grandad had one off these on his small farm and a big white shire horse he would sit me on his horse whilst he ploughed the fields also when he would do the hedge row and grass he had one off these machine allways fascinated me and he would let me push it along whilst he would be behind me as i was about 10 or 12 yrs old at the time great memorys for me and watching you rebuild one wow took me back to my child hood thanx and keep these great videos coming
Sooo eine schöne Arbeit! Es machte ihnen sicher viel Freude. Ich habe jetzt den dritten Balkenmäher der heutigen Generation und wünschte mir, es gäbe diesen aus dem Video noch zu kaufen, so herrlich unaufgeregt und zuverlässig mit wenig Unwucht, das ist perfekt. Die damaligen Ingenieure und Monteure haben sehr gute Arbeit geleistet. Vielen Dank für ihre Präsentation!
11 วันที่ผ่านมา +1
A lovely piece of restoration engineering on a quality machine.
You did an amazing job on this restoration and the video production quality is incredible. Easily the best restoration channel on TH-cam without a doubt. 🎉😀
We all know, you made 5 separate videos and have 5 work benches with each section dismantled separately. Easy to dismantle, very difficult to put back. And even more difficult to make it work again. Excellent work. Thank you.
That's one of the benefits of video. You don't HAVE to remember where and how everything goes. You just go look at the video. Us old people draw pictures. LOL. oldtroll57
I was fitting new rings on a Bantam yesterday. I broke one, ouch! Now to get another set from the UK to Ireland. Customs and bureaucracy after Brexit. Ouch again!)
That takes me back to the early 1950’s. The council used them to cut a vacant lot near my junior school. We used to catch the grasshoppers as they fled. I was thinking of these while watching videos of modern gardeners with their zero turn mowers etc. I didn’t know the name Allen Scythe, but I do now.
This type of mower is still fairly popular with farmers where I live. They don't leave a perfectly manicured lawn but they're great for cutting tall grass and weeds in areas too small to get a farm tractor into.
Also back in the 1950s. I remember the church warden cutting the grass in the churchyard with an Allen scythe, and the scent of fresh mown grass is linked to the memory too.
great project as always and ive really loved the way this video was structured with the allen scythe history lesson before the restoration. i could feel you were very pationate about this one and it makes the video so much better. also the way this engine came back to life with all that rust in the vital components and how well all the other parts have survived the test of time speaks a lot about the build quality. too bad they don't make machines like that anymore.
Excellent work! I’m sure many people would have given up on this machine after a while of trying to find the replacement engine. I’m glad to see it brought back to life 💪
Well done you. You used the odd technique there I have not seen before, nor yet used. In about 1982, I managed to get one of these working again for a man who couldn't. What a dangerous bit of kit it was. That working scythe at the front was potentially lethal. It was certainly capable of disfiguring forever, any limb that got in the way. Thankfully, the chap's interest was short-lived, and the beast was allowed to rust in peace. The 2-stroke engine was fun to get started. It was straightforward once the points and timing were set. The crankshaft seals were good and nothing was wrong that a good service could not fix. Not that I was anything other than an amateur, in skill set. Memory lane, thank you.
Superb. I used a couple of these machines, (likely 2-stroke) to mow a winter snow ski slope back in the 1980s. We wanted to mow the grass in the summer so it didn't poke through the snow in the winter and the Allens were great at moving up slopes. They had a tendancy to jump out of gear when mowing downslope (they were well used) so they were fitted with kill switches and the idea was to try to skew them sideways if the ran away. They worked very well on the rough-ish moorland slopes and spaces around the infrastructure. This was a fab rebuild and it was interesting to see how they work and I was impressed with the attention to detail. Very like a Geoffrey Croker video and very good. Must watch more and thanks!
I love watching old farm equipment in action, reminds me of my grandfather's farm here in New York. Having grown up in the Great Depression he never threw anything away and all of his equipment, from his tractor on down was all older and everything worked. I remember his old Ford 8N tractor that he later replaced with a Farmall H. He had a 1964 Willys he used to haul firewood around in and I used to help him with that back in the 1980's. He had a couple of old hit n miss engines, one he made into a battery charger. A couple of years back I was at my local dump and someone had dropped off an old reel mower. It was in decent shape, the wheels were not locked up, but you could tell they were clogged and the blade needed a good sharpening. I took him home, got the wheels off, pulled out some decades old dried grass and cleaned and greased them and then sharpened the blade and it cuts as good as my gas mower now. It dates back to the 1950's. I've got a wheelbarrow here that came with my property that's tougher than any I've ever seen as is probably 50-60 years old at least. No, companies don't make things like they used to.
That machine is the most robust engineered and machined cutter I’ve ever seen. I wish we had mowers made that well here in the states! Great restoration.
I’ve got to say daggerwin your a professional machinery restoration expert I would not know where to start on the engine rebuild watching your video and seeing you rebuild the entire engine was a learning experience I’ve definitely learned some things from you I used to help my dad with his projects I mainly helped with sanding metal parts spraying sand blasting and cleaning engine parts even when I was on work experience at Massey Ferguson dealership in the engineering workshop I was just shadowing the mechanics You have done a lovely professional restoration there daggerwin and it really did a professional job cutting through the long grass as well it was coping with it very well they just build things to last back in the 50s and 60s quality and build to last
I doubt the average Joe even considers details like that. They clean a carb and think it’s ready to go, who needs jetting or float height specs ? Lol 😆
It looks more straight-forward and easier to work on than a Gravely. You have a pleasantly easy voice to listen to and did not add silly obtrusive music. Well done!
There are companies that specialize in cylinder restoration. They can apply a layer of Nikasil and then restore the cylinder to its original diameter, as well as provide custom piston rings. Additionally, you can choose to keep or replace the piston. Best regards.
What a super restoration…memories aplenty…during the ‘60s as a young teenager, l used to cut my grandfather’s paddock with one of these, blisters, sunburn, dust…can’t remember the guard on the pull start though, probably broken. Still got all my fingers and toes after summers with the Allen Sythe…
Thank you this might just be my favourite one of your restoration videos to date! It was so satisfying, and you really can't beat the way these machines were built back in the day.. can't imagine someone restoring a modern mower from today in 80 or so years. Also wanted to say i love how you explain stuff as you go along i don't know much about mechanics but want to learn so its interesting hearing you explain stuff as you go!
They were also frighteningly expensive. I once tried to compare the price of a late-1950s kitchen mixer to a 1950s income and then figure out what it would cost today - would you buy a kitchen mixer that costs you a month's salary? I definitely wouldn't. If something lasts half as long as one of those beasts at less than a quarter of the price you're still saving money in the long run, it's only the environment that suffers with disposable stuff.
as an American that grew up farming with my grandpa, I still have the majority of his old antique farm implements. They were definitely built to last. There is nothing like old machinery
Great to see that the art of gasket making is not entirely lost! This is the first time I have seen it done on TH-cam. You can also use a spanner for the small holes ( For those who have never done it before)
REally beautiful work. I love these old machines, they where quality built from pepole that did it for the love of building machines that they could be proud of.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you so much for bringing this old machine back to life. I love all the effort you put into this, with the sole exception being I would have kept the original instruction plate instead of replacing it with a sticker facsimile. I look forward to seeing more videos in the future.
Hey daggerwin, quick question do you use any sites in particular to find parts and rebuild sets etc? You've inspired me to do some of this work myself and I am currently renovating a Qualcast rotivator but it's an absolute nightmare to find parts, and when I do think I've found them they turn up wrong so far 🙄 👍
Machines today are definitely not built like they were back then. They’re over-engineered, overkill, overly-complex, and, when it comes to doing the job, overwhelmed to the point of failure. I love the old machines that were very simple, but worked just as well if not better than modern machinery. Well done! And 3 years? …….. I know the feeling lol.
What a beast! So refreshing to watch someone properly restore a classic piece instead of just spraying WD40 down the bores. You're the BOSS! More please?
When making your own gaskets in this way remember kiddies, knock out the bolt holes first, not last like here, and then feed the bolts through the holes. This holds the gasket paper in place.
One of your best restorations, and best videos yet. I loved the delve into the history of the machine and Allen Oxford. I've always thought these felt more like "restoration documentaries" and adding the historical context really drove that home and made an already good video better!
Thank you very much! I'm seventy six years old, and I love mechanical elements. Every part of this video is great. The only thing missing is the smells associated. 😊😊😊
Wonderful video , beautifully produced and a tribute to a great quality British made machine when we still had a manufacturing industry.With the care and attention that was lavished on this example , it will now last indefintely for generations to come.I am sure Dinky Toys produced a model of the Allen scythe.
I used one in the 1970s on nature reserves in Gloucestershire. Sometimes tricky to start, but once going they would run all day with no trouble. Wonderful machines and good to see they are being cherished.
Really enjoy watching old machinery restorations, and this was no exception. I remembered an old gardener using one of these when I was a kid, I'm now 67.
I had just repaired one of those with the MK15 OHV Villiers engine. On test, the clutch cable broke and before I could stop it, it had chewed a chunk out of my garage door. It's a beast!
Yet again another incredible restoration, really enjoyed the brief history section you included. Dunno about anyone else but I'd love to see more of your workshop potentially a tour video as always amazes me when you get to parts where normally it would be "gotta send this off for X" and it's just nope got that in the corner! Can't wait for the next video!!
What a process!! So glad you finally made it through, 3 years is a long time to be compressed into a one hour video. It was a great experience watching this masterpiece and I truly enjoyed your narration❤. Just liked and subbed!
My grandfather had one of these on his estate when I was growing up along with ancient chainsaws and lawnmowers. Fixed the chainsaw and cylinder mower. The mower had a grounding strap to kill the engine. Made the mistake one summer day and passed my fingers between the strap and spark plug! Still here so didn’t die but man did it give me a shock! Up one arm, across my chest and down the other. That’ll wake you up and make you respect even the smallest motor💥
I've done that too, but the jolt just went through my finger. Sounds like you touched the spark plug without touching the grounding strap, and it went the long way around, through you.
Thank you for posting this!! Can't believe I came across this! I used to use one in Sussex when I was a kid/teenager, cutting down orchard grass etc. It terrified me, I always imagined getting my fingers caught in blade! Irrational thought I know! Once mastered it was a good tool, but not for tall people like me as I had to constantly stoop over! I'll never forget the distinctive old two stroke engine sound/smell and the clackety clack of the blades! Starting could be a challenge with the rope! Ahhhh the days before health and safety!
Wow! Really great restoration video!! I was born in 1955 and I can remember when mowers and tillers all had rope starters. Ours had a wooden handle to give you something to grip. My grandmother lived on a farm in rural Missouri, and she had a Gravely tractor very similar to your Allen and it had different attachments as well. You really did a super job restoring this old machine and goes to show if you take really good care of something, it can run for a very long time. Watching from North Carolina, USA.
What an absolute treat watching you skillfully disassemble and reassemble, it's wonderful to watch these machines come back to life!! Brings back a lot of great memories as my father had one of these to cut our field full of fern behind our house, as a child back in the 60s it was a challenge for me just to reach the handle bars . Thanks very much and congratulations to you, kind regards Phil
I longed for this Allen scythe back in the 60’s but they were scarce because of their popularity. People held onto them.I finally settled for a Mayfield. Remember those? Smaller drive wheels and a pull-back starter handle. It gave me many years service. This was a most enjoyable restoration so thank you. Nowadays I suspect H&S would have a lot to say !!
An excellent result, and a very well presented & informative video. Of special interest to me as I remember my late father using one of theses machines. And describing it as "the best rough cutter he had ever used" ! Thank you for sharing !
That was brilliant. Such great machines - go anywhere, cut anything. Lovely to see these old machines restored - much stronger than anything built today. Well done 🙂
That is a beautifully engineered and well built piece of machinery! I can just imagine all of the thought and hand drafted drawings that it took to design and build this machine. I then imagine all of the other companies and machinery of that era and all of the people involved in the making of this equipment. It is a testament to our grandfathers, (and probably some grandmother's ), ingenuity. Enjoyed the video.
I imagine having a photographic memory would be a must, especially when reassembling the transmission, they'll never make them as good again😢 It's always a pleasure to watch someone work who knows what they're doing, gives me hope for my self
*Here in Brazil!🇧🇷* _Although it takes away from the originality, this machine deserved a modern engine, with electric start!😊 It's good to have two, one original and one to modernize._ *Congratulations on the excellent work and thank you very much for the great content on the channel. May God always bless you!*
I had one of these and kept it running for years. Brilliant for long grass first cut. Even got a couple of new tyres for it in the garage. Sold it recently didn’t realise I had the new tyres. Great restoration.
Great job, it now looks and works as good as new. My father had one of those, fitted with a Villiers 2 stroke, it also had detachable "spud" wheels to help it go over rough or soft ground, I spent many hours trudging along behind it. Not sure what happened to the machine but I wish I still had it!
Such a versatile machine, built about five miles from where i live. in my final year at school we were taken on a tour of the factory and saw these being produced.
Great job! We had an Allen Scythe at the nursery where I worked in the summer holidays. There was nowhere to use it properly, but we fired it up occasionally just for fun. Amazing machine.
I've no idea why I've just spent nearly an hour watching something I know nothing about: engines and gardening. However, it's always fun and interesting to watch someone who has a genuine love of what they're doing. One thing I can say for certain is that this guy's got the patience of a saint. It took over 3 years to get this thing fixed!!! I'd have been pulling my hair out after a week 🤬. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the video and will be tuning in for more of these vids as a subscriber. God bless 😉👍🏼
Wow I'm impressed Daggerwin 😮 I think that has been one hell of a challenge for you to find all the parts for this amazing machine. It paid off all the love and dedication you put in. See you on the virtual farm!
Congratulations on restoring a wonderful engineering machine. An old friend of mine had one and cherished it and up until the late 80's it earned it's keep for at least 50 years. Thank you for the restoration,I thoroughly enjoyed watching the process from beginning to end.😊
This has got to be the best video you have produced so far. Lovely to have a little background music here and there and giving a history of the machine was a nice touch. Keep it up!
![Someone paid an equivalent of $2000 for this in 1914 [Restoration]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rw_8FWJuSho/mqdefault.jpg)
I used to use one of these Allen Scythes in the early 1970’s for Sedgefield District Council. These Allen Scythes take NO prisoners!! The longer the vegetation the more it loved it. They would go where the operator would be reluctant to follow!!
that makes me imagine them like a very large dog that has decided that we ARE going over there to smell that bush, no matter how much you dont want to
@@athena1491 I like your analogy, made me chuckle😉
Wouldn't surprise me one bit!
With such large wheels I'd bet the operator would be more likely to get stuck then the machine!
Great video 📹 👍
I remember them in Billingham, which was in County Durham at the time. They could cut along steep embankments. Recall them as a darker green, without a red petrol tank. Fine machines.
I doubt that even one of the workers at Allan Oxford would have expected that in 2024 some bloke on the internet (even: what´s the internet?!) restores their machinery. Great work, love your channel!
Great to see one again, I regularly used one to cut paths and swims on a lake in Suffolk UK in the 1960/70s when I was a water bailiff. There were extra blades you could add to make the cut twice as wide. The huge wheels made it perfect for rough ground.
thanks for sharing! it’s always interesting to hear from people who’ve used the machines that I restore
@@MachineryRestorerit was a delight to see you restore it, I remember the odd field repair on it sitting beside a lake, and chucking an old tarpaulin over it between jobs. I was a young lad and all the older guys I was with are sadly long gone I guess. Thank you for the reminder of good times.
My Dad sadly has a later versions of these kind of mowers and he only used it 4 times because it would shake its self apart.
During the summers of the late 60's I worked on the gardens of Booth Hall Childrens Hospital in Manchester. I remember working on a slope with one of these beasts, it refused to go in the direction I wanted - I developed Desperate Dan muscles!
>
Be on the lookout for these extra blades!
Great fun to watch it cutting through the brush.
Old English machines were magnificent, they were ridiculously simple, and would outlive two and a half generations of your family
So true, built back when things were made to pass on, after all, we aren’t taking anything with us.
Сделано на века. Уважение производителю.
stuff designed to help feed an entire country under siege, to keep all classes of that country alive, was designed to be seriously reliable. Stuff that's designed to sell for a profit and failure doesn't cause the seller's company to be bombed, not so much. If people hadn't been encouraged to "upgrade" so many products over the years, most of those 40s and 50s machines would still be operational and in use I believe
@@rickbrasche8781 could not agree more. Now its all made in chine with a life span of how long it took them to make the crap in the first place. I will be so happy to see production start up in other countries that actually care about what they are making and take pride in a product that is of quality over chinas quantity. I do my utmost not to buy "made in chine" but its almost impossible . Ill be glad to get back to quality instead of the junk coming out of china.
My Dad purchased one of these machines second hand in 1958 to make hay on our small farm in Lancashire. It was absolutely bomb proof It never broke down... ever. and was still in use until 1984 with just annual maintenance. It was sold on to another small holding in Wigan and was still in use up till 1989 that I know of, It still may be going till this day..
Have you ever seen a Gravely? We have them here in the states and they're a bit similar to this. Can still find them for sale in a lot of places. People know what they're worth though unfortunately 😅
Both, the video and the restoration are really well done.
A pleasant voice, no unnecessary music and a little digression into the history of the manufacturer.
This makes Sunday mornings really enjoyable!
Best regards from Germany
Exactly!! Loved that video, many thanks for uploading it to YT, that took a lot of mechanical and technical skill to produce. We do appreciate that.
One minute in and I can already tell I do like this new style of narration.
He is one of the few that will Finish a Project he gets and starts.
Agreed
Right I enjoy the restorators that are silent but I love to be informed also plz let us know the product's you use in the process
I loved the style too.
Agreed
I appreciate you telling how many years it has taken to restore this machine. Often videos like this make it look like this is done in a few days..
That bronze gear is absolutely a work of art. I’d hang that on my wall
It’s a Worm Wheel not a gear . Engages with the worm shaft .
18:45 Agreed, however a plastic governor gear?
@@88njtrigg88 I really dont think that plastic gear is original. Overhauled at some point?
@@ernovesterinen6826 Thanks for the heads-up.
Goes without saying, you are a brilliant craftsman. The historical photos of the fabrication factory and the information was excellent. Thank you for saving this machine, and even moreso, for documenting it.
Love all the commentary and history. Night and day from your old videos.
Glad you like them!
This restoration is incredible and yet the one thing that really caught my attention is how perfect your cotter pin installation is! I wish every cotter pin was installed so nicely!
Split pin.
@Mind-your-own-beeswax We've always called them cotter pins in my area, but yes, you are correct. Pennsylvania has a lot of alternate names for literally everything 😂
I love to see old machines given a new life. As a 42 year industrial electrician now retired my greatest joy was making an old machine work better than when new with modern parts and a skilled machine shop backing me up.
What a cracking, informative video: Back in 1984, a kind neighbour provided me with a recently refurbished Allen Scythe when I moved into my new house. I had half an acre of tall grass to cut and my Flymo hover mower was not up to the job. The Allen Scythe proved to be a marvellous bit of kit.
This is an amazing restore video, I love how you added the back story of the company with photos and description. Was a very nice touch and learning curve for me
thank you so much for not only showing the restoration process, but also explaining the history of the manufactoring company. And of course todays usage of the terrain.
Best regards from saxony, germany. (please: excuse my terrible english...)
There is nothing to excuse. Your English is excellent and your comment is clear.
One of your best, most interesting restorations yet. Thank you for restoring this great vintage piece of equipment. Still very practical after all these years. Still very durable. I think it was worth all your time and effort to save. I hope your video encourages more people to preserve these solid, tough machines.
It's cool that these folks are keeping these old machines alive
I must add another comment to amend my previous one, which was flippant (albeit good natured). This machine is a mechanical work of art, a prime example of superlative British manufacturing and craftsmanship. You definitely did it proud with your exceptional restoration!
In addition to the impeccable filming, painstaking engineering , focused diagnosing and immaculate end product, I like the background of birdsong - takes me back to happy days growing up in England. Greetings from NZ🇳🇿and thanks for all your hard work.
i remember as a lad my grandad had one off these on his small farm and a big white shire horse he would sit me on his horse whilst he ploughed the fields also when he would do the hedge row and grass he had one off these machine allways fascinated me and he would let me push it along whilst he would be behind me as i was about 10 or 12 yrs old at the time great memorys for me and watching you rebuild one wow took me back to my child hood thanx and keep these great videos coming
The best part of a restoration, is watching somebody else doing it. I wonder just how many hours work lay behind this easy-watching video.
If there is a restoration video worthy of a Thumbs Up, its this. Great Job Sir. Well done indeed.
My grandfather had one and it used to go through brush like it was cutting grass, absolutely amazing machines,nothing like it now
Sooo eine schöne Arbeit! Es machte ihnen sicher viel Freude. Ich habe jetzt den dritten Balkenmäher der heutigen Generation und wünschte mir, es gäbe diesen aus dem Video noch zu kaufen, so herrlich unaufgeregt und zuverlässig mit wenig Unwucht, das ist perfekt. Die damaligen Ingenieure und Monteure haben sehr gute Arbeit geleistet. Vielen Dank für ihre Präsentation!
A lovely piece of restoration engineering on a quality machine.
You did an amazing job on this restoration and the video production quality is incredible. Easily the best restoration channel on TH-cam without a doubt. 🎉😀
thank you so much!! 😃
It IS the best, unless you like speed up restoration with alot of hyped speach... This is unique
You sir are a genius.
Now this is quality TH-cam content.
We all know, you made 5 separate videos and have 5 work benches with each section dismantled separately.
Easy to dismantle, very difficult to put back. And even more difficult to make it work again.
Excellent work. Thank you.
That's one of the benefits of video. You don't HAVE to remember where and how everything goes. You just go look at the video.
Us old people draw pictures. LOL. oldtroll57
FINALLY SOMEONE WITH COMMENTARY
i am a fiend for restoration videos but few have voice overs... this is a breath of fresh air
Dag, you always do a fantastic job with these. It so nice to see history and engineering come together in a restoration project. Keep crackin' on! 😎👍
I remember the local council using these cutters in the 1950's. Great restoration- thankyou.
This brought back memories of working on an old BSA Bantam 60 + years ago as a 12 year old, a great watch.
I was fitting new rings on a Bantam yesterday. I broke one, ouch! Now to get another set from the UK to Ireland. Customs and bureaucracy after Brexit. Ouch again!)
That takes me back to the early 1950’s.
The council used them to cut a vacant lot near my junior school.
We used to catch the grasshoppers as they fled.
I was thinking of these while watching videos of modern gardeners with their zero turn mowers etc. I didn’t know the name Allen Scythe, but I do now.
This type of mower is still fairly popular with farmers where I live. They don't leave a perfectly manicured lawn but they're great for cutting tall grass and weeds in areas too small to get a farm tractor into.
Also back in the 1950s. I remember the church warden cutting the grass in the churchyard with an Allen scythe, and the scent of fresh mown grass is linked to the memory too.
You could have a liner fitted and bored to standard size. Most good machine shops can do it for a reasonable price.
That was plan C lol
Daggerwin??? I had no clue you had a restoring channel, randomly stumble upon it just now, what a delightful surprise!
great project as always and ive really loved the way this video was structured with the allen scythe history lesson before the restoration.
i could feel you were very pationate about this one and it makes the video so much better.
also the way this engine came back to life with all that rust in the vital components and how well all the other parts have survived the test of time speaks a lot about the build quality.
too bad they don't make machines like that anymore.
They couldn't afford to make something to this quality today. It with stood the test of time.
Excellent work! I’m sure many people would have given up on this machine after a while of trying to find the replacement engine. I’m glad to see it brought back to life 💪
The hedgehog at 25:46 made me look twice lol
I thought it was a tribble at first
Same here...
Same here lol
Haha didn't even notice that 😂
😂😂😂
Well done you. You used the odd technique there I have not seen before, nor yet used. In about 1982, I managed to get one of these working again for a man who couldn't. What a dangerous bit of kit it was. That working scythe at the front was potentially lethal. It was certainly capable of disfiguring forever, any limb that got in the way. Thankfully, the chap's interest was short-lived, and the beast was allowed to rust in peace. The 2-stroke engine was fun to get started. It was straightforward once the points and timing were set. The crankshaft seals were good and nothing was wrong that a good service could not fix. Not that I was anything other than an amateur, in skill set. Memory lane, thank you.
I restored one of these back in the 80,s . well done.
Superb. I used a couple of these machines, (likely 2-stroke) to mow a winter snow ski slope back in the 1980s. We wanted to mow the grass in the summer so it didn't poke through the snow in the winter and the Allens were great at moving up slopes. They had a tendancy to jump out of gear when mowing downslope (they were well used) so they were fitted with kill switches and the idea was to try to skew them sideways if the ran away. They worked very well on the rough-ish moorland slopes and spaces around the infrastructure.
This was a fab rebuild and it was interesting to see how they work and I was impressed with the attention to detail. Very like a Geoffrey Croker video and very good. Must watch more and thanks!
I found a restoration channel without artificially aged objects.
💯
I love watching old farm equipment in action, reminds me of my grandfather's farm here in New York. Having grown up in the Great Depression he never threw anything away and all of his equipment, from his tractor on down was all older and everything worked. I remember his old Ford 8N tractor that he later replaced with a Farmall H. He had a 1964 Willys he used to haul firewood around in and I used to help him with that back in the 1980's. He had a couple of old hit n miss engines, one he made into a battery charger. A couple of years back I was at my local dump and someone had dropped off an old reel mower. It was in decent shape, the wheels were not locked up, but you could tell they were clogged and the blade needed a good sharpening. I took him home, got the wheels off, pulled out some decades old dried grass and cleaned and greased them and then sharpened the blade and it cuts as good as my gas mower now. It dates back to the 1950's. I've got a wheelbarrow here that came with my property that's tougher than any I've ever seen as is probably 50-60 years old at least. No, companies don't make things like they used to.
That machine is the most robust engineered and machined cutter I’ve ever seen. I wish we had mowers made that well here in the states!
Great restoration.
Small farming machine like this are actually super efficient and effective.
I’ve got to say daggerwin your a professional machinery restoration expert I would not know where to start on the engine rebuild watching your video and seeing you rebuild the entire engine was a learning experience I’ve definitely learned some things from you
I used to help my dad with his projects I mainly helped with sanding metal parts spraying sand blasting and cleaning engine parts even when I was on work experience at Massey Ferguson dealership in the engineering workshop I was just shadowing the mechanics
You have done a lovely professional restoration there daggerwin and it really did a professional job cutting through the long grass as well it was coping with it very well they just build things to last back in the 50s and 60s quality and build to last
It seems extraordinary that whoever stripped and re-assembled that engine in the past never re-lapped the valves.
I doubt the average Joe even considers details like that. They clean a carb and think it’s ready to go, who needs jetting or float height specs ? Lol 😆
It looks more straight-forward and easier to work on than a Gravely. You have a pleasantly easy voice to listen to and did not add silly obtrusive music. Well done!
There are companies that specialize in cylinder restoration. They can apply a layer of Nikasil and then restore the cylinder to its original diameter, as well as provide custom piston rings. Additionally, you can choose to keep or replace the piston. Best regards.
What a super restoration…memories aplenty…during the ‘60s as a young teenager, l used to cut my grandfather’s paddock with one of these, blisters, sunburn, dust…can’t remember the guard on the pull start though, probably broken.
Still got all my fingers and toes after summers with the Allen Sythe…
Your little animal left you during the assembly of your sump cover/gasket thing, lol
Thank you this might just be my favourite one of your restoration videos to date! It was so satisfying, and you really can't beat the way these machines were built back in the day.. can't imagine someone restoring a modern mower from today in 80 or so years. Also wanted to say i love how you explain stuff as you go along i don't know much about mechanics but want to learn so its interesting hearing you explain stuff as you go!
I love the old machines they were all built like tanks, every facet able to be repaired, rebuilt, or replaced, never having to be thrown out.
Exactly! 85% of outdoor equipment these days are made with then metals.
They were also frighteningly expensive. I once tried to compare the price of a late-1950s kitchen mixer to a 1950s income and then figure out what it would cost today - would you buy a kitchen mixer that costs you a month's salary? I definitely wouldn't. If something lasts half as long as one of those beasts at less than a quarter of the price you're still saving money in the long run, it's only the environment that suffers with disposable stuff.
This is excellent Daggerwin! I am blown away, great shots, just enough information narration/explanation and the history of machine. Fantastic!
British engineering at it's finest. A machine from a time when companies wanted to be remembered for the quality of their products.
Stuff was built to last, not built to last x amount of years so you would buy a new one.
as an American that grew up farming with my grandpa, I still have the majority of his old antique farm implements. They were definitely built to last. There is nothing like old machinery
ITS WHISPER QUIET!!!
We had one of these back in the 70s. It would take on anything, but the vibration through your arms was incredible.
That was produced when pride in production was still in style.
Those days are long gone, sadly 😢
Great to see that the art of gasket making is not entirely lost! This is the first time I have seen it done on TH-cam. You can also use a spanner for the small holes ( For those who have never done it before)
REally beautiful work. I love these old machines, they where quality built from pepole that did it for the love of building machines that they could be proud of.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you so much for bringing this old machine back to life. I love all the effort you put into this, with the sole exception being I would have kept the original instruction plate instead of replacing it with a sticker facsimile. I look forward to seeing more videos in the future.
Hey daggerwin, quick question do you use any sites in particular to find parts and rebuild sets etc? You've inspired me to do some of this work myself and I am currently renovating a Qualcast rotivator but it's an absolute nightmare to find parts, and when I do think I've found them they turn up wrong so far 🙄 👍
Hi I mostly use Ebay for parts...failing that specialist websites.
@MachineryRestorer I thought as much 👌 thanks for the reply.
No way. This is the same dude that made farming sim videos I watched a lot of daggerwin about 6-7 years ago
Yep same great guy@@playingwivwood
Machines today are definitely not built like they were back then. They’re over-engineered, overkill, overly-complex, and, when it comes to doing the job, overwhelmed to the point of failure. I love the old machines that were very simple, but worked just as well if not better than modern machinery. Well done! And 3 years? …….. I know the feeling lol.
But don't forget once you adjust for inflation, machines like this were enormously expensive. Still lovely to see of course!
What a beast! So refreshing to watch someone properly restore a classic piece instead of just spraying WD40 down the bores. You're the BOSS!
More please?
When making your own gaskets in this way remember kiddies, knock out the bolt holes first, not last like here, and then feed the bolts through the holes. This holds the gasket paper in place.
One of your best restorations, and best videos yet. I loved the delve into the history of the machine and Allen Oxford. I've always thought these felt more like "restoration documentaries" and adding the historical context really drove that home and made an already good video better!
Thank you very much! I'm seventy six years old, and I love mechanical elements. Every part of this video is great. The only thing missing is the smells associated. 😊😊😊
Wonderful video , beautifully produced and a tribute to a great quality British made machine when we still had a manufacturing industry.With the care and attention that was lavished on this example , it will now last indefintely for generations to come.I am sure Dinky Toys produced a model of the Allen scythe.
I used one in the 1970s on nature reserves in Gloucestershire. Sometimes tricky to start, but once going they would run all day with no trouble. Wonderful machines and good to see they are being cherished.
Beautiful restoration... The gardeners used this same model at my school in 1973 never forget it like an old dinosaur even then ..
Really enjoy watching old machinery restorations, and this was no exception.
I remembered an old gardener using one of these when I was a kid, I'm now 67.
Beautiful restoration, very pleased to see that you used all new hardware, have seen so many where old rusted nuts and bolts were reused
Memory lane. My grand father had one and my uncles and father borrowed it. A really versatile machine.
EXCELLENT RESTORATION and narration. Well Done!
I’m 79 now.
I had just repaired one of those with the MK15 OHV Villiers engine. On test, the clutch cable broke and before I could stop it, it had chewed a chunk out of my garage door. It's a beast!
Thank you for sharing quite a beautiful rebuild and restoration❤
Yet again another incredible restoration, really enjoyed the brief history section you included.
Dunno about anyone else but I'd love to see more of your workshop potentially a tour video as always amazes me when you get to parts where normally it would be "gotta send this off for X" and it's just nope got that in the corner!
Can't wait for the next video!!
What a process!! So glad you finally made it through, 3 years is a long time to be compressed into a one hour video. It was a great experience watching this masterpiece and I truly enjoyed your narration❤. Just liked and subbed!
I’m thoroughly impressed with your ability to make this work look easy.
Thousand thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
My grandfather had one of these on his estate when I was growing up along with ancient chainsaws and lawnmowers. Fixed the chainsaw and cylinder mower. The mower had a grounding strap to kill the engine. Made the mistake one summer day and passed my fingers between the strap and spark plug! Still here so didn’t die but man did it give me a shock! Up one arm, across my chest and down the other. That’ll wake you up and make you respect even the smallest motor💥
I've done that too, but the jolt just went through my finger. Sounds like you touched the spark plug without touching the grounding strap, and it went the long way around, through you.
Thank you for posting this!! Can't believe I came across this! I used to use one in Sussex when I was a kid/teenager, cutting down orchard grass etc. It terrified me, I always imagined getting my fingers caught in blade! Irrational thought I know! Once mastered it was a good tool, but not for tall people like me as I had to constantly stoop over! I'll never forget the distinctive old two stroke engine sound/smell and the clackety clack of the blades! Starting could be a challenge with the rope! Ahhhh the days before health and safety!
Wow! Really great restoration video!! I was born in 1955 and I can remember when mowers and tillers all had rope starters. Ours had a wooden handle to give you something to grip. My grandmother lived on a farm in rural Missouri, and she had a Gravely tractor very similar to your Allen and it had different attachments as well. You really did a super job restoring this old machine and goes to show if you take really good care of something, it can run for a very long time. Watching from North Carolina, USA.
What an absolute treat watching you skillfully disassemble and reassemble, it's wonderful to watch these machines come back to life!! Brings back a lot of great memories as my father had one of these to cut our field full of fern behind our house, as a child back in the 60s it was a challenge for me just to reach the handle bars . Thanks very much and congratulations to you, kind regards Phil
I longed for this Allen scythe back in the 60’s but they were scarce because of their popularity. People held onto them.I finally settled for a Mayfield. Remember those? Smaller drive wheels and a pull-back starter handle. It gave me many years service. This was a most enjoyable restoration so thank you. Nowadays I suspect H&S would have a lot to say !!
An excellent result, and a very well presented & informative video. Of special interest to me as I remember my late father using one of theses machines. And describing it as "the best rough cutter he had ever used" ! Thank you for sharing !
That was brilliant. Such great machines - go anywhere, cut anything. Lovely to see these old machines restored - much stronger than anything built today. Well done 🙂
That is a beautifully engineered and well built piece of machinery! I can just imagine all of the thought and hand drafted drawings that it took to design and build this machine. I then imagine all of the other companies and machinery of that era and all of the people involved in the making of this equipment. It is a testament to our grandfathers, (and probably some grandmother's ), ingenuity. Enjoyed the video.
I imagine having a photographic memory would be a must, especially when reassembling the transmission, they'll never make them as good again😢
It's always a pleasure to watch someone work who knows what they're doing, gives me hope for my self
*Here in Brazil!🇧🇷*
_Although it takes away from the originality, this machine deserved a modern engine, with electric start!😊 It's good to have two, one original and one to modernize._
*Congratulations on the excellent work and thank you very much for the great content on the channel. May God always bless you!*
No absolutely not
I had one of these and kept it running for years. Brilliant for long grass first cut. Even got a couple of new tyres for it
in the garage. Sold it recently didn’t realise I had the new tyres. Great restoration.
Great job, it now looks and works as good as new. My father had one of those, fitted with a Villiers 2 stroke, it also had detachable "spud" wheels to help it go over rough or soft ground, I spent many hours trudging along behind it. Not sure what happened to the machine but I wish I still had it!
Such a versatile machine, built about five miles from where i live. in my final year at school we were taken on a tour of the factory and saw these being produced.
Great job! We had an Allen Scythe at the nursery where I worked in the summer holidays. There was nowhere to use it properly, but we fired it up occasionally just for fun. Amazing machine.
I've no idea why I've just spent nearly an hour watching something I know nothing about: engines and gardening.
However, it's always fun and interesting to watch someone who has a genuine love of what they're doing.
One thing I can say for certain is that this guy's got the patience of a saint. It took over 3 years to get this thing fixed!!! I'd have been pulling my hair out after a week 🤬.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the video and will be tuning in for more of these vids as a subscriber.
God bless 😉👍🏼
Wow I'm impressed Daggerwin 😮 I think that has been one hell of a challenge for you to find all the parts for this amazing machine. It paid off all the love and dedication you put in. See you on the virtual farm!
Just a small thank you for many years of enjoyment watching you do high quality repairs. Cheers from Canada.
Thank you so much for your generosity and support! 🙂
@@MachineryRestorer Thanks! 👍
Congratulations on restoring a wonderful engineering machine. An old friend of mine had one and cherished it and up until the late 80's it earned it's keep for at least 50 years. Thank you for the restoration,I thoroughly enjoyed watching the process from beginning to end.😊
The best and most in-depth Allen restoration video with the expected high quality videography and finish and detail to the restoration
What an enjoyable video, well done and thank you 👍 . This has got me digging out dad's old Allen scythe 😊.
This has got to be the best video you have produced so far. Lovely to have a little background music here and there and giving a history of the machine was a nice touch. Keep it up!
Brings back a lot of memories. We had a few of these back in the 60's. Had a lot of fun with them on the coffee plantation. Very powerful drive.