OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Welcome to Outdoorking Forum HELP Area Introductions Attracted to old lawn mowers

Hi all
I�m in my late 50�s and recently developed an affliction where I find myself attracted to old lawn mowers.
For many years I was attracted to small British roadsters but that seems to have given way to motorcycles, and now its lawn mowers. Although I can�t see that I�ll ever give up motorcycles.
I have two initial questions;
1. I recently purchased a Rover Rancher and I�d like to know a bit more about its origin, year etc. Can anyone tell me from this engine plate Information?

model:261777
Type: 015601
code: 91080633



2. Just wondering if anyone can tell me if these feelings are normal within this community, or am I on my own?

I think the whole thing is a change in the way we live now, as we get older we are able to time and financially afford these sort of hobbies that previous generations were unable to. They had come through a couple of wars and a depression and they were more interested in survival. We now are having people retire with some super to play with and we now recognize that some of the old stuff once considered rubbish was in fact very well made with the manufacturing ability of the times. This is a generational thing which may last another 20 years and by then all the old stuff in sheds will have been discovered and anything being produced at the present will have no collectible value. Can't see the Chinese stuff ever being worth much

Good morning afflicted and welcome.
1) Can't gain much information (if any) from the engine numbers, except the engine was built 6th August 1991 (Code 910806 in YYMMDD format), and are required to gain service and parts manuals from the Briggs and Stratton Website. So, at a guess, your Rover could have been built between 1991-1992, but only applies if that is the original engine. :-)

Specific manuals for your engine are available from the link below:-

http://www.briggsandstratton.com/us/en/support/manuals/results?NTT=261777-0156*

With regard to the Rover Rancher, you will need to find it's manufacturing label. My Rover Raiders label was on the right side of the chassis under the motor, as seen in this photo: -





2) As for this, Agent Mulder would say "You are not alone".

I'm relative new to the forum, but the assistance from members is great.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the response guys.

I agree with NormK, Can't ever see the Chinese stuff becoming collectible.

My new Rover Rancher is a bit of a find. The story goes that it was purchased new, used for 12 months and then put into storage. That was 17 years ago but the dates don't add up. If the story is true, then that would put the manufacture date somewhere around 1998, but the motor (original) was manufactured in 1991. Needless to say I'm pretty happy what ever the date of manufacture.

I've not taken delivery yet, so I can't give you the information from the manufacturers label, but I do have photos.

Warmest of welcomes to the ODK forums, Afflicted.


As Bushy has said, the year can only be approximated, from the engine's date of manufacture.

However, we can say that this machine was manufactured by Rover Mowers Ltd in their factory at Eagle Farm, Brisbane. Rover closed the factory in 2007, and the company was sold off to MTD Products Aust [a subsidiary of MTD LLC USA] in 2010.

The Auto-Drive system your machine has is also a uniquely Australian design [basically a copy of the older Greenfield drive system].

Once we have the machine model number, it should be possible to find an Owners Manual for it.


Nah, you've landed among kindred spirits here at ODK. You have done very well in picking this one up, I'd say.

I'm fairly chuffed with it, although now I'm torn between using it for what it was designed, storing it for another 20 years. I doubt it will be appreciate in value but it looks to be a rare example. Do people collect these?

I was actually contemplating putting a later model twin cylinder B&S in it, but I don't want to stuff it up if they have a following when in original condition.

Any thoughts?

I just hope you have a bigger lawn than I am seeing

My Lawn is a bit bigger than in the photos, only about 1200 sq mtrs with a couple of steep sections. Probably better suited to a self propelled mower, but I've not found one worth keeping. All the new stuff looks like junk, and I'm to lazy to push anything around.

hi Afflicted. i think most of us here have the bug.
lets face it its a lot easier to collect items in this day and age then when i was younger.
with the advent of ebay and other online shopping we can now see items and parts for sale from all over the world. there was a time when collectors had to physically go to every swap meet and garage sale and diligently read the trading post to find there elusive parts.
i myself have pieced together complete mowers without ever leaving the comfort of my computer chair. and it just keeps changing faster and faster . its hard to keep up with all the new technology.
i am glad you have been afflicted with this bug as its kinda affordable. i myself am not a rich person but i now have a hobby thats affordable to the average guy like me..
best wishes bazz

Well, these aren't collectable in the sense of an appreciating asset, like say classic vehicles.

I'd just use it for its intended purpose - if you got it for the Gumtree price, that's not much more than a third of the new price of an equivalent current Rover model. With much better build quality and design - the import Rovers don't have a very good rep. A Cox Stockman Live Drive would be the closest current locally made machine, for around $4.5k new.

I can't see any point doing an engine swap at this time - that Vanguard is quite a decent engine [OHV, pressure big end lubrication], and it can't have done much work.

Thanks to all who replied to my original post.

I have a model number for the Rancher 18188 serial number 1020169 and I'm pleased to report it turned out to be every thing I expected. It does have enough grunt to cope with the steep sections in my yard even with my ample 100kg frame on it, but surprisingly it has just thrown the drive belt to the twin disc Auto drive system. Probably only done 5 hours in my yard so I will be curious to see if the belt has worn already or there is some other reason. Maybe pushing my fat arse uphill is a bit to much to ask but it seemed to cope ok

Anyway looks like I'll gladly pay the fee for the users guide if someone can verify that yes there is a manual for a rover rancher model number 18188 in the parts list and manual section.

By the way can anyone tell me when this thing might have rolled off the production line?

Cheers and thanks again for you help and friendly banter.

The user guides from Rover are free to download from their site. Just go to the link Bushy provided for you above, look for your model number and download the pdf file. The drive belt may well have lost flex from sitting around so long unused. I have an autodrive Rancher with the 17HP version of that engine, don't bother swapping it out, it will be more than adequate for the yard you have. Probably be good idea to throw a new oil filter and an oil change at it though.

Thanks for the advice aussietrev. The oil and filters were changed and of course new fuel. It runs like a top.

That's one awesome find...



Wait till you start hearing a mower in the distance & go " mmmm sounds solid " or " wow that sounds bad " hehehee

LMAO.... I must be mad, Baahahahahaaa... I use this with only 690sqm block.



I'm a firm believer of using it for it's purpose, in saying that, I don't treat them like a piece of shite..

So Paul, you didn't need to use the pair of R36 Deutschers to clean up all that land as well as the Greenie

It looks like the vote is unanimous, just use it and enjoy it, and so that's exactly what i've been doing. Thats a fine old greenfield you have there Paul, nice patina