OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Identification of Particular Machines What is this mower?

I have recently been asked about this mower. Sadly I can't find any info about it. So i thought i would ask you guys!

It almost seems like a Victa Special model 3 made to match a Kirby LV-30 engine. It also doesn't seem to have any names in the base.



Any information is wanted .

Thanks For Reading!
Kye.

Hi Kye

I personally would need clearer, larger photos.

All very interesting.
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Jack

I have asked him to get some better pics for us Jack.

I have more images!

Bottom



Side




I am sure we will be able to identify it soon, he has said something about a plastic thing in the handle bars that says Victa.

Thanks For Reading!
Kye.

That sure is a queer looking rooster. Could it have been an electric to have such a large centre hole and only three mount bolts? If Jack and Kye can't figure it out then I don't reckon there's much hope for the rest of us.

I think the wide hole and 3 bolts is for the Kirby LV-30 4 Stroke engine.

He has showed me the badge that he said he thinks is from it, it was sadly just a normal Victa Special, but i have asked him to get pictures of any other badges in that same style just in case.

The base looks very similar to a Victa Special model 3 and so do the handle bars, The height adjustment looks like it is from or inspired by a Hurricane.

Sorry everyone I added the wrong picture! here is the original.


As you can see the base is very similar to the Victa Special.

Thanks For Reading!
Kye.

Could someone with a Victa Special type 3 base (preferably without the blade) show me a pic of underneath, I would love to compare the 2 bases.

Kye, I don't know what a type 3 base is but does this help

Hi Kye,

Just pulled the Kirby/Lauson off Eric today, mounted on three similar non-evenly spaced holes. They are approx 155mm, 165mm and 195mm apart. If yours measure similar then I'd suggest you're right...not that I currently doubt your laser eye!!!

Norm that will help, i think yours is a type 1, which has little bits on the axle housing for a predticta set up, the type three doesn't have the edge part according to Vintage Mowers.net , I think this mower is based of the 3rd type because as it was the last released Victa, i have been told the kirby was released in 1960/61 so it would make sense to base it of the 3rd. I might still look for the 3rd type of base to compare more.
Yes the holes on my kirby mowers have been like that, i have been getting an eye for kirby mounted engines haha.
I will ask him to try and find a kirby for it in his piles of broken mower parts.

Kye, I have one I believe to be early sixties, it looks like a Rotomo base with a lever adjuster on the right rear wheel. Ill get a pic of that base later this morning. I just checked the link you posted and that seems to say the type 3 is the one without the edger rail. I have one of those I can get a pic of as well

like a Utility base, I have 3 of them, too common haha, there a neat looking little mower though!

Sorry Kye, just checked them all, all have the edger rail, I thought there was at least one without it. The one I have that looks like a Rotomo base does have the Rotomo style badge but it has a lever height adjuster so I believe it is 60/61 or somewhere about that

Hello Kye and Norm

One of the problems with identification of vintage mowers is that there were
smaller manufacturers that survived the 1950s. By the 1960s, Lawnmower
manufacturing became the domain of about a half dozen big players:
(Victa and Pace; Turner, Pope, Rover, Supa-Swift and Scott Bonnar).

However a niche market of small manufacturers did survive.
Some catered to the store brand market and chose to remain anonymous
for obvious reasons. They made entry-level lawnmowers.

This is a utility base that only has a passing resemblance to any
Victa model. It is a toe cutter design and I estimate it dates from between
1960 and 1963. Because we only have the base to go on (no other clues)
I believe the height adjuster is the most unique feature.

Kye has pointed out the close resemblance to the Hurricane 4 I identified
in another post. I would like to put together three pieces of evidence from
a Hurricane 4, and another store brand:-

This is a Hurricane 4 Height Adjuster:-


This is the same adjuster on a Bebarfald�s Senior 4:-



So � we have three of the same (or very similar) adjusters on three
different mowers. If I can trace another one of these back to Hurricane
then I have a stronger case.

Of particular importance is another clue. Note the regal, crown-like
emblem cast into the Base of the Senior 4. I have also traced that back
to � Hurricane!



By deduction, I am of the belief that this utility mower was also
manufactured by Hurricane or its parent company ACL [Automotive
Components Limited]. It might be called a Hurricane Utility until we
get better information as to who sold it.

Hope this helps.
------------------------
Jack

I was swaying towards the Hurricanes today while I was thinking about it! The golden colour on the base is very similar to the SeanW's Hurricane 4 and the one i saw on ebay also had the gold paint. The gold paint does look like it may have been added after being bought though, unless it had a blue undercoat.

Hi Kye

Well, it's the best evidence I can find at this time.
It is more probable than not that Hurricane (or ACL) made the ute base.

p.s. I forgot to mention that Norm's photo is awesome.
The model 5 chassis, with its muffled exhaust, really purred like a cat.
The Special is my favourite Victa - of all time!

That is very clever Jack. Quite a complex casting isn't it, I wonder what the failure rate was when they were casting these