PART TWO - The 18 Inch Rotary - c1956

The 18" rotary was Alex Grahame's first rotary lawnmower. Introduced in about late 1956,
it would be a somewhat conventional rotary of the day. It had a steel base with a skirt, offering
some safety, and setting it apart from the Victa-style 'toe-cutter (skirtless) base of the day.

The machine has quite a distinctive fuel tank design and the original machines did not
have folding handles. Height adjustment was primitive, with four point adjustment, requiring
tools. The first 18 inch machines appear to have been powered by the reliable Villiers Mk3
Midget 98cc 2-stroke.

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Price-wise, the Alex Grahame 18 inch was priced above the equivalent Victa Rotomo, with its
standardised price of £49/18/-. At £54 the 18" was dearer.

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DE LUXE, SPECIAL & STANDARD Models

By at least the 1958-59 Lawnmower Season the machine was offered in three variants: the Standard
Special and the De Luxe. Note in the advertisement below that the De Luxe has a recoil start fitted to
the Midget engine, folding handles and 'Dial-a-Hite' (spring-loaded knobs) for adjusting the
four-point height of cut.

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Mark 3 Midget crankcase X stampings
Here is a list of the Villiers Midget crankcase stampings for engines delivered
to the Alex Grahame Company.

233X MK3 ALEX GRAHAME (NSW) COWL NO TANK BRACKETS LONG MUFFLER OWN TANK
339X MK3 ALEX GRAHAME RECOIL FITTED NO TANK BRACKETS OWN TANK
371X MK3 ALEX GRAHAME COWL NO TANK BRACKETS RECOIL FITTED OWN TANK RED FINISH
384X MK3 ALEX GRAHAME COWL NO BRACKETS OWN TANK MUFFLER

TO BE CONTINUED ...