Spotted this very original Atom Mofast on Gumtree, I did some negotiations with the seller and brought it home
The transfers are in amazing condition
It had a good spark so only needed the tank flushed out and fresh fuel, a really nice mower and it cuts grass ! Mind you if I was buying a new mower I would have not chosen this one, its more of a toy than a real mower. I bet they didn't last very long when used weekly.
I was waiting for him to drop the price Paul!!! I love the look of that thing. I might be bringing home a Buz-A-Cut (at least we believe it is) that i found on gumtree on Sunday though.
It is so rare to find any 1950s mower in such exceptional, original condition. That red retains its richness after more than half a century! I love the 'U-Dial' height adjusters too, and this is the first one I've seen that retains some starter bits. But my favourite feature must be the teardrop fuel tank and magneto-type font on the decals.
For me, the styling exemplifies many things I associate with 1950s America - as seen in science fiction cartoon books of the day: the atom; Sputnik and the Space Race; the power of Atomic energy! If there was a lawnmower on Mars it would have been this little Atom!
Paul, may I confirm that this is the 49cc Tor (not the bigger one). Also, in the video, the carby is seriously vibrating up and down. Is it the manifold that is causing this?
I hope to write a record on Atom and Mofast this year.
It's a great little mower, the fuel tank holds about 1.5 litres of fuel. I reckon you would need that much as well to mow the average 50's lawn. Jack the engine is the Tor 75cc, if your ever up close you can tell the difference by counting the cooling fins between the head bolts.
The 49 cc has 4 fins between the bolts and the 75cc has 5 fins. The carby is giving me grief though, can't seem to get the tickler to work. When cold you fill the fuel bowl then pull up the tickler for about 20 seconds 3 times. This should allow fuel to flow up the main jet and into the carb throat giving a rich mixture for starting.
Can't see this happening, need to find some service info on the Amal carb especially the float setting. The inlet manifold has an extension which is held on by a screw, not the best method. I will have to think about sorting it out.