Hi all
Was having a closer look at the mower and although I'm no expert in mower refurbishing I would say that what has been done has been done to a very good standard by a person with some expertise. The refurbishment is not a recent one as the mower has some blemishes consistent with usage and the previous owner had this mower for a good deal of time and has taken good care of it. I took the side cover off to have a look at the gears etc and the inside of the cover is the only section of the mower which was not re painted and is the original factory green ( I presume ). I would think that the ID plate is the original and couldn't imagine why someone would change one as it's not like doing a re badge of a car where there might be $$$ involved. There is another thread titled Scott Bonnar model 450589 with pictures of a machine about to undergo refurbishment but the original ID plate is still in near pristine condition.
My theory is that the previous owner of this machine wanted a lawn King or Craftsman and couldn't find one or just liked the look and colour of them and as BB pointed out the only difference is the colour and handle bars so that's what he did. The elderly lady I bought the mower from did mention his mechanical background and meticulous maintenance and care of his equipment.
Cheers
wce
