OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Question On Scott Bonnar Cylinder Mowers SB/Rover 45 - ID?

Hi again

So I am still on the look out for a decent 45. I just had a look at one going for $550. It seemed OK but the cylinder blade looked a little bit dented in some places. Is it not worth looking at if the blades are in bad condition?

I got the plate number off the chassis but forgot to look at the engine number. It had a BS 3HP and the guy thinks he bought it about 18 years ago new.

The Model No - 45058 Serial No - 670 0527

Perhaps the 6 at the start of the Serial No might be a G?

Anyway, any info and advice would be great.

I really should avoid this forum - I end up getting all pumped up to hunt down another SB so I can do a resto on my old 33 and then eventually whatever I buy as well. Too much money. Ha ha.

Cheers

Hi mate

The condition of the reel is the determining factor. Alot of SB45 that I have seen in WA have had a few sharpens in there lifetime and you want to get one with a decent reel. When the blades on the reel get down to 18-19mm in width the reel or cylinder is getting too small in diameter.

If the blades have slight damage, you can straighten and get the reel re-ground.

Plus as I have found out with my machine, the other parts on the mower are in need of replacing, if the reel is worn out.

You can get new reel, which is probally what I will do with mine as a 2nd hand one has not turned up yet. But they are about $350

I paid rock bottom for my 45 and it now owes me about $450, including the $320 purchase price. But I will probally spend another $500 on it replacing the reel, sprockets etc. In hindsight I reckon I could have got a decent SB45 for $500 - $600 based on what gets listed on Gumtree.

If thats where you saw the SB45, post up a link and ask the experts for there opinion.

Thanks Jarrad.

What width do the blades start out at? They did look a bit thin on this one. I didn't measure it but they looked to be about 20mm by eye?

I will keep looking for a bargain. Problem is, you don't get time to post a pic/link etc if it's a good one because they sell too quickly. At least I got my old 33 going again so I'm not in a rush anymore.

Cheers

wazzbat, the simple method that I use to try to estimate the remaining life of a reel is to look at how far the blades extend above the top of the lateral plates they are welded to. If the reel has never been reground, this is likely to be quite a bit - I haven't measured it, but at a guess, something like 10 mm. If it is only 3 mm, I'd suggest you keep looking: there is not enough remaining life in the reel, but generally, the more remaining "meat" the better. It seems to me that the majority of the SB45s that come up for sale in the eastern states have never been reground.

Of course you do not buy an SB45 just because its reel has say 8 mm of sharpening remaining. It might have bent blades, or worse, deep nicks in the blades from hitting foreign objects while mowing. It might also be distorted, perhaps due to some disaster that has twisted the reel out of shape so its axle is no longer perfectly straight. The mower might have a damaged frame, or something bad might have happened to the soleplate. The engine might be terminally ill. The identification plate might be missing, destroying the collector value. The clutch might be damaged. If the mower has done much work (which I think most eastern states ones have not) the chains and sprockets will probably be worn.

Hi Jarrad and wazzbat,
Jarrad, you gave some very good advice there mate; if the cylinder reel (and most probably the bedknife as well) is worn to almost its limits...the rest of the machine will need a thorough inspection, chains, sprockets, both clutch linings etc...The repair bill could end up costing much more than the mower did originally.

The moral here....look for a machine in good condition, right from the get-go....and give the machine a really good look over...as we have seen on another thread here, there are wolves in sheep's clothing out there for the unwary.....

Got my eye on one atm. It's from a deceased estate and I don't think it's been used in a while. The guy is going to hold it for me. He is going to try and get it going for me tonight. Hopefully it's in good condition and I get it for a good price?