PART THREE - SpecificationThe
Mk 7 was offered in
14 inch and 18 inch variants, with the 14 being by far the most common.
It was a top-end lawnmower commanding a price way above rotaries and way above most residential reel
lawnmowers. It was
quality; but it was
expensive.
It was powered by the venerable but ageing
Mk 4 Midget air-cooled Villiers engine.
Like the Mk 6, the engine was positioned with the cylinder at about 30 degrees, lowered the centre
of gravity, and giving the machine a
more modern look.
The big feature (other than the land-roll clutch) was the
kick starter. This was 'in vogue'
at the time and we see it on a number of imported and local machines in the
late 1950s. For examples: we would see it on Greens, Atco, Austral-Villiers and Mobilco reel mowers, Champion,
Mofast, Austral-Villiers and Scott Bonnar rotaries.
The
reel and bottom block assembly design was clever in that it was removed for servicing as a
single unit. This design feature would be copied by many manufacturers down the track.
The last feature, previously discussed, was the
landroll clutch. Fitting nicely within the
chain case, this was a single-plate, pressure plate clutch; extremely robust and reliable.
TO BE CONTINUED ...