OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers ID for a small SB electric

Happy new Year. Have been inattentive since the Supercut was finished, but have decided to spruce up another little 14" Sb electric that has been in the shed for a while. Cuts well and runs well but is need of some attention. Would it be at all possible for an ID please?

ID plate says #16530

Thanks very much
John A

Hello John A

Fantastic!
This is a quite rare mains electric Model 45.
When SB introduced the 45 in about 1968 they retained the Model 19 electric.

But by about 1970 the mains electric was made in Model 45 form.
These remain under-appreciated lawnmowers.

I will add - for context - that the Model 45 Mains Electric was the last
in a chain of SB domestic electric lawnmowers. SB's original lawnmowers
were all mains electric jobs.

Another is saved!
Many thanks.
--------------------------------
Jack

Hi John,

Long time no speak.

Not sure if we ever saw finished photos of the Model 17 you were doing ?

Anyway not quite sure what details you are after with this Model 45 Electric as we can not accurately date it without a petrol engine on it. The Electrics have no coding on the electric motor that would give us any idea but at a guess I'd put it around 1972. Production end of the electric is still debatable but I feel it is around late 1975, early 76. as the last of the electrics came out with the Black chain case and red & white Scott Bonnar Pentagon decals which was just prior to the decals morphing into just black & white and the machine itself having a colour change to Apple Green from Alpine. There were never any Apple Green Electrics made.


Cheers,
BB.

Hi All,

Here is a download link for some information on Scott Bonnar Roller Mowers

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for that link, I've never seen this document in full. It's a good read guaranteed.


Cheers,
BB.

Hullo All,
Thank you for your interest in this little machine.
BB I wasn't doing a model 17.
After I finished the supercut I did a 45 but I have been ill for some time and now off work since Oct.
The 45 has gone as I thought that I should begin to clear a few "projects" from the top shed while I still can.
I have stripped this little electric. I think it needs a chain guide and that is about it, as it is in particularly good nick. It cuts really well, although I have only a tiny patch of relevant grass, the rest being a mixture of weeds that a ride-on Husqvarna handles.
I shall put up some photos as I go along although I'm not certain of how my progress will be at this stage.
Thanks again for the interest
John A

Hi John,

Firstly sorry to hear about your current situation, just do what you can at your pace that's all anyone can ask.


Just a small point of clarification, a Supercut is a Model 17 it's just that the early ones had SC on the ID plate while the later production units were stamped 17 instead of SC.

I finished off the Model 45 today that you sold to the other member on ODK. and now it's purring like a kitten. The throttle cable had me stumped until I quickly worked out it wasn't meant to be attached to the butterfly shaft as it was, as that's the swing arm link from the governor, rather the cable should've been attached to the other side of the carby and attached to the correct linkage. Now it operates the choke as it should (Chokomatic) when the lever is pulled back and shuts the engine down when the lever is pushed fully forward.

Did all the land roll clutch setting up along with all the chain tensions and finally setting the reel.

BTW Who did you get to grind the reel, Steve out at Pooraka ?

The new owner is stoked with it.


Cheers,
BB.

Hi again John,

Now as far as the Electric 45 is concerned you'll find that it will be a good machine, most of them are generally in good nick as they were originally bought for small straight running flat grass without trees to hit and bash the nose of the catchers inwards like the petrol ones cop.

All they ever need is a light regrind and they go for years.


Cheers,
BB.

Thank you. Thanks for looking at that 45 for Daniel, BB. I was extremely impressed with that young guy & I am so happy that you could get his machine ticking.

The electric 45 (is there another model # for the electric?) is coming along.

The rear reel bearing caps were on the wrong sides (elongated holes opposite the chain end, which I believe is wrong) so it has been apart at some time in its life.

I shall attach a couple of shots of the newly painted bits. I have mixed the shading myself as it was not deep green or apple green, so some may not like the shading.

I'm not happy with the catcher as it has had some serious conflict on one corner. May have to re-manufacture, which would be a shame as the gauge is considerably heavier than modern metal


Cheers
John A

Hi John,

That left hand corner of the catcher is pretty easy work with a dolly and hammer and no need to replace it over that.

The colour is pretty good from where I'm sitting. The Alpine green SB used was not consistent over the years and it seemed to get lighter as the years rolled on until they totally changed to Apple Green in late 1976.

Can I please ask that you reduce your file sizes of your images as it creates work for the Mods so that they can be seen instantly ?


Cheers,
BB.

PS. We still haven't seen any images of your Model 17 completed.

BB I loaded about a dozen photos of the supercut on the 14 April, last showing a 99% completed project.

The other 1% will be done eventually.

Cheers for now

John

Rebuild all but complete, save for stickers & catcher.

John

Hi John,

Not sure why I couldn't remember the SC, but looking back I responded at the time about the machining of the reel and how it had been painted over the cutting surfaces.

Do you still have that one or have you moved it on after the refurbisment ?

Nice to see the electric done.

I must ask though and this is referring to the build date topic but is that the height adjuster control that came with it ? because if it did and its original then it dates the machine to one of the very earliest electric 45's as with series 2 (twin railer) the handle was made of die cast and no longer brass as yours is showing.

Also it still has the two horizontal chain case fastening points opposed to the verticals in the twin railers.

Having a single Mower Number brass ID plate will date it to 1971 ~72.


Anyway nice to see another one live on for a second chance in life.


Cheers,
BB.

The height adjuster is original, I cleaned off the paint as I thought the brass look is classier. Even the little red plastic dot is the original.
The supercut is still here, however is about to be rewired. Big though. She takes up a lot of space
John

So this little (1970 something) 14" SB Mains Electric 45 is now complete.

Just a couple of photos to show for the library.

Thanks for the interest. I now have no reel mowers left as I have given the Rover to my son in law & I think that I shall sit back for a while.

Cheers

John A