OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary Ings Engineering - RotaRola - WA c1960s

Hello Members

I managed to get a RotaRola which being a WA boy I was very happy about. As has been documented on the site previously it is designed and made by Ings engineering in Perth. What was of particular interest to me is the edger attachment. This is the second of this style I have seen, the other is fitted to one of my Turners. I'm thinking these attachments were available as optional extras but have no proof of this.
Had a good chat with the current owners son of Ings and he confirmed the edger attachment was factory fitted to some early models so I guess this unit would be around 63/4 as this mower model including the engine ( Kirby/Lauson ) looks identical to the image Jack has posted in the past. It appears to be a very original unmodified example of this machine with a beautifully made reproduction catcher, the seller had this made some time ago.

Cheers
wce

Thank goodness you got it!!! There was a discussion about this on Facebook, and I thought the other chap landed it. When he didn't, and thought I did, my mind went to you and I crossed my fingers.

You do not disappoint wce.

Did you manage to get any more history from the former owner regarding the Rota-Rola? I couldn't believe the condition of it and the fact it had a catcher and the edger attachment. I've only seen such complete examples in archive photographs.

Whomever made that catcher had me fooled. I thought it was original.

Top buy in my books. It's up there with Wesmo in terms of unusual design in my opinion.



P.S. Do INGS still engineer parts? I had thought about perhaps getting a reproduction Pope blade carrier made up by them if they're still in the game.

Hi Mystyler

Feel free to come and have a look at it one day. The mower was in use until about 84.
Do you have any specs for the pope blade carrier ? did other mowers use the same part ?

Cheers
wce

Hello wce,

I might have to do that, thank you! I'll be in touch when I get some time off later.

Meanwhile, what are your plans for it? It's in even better condition than I thought. Is there any original paint left on the frame? And I'm dying to know the maximum height of cut on the thing...

Regarding the Pope, nothing much but a few photos. I think some KX Southern Cross mowers had the same carrier and blades. But it'll have to be a reverse engineered job. There is some info on the KX blade carrier and blades on this forum and that's probably where I'd start.

Was going to be in the area of Ings the other day and as the chap there hadn't seen one of this vintage before I put it in the car and called into see him. What a champion bloke, old school, and I really enjoyed the meeting. He was even kind enough to let me put the mower on a bench in the workshop so I could take a couple of pics.
The colour pic is for Mystyler, if you really, really want one !. The blade carrier on the pope looks pretty intricate and would set you back a few bucks to get reproduced I think. You could could call him to get a bit of an idea.

Cheers
wce

Hello wce and Mystyler
My apologies for the late reply.
wce, the images are fantastic, and they record a most rare
mower. The edger attachment is a rear treat!

The B&W images appeal to my sensibilities and depict a
real sense of history. Brilliant. Thank you!

WE forget that WA did make lawnmowers.

We also seem to forget that Pope Products' Barton Pope was born
in Northam, Western Australia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Products

I am compelled to say something about the rotary with roller concept:

The most historically important mower of this type is the British Rotoscythe.
I have written - extensively - on these great forums about them.
More will be said.

Aussies will find it hard to believe that the UK embraced the rotary-roller
idea with open arms, but only post-WWII.

In fact, their popularity is in rapid decline only now.
Last century, the Brits loved them.



An attempt was made here - with Pace, and from NZ with the Morrison
Rota-Roller. Masport sold a 'Masported' version of the Morrison
in AUS after their take-over of Morrison. They sold poorly here.
Better luck in NZ with them.

Many thanks wce and Mystyler for thinking of WA,
and the very odd things Ings.

----------------------------
Jack

wce,

Thanks for the photos - I might just have to pay them a visit and have a chat. With some of these parts, I think reproduction is the only way to get what you need. And the price is the price.

Jack,

Always appreciate you chiming in with little details. I really do like the idea of a roller-rotary. Or at least, a rotary with a rear roller and standard side wheels for the front so as not to roll the grass right over before cutting. I mean, the yanks still go mad for rotaries with bolt-on "striper" kits!
And Good-Ol' WA still does make mowers. The Mow Master Company (Dwyer and Felton) is still going strong in Welshpool today. After a bit of a hiatus, I believe Alroh and MEY have started being manufactured again, in Mandurah. (No History Record on those companies, Jack? )

Hello Mystyler
Yeah, there is something about stripes without the stars.

One of the couple of mowers I own is a roller rotary ...
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=52327
Why did it have to have such a horticultural girly-man name!

I love the WA library image of the Ings on a bowling green.
We both know that this was a folly crystalised.

Mystyler, this hurts; but you are quite right ... no ... History Record.
Some days, I feel like a rag-doll, deciding what to write about next.

Sure, it does go back to a troubled childhood, back in Yorkshire.
Folks never really understood my love of precipitation, shovels, and lawnmowers ...
Folks have accused me of being ... boring!



Cheers
Hilbilly Eric.

Hi Jack and Mystyler

There was also the Pionex lawn edgers, sadly got swept away in the tide of cheapies. Good frames and still plenty about.

The engine on the Rota runs perfect, didn't even require a mixture or idle adjustment. It's got a decent set of blades on it so might find a job for it !

Cheers
wce

Jack the Ripper,

Join the club! Hey, at least rain is free and mowers are cheaper than cars...
And that SLWA photo is just great! If you need help with WA based History Records, just ask...we might be able to talk to "the right people" over here?

wce,

I noticed it had decent blades on it. Did you happen to find out if they were original? And those Pionex edgers never seem to last long on Gumtree. I wasn't sure if they were WA or not.

Hello wce and Mystyler
Mystyler, many thanks for that offer. Noted.
I have asked your State Library for a better scan [enlargement] of their images.
I personally do not know if the blades are original.

I have two additional observations to make:
[1] all the text books say that rotary bladeholders require
a positive rake to the front [a positive angle of attack].

This was a particularly important with mowers that had a 4-point
height system (like many 1950s rotaries) where it was easy for
an un-informed owner to set a negative angle of attack.
[see illustration attached].

With rear-discharge mowers, a negative angle would be
totally undesirable. The grass needs to be cut, then gain velocity
to be 'caught' by the catcher.

The Ings height adjuster appears to only work on the front roller.
That adjuster would only make sense if it was used for transport only,
with the cutting position giving a positive angle of attack.

wce, can the rear roller be adjusted for height at all?
Images suggest it is fixed.

[2] The colour image of the bases on the wall is interesting.
Note that 3 of the 4 chassis were not Rota-Rolas, but had
4 wheels. I wonder how their height was adjusted?

It is also evidence that Ings offered a conventional rotary
for domestic use, rather than for professional turf maintenance.

The Ings RotaRola was never a great idea for professional
grass cutting of greens, but therein is the charm of the folly.
But there is a catch ...

I have no idea whether the State Library image merely
represents a publicity shot. I have no idea how the
RotaRola was actually marketed.

I lied ... I have a best guess ...

My best guess is that the State Library image is a red-herring.
The RotaRola was intended to cut and roll a domestic lawn.
Otherwise, it would be quite unique to lawnmower history, and
it would have made a terrible bowling green mower.

Harsh, but true!

Cheers
-----------------------
Saucy Jack [aka Jack the Ripper]

Hi Jack and Mystyler

I also cannot confirm the blades origin after conferring with the seller and Ings, lots of things change over the years. I do however think these blades are a bit unique as they are stepped down slightly from the horizontal and then square off again and all are the same and in good condition for their age. The cutting section of the blade sits just below the skirt of the mower. The blades suit this mower.
The rear roller is fixed Jack as you suspected and the height adjuster gives a positive rake as you mentioned, It's a pretty fine thread on the adjuster so to end up with a negative rake you need to almost wind it to it's maximum travel and i think most operators would work out that it doesn't seem right but it's not a huge angle. Ill need to have a more detailed look at this though.
The front of the deck has a cut out section so if you are mowing on a low setting the deck won't catch on the grass. That was an interesting point the chap at Ings made as he wasn't certain that this innovation was incorporated in the early models.
Unrelated to this, did you notice the frame on the wall has a split rear roller, actually i think it's 2 smaller rollers, this would make it a whole lot better to turn than the big single roller on mine.
I tend to agree that these units may not have been designed for manicuring the tennis courts of Wimbledon but possibly more used to prepare the famous WACA pitch so the quicks could get their lethal short deliveries to rear up from a good length ! but who knows ?
Marketing, good question, Ill ask the chap about this when I next speak with him but it was all a long time before he took the reigns. Thank's Jack and Mystyler for your interest in these machines.

Now that travel restrictions have been eased here ,I and the bride are heading down to Margaret River for a couple of days to revisit an area we haven't been to for a fair period of time so will foward any more information about the Rola on our return.

Cheers
wce

G'day wce and Mystyler.
I have been interested in the Margaret River since reading Cloudstreet.
Hope you both have a great time.

Wce, I did notice the twin rollers, but it did not register.
It is an important observation.

Yeah, the height adjuster needs a careful look.
If you adjust the angle so that there is just a positive angle and
measure the gap between the front blade tip and the ground, this
will be a decisive indicator has to how this mower was designed & marketed.

I feel members have noticed this topic because the Ings R-R is Aussie,
and it is unusual and rare.

Every WA collector should have one ... hey Mystyler

Cheers
--------------------
Jack

Thanks for answering the continued questions wce. Enjoy the getaway. I spent a decent bit of my childhood between Margs and Witchcliffe. I don't get down there nearly enough.

Jack, well, collectors do. I, however, only need one if I come across a mowing problem that needs a unique solution! I am keen to see just what HoC this was designed for.

I noticed the spilt roller on the one in question, but I also failed to register that it was unusual. Only a few more weeks and I'm off on annual leave for a while. Will head to INGS and see what they can do when it comes to parts replication.

Hi All
The Rota got a gig !
After lots of rain, a fine spell and everything has dried out so decided to mow the lawns and the fascination of the whole Rotarola design meant it had to come out for a test drive.
The SB cut the perimeters and squared off a section of lawn so I could use the Rola in straight lines.
The first front on shot is where the SB cut the right side before the Rola had a crack. The height adjuster seems really effective in so much as small turns of the handle results in quite big changes but I guess that's to be expected with the rear of the machine at a fixed height as Jack mentioned. The other pic's are after the mow and I must admit it was a much better result than expected considering the age of the machine with some wear and tear with blades that could do with a touch up. Clippings were shredded nice and fine and packed into the catcher well. The design obviously suits flat surfaces and probably a couch type lawn instead of the spongier Buffalo but I was impressed with it.

Cheers
wce

Hi wce and all rota rads.
And what a gig it was! Even with a pandemic!

This story has fascinated members [they do privately squeal]
This is a great story for these reasons: -

[1] You have recognised this is a rare and different machine;
[2] This is a vintage WA lawnmower.
[3] The WA company is a survivor.
[4] The edger added new information
[5] This topic has increased our understanding of the Ings R-R.

Many thanks for adding to the record.

----------------------------
Jack

Great to see it got a run wce! I agree with your thoughts, I reckon this has couch written all over it. I suspect it was developed before we got St. Augustine (Buffalo) in this country?