This is a short video of my 1921 Atco Standard lawnmower, I explain a few of its features and then mow my grass, its almost 100 years old but runs perfectly and smell amazing running on Castro R vegetable oil at 16 to 1
Пікірлер: 1 100
@SteveBernard429 ай бұрын
‘You can’t beat the smell of Castrol R on a sunny afternoon’…….. Perfect!
@Herzankerkreuz674 жыл бұрын
Back in the old days machines were built to last, made with the pride and honor of those who made them. In today's day and age things are produced to fail in order to stimulate consumerism and satisfy the greed of giant corporations............ Thanks for sharing this wonderful machine with us 👍
@markfitzsimons95404 жыл бұрын
How is there 23 thumbs down? Allen you are a national treasure and I absolutely love all your videos, please keep making them!
@mattcumberland37394 жыл бұрын
Your enthusiasm is second only to your abilities. Thank you
@jasonphillips38654 жыл бұрын
When I was a 16 year old engineering apprentice, I worked at a company called Turner Spicer in Wolverhampton. It was on the old Villiers site which was huge. They even had an old Villiers car which we had to maintain and polish all the brass. And now 30 years later, after a lifetime of working as a plastic injection moulding toolmaker, I'm a senior Project Engineer and can appreciate all what Mr Millyard says and does. Proper old school engineering skills which what this country was built on. Thank you sir for allowing us mortals to see your genius at work. 🙂
@markwilliams97934 жыл бұрын
When he says "I might make a V-Twin out of it one day", you can he can and will. What a legend!
@wheelie634 жыл бұрын
thats what i was thinkin'
@Da5idc4 жыл бұрын
Would be awesome, but it would also be a pity to lose the original machine
@GB-vn1tf4 жыл бұрын
@@Da5idc he might not do it for that reason. It would be cool but it would ruin it as a mower as it would be too heavy. I'd like to see it but I really Hope's he doesn't.
@wadesconstruction70134 жыл бұрын
NAHHH, He's decided to build a radial instead.
@Froggability4 жыл бұрын
Pls No That's Sacrilege!
@barryroach19804 жыл бұрын
I don't know about , "lets take it for a spin" it took you for the spin matey! Great piece of history kept in very good order.
@whalesong9994 жыл бұрын
Whew, I couldn't keep up with that one. What a speedster...! Castrol R, 40w I presume.
@steves26944 жыл бұрын
Seems fit for long fairways, not backyard corners. But what fun to watch!
@forkboy33093 жыл бұрын
And he’s considering adding a twin engine!
@VINCEBJ714 жыл бұрын
Sir, dear Allen, just found your channel and I am astonished.... The passion you heve, the kindness and explanations are just incredible... I would be proud to be your pupil and learn/work with you. You are a mechanical genius and seem a genuin nice person to be friends with! Thanks for showing us that part of your life!
@stillbill64084 жыл бұрын
If I may add...a true English gentleman.
@machineshopatthebottomofth32134 жыл бұрын
Is it sad that I am more excited by this video than the 6 cylinder bike videos?
@machineshopatthebottomofth32133 жыл бұрын
Because if this video I bought one of these mowers and restored it! Video on my channel!
@gearboxobs4194 жыл бұрын
Don't you just love the smell of Castrol R in the morning during lockdown? '
@jamessharp97904 жыл бұрын
Douglas Nosferatou indeed. Have my 77’ Husqvarna almost ready to blast some bean oil
@jlucasound4 жыл бұрын
Smells like Victory uh.. Garden! :-)
@CaptainScarlet19614 жыл бұрын
I love the smell of Castrol R at any time of the day, I ran all my 2 strokes on it :-)
@kene68384 жыл бұрын
Wuhan Batsoup I run it in my weed eater just for the memories
@nickyfield1374 жыл бұрын
Someday...this lockdown will end !
@philipcooper82974 жыл бұрын
Back in the day, people were smart enough to know they should not put their hands into a rotating metal fan, that's why there's no protective cage.
@howardosborne86474 жыл бұрын
And smart enough not to need labels on bleach and other cleansing products stating 'DO NOT DRINK!'. I seriously worry about where this regressive evolution process will lead us to.
@wibblywobbly12344 жыл бұрын
Aerage IQ has gone down at least 10 points in the last century. This is a true fact btw. Idiocracy beckons.
@howardosborne86474 жыл бұрын
@@wibblywobbly1234 we no longer strive to live in a democracy. A sheep like mediocracy seems the goal now😵
@simonsharrett91164 жыл бұрын
@@howardosborne8647 To the current POTUS
@donaldpowers33144 жыл бұрын
@@simonsharrett9116 tds much the msm were INVITED to JOHN PODESTA in march of 2016 after he received a EMAIL from a globalist cultural stragiset who said THIS AS I've mentioned we all have been QUITE CONTENT TO DEMEAN GOVERNMENT DROP CIVICS DROP CIVICS IN GENERAL CON-SPIRE TO PRODUCE AN UNAWARE AND and COMPLIANT CITIZENRY... it worked they own you!
@robalexander734811 ай бұрын
That is a beautiful old Atco mower, it's a real keep sake. My grand father had a green Atco, and i enjoyed mowing my grand parents lawn in Sydney around 1956 👍 Au
@daveoneshot56812 жыл бұрын
Fantastic, with the original pink Lodge sparkplug......Allen is always an inspiration.
@richieb76924 жыл бұрын
You put Castrol R in the lawnmower... You, Sir are a Legend.!!!
@willswheels283 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Allen, an old friend of mine(sadly passed away 10 yrs ago) had a collection of vintage mowers in his sheds, and one of these was an Atco very similar to this with the 99cc Villiers engine on it, then another one was a Ransomes lightweight cylinder mower with the same engine only crank handle start! Seeing your mower brought back memories.
@GuitarsNBikesNBits4 жыл бұрын
Dad brought one of these home when I was a kid, there play with that, he was fed up with me "fixing" things that weren't really broken, to his surprise i was running behind it a few days later, 9 years old been watching him tinker with various machines, so put into practice. I was then given the moniker of "Stevie Wonder" which stuck until he passed, he had always wondered how i managed it, probably a bit of luck, but brings back great memories....thank you for posting this
@philipharlen74184 жыл бұрын
Your story is mine also. 👍👍🔧
@ljgarrison69104 жыл бұрын
I didn't know I could find lawn-mowers interesting, what fantastic viewing!
@stevengarforth42444 жыл бұрын
That lawnmower, looks like it would eat you alive, I love how it’s taking you for a run round the garden. Great video once again. Thank you for making my day better again
@alankathy61754 жыл бұрын
Another Ripper little vid Allen. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.
@sjb594 жыл бұрын
Dammit man, you’ve even got a cool lawnmower 👍
@supertramp60114 жыл бұрын
emsjb05 suitably tuned up,cranking out a respectable 2.5 ponies..... all that porting and polishing paid off in the end. Still agree with the’Yard tho’, shoulda been a Vee twin....
@worlknut4 жыл бұрын
My Dad had one of those engines when I was a kid, I used to take it apart and rebuild it repeatedly, that started my love of anything mechanicle.
@josephreisinger334 жыл бұрын
Sir, you are a madman and yes the smell of castor oil brings back fond memories of 2 stroke racing of days gone by. Smashing lawnmower!!!
@patrickwalker25094 жыл бұрын
+ 4 stroke.
@someonethatwatchesyoutube29533 жыл бұрын
Probably the only man on the planet who I’d enjoying watching mow his lawn.
@markpowell10263 жыл бұрын
My dad bought his Atco standard new in 1927, used it until he died in 1982. Great machine. It was quite an experience to use it.
@llamamanism4 жыл бұрын
When products were built up to a quality not down to a price The company is still making mowers today just updated a bit
@DickHolman3 жыл бұрын
No, it's a label, the original factory in Oxford is a trading-estate, & the company was bought out by Grove Cranes some time before production ceased & the site sold.
@chrischappell98244 жыл бұрын
What a hero. I bet your neighbors love you and all your toys! Keep making these fantastic machines.
@ed_richards474 жыл бұрын
What a lovely old piece of engineering! I used to love the smell of Castrol R when I hung around with my old scrambling mates. Funny how evocative a smell can be!
@malcellison88314 жыл бұрын
This is a first for me! Never in my life has there been a single moment when I've been interested in lawn mowers - until today 😁 Great video and what a great vintage machine. As if that wasn't enough, there's the suggestion of a V-twin conversion! Brilliant.
@BastardX134 жыл бұрын
That's a proper lawn mower! Absurdly, well built. I want one!
@AllenMillyard2 жыл бұрын
there are often a few for sale on eBay
@dannymacarthur134 жыл бұрын
Allen, I love to watch your videos. I wish the BBC or some other TV channel would give you your own TV slot!
@bolderiks4 жыл бұрын
This is so so nice! I still remember my 90+ year old neighbour - may his soul rest in peace - who used to cut his grass with an Atco. In my mind I can still see him being pulled forward by the Atco. His tiny arms reached out like elastic bands to the handles while his unheard foodpace was one of a 20 year old. He had a beautifull garden, the smell of his Honeysuckles reached out for tens of yards, with my eyes closed it felt like heaven. After he died the house is sold to some modern douchebags, they completely ruined the garden and made it look like some sort of operating theater, obviously with themselves as patients.
@silverarrowse554 жыл бұрын
I want one! The sweet smell of Castrol R will take me back to my teenage Scrambling and Grasstrack days.
@AllenMillyard4 жыл бұрын
the smell of wet grass and castor oil - amazing
@fpreston95274 жыл бұрын
I remember the smell of castrol r and frying bacon in the paddock at race meetings. Who wouldn't
@Roger.Coleman19494 жыл бұрын
Brilliant stuff Allen , turned one of these down once when a friend who had inherited it , offered it to me free as he lost control and took out a low brick wall between him and his neighbour .A V-Twin would be awesome !
@MegaTube13134 жыл бұрын
Would even make a great static motor huffing and puffing on a lazy afternoon just to smell Castrol . absolutely brilliant
@tonywatson9874 жыл бұрын
Mmm, Castrol R - that takes me back to when I was a kid, smelling my Dad's old bike.
@Shinysideup4 жыл бұрын
Love the smell of Castrol R, I use it for my vintage speedway bikes, never thought I’d be interested in a lawnmower, nice video Allen.
@neilattaway21824 жыл бұрын
Seeing this reminds me of the Atco greens mower I rebuilt. It was a monster with a 4 foot cut. Really well built but sadly the engine had had it so was replaced with a Honda engine. The first time I let the clutch out it leapt out of my hands and was off down the garden at around 20mph !!!! I hadn't taken into account the extra power from the Honda engine nor the gearing !!! Fond memories of trying to keep up with the thing but it cut beautifully.
@gwstubbs70462 жыл бұрын
That is without a doubt the coolest vintage lawn mower.
@AllenMillyard2 жыл бұрын
It’s proper fun to chase it around the garden
@trutr52054 жыл бұрын
Allen she looks like a handful to steer around your small yard. What a wonderful piece of history. They don’t make them like they did in the past.
@redoverdrivetheunstoppable46374 жыл бұрын
that thing is so old the grass has genetically evolved since then.... a spark plug you can take apart, tell me about repairability
@colemanadamson59434 жыл бұрын
Evolution is a lie.....but I get your point.
@redoverdrivetheunstoppable46374 жыл бұрын
@@colemanadamson5943 so we have foot fingers NOT BECAUSE MONKEYS HAVE EM FUNCTIONAL... but because they are pretty to look... especially with nail polish LOL... also you can see earth curvature by every place over the sea, do you know ships look shorter after some distance? and this from every (round) angle but you are the liar... every wise person knows that i'm not replying anymore to this shitty topic, bye
@bananasstuff33444 жыл бұрын
@@colemanadamson5943 and God created everything.... Right.
@redoverdrivetheunstoppable46374 жыл бұрын
@@bananasstuff3344 you forgot "magically" LOL
@albinklein76804 жыл бұрын
What a lovely machine! That brass(?) flywheel and the red fan! And the open conical clutch! Plain gorgeous!
@petersaupe74554 жыл бұрын
I had one with 20 blades.It came from a very large estate near my home.It had a ride on roller trailer seat and was used to cut the tennis lawns.the badminton court and croquet lawns.It was put in a shed when the Americans arrived in the 2nd world war and was left until 1970 when I bought it.I had to get the mag sorted and the carb was a bit if a mess but when I got it going it ran very well.I gave it to an old friend who has passed away and I am now going to see his widow to see if its still there.
@georgesharman98914 жыл бұрын
Great machine Allen . Who would have guessed even your lawn mower is a work of art.
@dannydanielson92574 жыл бұрын
That’s the greatest mower I have ever seen absolutely brilliant 🇿🇦
@chrisprobert64 жыл бұрын
Castrol r and fresh cut grass. Enuff said 👍
@gavincurtis4 жыл бұрын
Smells great, looks great and makes the gophers angry. Asphalt, slaughtered grass and castor oil... fascinatingly pleasant odors to me.
4 жыл бұрын
....I must say....at great risk....I have a Husqvarna robot lawnmower....and have completely forgotten what gas and exhaust smell like.
@rustyshackleford96324 жыл бұрын
Central Scrutinizer I’m gonna need you to hand in your man card immediately.
@MrGazzee4 жыл бұрын
Arhh!! Castrol R that brings back memories of days at Oulton park as a youngster riding there on my James Comet 1956 Villiers 2 speed,the smell lingered in my nostrils well after I arrived home,As a 16 year old ran my Honda C50 on "R" back in the day until it burnt the exhaust valve out and had to push it home....memories brought back into my brain from all those years ago. Thanks Allen been following your exploits for ages,what a guy.
@alfbittner64892 жыл бұрын
The workings of bye gone machines is truly fascinating, watching you bring them back to life is educational and entertaining. Steem, may be the future once they turn the switch off. The smell of Castrol 16 to 1, classic reminiscent of the old seagull outboard.
@dtr1254 жыл бұрын
That's an awesome looking lawnmower. I love seeing old engines being used instead of stuck in museums. Clearly any thumbs down on this video are environmentalists who get butthurt at the mere sight of smoke. Sod em.
@AllenMillyard4 жыл бұрын
And dont forget the oil is sprays eveywhere
@rarelycomments4 жыл бұрын
"What do you mean you got your hand caught in the fan? It's painted red!"
@johnthompson66564 жыл бұрын
If it wasn't red before, it would be after that !
@deutschchad1399 Жыл бұрын
I found your channel a few weeks back and I’m hooked. Your ideas are brilliant and your motorcycle creations should’ve bee offered as a factory option. 👍👍👍
@jhndijkman4 жыл бұрын
Nice video on a bit of real history. You commentary is spot on with a little knowledge and the pure joy of ownership. Thanks for that. Cheers.
@kriswright10224 жыл бұрын
That. Is the coolest mower I’ve ever seen! Keep it original, just my humble opinion!
@fidelcatsro69484 жыл бұрын
except for a open pod KnN , an oil cooler, a water cooling radiator addition and electric fans and 12:1 high compression wiseco pistons with a complementing yoshimura exhaust can...total: 20hp gain!
@alanottley4 жыл бұрын
Wow - what an awesome machine! Totally agree with you on the aroma of Castrol R!
@ZippoVarga3 жыл бұрын
I'm a huge small engine nut and these vintage engines that have been saved by proper great people such as yourself just keeps the history alive. Not to mention, I own many vintage Honda Motorcycles and seeing what you can do with hand tools, a bit of casting, welding and machining it just incredible my Friend. Keep doing what you do! Cheers! Zip~
@stuckintheeighties4874 жыл бұрын
A true engineering genius and a lovely fella. We doff our caps to you sir.
@johnthomas51664 жыл бұрын
16:1 ratio! Don't say that too loud or the British version of the EPA will come and take your fun away. By the way, I love the machine. Very cool!
@Da5idc4 жыл бұрын
Awesome machine, and thanks for the memories of Castrol R - brings back fond memories of my Karting days 🙂🙂🙂
@paulfitzpatrick92314 жыл бұрын
Back in the day,every Ariel Arrow owner worth his/her salt ran their bikes on the famous "Cazzy R".The smell was amazing!Thanks once again Allen,Excellent!
@FIGTOOLS3 жыл бұрын
If anyone else on the planet said that they may make a v twin of their lawnmower i wouldn't believe them, but when this guy says it i know its possible! you are a legend Allen
@bigbird21004 жыл бұрын
Love Castrol R used it on modded Metro turbo what a smell 👍
@nottyash1004 жыл бұрын
This is the make we saw as children in the parks in London, looks like you need to be a runner to keep up.
@TRISTANorTRIS4 жыл бұрын
What a beast. When it first took off I thought it was going to take your arms off!
@InTheFleshInc3 жыл бұрын
You just don't see this kind of awesome engineering from so long ago...what a Beauty.
@disrupter74194 жыл бұрын
Brilliant! Lol. Looks like she nearly got away from you there when you set off :)
@pallidbustofpallas46794 жыл бұрын
I was surprised at how fast it was!
@Farlig694 жыл бұрын
I stick a wee squirt of the old R in all my garden toys: strimmer, chainsaw, mower & snow blower so wonderful smells all year!! 😎
@brianhanson80344 жыл бұрын
Yes, you're not the only one, confuses people, ' what the hell are you running that thing on?' 😂
@franciscodieguez51874 жыл бұрын
Just a man throwing sick drifts with a century old mower. Awesome.
@jessewoody57724 жыл бұрын
I love your demeaner. The way you talk about it with Propper Reverence sprinkled with a little covertness. That is a way cool mower. Using tools and equipment that are that old, gives one a connection with OUR forefathers that can be felt in the soul.
@roeng13684 жыл бұрын
Tom had one similar in "The good life" !
@chopperhehehe4 жыл бұрын
I would cut my grass every day just for the smell This guy is a legend 👍👍👍😜🦄🏴🎣😁🤞✌️
@sicks6six3 жыл бұрын
nice to see as much enthusiasm about this engine as a 6 cylinder Z1. . . its the same feeling when they fire up and run . .the ATCO is from a time when all men were mechanics, keeping mopeds and lawnmowers running. .
@Teacher-lj6in4 жыл бұрын
Awesome my good man--thanks for being so available to share your knowledge...to share your workd with fellow petrolheads!Many thanks Greetings from South Africa
@paulthompson86134 жыл бұрын
That thing looks possessed like a thing out of a Tim Burton movie . I need one now just to cut my hair
@steverr49694 жыл бұрын
Deffo do the V Twin Allen and let all see you do it Pure class
@peteramberley99524 жыл бұрын
Did they ever make a vtwin two stroke?
@awdrifter33944 жыл бұрын
Cut the grass 2x as fast.
@gs4254 жыл бұрын
@@peteramberley9952 rgv250 for a start
@lewisodonnell2344 жыл бұрын
Me and my brother just got one each off a good guy in Blackburn for free for us to restore. There not as old as your one though ours are from the 60s. I can’t wait to have mine going.
@kennethm.pricejr.89213 жыл бұрын
Of all the engine videos I've watched this one best illustrates the design brilliance and simplicity of the 2 stroke piston engine. Imagine trying to maintain this engine for 100 years with all the cam and valve mechanisms of a 4 stroke.
@andrewwilson83174 жыл бұрын
It's only a matter of time till it's powered by a five cylinder radial engine made from villiers cylinders!
@AllenMillyard4 жыл бұрын
Hmm theres a thought
@fidelcatsro69484 жыл бұрын
I will write in a Protest letter to the BRITISH PARLIAMENT requesting an Injunction and confiscation to that project to save that engine and display it in a museum!
@ces75154 жыл бұрын
@@fidelcatsro6948 🙄
@ChumbahNutz4 жыл бұрын
@@AllenMillyard I dare you. I double dare you! :-)
@passpato14 жыл бұрын
@@holycrapski Sammy Miller is hated in the restoration community. While everyone else gets up early and cues outside autojumbles . "Sir" Miller turns up late and blags his self in to grab all the best parts before anyone else. He's a self appointed jerk. He was always a pot hunter when he was trialing. Not someone we should respect or vulnerate. Unlike the Gentlemen in this video.
@k13ehr4 жыл бұрын
Nice one mate.
@bahoonies3 жыл бұрын
Somehow I feel that no other mower would be appropriate for this extraordinary man.
@tomrogers9467 Жыл бұрын
Wow, This takes me back! In 1976 I ran a lawn equipment sales shop for an Englishman in Toronto, Ontario. One of the product lines we sold was the “Atco” line. One of the few quality reel mowers available here without moving to industrial level Toro or Ransommes equipment! A bit of a learning curve for me to learn the “English” way of doing things! Only seems a short while ago! How time flies. (The mower shop wasn’t a big operation, but he went on to make a fortune manufacturing all terrain construction forklifts, Load Lifter by name.
@loydsa4 жыл бұрын
What a lovely machine, probably more reliable than the import engine on the Mountfield I have been struggling with today
@jkaufman3574 жыл бұрын
"I love the smell of unburned hydrocarbons in the morning!"
@kevinhoffman65924 жыл бұрын
Working on boats you don't see fan on a motor . And when i have to work on a car it's different got my fingers hit a little bit but still have all of them . Thanks for your Videos Al .
@oldschoolengineer584 жыл бұрын
what a Gem, thanks for sharing this Allen, stay safe
@123spleege4 жыл бұрын
Great!!! ah the smell of a two-stroke!!!!! I used to love the smell of my 1975 Honda CR 125 Elsinore running Klotz. Yep Klotz. great name. Amazing machine. Use that thing on a large lawn and loose 10 pounds!!!!
@eminusipi4 жыл бұрын
I think that Oliver Douglas of 'Green Acres' would have bought this from Mr. Haney :)
@burbotbreath4 жыл бұрын
That would be exactly the lawn mower I'd expect you to have. Thanks for the video clip.
@haraldpettersen36494 жыл бұрын
A beautiful engine, and I see you get a lot of gymnastics by following the mower around the garden, keep it as it is. It's a jewel, and certainly not many of it.
@Cedric_Klein4 жыл бұрын
I just discovered your channel thanks to the KZfaq algorithm and I'm amazed by your content! Keep it up! Greeting from France 🇫🇷
@r1273m4 жыл бұрын
I tend to think of Castrol R in the context of a BSA Gold Star, not a lawn mower! Just think of your neighbours sunbathing in the garden. Sniff, sniff. Is that a Goldie somewhere? Nah, just Allen mowing his grass!
@leslieaustin1514 жыл бұрын
r1273m I used to put a drop of Castrol R into my 4-stroke mower’s petrol, so I could be taken back to the Derek Minter days at Brands Hatch as I cut the lawn. Sadly, my mower is now an electric thing! Les
@howardosborne86474 жыл бұрын
@@leslieaustin151 That's new news to me. I never knew the 'Mint' raced a lawnmower around Brands Hatch 😕
@leslieaustin1514 жыл бұрын
Howard Osborne Always full of surprises! Les
@supertramp60114 жыл бұрын
r1273m just wait til he cranks up the barbie,the smell of z900 pistons wafting over the fence will be sure to bring them round with a cold one....
@yordyiam4 жыл бұрын
That's a veritable contraption! 😍. Castrol R??! Blimey, not cheap 😱. 2 stroke MX bike memories 😛. Thanks, Allen. Yet another great video 👍
@ukstuartpatterson2 жыл бұрын
Add that to the "ministry of funny walks"..... :D Reminds me of the time I hired a rotavator and didn't know about the stick at the rear to act as a brake! :) Nice old machinery - just can't be beaten!
@fhbkx4 жыл бұрын
11/2HP but mines 21/4hp, of course it is after you installed a KZ1000 piston! lol
@tinks434 жыл бұрын
What a weapon!. Nearly took your arm off! 👍🏻
@terrypikaart43944 жыл бұрын
We ran a 20:1 caster oil and methanol, in our racing two stroke outboards. Quincy loopers and Konigs. Love that smell. Great to see that old two stroke mower running!.
@kcraig514 жыл бұрын
I've worked on power equipment since I was 12 -13 yrs. old. I've never seen anything so cool. (I'm 52 now) Don't you dare turn it into a V-twin! Excellent piece of history.
@russelldavis71084 жыл бұрын
I see what you mean about being a handful !
@thesunreport4 жыл бұрын
It took off a quite a pace!!!....what a beauty!!...I bet those were a favourite of village greenkeepers across the land!! :D
@78jota4 жыл бұрын
Wonderfull machine but surely, if you want a trailer, you'll just make one :-)
@gs4254 жыл бұрын
That's what I was thinking. Look for a brochure and knock one out as close as possible
@edwardtupper63744 жыл бұрын
Seventy feet long self propelled twin nine cylinder radials articulated on fifteen axles.
@brianmason98034 жыл бұрын
One day all mowers will be made this way. Fabulous.
@kawasakikev89054 жыл бұрын
my initial though , it's only a single cylinder ..... nice to see you'va already considered a V twin . what a great bit of kit .