Hello all i have a old rover ride on and i am glad to have found this forum as i plan on getting the old girl up and running again and good information is hard to find on identifying what year and model she is .Theres no id plate to be found all i know is its from 1976 up going by the Briggs &Stratton engine logo . Will post pic later of the beast .Have a great . Cheers
There's no id plate to be found all i know is its from 1976 up going by the Briggs &Stratton engine logo
Hello Dembones This is no 1970s Rover rider. Hmm...
This presents as a re-badged and modified USA job, but we need more info. I've got an open mind about this, and these fakes can make great stories.
The Model, Type and Code stamped into the engine fan housing should tell us more. Also a couple of clear images of under the seat and engine bay should assist.
Hello Cyber Jack .
When I tried to find information about the mower and year it was made to help me to get it operational again if parts were required. I searched Rover mowers without much luck . So I started looking into the motor for a time line . I didn’t know about or see the number stamp as this beast was still covered in dry and wet muck build up. What I did find was that in 1976 Briggs &Stratton changed the engine logo colours to the red white and black and is still the same one used today.So 76 was my starting point in my search and how I came to find this forum. Sorry if you thought I meant it was made in the 70s.
Hello Dembones Yes, if the engine is original we're talking a mid 1980's ride-on.
Note that one image says this mower has a three speed trans-axle ... meaning a 3 speed box with a Hi-low range [all in an axle mounted box]. It may have also had a differential in that same box.
This screams USA to me. But what brand!
I hope a member can identify what has happened here.
Thank you Jack and Max Outstanding bit of work in identifying the beast .l would have been lost without your knowledge . After replacing some bent nails and wire the steering is better and the blades now stay disengage . The brakes need adjustment and the belt for the blades keeps falling off but it runs like a gem now . Thanks again for your help .Peter
Last edited by Dembones; 28/01/2001:00 PM. Reason: add my name
G'day Dembones , Jack and all,
When looking for Roper Mowers, I saw a reference to Max Roper inventing the first Zero turn ride on mower in 1949.
The patent I found was Max Boothe Swisher ,Zero Turn Mower 1959.
After attending Central Missouri State College in 1946-47 Max Boothe Swisher took a job with Leonard Goodall at Goodall Manufacturing in Warrensburg.
Leonard B. Goodall worked with Lauson to develop the first Lawson vertical crankshaft four stroke motor and Lawson
agreed not to sell the vertical crankshaft engines to anyone but Goodall for five years. The Lauson engine thereby became the standard engine on Goodall mowers.
[url=http://1973whsreunion.blogspot.com/2012/01/goodall-history-in-warrensburg-missouri.html]http://1973whsreunion.blogspot.com/2012/01/goodall-history-in-warrensburg-missouri.html[/url]
Cheers
Max.
I've always struggled with the terminology used for zero turn mowers. My understanding is that the first zero turn mowers did not mean zero-turn radius [ZTR] that dominate the market today. These can turn within their own width ... a zero radius.
The first zero turns had a turning radius no greater than their width. [a big difference to the modern ZTRs].
Hello Jack,
Yes the Falcon mower looks interesting too, I can't see any way it can have a reverse gear in the
images .I guess it could have a reverse gear built into the right angle gear box that drives the front wheel.
The strange part about the Swisher mower is the steering wheel will turn 360 degrees so when
you turn the steering 180 degrees the mower is now driving backwards ,an easy way for
selecting reverse .
Cheers
Max
The engine date on this Roper ride on mower is 1984 but it may not be the original motor thus making the id of the year of build a little more difficult ,once you know the cutting deck size and wheel sizes and other specifications it helps to narrow the field down.
Dembones your mower can't be the 7 speed version,I have a pic of that below it's a different gearbox, your mower is classified as an eight speed gearbox (2 reverse, 2 first ,2 second , 2 third gears)
Here is a brochure ,copy and paste the following web address https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.searstractormanuals.com%2Ftest%2Fetc%2Froper_1979.pdf&psig=AOvVaw3_JQYAs8_QFwcI5F1b1s8s&ust=1581825738950000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJjrjZ7W0ucCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
The mystery continues I know the bonnet and the front panel have been painted red from green but the red on the rear mudguards is original. The instructions are in two languages. And seeing as I don’t know how to measure a deck i will throw these measurements in instead. Blade length is 17 1/2 inches had more hits than elvis The distance between the decks height wheels is 34 inches. Front tyres are 15x6.00-6 Rear size 18x 9.50-8.
At this stage I think Dembonees mower is the 1984 Australian version Roper ,model number L1904BR with the 3 forward gears plus reverse with the high /low shift giving 8 different ratios .
Seventeen and a half inch blades multiplied by two equals 35 inch plus some clearance would make the deck 36 inches.
The American equivalent would be the Roper L121 1979 to 1981. http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/003/5/9/3595-roper-l121.html
The use of 3 blades were on higher HP mowers with the Roper mower,see pic below.
A quick newspaper search ,only found the 1984 Roper Rally LO81
Dembones Roper Mower looks to be the same as one on ODK. https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/21163/anyone-heard-of-rally-roper.html
YouTube Video showing location of model number. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VX9WzMObts
Hello Jack
Thanks for the positive comments.
Yep I have learnt a lot too ,I am always getting sidetracked along the way and find other interesting info ,
like the guy who invented the Flymo ( Karl Dahlman) was the founder of Klippo Mowers.
Cheers
Max
