Bannerman 418 Hovermower, Not Flymo

[@OldCarAlley]

That mower did a great job!

[@MatthewBerginGarage]

It did. I was surprised as we did absolutely nothing to it. It is exactly as I got it at the auction even down to the fuel. We shall see, after some maintenance, how it cuts on some longer grass next year. The mower feels really light and easy to move.

[@bigmfromdevn]

Alright there Matt, Just stumbled across yer Flymo vid from 9yrs ago, which led me to yer Bannerman, that aren’t / weren’t sold ere in the UK. Thought t’me self, somebody’s mutilated the skirt on the hood of that Flymo, no wonder ee would’n float proper, what the hell did’ m do that fer ? I thought t’meself ee’s pushin the bugger the wrong way , well the hood butchery explains all that, dunit ? I gotta 1995 2 stroke Flymo L47 (47 cm / 18.5in cut) oil to petrol ratio : 25 to 1, (thought all 2 stroke Tecumseh engines were ? bet yours was smokin at a 40 to 1 mix) still got me same proper Flymo mixin bottle that came wiv him, fill fuel to the neck of the bottle & the last inch & a half top up to the line wiv yer 2stroke oil. Ever since me uncle bought ee’s first one in 1965 (they came out in 1963) i’ve had a fond affection fer em, cos i gotta large banked area at the bottom of me garden, which these hover mowers really excel at cuttin. & One last thing, hope you don’t mind me sayin that you look a little bit cack handed when you’m startin these hovers, should always start a hover from the side my Bucky. The correct procedure (from the Flymo instructions). 1/lift up the handle to the vertical position. 2/ lean the machine back @ a 45 degree angle. 3/ place the tip of yer left boot on the edge of the hood , there should be a mark / arrow showing you where t’place the toe of yer boot. 4/ step back wiv yer right foot a little bit. 5/ then lay hold of the recoil rope handle & pull t’yer heart’s content. You should find that this way avoids the machine jumpin off the bleddy ground like a Kangaroo, like you’ve already experienced 😉. Enjoy yer hovers Matthew. Cheers now. 👍

[@MatthewBerginGarage]

Thanks for the comment, I was pushing the Flymo backwards as you are right the skirt was damaged and the mower didn't float properly. This Flymo was used in a commercial landscaping operation and badly treated for about 15 years then thrown in the back of the salt dome for 10 or so years. Actually it is amazing it even runs. Yes I was using 40 to 1 as it was laying around but I was using synthetic oil so for that short use there would be no damage. We use 40 to 1 i n the PWC's and even 16 to 1 in my 1928 Johnson A 3.5. Let me tell you when using dino oil that baby smokes something fierce. 😱😊 The Bannerman is so similar to the Flymo but the heavier four stroke doesn't float as well.

[@bigmfromdevn]

@@MatthewBerginGarage Ok there Matt, thanks fer the reply. Yes, i’ve also had me doubts regarding these Honda equipped hovers, as well as Husqvarna who own the Flymo brand now, (twas Electrolux when I bought mine 28 yrs ago) all hover manufacturers seem t’be using that engine eg: the ones i know of: Cobra , Hayter Allen , Toro & Bluebird. T’me the engine looks a bit top heavy, but , if i was to update my ol’mare, i’d seriously consider the Cobra, but the middle of the range one , that’s fitted wiv a Briggs n Stratton 140cc engine, tis still a 4 stroke but a more compact design & of course these new ones you don’t have to prime em, doee ? The Briggsey i got in me ol’ Champion 20" wheeled mower is a crackin little engine, prime’n 3/4 times, starts first time most times , definitely always starts 2nd pull. I also use their Fuel Fit , cos these modern fuels don’t seem to store very well between cuttin seasons , but no worries now if i got half a gallon of E5 left in the Jerry can , i won’t even entertain buyin that other crap they call E10, don’t even put that in me own vehicle, a 2018 Suzuki Vitara, which the handbook says will run on it. Thanks once again Matt. Cheers now. 👍

[@colinthepanamerican]

flymo was made my husqvarna, that brand is a different brand then, right?

[@MatthewBerginGarage]

This mower is made by Bannerman. Not a Flymo but a Hovermower. Underneath they look very similar. 😉

[@colinthepanamerican]

thats kinda like a lawn boy

[@MatthewBerginGarage]

Except for the Honda engine yes it does. Funny though the Lawnboy is lighter because of the 2 stroke engine and the magnesium deck.