OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary Southern Cross KX-B Power Drive

Southern Cross KXB a little bit sad, mostly all there



Wheel drive speed control, this is something different as you could vary the speed of the wheel drive



The wheels were driven by the axial through two gear boxes, the centre box is just a adjustable cone the one at the wheel is a chain drive. The centre box is driven by a Vee belt from the bottom of the engine
Did any other brand of mower drive the wheels this way




Ratchet in the wheel so you could turn a corner



Wheel hub caps, only have one



Ian

Man,Ian you sure find the unusual! I know of other southern cross mowers,but this one ive never seen. It awesome! Fantastic technology for what,late 50s? Love the gear box set up,be great to see this completed and restored!

Hi Ian,
I have to agree with Mal mate, where do you find all these unusual machines?
on a great find there...I have seen nothing like it in my travels either...
Its great that you have one hubcap, it is in a condition that could easily be replicated...is it plastic or metal?
Finding some wheels for the front might prove difficult though Ian.
All good stuff!

Southern Cross first mower was the KXC in 1960, the foundry's directors wanted a less expensive mower result the KXB in 1963 and it was know by the workers as the 'Tin Mower' but the engine was troublesome and the ones fitted with wheel drive was good when new but needed a lot know how skills to keep it working, by the mid 1960s the KXB was gone.
How many were made don't know
Ian

A History Record is now available for the KX-B:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/81862/SOUTHERN_CROSS_-_KX-B_-_c1963_.html

Wow. Love the gearbox and the ratchet wheel turn. Wonder what problems it had, or was it replaced with simpler, or less parts, systems. Great find. And how does he find these mowers? I suppose it's networking, starting conversations with people and talking to people. Let people you know you collect mowers etc.

I saw one of these in working order many, many years ago. Be great if you can bring this one back to life.

Also, people should check out CyberJack's excellent article on the KX-B

SOUTHERN CROSS - KX-B - c1963 The Tin Mowers by CyberJack (Forum Historian)

G'day Ian, vint-mow, and bellarinelawns

It's certainly an interesting machine.
I count just 5 AUS makers that made domestic self-propelled rotary
mowers in the 1960s: Victa, Rover, Turner, Southern Cross & Loukon.
Out of these it appears that SC was the most complex.

When I look at Ian's mower, I wonder whether the colour was Pope's beautiful
Persimmon - but faded? We are lucky Ian has this one, and I do wonder what
his intention is with it...?

Many thanks vint-mow for the kind review of the History Record.
It is my first serious attempt at dealing with this mower model.
I sincerely hope every one is saved now.


The transmission is fantastic. Check out another rare AUS machine:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/61142/LOUKON_Lawnmowers_-_c1960s.html

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Jack