Help with information on farm machinery

Ask a question about agricultural history or the history of rural economy and society
Post Reply
Braemoor
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 Oct 2021, 22:16

Help with information on farm machinery

Post by Braemoor »

Thank you for access to the forum. I'm afraid that I had ulterior motives for wanting to join, as I would like to benefit from your expertise, if you would be so kind.

The following link is a photograph taken in the 1940s, we believe, of Kitty harnessed to what appears to be a sit-on petrol mower. Has anybody any information about this specific, or type, of machine they would like to share?

https://braemoor.co.uk/kitty.jpg

Thank you.

User avatar
webweaver
Posts: 57
Joined: 25 Jun 2017, 09:54

Re: Help with information on farm machinery

Post by webweaver »

No need to apologise. This is what the Forum is for. Let's see if anyone knows...

Braemoor
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 Oct 2021, 22:16

Re: Help with information on farm machinery

Post by Braemoor »

I have now identified it as Bamlett horse drawn finger mower, made in Thirsk.

See https://tractors.fandom.com/wiki/Bamlett

Thank you, anyway. Apparently, when the gentleman in the photo first used it, all the farmers from miles around came to watch! Kitty's collar and harness are still around, but Kitty, the gentleman, and the mower are all gone.

User avatar
webweaver
Posts: 57
Joined: 25 Jun 2017, 09:54

Re: Help with information on farm machinery

Post by webweaver »

I have a reply from the Rural Museums Network:
Hello the mower may be a bamford judging from it's toolbox very late production to be on rubber tyres. I have a couple one an Albion without its engine, a Honda had been cobbled on to it, also a bamlett with a French manufactured engine the name escapes me at the moment, which was acquired at Les Oak's second sale, there was another bamlett at the same sale with a Villiers.
Neil

And another:
Hi, I work the shires at acton scott historic working farm.
These mowers , were used with one or two horses. I saw one sold at an auction 4 years ago, it had a Villiers engine to drive the mower. The horses were just for locomotion.
I'd love to have one, you could mow all day.

Braemoor
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 Oct 2021, 22:16

Re: Help with information on farm machinery

Post by Braemoor »

Thank you. We now know that it is Bamlett - was Bamford the model name, or was that a typo for Bamlett?

Alan Wadsworth
Posts: 46
Joined: 26 Jun 2017, 11:04

Re: Help with information on farm machinery

Post by Alan Wadsworth »

No, Bamford and Bamlett were both manufacturers of cutter bar mowers and other equipment. We used both in the 1960s to cut grass for hay - at one time, we had two of each - you needed two so that if one broke down, you could borrow bits off the other to keep it going whilst someone went to the dealer for spares! Bamlett machines were lighter build and in my view less robust than Bamford (based in Uttoxeter). Our machines had been converted to be pulled by tractors - this gave a more even forward motion than a horse, and a regular cutterbar action. As designed, these machines had large cast iron wheels to provide the drive for the cutterbar through a gearbox - the problem was that the forward speed and cutterbar speed was linked. The advantage of the machine in the photograph was that the speed of the attached engine could probably be varied such that if you were cutting thick stuff then you could increase the cutterbar stroke rate to give more cuts per yard of forward motion - there was also less drag on the horse in that it was only dragging the machine and not providing power to the cutterbar.

At their best, they were hateful machines and blocked at a moments notice - I spent many hours walking behind the cutter bar, “raking off” with a hand rake to prevent blockages in thick patches and having some choice words hurled at me by the tractor driver when I failed to keep it clear!

From there we progressed to PTO driven cutter bars and finally to drum mowers - incidentally, the first ones being made by Bamford- the model 422 Wizzler - four contra-rotating drums spinning at 3000 rpm and probably responsible for subsequent hearing loss of the driver.

Braemoor
Posts: 4
Joined: 22 Oct 2021, 22:16

Re: Help with information on farm machinery

Post by Braemoor »

Thanks, Alan. That's very interesting.

User avatar
webweaver
Posts: 57
Joined: 25 Jun 2017, 09:54

Re: Help with information on farm machinery

Post by webweaver »

I've also received this on the Rural Museums Network:
Engine powered horse drawn mower

The engine on the mower is a Petter of Yeovil of about 1.5 horsepower Looks to me as if a clever farmer/engineer has made a conversion as the engine appears to be very heavy. The engine also appears to have no silencer "WOW". Make of mower ???

Harrison McGregor and Guest of Leigh Lancashire produced the Albion horse mower mower with a factory fitted French built Bernard/Conord Moteurs engine (became part of Renault). This engine was very light smooth and quiet running, neatly enclosed. I think these mowers were fitted with pneumatic tyres as the wheels only supported the mower. If I recall the engine was fitted to the right of the driver. Date of production at a guess 1930-1945.

Gwynfor Williams

Post Reply