powerrabbit

When I had mine, when they came out first, they were ?42. I've seen them at toy fairs for around the ?100 mark. The E27N Major apparently is the hardest one to find, hard to put a price on the Major as you don't see them about. There are 4 in the 'Vintage' series, D.B 900, TE20, E27N Major and the Marshall. There was also the S1 Landrover which is the same Landrover as the 'Elite' one.

I think that some had an open back as well with hanging chains or hinged steel plates to let the cut material out as it were. the bush hog type, as per model, were narrower than the track of most tractors from what I can remember. We used to have a swipe come topper that was made by Hayter, it had four solid rubber tyres that you could raise and lower by a handle altering the cutting height and had 2 triangular plates under with 3 mower like blades on each, drive was by pto to 2 crossed 'V' section belts. A tractor driven rough cut mower really towed with a type of 'A' frame hinged drawbar. Did a good job on grass fields.

Some did have a row of chains hanging in the front, these chains stopped the grass or whatever was being swiped from being blown forward onto the back of the tractor, some were fitted with a row of hanging hinged metal plates that did the same. I put 3 blades on the plate as it was simpler to do, some had a square plate with 4 blades like a disc mower, some had a round plate like a disc with 4 blades, others had just 3 heavy chains fitted to a sort of hub, these were for more rough cutting like scrub and gorse then there were others fitted with just a long flat single wide heavy blade. the gearbox was basicly a pulley drive very much the same as the bolt-on tractor pulley that Fergy and David Brown made but adapted for these swipes. When larger swipes ant toppers came into being they were fitted with a double cutting arrangement and of course there is the flail type. The pivoting wheel on the back could be raised or lowered to help level the machine and to aid the cutting height to a certain extent, these were usualy metal or a lot of like conveyer belt sections fixed together in the round, a pneumatic tyre was not usualy used as the wheel took a lot of punishment. As regards making more of this model, or simmilar I am contemplating it but I would like to make something just that little different. Working on another fairly simple machine now but it's going to take a little more time as there are a lot of components to cut, shape, file and glue.

The cab on the MF 135 is original, they did a 135 with cab in yellow as well, there were a few variants with subtle differences, 135 with/without cab, early cab had no windscreen, 2nd type with windscreen, 3rd type fully glazed. In the box with the red ones there was a white bit of plastic that fitted on the front grille over the 'headlamps' to facillitate fitment of the 'muledozer' blade implement.(Front screen, doors and side windows, open back). The yellow one (industrial) should have originally had a red plastic front loader and bucket but I believe some were produced without the loader, the experts will tell you more.

A couple of years ago the local John Deere dealer just a few miles from me were having problems with some of the new models they were selling, cant recall the models, not being into them, but the problem was that they were scuffing out front tyres in a matter of months rather than years and they had great difficulty in finding out the cause. To make a long story short, the outcome was, as I suspected when I heard of it, was that they fitted the wrong transfer gear in the factory and the front wheels were trying to go faster than the back wheels. Even the big boys get it wrong sometimes.

Better wait 'till tomorrow night, might just have another surprize up my sleeve by then but I will sleep on that one.

I know what you mean. Why Britain's don't produce this sort of 'older' style equipment baffles me, there used to be some good stuff produced. We know that times change and real farm equipment has moved on but collectors and oldies like myself appreciate the older stuff and lets face it, there are a lot of farmers and, for the sake of a better description, hobby and small farmers out there that still have a use and still do use such things as a 4cwt (next project) fertalizer spinner and 2 furrow Fergy plough. Someone asked me a while back if I wanted to buy a digger, I said thanks but I've already got one, just needs a new handle! I'd better stop now as I'm going off topic.

Thanks for that Mr. Marky and Mr. Nick. I think it would need a considerable amount of improvement to produce in any numbers, perhaps I am too critical of my own work but I am very flattered to think that people think it worthy of that. Perhaps I ought to consider taking out a patent and registering a copyright!

Done the pto now. Could'nt put a 'sliding' tube on as it would make it too fat, just painted yellow with a bit of tube on the front end to represent the guard. Must admit, it does look better. Always glad of ideas and comments, easy to overlook little things.

Well, here it is, took me about 8 hours to make, started it about 7.30 this morning, the hardest part was getting the side sheeting to stick and stay in shape with the top. I have made the rear wheel pivoting as the original would and the blade carrier turns as well. The blade and the wheel are a little tight at the moment but will soon loosen up after a few acres and a good grease. Worked out what it is yet? Yes, quite correct, it's a 'Bush-hog' weed topper, or as I would call it, a 'swipe'. Based on the Wolsley Bush Hog. Good hard working implement especially for gorse and low scrub. Still quite a few being used around these parts. Important to keep it maintained and well balanced otherwise they are liable to shake themselves to bits. Anyway, hope you all like this creation as much as the mower.

Rico. Don't be too impatient. The next bit of kit has been made and is now ready for work. I am just about to upload the pics of it. Please watch tis space!!! . And thanks for the Claas brochure pics of the mower-conditioner but I think I will leave the model as it is. Will be good reference for the future though.

Working width depends on what model you like to call it. It could be a WM20 which was 5 foot 6 inch cut or if a WM22 would be 6 foot cut, that's why I did'nt put any number on it. I suppose that it would not be difficult to make a seperate conditioner to fit to it and make it removable, would be an idea to do as it would only really mean building basically a box to hinge to the back of the hood and underneath making up a sort of tube with spikes for the crimping bit but to get it right I would need a picture of one which I don't have at present, would have two machines in one then, just a thought.

Takes a long time, can't get the staff nowadays Richo!. Don't think there are any more angles of this one left to photograph now, pretty well covered it I think.

Has to be between the 1960's and 1980's preferably but any era would be ok as long as it is reasonably easy to construct, I'm only an amature at this model building lark and would be totally out of my depth if I had to work from plans, I like to do it from memory and possibly the only aid would be a hand book or parts list book (with pictures to go on) as this to me is a bit more of a challenge.

I think Iv'e gone as far as I can with this one now. Just finished making up and fitting the bed float spring and levelling arm mechanism, fiddely little job but I consider this mower build to be finished now. Going to have to think of some other implement or machinery to construct now, the thinking cap is on.

Blades are on. Although I have known some people go mowing without putting blades on and after a couple of acres wonder why the mower won't cut!

You've sussed it. Yes the skirt is made from duck tape. Saw it in my minds eye and thought it would be suitable for the job and would not need glueing, just foded it over on itself leaving just enough sticky edge to attach it underneath the hood around the outer lip and I must say that it does have the desired effect. Iv'e now made a blade changing bar, painted red and drilled a tiny hole in it and hung it on the hook on the headstock where it's supposed to go, I'll post a pic if you want. This duck tape I think would also be good to make anything that requires a 'fabric' finish like a tarpaulin, cover for a fertalizer spreader, lorry curtain sides, silage trailer rear curtain etc. I've seen it in blue, red, yelow, grey, silver and green and it seems to have that textured look of fabric sheeting. Perhaps this last comment should be placed under the 'model hints and tips' section. \

Rory. One for you here. Yes, I would definitely like echo all those positives that members have voiced in their posts about the C.T. Mag, what more can you say?. Did have a thought though with regards to 'Model Corner', don't know wheather practical or no, would be nice to have a 'Model Corner' supplement at the years end with all the years model articles/reports, would save trawling through a pile of magazines and could be just the ticket for referencing. Keep up the good work, we're all behind you 110%.

I think Iv'e pretty well finished it now, just completed fitting the drums and disks, also added the stand and the hook on the headstock to hang the bar to change the blades. I suppose that now Iv'e gone this far I ought to make the blade bar, it's only a straight bit of flat with a right angled finger on one end.

A lot of my mates that are into collecting farm stuff very often comment about this guy's BIN pricing. I know that I would never buy anything from him, especially when you add the postage. The reason he's expensive, no disrespect but he's a Scotty, they LOVE MONEY.

Hav'nt realy counted up the time but I suppose about 12 or 14 hours in total but not quite finished yet, dics and drums to make up and fit.

Funny you should mention the 'welds'. Seems like some superglues have that effect on some plastics, when it dries it seems to shrink slightly ruccling up, if thats the right word. \

Here is something that I have been having a go at over the last few evenings. Used to have one of these mowers several years ago, so that is what I based this one on. Used the parts book for reference but have taken no measurements, just done it by eye and hope that it has turned out roughly to scale. Very fiddely to construct and took a lot of head scratching. Made it out of my favourite, plasticard. Iv'e made it so it will swing to working mode and transport. Not quite finished yet as I have to make the drums and discs but all is in-hand. Could be a Claas WM20 or WM22. Hope you like the end result!

The term AFWD refers to the system Active Four Wheel Drive. Would anyone have a brochure of this to correctly describe and explain the system?

Iv'e just had a good look at the Chafer sprayer and the rear Everard sprayer that was part of the MF 2680 set and the sprayer booms are the same on both so they would all be compatible but the frame on the one I converted to an Allman would be better to use as it is all metal and therefore a lot stronger and on this last one the booms are also exactly the same as the previous two.