The Laxton Collection comprises many other machines as well as garden tractors. Below are details of the following machines:
These very useful 3-wheel trucks were popular in the 1950's. Built in Hucknell, nr Nottingham, they were designed to carry a load of up to one ton in a manually-tipping body. The power unit is a Villiers 4-stroke single-cylinder engine of around 5hp. An Albion gearbox with three forward and reverse gears drove a car-type back axle via a short propshaft. Our Bonsor truck has a kickstart mechanism, but later versions had electric start and some even had small diesel engines.
Built by Dashwood Engineering, London, the Colwood Model B motor hoe replaced the earlier Model A. The early Model B's were fitted with a JAP 2A engine, later replaced by a Villiers Mk10 1.2hp engine. The machine was started by pulling a hand lever and had a 2-speed gearbox. They were very useful for hoeing between rows of crops on market gardens and date from the late 1940's.
The Howard Bantam was first made in 1950 and was powered by a villiers 2 stroke engine of 2hp with vee belt tensioning to take power to the wheels via a 2 speed gearbox, this machine awaits restoration but has been running.
The British Anzani motor hoe was a very compact machine to use between rows of crops on the market garden. This model has a 2 stroke engine later versions being made with a 4 stroke JAP engine with centrifugal clutch.
Clifford started making this type of machinery after the Second World War, after previously making aero components. The Model A Mark 1 was fitted with a 5hp JAP engine, with dog clutches to engage drive to the wheels and rotovator. The rotor was 16 inches wide and the machine was said to use a gallon of fuel in 2½ hours.It could also be fitted with a toolframe as the bottom picture shows.
MONROTILLER SERIES 3
Monrotillers were made by George Monro in Waltham Cross. The Mark 1 dates from around 1950 and is a single-speed machine with Villiers sidevalve 4-stroke engine. The later Mark 3 (unrestored) is fitted with a Villiers Mk15 overhead valve engine and has a 3-speed gearbox. Besides the rotovator attachments, the machine could be fitted with other attachments including grass cutting equipment, saw bench and others.
Allen of Oxford first built the motor scythe in the mid-1930's and these machines were mainly fitted with a Villiers 2-stroke engine, although a 4-stroke version became available in later years. Mainly popular with councils, groundsmen etc. the scythe also had other attachments that could be fitted including a snowplough, rotary brush, sawbench and even a hayrake. Production ceased in the mid-1970's.
This motor mower, which is believed to date from the 1940's, has a 24 inch cut and is awaiting restoration.
1947 ALLIS CHALMERS MODEL B TVO
The Allis Chalmers Model B was first built in America in 1936, this machine was built in1947 and has been restored from derelict condition .It is fitted with a 3-point hydraulic linkage and came with a mid or rear mounted toolframe and hoe blades and steel lugged rear wheels. It worked all its life in the Colchester, England area
Purchased in December 2001,This grey fergie is a runner and will be restored when other projects are complete. This tractor is a straight petrol version,but they were also made with petrol/tvo engines and diesel.
This machine ,we believe built in the late 1940s or early 50s has an 8hp two stroke engine a foward and reverse gearbox. The speed can be altered by a pin in the hubs which when removed from one hub to the other gives a high or low ratio. Besides the rotovator attachment and steel wheels ,these machines can also be fitted with 16 inch trac grip wheels and tyres and a single furrow plough attached.
These three motor mowers are part of the Laxton collection, on the left we have a Ransomes motor mower ,we believe dates from the 1940s it is powered by a sturmey archer 4 stroke engine and i think it is a really nice machine to use .
In the centre is ,as yet unrestored British Anzani ride on mower, built in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Finally, we have an example of the famous 1920s Atco standard ,the first mass produced motor mower with a full service backup by the maker. It is powered by a villiers two stroke engine. Both the Atco and Ransomes mowers have lightly guarded fans to keep the engines cool, not quite in line with the modern health and safety standards.
