OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Question On Scott Bonnar Cylinder Mowers To buy or not to buy - 20" Scott Bonnar 45

Hi All
I've been looking for a reel mower and a guy at work has this one for sale. It is a Scott Bonnar 45 20". The serial number is 45-13256. It has a Kirby motor and needs a bit of work. I haven;t seen it but the list of work need is as follows
o Clutch cork lining
o Catcher is missing
o Reel blade sharpening
o Accelerator cable screws need replacing/are missing
o General de-grease, clean and paint � sitting in the shed for 15+ years
o Air filter and oil change
o Starter cord broken
o The motor runs smooth, no smoke (spare motor included)
They want $300 for it. Is it worth it bearing in mind that a catcher may cost upt to $150?
Look forward to your suggestions and advice
Thanks

Hi to Mosic, and a warm welcome to the forum. It's good to have another potential Scott Bonnar owner on board.

If I was looking to buy this 20" Scotty, I would first like to see inside the chain case...there could be worn sprockets (pointy teeth) in which case both the sprockets and chains would need replacing. They are expensive items.
You may like to consider this; the reel has plenty of meat and looks like it may never have been sharpened, that's a good thing...but check the number of blades on the reel, the later 20" models had eight (8).
This machine is an early 20" ( we can tell that by the front roller end-caps and the grass deflector screws) and looks like its had a hard life.
The cutter clutch need re-installing, and as you say, the cork lining replaced. It then has to be adjusted.
I would bet that the bottom blade needs replacing and the new one sharpened at the same time as the reel is done; $70-$100 for both.
The reel bearings (2) should be also replaced at this time. The cylinder reel adjusters could be worn and need replacing, as without serviceable adjusters, the reel will suffer very quickly.
A missing catcher...as you say up to $150....
My vote...give it a miss...especially at $300, another one will come up that could be a later model in much better condition and with a catcher and a Briggs and Stratton engine...The Kirby-Tecumseh's are hard to get parts for these days, and on a cylinder mower, you need it to be reliable.
Once again, Mosic,

Thanks Deejay
I did think it was a little old and that the motor could be an issue. For the right price it might be worth a crack but $300 is probably a bit much.

You suggest looking for a later model, other than the age of the Briggs and Stratton engine from the codes how can I tell the age? Also is there any difference between the Scott Bonnar 45s verses the Rover 45s?
Cheers

Mosic

Hi again Mosic, it is relatively easy to spot a late model Scotty 45 from the mower frame (chassis) : This is what to look for.....
(1) Chain Case cover screws run from top to bottom
(2) Plastic end-caps on the front roller
(3) Alloy height adjuster knob (instead of brass)
(4) Plastic knobs on grass deflector adjusters
(5) Aluminium mower ID plate (red and silver)
(6) Twin rail engine mounting deck
(7) For the 20" Scotty...8 blade cylinder reel

It is still handy to know how to read the code on the Briggs...as that will give you the date the engine was manufactured...which will give you the approximate
age of the machine (providing the engine has not been replaced)...It is not possible to pin down an exact date of manufacture of the chassis.

When Rover started manufacturing the Scotty Model 45 as the Rover 45, as far as I know, it was just a change of colours (red and solid bright green) and was just a badge engineering exercise. However, there are some that feel the Scotty has a better build quality and therefore a better buy....I agree with their sentiments.
Hoping this helps,

I agree with Deejay that the one you have been offered is a project rather than a mower, and the asking price is in my opinion quite excessive. If the chains and sprockets were good, I think it would be a decent proposition for an enthusiast at $100. If it needs sprockets, I would value it at zero, since at least in the eastern states you can probably get a decent SB mower with a Briggs engine and a catcher for about $150 if you spend some time, though probably only a 17".

My uncle used to have an extremely rare antique ex-factory-team racing car, which unfortunately he had modified rather severely when he first bought it in the early 1950s. In later life he wasn't all that attached to it, and a friend wanted to buy it from him, but the friend was able to prove that it would cost more to fix it than it would then be worth. Uncle saw no purpose in giving it away to someone who would then brag extensively about having got it for nothing and brought it back from the dead. The eventual solution was that my uncle died and my brother and I reversed all the damage he'd done then auctioned it unrestored for not very much. If you'd costed our time spent fixing it, it probably barely broke even as a repair project. Messed up collectors' pieces are a lousy investment compared with one that is just decrepit but does not suffer from "tenant's improvements".

Hi grumpy, I would have to agree with you...this particular machine is probably the saddest looking Scotty I've seen; it would take a "ground up" restoration to bring this old girl "back from the dead". It looks like it has had such a hard life and until it was stripped down, who knows what you may find. And at $300...in the words of the movie "The Castle"...."Tell him he's dreamin' !! ".

Thanks you both for your advice. It confirmed my thoughts about giving it a miss. I'll keep looking for a newer one in better nick!
Cheers

Mosic

Mosic, I don't think old is bad, I just think obsolete (can't get parts) is bad when its combined with ratty and overpriced. Even obsolete and ratty can be perfectly fine for a specialist collector, just not for someone who wants to use the machine to mow the lawn regularly.

I'll close this thread.