Old reel lawn mower?

Question

I only have the mower part. It is very old and needs sharpening. I do not have a handle. How can I find one? Can I use one from a regular push mower?

Answer 1

Most of those old handles were made using hickory wood. They fit into the metal frame of the mower and were held in place by through bolts. The "T" handle across the top was a lathe turned handle that usually fastened to the upright using a "U" type of fitting that was also through bolted. Unfortumately, replacement parts for these old mowers are no longer made commercially.

If I were in your situation, I would look up a local home woodworker. If you live in a small town, you probably already know who that might be. If you live in a city, you might want to ask around at the lumber company or look in the newspaper classified ads. In any event, a woodworker might be willing to make you the handle you need for a nominal fee.

There are all kinds of websites for collectors of "vintage lawnmowers. You might find some of them interesting. A Yahoo search for "vintage lawnmowers" (include the quotation marks in the search box) yields 904 results.

Good luck with your restoration project.

Answer 2

Do you know the name of it. Look it up on the internet, see if they sell parts for it. Like Briggs & Station etc But if you have another mower and the handle fits then use it . As long as it works go for it. Pem

Answer 3

You can check swap meets and garage sales for these. also sometimes antique/junk dealers save parts. Another source is of course E-bay. You Can have a good handyman fabricate one. A new type lawnmower handle would not hold up to the force. If you were in Northern NM I could tell you of numerous people who could fabricate this.