Is this old reel mower i have worth anything?
- Thread starter joegreen
- Start date
If it's in good working order, I wouldn't mind having it to mow a practice putting green. You could easily sell it to a golfer with a decent sized lawn.
Neat looking mower!
You are gonna get a lot of I would love to fix it up but don’t have the time.
Put it on a market place for a price that would make you happy. The longer it is in your way the less you will take for it.
Put it on a market place for a price that would make you happy. The longer it is in your way the less you will take for it.
Yes i believe its that old
It is way older than that. The B&S 5S was produced from 1949-1957, the six digit serial number indicates that it is very early production, 1949 or maybe early 1950. The engine was only rated at 1hp, but reel mowers didn't need as much hp as rotary mowers because they cut much more efficiently.
The mower itself looks like an Eclipse.
Whether or not the mower can be made to work and cut properly will depend on the condition of the reel's bed knife.
Last edited:
I grew up in the early to mid 60's using a similar gas reel mower to cut my parents yard. It was heavy to use when you're 10 years old 
.
.Yes, definitely. If it's in bad shape you can send it to a professional shop. A machine called a "bed knife grinder" is used to restore it. The process is similar to sharpening the blade on a commercial paper cutter.
If the bed knife is in good shape, you can sharpen the blades by putting lapping compound on them and turning the reel backwards with a hand crank. You can buy an inexpensive kit for this.
Use straight 30. Or 20W-50.
10-30w should be fine. Any modern oil is light years better than what it was born with.
Brings back memories of my introduction to mowing. Reel mower with a Clinton motor. Wind on the piece of clothesline rope with the wooden toggle handle to start it.
Brings back memories of my introduction to mowing. Reel mower with a Clinton motor. Wind on the piece of clothesline rope with the wooden toggle handle to start it.
I have no idea what it's worth (I suspect not much) but they still make mowers like them and they are expensive:
California Trimmer Classic Standard 20 in. 7-Blade Honda Gas Walk Behind Self-Propelled Reel Lawn Mower RL207H-GX120 - The Home Depot
California Trimmer reel mowers have been creating and maintaining beautiful lawns for over 80-years. The precision cutting action is superior to rotary mowers as it shears the grass blades with a clean,
www.homedepot.com
They are definitely expensive. The California Trimmer is on the low end, Mclane is better and (more expensive), and Tru-Cut is the best IMO (built like a tank and even more expensive). I sold Tru-Cut at my shop..I have no idea what it's worth (I suspect not much) but they still make mowers like them and they are expensive:
California Trimmer Classic Standard 20 in. 7-Blade Honda Gas Walk Behind Self-Propelled Reel Lawn Mower RL207H-GX120 - The Home Depot
California Trimmer reel mowers have been creating and maintaining beautiful lawns for over 80-years. The precision cutting action is superior to rotary mowers as it shears the grass blades with a clean,www.homedepot.com
What I meant by condition was... is it straight. Since reel mowers are designed to cut specific types of grass VERY short (down to 1/4"), the bed knife can be bent by hitting something solid, like a rock. Once the bed knife is bent it will need to be replaced. These used to be easy to obtain and easy to do back in the day, which is not going to be the case on the old one that the OP has.
Nice! I've got a very similar reel mower made by Savage arms. Its a 53 or 54, with the same Briggs on it. I use 10w30 hdeo in mine. I don't use it often anymore, but it will still start by the 3rd pull. I paid 100 bucks for mine when my wife and I bought our 1st house. It was my regular mower for nearly 10 years, now I try and use it for mowing a couple times each summer. I really liked how little gas it used.
Pro Tip: You can often just connect a drill and skip the hand crank.
