https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm Recent Topics en-us Fri, 22 May 2026 12:27:05 UTC 5 support@outdoorking-forum.com.au (OutdoorKing Repair Forum) UBB.threads https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/images/general/default/rss_icon.gif https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/114916.html#Post114916 ODK history lovers
The North Americans invented the garden tractor.

The tractor’s most important attachment for 1960s tractors
was the rotary mower deck. These were two-wheel or four-
wheel tractors that catered to the post-war large-acreage
suburban plots that surrounded cities and towns.

Mobilco Industrial Equipment Pty Ltd [Mobilco] was an
Australian manufacturer and importer of farm equipment;
but the company quickly diversified into horticultural and
domestic appliances in the 1950s.

Mobilco was a progressive company that used local
ingenuity but with inspiration from world markets.

There is a good argument that Mobilco introduced the
North American tractor with rotary deck to Australia in 1963.

This was the Mobilco-Ariens Emperor fitted with a 26” deck.



Ariens, an old and established North American manufacturer
[founded 1933] now makes snow blowers and garden tractors
[mowers since 1958].

They were also a garden tiller maker and Mobilco sold
their tillers in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mobilco appears to have imported (probably in kit form)
two models: the smaller Fairway 4 and the larger Emperor 6.

It’s quaint that, arguably, Australia’s first ride-on tractor
– The Rover Ranger – was a poor-man’s copy of the
Emperor [my opinion].

TO BE CONTINUED …

]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2022 11:14:38 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/114916.html#Post114916 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113675.html#Post113675 PART TWO – Parts List
This 1970 Parts List for the Model 56 is from
my collection and it is in good condition.

It was a clever design for parts interchangeability too.
Many of the components were taken directly from the
Model 51 Rover Ranger design!

As always, I make the document available to
members for viewing or as a quality download.




]]> Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:48:37 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113675.html#Post113675 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113441.html#Post113441 PART TWO – The Brochure
This is a large A4 size four-page brochure
with black & white photographic illustrations.

This brochure is from my collection and it is in
good condition. As always, I make it available to
members for viewing or as a quality download.




]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2021 08:24:18 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113441.html#Post113441 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113424.html#Post113424 PART TWO – The Brochure
This brochure comes from my collection and it
is in poor-to-average condition. It is a brochure with
panels that do not match each side … and difficult to scan.

Nonetheless, it is a beautiful and colourful brochure.
I love the front cover: a two mower and two child family.
Dad’s reduced to being a cartoon character!

Note Supa-Swift’s association with BP at this time
[This precedes Victa’s association].

As always, I make this brochure available to
members for viewing or as a quality download.




]]> Fri, 26 Nov 2021 09:37:22 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113424.html#Post113424 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113377.html#Post113377 Most folks will remember John Deck & Sons by their highly
successful range of mini-bikes. However, they were niche
manufacturer and importer of garden equipment –
mowers and garden tractors.

They were also successful exporters of their products,
having gained a UK distributorship with T Parker & Sons
of Surrey.

This article is about a Deckson designed and
manufactured mower – the 22” Heavy Duty.

This mower appears to have first appeared in the
mid-1960s. Fitting the niche requirement:
“… for situations where a big, heavy mower is
impracticable and a small domestic mower is inadequate.”



It was a heavy-duty commercial mower with
rugged alloy chassis, and Briggs 13 Series
engine. Its design changed very little over two
decades of production!



]]> Sun, 21 Nov 2021 00:49:05 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113377.html#Post113377 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113374.html#Post113374 PART TWO – The Brochure
This brochure is really a tri-fold pocket leaflet
measuring 3” x 5 1/2”. It is in mint condition.

This brochure is from my collection and I make
it available to members for viewing or as a quality
download.




]]> Sat, 20 Nov 2021 07:08:29 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/113374.html#Post113374 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112898.html#Post112898

Hornet & Blue Hornet: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/60569/hornet-c1951-hornet-blue-hornet.html

Green Hornet: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/109821/hornet-green-hornet-c1957.html



Simply create a new topic in the Old Soap Box HERE.

]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:48:51 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112898.html#Post112898 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112860.html#Post112860 PART THREE – Gallery
I have image records for two separate Grassmasters.

A big thank you to members Kye T and Paul C for
supplying some of these images.

Note that the first mower is a rear-catcher Kirby 4-stroke;
the second mower is a TAS Tanaka 2-stroke.

]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2021 10:19:55 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112860.html#Post112860 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112751.html#Post112751

An Old Soap Box discussion on the fan blades: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112689.html

Champion Mowers - Who Were They?: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/51303/CHAMPION:_1955-1959_-_Who_were.html

Champion Mowers - Fans & Wheels: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.auhttps://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...ampion-mowers-fans-and-wheels-c1955.html

Champion Mowers Kick-Start Model: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/79096/CHAMPION_SENIOR_-_Kick-Start_M.html

Anthony Horderns' Brochure: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.auhttps://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...ion-anthony-horderns-brochure-c1956.html

]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2021 09:10:31 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112751.html#Post112751 https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112587.html#Post112587

Compare this brochure to this one: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/93134/supa-swift-brochure-c1975.html

]]> Sat, 07 Aug 2021 10:44:09 +0000 CyberJack https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/112587.html#Post112587