OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Welcome to Outdoorking Forum HELP Area Introductions New to Vintage Mowers with a Morrison

Hi Everyone, Firstly, thanks for a great Forum - it's been a source of very valuable information for me so far. My story starts with the intention of finding an old Series Land Rover to restore. I found one, but with COVID restrictions, I couldn't go and see it and someone else was the lucky buyer. Anyway, I don't have a workshop (yet) and got to thinking that a car was a significant restoration project and probably too much for me just now. So I thought about an old motorbike instead - even though I don't have a full motorbike licence... But I'm very keen on old engines, and realised that for me, at the moment, old lawnmowers are a perfect way for me to restore old machinery and not take on too big a project. Some time ago, at an auction room, I saw a very old reel mower in quite poor condition. I always thought it would have made a fascinating project. I'm not sure what it was, but it didn't become mine and has long since moved on. Then, a couple of weeks ago, another reel mower came up at the same auction rooms, this time a Morrison. I couldn't inspect it because all auctions are being conducted online only at the moment, but I knew I just had to get that mower. And I did. I had no idea what condition it was in until it was delivered, but I was expecting and planning to do a full nuts and bolts restoration. Before the auction, I read articles on ODK by CyberJack and others about the history of the old Morrisons, and was amazed by the amount of information out there that people are very kindly sharing (thanks heaps everyone!). Anyway, the mower arrived, and I was completely surprised with its condition. It's left me a little intrigued to say the least. Firstly, the mower is complete, including catcher. It's covered in a thick coat of dust (sitting around somewhere for a very long time, by the looks) and is mounted on a small stand with special brackets that have been carefully made to ensure none of the mower actually touches the stand. And it looks like it's never been used. I know that sounds odd, but the blades are fully covered in paint (even the cutting edges), there's no dents or other wear in the blades, there's no evidence of use on the steel roller, there's no oily buildup on the exhaust outlet, and there's none of the wear and tear you'd expect on a well-loved old mower. I started to think maybe this was an original shop display item, but the stand has fake turf on it. Fake turf wasn't really available until the 70s/80s, so that suggested the stand wasn't original. The other curious aspect is that it's missing all its decals. It was becoming hard for me to decide whether to do the full restoration I had planned, or whether to clean it up and get it running well, get some new decals and leave it with its old patination. I know there's people solidly in favour of each of those two scenarios, so I was thinking I'd get some thoughts from others on the best approach to take. I've since done some closer inspection. I found the serial number, which is A1006. It's been lightly punched in, but it's clear enough to read. I don't know whether it's an Australian made or NZ made mower, and I don't know if the serial number helps in that regard, although the number 1006 does seem very low. I also found that there is evidence to suggest this machine might have had a complete restoration many, many years ago - perhaps in the 70s or 80s when the fake turf was available for the stand. Maybe that's when it was first put on a stand. A full restoration would also explain the missing decals - we can get new replacements today thanks to ebay, but they probably weren't available back when the possible restoration was done. So it seems to me that whatever story this mower has to tell, it was clearly important enough to someone to have it put on a stand (and possible fully restored when it wouldn't have been that old). It's clearly been sitting around gathering dust for a very, very long time, so now I'm thinking maybe I will do a full restoration after all. Get it back into as-new condition and give it some decals (if only I knew whether I should order the Australian or the NZ decals), and get it back to how the previous owner wanted it to look. Overall, a fantastic introduction to vintage mowers for me. Full of intrigue, and I feel a responsibility to do it justice and bring out its best qualities. I think it's an important example of the Morrisons, and it's already given a lot more than I thought I was bidding for at the auction. I've posted some photos below. I've got a lot more detail photos (let me know if you have any interest in seeing them) and I will post updates as I find out more and get on with the cleanup and restoration. Cheers, Sean

G'day Sean and welcome to the ODK forums!

I don't pretend to know much about older Morrisons, but that's a delightful little machine you've landed. I'm thinking along the same lines as you - I suspect it was given a birthday some years ago. Bonus for you, in a way, as it not only looks like "its all there" but clean machines are much nicer to work on.

In the end, which way you go is up to you. Either is good. I seem to start out with the intentions of a tidy up but end up with a total tear down. It becomes addictive very quickly, and is so much cheaper than bikes and cars.

Hi Mystyler, Thanks for the feedback. I've got a sneaking suspicion you're absolutely right! I started cleaning it today, and then realised I'd need to take this bit off and that bit off to clean it properly. And then I thought a proper ground-up rebuild would be nice, so I already feel exactly what you're saying - "I'll just clean it" will become a total tear down very quickly, I suspect. I'm really looking forward to it, and my partner said to me "Has this become your life now? Looking at this machine, pondering it, working out your strategy..." She knows me well, and I think it shows I'm already addicted. It's a heap of fun, and it's great to have forums like this to share the journey! Cheers, Sean

G'day Sean50 and Mystyler
That's a great and considered story you tell.

For members, the History Record is HERE.

These are great mowers of high quality.

These are my thoughts:
Yep, this machine did undergo a restoration at some point,
and your dating seems fine to me.

The green colour is probably not correct. Morrisons
appear to have been a darker shade of green.

I have good reason to believe that this is an early Sydney Morrison.
The first of the NZ Morrisons had Villiers MK 1 engines, and this
strongly suggests that your low serial number is not a NZ mower.
[Your engine is the Villiers MK II 98cc Midget.]

The restoration does not hide that this machine did
have considerable use. I know this because of the condition
of the reel. Note that the reel spirals sit just above the
reel collars (or spiders). There is little 'meat' left on the blades
for future sharpening.



I think the fuel tank need reversing.
Most images I have show the fuel plunger/primer on the
LH side (the side the spark plug faces).

The original patina has been lost with the early restoration.
It is your choice whether to just clean it up. The restoration,
in itself, tells its own interesting story... A previous owner
thought a lot about this mower. I guess it was put out
to pasture (the base) to give it dignity in retirement, perhaps
after many years of reliable service and good memories.

I will have more to say about Sid Morrison in the next few weeks.

Please keep us informed as you proceed.
Members love these stories!

Cheers
------------------------
Jack

Hi CyberJack, Thanks so much for your post, and for the really valuable insights and information! I think you're right - this meant a lot to someone at some stage, so I think I've now assumed the role of doing their work justice and bringing it back to good health (and something nearing original condition). I really appreciate your feedback on the paint colour - I didn't think it was right but also didn't know. I have watched a video on youtube of 2 guys in NZ restoring one (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CBFJHoPDNw) and they painted it a much darker green. I really liked what they did with theirs, and I prefer the colour they used. I'm not sure if that's the right colour either, but it is darker and it looks really great at the end. I've been trying to find out what model of Villiers engine it is, so I appreciate the info on that. I was thinking it was probably an Australian made version, but again, wasn't sure. I think I'll be ordering the Vulcan Steel decals for the restoration. I'm really grateful for your insights on the cutting blades. What it tells me is that this little machine did a lot of work and was treasured enough for a full restoration and putting out to pasture. I will say they did a pretty good job at the time, so I feel the onus to do an equally good job has now passed to me. This project really excites me - I think it's fantastic! Thanks again for your help. Cheers, Sean

Hi Sean
Many thanks for that.

I would like to ask an extra question myself.
The crankcase will have some numbers/letter stamped on it
that might shed further light.

Cheers
Jack

Hi CyberJack, As best I can tell, the head has the following numbers: 3812 above B6698. The crankcase has 867 over 103 on the left side, and 874 on the right hand side. Does that help? Cheers, Sean

G'day Sean
Well, yes and no...

It confirms that the engine was not AUS-made.
No surprises there. It helps confirm my thoughts in my previous post

The story of Villiers AUS is told HERE.

Your MkII Midget was made in England.
The early Sydney Morrisons used imported engines, because
Villiers Australia were not making engines when your
mower was made - best guess.

Villiers AUS started by making engine components in c1954, but
full engine production probably only began in c1956 - a year
before the factory was officially opened [in 1957].

It may be, down the track, when you remove the flywheel cover,
other identifiers may say something. Maybe.

Many thanks for being so quick with the info.
I was hoping you would not have raced out to the
garage with torch light in hand. Brilliant!

Many thanks, also, for helping with the record on these
mighty Morrisons.

Cheers
----------------------
Jack

p.s. Sean, here's something you may find serendipitous.
A serious and knowledgeable collector in NZ sent me these images
years' ago. They purport to depict the FIRST Morrison lawnmower.
We're talking the interwar years ... c1935.

Notice what it is sitting upon? ...

Hi CyberJack, Thanks again for the prompt reply and the additional info. I wasn't originally planning on doing up the stand in the same style (not being a fan of fake turf), but now that I've seen that photo, I think I probably should! Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Sean

I can't wait to see what you do with it, Sean. At least your other half supports your hobby, I'm lucky mine does as well. Provided mowers don't end up stacked everywhere! It's great when you get an old bit of machinery going again. I first started with Victa "Powertorque" two stroke mowers, just getting them going again. Then a full Scott Bonnar 45 tear down and rebuild before they cost you your first born. Now I've currently got three project mowers in various stages of (in)completeness, waiting for something or other to come in the mail. Or just a dry couple of days so I can get the spray paint out. All mine have to cut grass in order to be kept. It's both a blessing and a curse, but they do get looked after. Keep us updated.

Hi Mystyler, I'll admit I've already gone looking for other potential candidates and I haven't even started this one yet, so I can see how easy it would be to end up with a stack of these beauties. I'll try to get it going this weekend to see what parts/repairs might be needed. Then, I'll start the teardown. I'm not really sure how all this works, but I think once I've got going I'll need to start a thread in the restoration forum for the project. I'm going to try to keep comprehensive records - I've learnt so much from what others have shared, if I can give back as a result of this project it would only be fair. Keep an eye out in the (hopefully) not too distant future. Cheers, Sean

G'day Sean and Mystyler.
A great introduction plus. Yes, a new topic for the discovery process.

This mower has not been recorded in detail.
I feel you may help others down the track.

Many thanks
---------------------------
Jack

Hi all, If you hadn't thought of it already, take a stack of photos on your phone before you tear it down, and for individual assemblies. It can save much head scratching later! Looking forward to the build/rebuild thread. I've found them so useful for a number of things over the years, I feel the same way. That is, if I pull something apart, I'll try to document it so it may be useful to others in the same boat.

Hi Jack and Mystyler, Thank you both for your feedback and insights. See you in the restoration forum! Cheers, Sean

Thank you Cyberjack for the amazing detailed info on the Morrison reel mowers. And to everyone who has posted pics of their Morrison mowers. I picked one up at a swap meet a few months ago. At first I thought It might have some Vlliers parts I could use on my James Autocycle project. I soon realized it was much too nice a machine to use for parts. It is quite complete except no grass bin. Rusty and gummed up with old fuel/water. However an oily rag restoration got it running well enough to wake up the neighbours. Unfortunately the decal is too far gone to tell if it is NZ or Australian made.
I haven't found a serial number on the mower. Any thoughts on where to look? The crankcase has the numbers 867 967 59. I am in Victoria Canada. Does anyone know if this model was ever exported to sell here? The other possibility would be some Aust or NZ gentleman moving to Canada and bringing his favourite mower with him to start a new life and a new lawn. Thanks, John