Oxford Allen Scythe

This is my next project to skin my knuckles on. It seems it's a T or TS model made between 1945 up to 1958 or there about. Other models used 4 stroke engines. As usual when you don't know what your doing you find out you already stuffed up the stripping down. Looks like yhe wheels should have come off first to give access to more nuts n bolts.

Now I have one wheel off n other started to move with 4" (100mm) to go. One Gibb head key came out by hand, not good n other I used my home made Gibb head key remover. 
Im stuck trying to get the top cover off. Something inside is holding it down. Seems the bracket at the bottom of the box fits into a spline n is frozen. So with both wheels off i can flip it all over n get a better look at things

These were everywhere once, some had quite wide cutter bars, think 6 or 7 feet and really wide axles for in steep country

Paul

This is a standard 3 foot wide bar. It can be offset to either side. The ratchet system on each wheel allows you to keep a straight line when mowing embankments  engage lower wheel, disengage high side.
These Mowers are made for those who only want to mow once a year as nothing stops them.

They were used by full time farmers for cutting hay before everyone had tractors
They can cover a lot of acres quickly compared to a horse
A hay rake can ve towed by a car and contract bailing was big in the beginning as it is again these days

A way for farmers to get mechanized without spending buck fulls of money

Paul

Cobba, type "Allen scythe restoration" into youtube.  I watched a video on youtube a few months ago about a bloke restoring one of these machines.  You might happen to see a few things in his video that help you with the disassembly of yours.

Brett.

Just got home from a clearing sale one of those sod for five or six hundred dollars was talking to a guy and not sure if it made six but eas definitely over five

Bluey

I believe other tools could be swapped for the scythe, can't remember what they were though, doh

Hi Cobbadog and Cobbarette,
I have seen a lot of these for sale over the years. All were standard three foot ones, I have never seen one of the very wide ones MrsMackPaul mentioned. Most of the ones that had a price on them were around two or three hundred dollars. I did see one for one hundred a few years ago. Each time I saw one, I considered buying it but I really have no use for it, so I walked away.
Well, Cobba, you seem to like a challenge, keep us informed of progress.
 

Yes 180, found that video last night which showed me the trick to lifting the top off.
so with the lid off I cleaned out the insides n ran tap n die on all threads. I will finish playing inside 1st, then seal the lid back on. I need to check the drive clutch which seems a bit stiff. 
Once the lid is back on I will remove the 2nd wheel assembly.