OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Edgers Four Stroke Edgers ALROH - The Original Imp Edger?

I just bought a 1963 ALROH Imp lawn edger. It has a different design from any edger I've seen before: direct crankshaft-mounted cutter disk with a pair of rotary-mower-style swing-out blades. Engine is a Briggs 60102 (2 hp) made in April 1963. The guy I bought it from bought it in Perth in the 1960s, used it until 1982, then parked it in his damp farm-shed and ignored it until now. He says it only ever ran a few hours. It starts 4th pull, but might do better in future now that I've found the choke. I may need to do something about the surface rust on the cowl, air cleaner and cutter shield. It has a broken glue-joint on one tyre. It needs a new piece of foam for the air cleaner, fresh hand-grips on the bidirectional handlebars, and one replacement clip for the cutter shield. Otherwise it seems good to go.

Serial number is 4IEB641038. My guess is that means it was made in 1964 and was number 1038. Presumably they started from 1000 as most people seem to. I've even found a small patch of unfaded original paint, behind where some sticker seems to have been. Pity I don't actually have a use for a lawn edger, but I can run it around the tiny patch of grass instead of using the hand-wheel.

Grumpy,

You could try Alroh HERE and if you are lucky they should be able to supply a parts list for your edger.
[LINK IS NO LONGER ACTIVE - Alroh has ceased trading] ed. CyberJack 2015

Thanks Bruce, I've now sent them an email asking for a parts list if they have it, plus whatever other information or documents they may have.

I had a reply from Bob Johnson of Alroh, attaching their file on the Imp. The file has a photo, a parts diagram, and a parts list. He said they have no stock parts, but might have a couple of second-hand bits in a cupboard somewhere. (The Outdoorking store lists the blades and says they are available.) It was interesting to compare the Imp in the photo with mine - theirs has 6 wheels instead of 4, a completely different handle, 3 retaining clips on the cutter cover instead of 4, a large spring to counterbalance the height control, 2 'wire brushes' for some unknown purpose, and a couple of detail differences in the engine (different muffler and stop control). I don't know if their Imp is later or earlier than mine. First guess would be they took the photo of a prototype then decided to cut the cost of production.

Hi Grumpy, looks like a great little edger, pity that the photo is not in colour....would give you an idea what colour the chassis is painted....
Glad to see that you have now got a parts list and info.

Deejay, mine had some unfaded areas. I've brush-painted the rustiest bits in Alpine Green hammertone, which is a little bit paler and less green than the original green hammertone. I only attended to the seriously rusty bits, and I primed them (lots of paint runs) with metal primer (it was unprimed originally). I leave restoration jobs to serious enthusiasts and museums, but I don't like to see a collector's item deteriorate on my watch. As it is I've saved a few small areas of original paint and kept the rest from rusting.

Hi grumpy, yes mate, what you are doing is conservation rather than restoration; which is a good thing as the machine retains it's originality....museums also do this often.

Five years on and I have obtained a great example of this item, have a peek. Original paintwork. Runs like a dream.

Hello Christo

That is a rare find - in very good original condition.
I think this means the 6 wheeler was the later version.
Grumpy's machine - the 4 wheeler - is the older version.

Congratulations!
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JACK.

I swapped mine for a Honda mower, and the person I swapped with obtained another Imp a year or so later. See this thread, for pics of both:
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...mp;Words=alroh&Search=true#Post50930

Mine was the 4-wheeler. The other, 6-wheeler was a later version of the Imp. Note that the later ones had a tension spring (running vertically down to the centre pivot) to offset the weight of the machine, making it easier to set the cutting depth. With mine, when you pulled the round red knob up to disengage the height lock, you were suddenly struck with perhaps a ten kg fore-and-aft load on your hand, which was inconvenient. Usually the central pivot of the machine dropped to the ground with a clunk, and you had to haul it up again by pulling on the lever, before locking it at the chosen height with the red knob. Meanwhile of course, the blades had cut a deep trench in the grass or the concrete edging, extending nearly to China.