PART TWO - Specification & CommentThe Vantage is a mower that is �skeletal� in that you see the principle feature
exposed. The principal feature is that the wheels, being inboard, enable the machine
to cut over grass/garden beds (the reel is wider than the inboard wheels). A more
elegant version was surely the
Ransomes Conquest that used the same design principles,
but 'in reverse' and covered the �skeleton� with a handsome body, not unlike mine
(see �Related Reading� below).
The second feature is the
lightweight construction. With a 12 inch cut, an alloy
frame, dainty grass catcher, and circles cut into the wheels and drive sprocket,
this machine�s advantage was that it was easy to push. As said, this is a skeletal
machine, without even a chain cover!
I guess freewheel was achieved by a one-way cycle clutch, but I am not sure if
there was any differential action between the drive wheels. I suspect not. The
Vantage was clearly not designed as an expensive lawnmower; but as an entry level,
economy machine.
Did They Sell Here?I suspect not. I have found just one entry in an Australian newspaper (1952) �
a �For Sale� secondhand machine offered for ��4 or exchange for a large tin trunk.�
This single entry suggests to me that this mower was a personal import from England,
perhaps belonging to a post-war immigrant. I just don�t know. However, a machine
has turned up in NSW in 2016 (as photos evidence). So maybe ...
The Vantage is an interesting push lawnmower with no real advantage over
conventional sidewheels � unless you had sunken garden beds. It was probably
made to meet the demands of a post war UK, when the working class (perhaps
war widows) needed a cheap, light and reliable mower for the green patch.
The rest is history.-------------------------------------
Jack