OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Rotary Turner Model A Lawn Mower

I have acquired another Turner, this one being a rear discharge model. The casting on the rear of the base tells me it's a Model A. Engine is the Villiers 142cc Torquemajor 2 Stroke. The engine was seized but became free when I was removing the blade plate.

One thing I notice is that the base skirt is quite thin compared to my earlier models, not good for deflecting rocks etc, colour was a nice coppery bronze and there is a fair bit of original paint left under the muck so with further cleaning should come up ok

Hi Paul
I can't say I understand this model at all.

Clearly made in the last years of Turner lawnmower making,
it appears to be a variation of the Valiant - yet this one is a mid-arch!
[wrong! - this is a high-arch, as Paul identifies below.]

I don't get it.

-------------------------------
Jack

It's an odd one, rear chute is very small and the flap is not hinged but is secured shut by a removable pin

Can anyone tell me if the Villiers engine was painted all white on this Turner or just the fuel tank & starter? Thank you

Hi Paul
This mower is an unknown to me.
It appears to sit in the second half of the 1960s.

I can only speculate about the question you ask ...
The Villiers Lightweight 4-stroke was pained all-white - including the crankcase.
It is possible the same applied to the Torque Major.

I know it's not a great answer to your question.
Please keep us informed.

Cheers
---------------------
Jack

Good Evening ODK Members,
I have been trying to work out a year for the Turner Model A Mower, it carries the rocket logo in large cast graphics on the front deck, I believe it is from very late 1969 or very early 1970. I have manuals and brochures that are up to late 1968 and brochures here on our ODK Forums show models with new engines for 69 featured. All models carry the cast Turner name on the front with a glimpse of the rocket shown on hubcaps for a few models.

I have what I think are two machines similar in design but the rocket model or model A would supersede the 1968 Turner Super. First up I want to state that the Coronet engine is a transplant as the original Torquemajor engine was unfit for rebuild. The Model A has a deeper skirt particularly noticeable on the sides and uses wider wheels with larger wheels on the rear. The wider wheels were to travel over the grass better without marking, they are the same rears as used on the Saphire model.

Rear deck is narrower but chute opening remains the same, the style of catcher is similar but narrower between the catcher hangers. I have better pictures to come of a golden model A,

Hello ODK Members,

A recent EBay auction with one bid at $25, bargain of the year I would say. A very original Turner Model A.

Good Morning all.

Ad 1968 Turner and Model A with the rocket has D69 on the motor so I guess it's a 1969 mower.

Cheers
Max.

Note how the 1969 has the wider tyres ,I see these wheels incorrectly fitted to earlier mowers a lot.

Hi Max,

Thanks for the pics, where about s is the D69 stamped or cast on the mower? This advert is from November 1969 but just not clear enough to make out the model.

G'day Paul,
The Turner Tornado ad has a strange spelling of August ,I always make up words to add duplicate pics and files,PDFs,etc .

The D69 is stamped as the spec number on the engine id plate.

The Ad with the Turner Concorde has a Turner sticker on the front of the base.

Possibly the Turner with the rocket is a Limited edition model (only made for a few months in 1969 ???)

Haven't found any ads for the Turner with the rocket on the base.

Cheers
Max.

G'day Paul and Max
Many thanks to you for adding to the record.

Paul, I have corrected my post (above) about the chute design.

I struggle with this one, but still am prepared to speculate ...
Max's evidence of the D69 is persuasive.

Turner announced mower making would cease in 1970.
My best guess is that the announcement was made early 1970 -
meaning that there was a clear 1969-70 range ... a 1970 range year,
but no 1970-71 range year. Production would cease late 1970.

The Rocket emblem appeared in brochures in c1967.
My best guess is that this was an advertising metaphor - both for
turner high-arch designs and the 'Jet Age' and the 'Rocket Age', that put
men on the moon in 1969. Turner refers to "Jet Age" in its Valiant brochure.

I would like to speculate on the naming of 'Model A' and its high-arch design.
Why 'Model A'?

My best guess is that this was a design for the 1969-70 year - the last year.
'A' suggests a new design for a new decade - the 1970s. I don't know.

The other thing is the chassis.
A noticeably higher skirt meant a shallower deck for the engine.
Was this designed for various engines and placement options? We know Victa,
as one example, was forced into placing engines laterally on their 18" high arch
lawnmowers. The Model A base seems more obliging to engine make & placement.

---------------------------
Jack

Hello Max and Jack,

All interesting and speculative, I love it. I would agree with Jack that a 69/70 model is most likely and then all manufacturing of mowers ceased due to Stanley’s doctrine of if it didn’t make a profit it was gone. After two years of drought profit dropped so the mowers went. Jack I will leave this bit of history for you as I know you are well aware of these events.

Max the D69 on the Kirby engine plate is just coincidence, I have a few other Kirby KAV engines with different and some the same spec numbers. Perhaps with the downturn in profit the spending was cut on brochures, advertising etc and we may never see a brochure for these years. I will be ringing Joe Brown soon, he sent me all of his Turner brochures and parts booklets but there is nothing after August 1968. I want to ask him what happened in those last years of Turner, perhaps he may be able to help as he was at the pointy end of the game.

After a few more projects I will start on my Turner Saphire, haven’t seen another. The mower was in Victoria and a friend of mine collected it for me and just recently posted it up to me in pieces. It needs some repairs done mainly to the axles/height adjuster but will just be getting a good clean as it goes back together.

Hi Paul and Jack,

Thanks for the pics and info.on the Turner mowers .

I would still like to see the brochure or ad for this Turner mower. (1969-1970Turner)

Yes I agree the D69 is a coincidence on the id plate after checking a VK 30 Turner the number did
not match the Turner year model.

1969 / 1970 has to be right for the Turner model A base with the rocket casting.

Looking at Jack's 1969 brochure it shows the Rocket emblem on the hub caps.

Jack mentions the Rocket emblem appeared in brochures in c1967, was 1969 the first year
the Rocket emblem appeared on the base and hub caps. ?? (Any pics etc. of the rocket on pre-1969 mowers )

Great Info. and Mowers Paul and Jack.

A few more images for the records.
Cheers
Max.

Hello Max and Jack,

Max that’s a very interesting model featuring a decal on the front instead of a cast name/emblem. What is even more exciting is it’s a model that I haven’t seen before, it has a full width rear flap! Looking closely at the back of a mower there is a full lip running across the deck suggesting a totally new design base doing away with the rear step and half chute. All other rear catcher models had only a small chute cover that lifted up and sat on top of the catcher.

Having the flap on the mower and not as a part of the catcher was definitely the way forward.

Are you able to supply more pics of this model as it may well be the last they produced. The end must have come quickly for the Mower Division as it looks like they didn’t slow down development or production at all leading up to the end.

Hello All,
Looking more at the base Max, it looks like the design team revisited the Saphire base for a true rear arch design but this time incorporating a full rear flap into the base.

Jack I bet Victa had a party when Turner left the market.

G'day Paul and Max
Yep, a great conversation here ... and I guess more info will be found ...

Graeme Plaw, former Research and Product Development Manager
for The Stanley Works Pty Ltd, said this: -



For just over a decade, Turner was one of the top six mower makers at this time ...
VICTA, SUPERSWIFT, ROVER, POPE, SCOTT BONNAR and TURNER.

Turner left mower manufacturing on a high!
But as you say, party material for the others.

-------------------------
Jack

Hi Max and Jack,

Just advertised on Facebook Marketplace in Victoria, 1970 model perhaps? Very poor pic

Hello Jack and Max,

Here are two pristine examples used in this publicity race, I must find where I found this pic and see if I can find a date.

G'day Paul and Jack,

These are the only other pics of this Turner I have Paul, it's the only Turner I have seen with this bent height
adjustment linkage bar so I would say it's the same as the Turner Concorde but missing the rectangular front on the fuel tank.

Quite a few Turner mowers were not cast with Turner on the base,I have the first model Turner base without
the Turner brand casting.

The Saphire base came up well.

Hi Max and Jack,

Same base that’s in the advert dated October 69 so perhaps the two tone tank is a little later or yours has had a replacement tank fitted at some time.

I have found the article, a promo for Boans Dept Stores

https://primotipo.com/tag/boans-department-store/

If a date can be gleaned from this somehow it would very informative. Update!

The pictures are dated 1968, taken in Boans Store carpark in Morley WA, must be late 1968 to tie in with the Concorde Advert

Hi Paul and Jack,

Some more great images and info. Paul and Jack.

I've looked at the Mower Race image and It looks late 1969 mowers to me.

Glad to here any info. or thoughts that say otherwise.

Cheers
Max.

Hi all,

This makes more sense now, the library listed the mower images as 1968 and the image of the Turner Concorde
was 1969.

That was why I asked for any opinions on the image.

This image from the library clearly shows a earlier Victa with the earlier handle bars so that may explain where the date
of 1968 came from.

Cheers
Max.

Hi Max, Paul and others,
That's a great image there, Max.

Yep, many images are 'about' - even from museums and libraries.
I have had no luck in positivity dating the images.

Cheers
----------------------------
Jack

G'day again,

This is a recent find that I am happy about.
It sets the record straight about when Turner pulled out of
mower making ... early August, 1970.

The article confirms other research I have made, and my claiming Turner
left on a high note of their mower making adventure ...

G'day Jack ,Paul and the rest,

That's a great find Jack, it also confirms Sunbeam did not sell the Fastcut before 1967.

Sunbeam entered the mower market in spring of 1967.

I did notice in the mower race image that Paul uploaded here, the Victa Corvette did not have the black air filter
housing from the 1970 model Corvette.

Finding Turner images and information dated 1970 is difficult.

Cheers
Max.

G'day Max, Paul and all,

I have to hold back my thoughts on Sunbeam here.
I am biting my tongue.

I agree, Turner information at this critical time is scarce.
This 1970 article is so revealing and provocative!

Cheers
----------------------
Jack

Gidday Jack ,Paul and everyone,

Yes we know that date of 1967 is not completely correct because the 1960 electric Sunbeam was
made in Australia .

I know the Sunbeam Lawnkeeper was very similar in design to the Victa mower and your thinking Jack was
Victa made the Sunbeam Lawnkeeper. This made sense because of similarities between Victa and
the Sunbeam Lawnkeeper.

I was thinking because Victa had a patent for their handle bars and Sunbeam had a patent
for their handle bars ,this would possibly explain Sunbeam making the Lawnkeeper.

I did see a couple of Sunbeam factories in different states and noticing different castings of the
Sunbeam Lawnkeeper ,made me think the Lawnkeeper was made in NSW and Victoria.

All speculation on my part about where the Lawnkeeper was made,just wondered if that
was a plausible speculation or not.

I was reading in 1960 Turner had a company policy to only make the best, the Turner carpenter's plane
in 1960 was made by Turner acquiring the patterns from Pope,Turner redesigned the plane and
had a break through in design adding the red cellulose acetate handle, previous handles were wood.

Cheers
Max.

Hi Max and Jack,

Just a lovely sign that was posted today on another site.

Hi ODK Members,

I picked these Turner oil and fuel containers up off EBay last week, lucky me I was the only bidder 😀 I just need the matching funnel if anyone has one spare. The containers are in great condition for their age especially the fuel one.