OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models SOUTHERN CROSS - Mark KX-C - c1960

Hello ODK history lovers

To understand the Toowoomba Foundry’s Southern Cross
brand of products would take a lot of words.

In 1960 Southern Cross diversified its product range to include
lawnmowers. The Southern Cross mowers made a contribution to
rotary mower design in the 1960s, but they remain largely un-recognised.

Their first model – the Mark KX-C was introduced in 1960 and
it was large - at 20 inches - and it couldn’t really be described
as a domestic lawnmower. It was never intended as a competitor
to Victas and the like; it catered to larger acreages more in-line
with their traditional bases of agriculture and industry.

This was reflected in distribution – through their famous year
catalogues and their network of outlet stores and agencies
located across Australia.



The KX-C was a solid job, with a rugged, skirted side-discharge
aluminium base, large rear wheels and a single-point rotary knob
height adjuster.

Southern Cross designed and built their own 4-stroke engine – the EC-B -
for their lawnmowers, but did offer other engine makes on their later mowers.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART TWO – Operator & Parts List
Because the KX-C was sold over a long period [about 13 years],
some changes were made; particularly to the EC-B engine.

This mid-life manual covers the engine when it was fitted
with a North American Zenith carburettor.

The engine was fitted with a recoil starter of Southern Cross manufacture,
and a small paper slip was added to page three of the manual reminding
the operator to ensure the mesh screen of the starter housing was clear
of grass debris build-up.



This manual is from my collection and it is in good condition.
It is comprehensive and has two fold-out pages separately
covering the chassis and the engine.

As always, I make it available to members for viewing or as a
quality download.




 

PART THREE – SC Register & Gallery
The starting point for anything carrying the Southern Cross brand
must be the Southern Cross Register, a site dedicated to recording
Southern Cross machinery.




http://southerncrossregister.nqmp.org/