Sickle bar mower, David Bradley (two walk behinds)

[Pullstart 62,834]

Found these while picking up a parts snowmobile at the local weekly auction yard tonight... just felt like I had to have them!  Initial thought was to tear the off brand mower apart to build an attachment for Putt Putt, but maybe I’ll have to use the DB mower attachment and build my own WH adapter.  They were separate auctions, so I went home and duked it out on both until I won ‘em!  All in all, they both have free and complete engines, and the sickle bars both move freely as well.  After fees I’ll be into them for less than I see just the walk behind David Bradley tractors go for.

 

Any insight to the non-David-Bradley machine?  The engine constantly runs the mower via belt drive, and the wheel drive engagement is from the wooden handled lever.

 

The DB is Briggs powered, the no-name is Clinton.

[CasualObserver 3,408]

The no name looks like a Jari mower to me.

[ktowndave 5]

I want the blue transmission Bradley. I used to collect DBs, had 26 at one time and tons of implements. Went through a divorce and had to part with them.

[ebinmaine 67,421]

No info for ya but both are pretty cool

[Pullstart 62,834]

7 hours ago, ktowndave said:

I want the blue transmission Bradley. I used to collect DBs, had 26 at one time and tons of implements. Went through a divorce and had to part with them.

 to  @ktowndave!  Sounds like you know quite a bit about these, if you had 26 of them..  and sorry to hear they had to go.  Should this have had a hood, or were some not equipped as so?

[Pullstart 62,834]

Here are some more pictures, from the auction site.  I love the exhaust on the Clinton engine, just a length of 1/2” pipe!

 

 

 

[peter lena 8,609]

I agree on the jari cutter view  of this, this is a great find ! as you are aware, this is old school bombproof mentality ,having regularly recovered older equipment , I resto mod it. you can recover long neglected areas and modify them as needed , levers and control cable's that have never been lubricated can be enhanced to work with ease. sea foam gas treat meant, stabil fuel additive, gear box oils that have never been changed  . just looking at your pictures makes me want to get after it and bring it back, imagine what chain and cable spray would do for those cycle bars and friction points. good luck with them, pete 

[ktowndave 5]

5 hours ago, pullstart said:

 to  @ktowndave!  Sounds like you know quite a bit about these, if you had 26 of them..  and sorry to hear they had to go.  Should this have had a hood, or were some not equipped as so?

No, not all of them had hoods. The ones with larger engines don't. I believe this one was the last model of David Bradley walk behind which 1966 was the last year production. 

[ktowndave 5]

5 minutes ago, ktowndave said:

No, not all of them had hoods. The ones with larger engines don't. I believe this one was the last model of David Bradley walk behind which 1966 was the last year production. 

There should be a tag attached to the transmission that has a number on it. This would be the model number. If you get a chance, post the number for me.

Edited September 21, 2018 by ktowndave
Missed a word.

[Pullstart 62,834]

55 minutes ago, ktowndave said:

There should be a tag attached to the transmission that has a number on it. This would be the model number. If you get a chance, post the number for me.

 

Sure thing!  I have until next Saturday to pick them up, possibly I’ll have time Monday to grab ‘em.

[ktowndave 5]

Does it run? What did you have to give for it?

[WHNJ701 4,165]

3 hours ago, ktowndave said:

No, not all of them had hoods. The ones with larger engines don't. I believe this one was the last model of David Bradley walk behind which 1966 was the last year production. 

yes you are correct on this no hood for this model, it's very late model has the nice reverse option.  I redid a 1947 one awhile ago 

[Pullstart 62,834]

17 hours ago, ktowndave said:

Does it run? What did you have to give for it?

 

The pair, after auction surcharge and all, is right around $250. I didn’t hear either of them run, but the DB supposedly does.  The Jari had no information at all.  The plastic bag on top of the DB is a magneto pickup and some other ignition related stuff, so I don’t know if it needs work to run, or if those were spare parts.

[ktowndave 5]

That is an excellent price. Just the Bradley alone I think would have a minimum 6-800 value. I haven't looked for any tractors in 10 years as I don't really have enough room to keep any but, if I did, I'd be tempted in buying lots of them again.. lol

[WHNJ701 4,165]

3 hours ago, ktowndave said:

That is an excellent price. Just the Bradley alone I think would have a minimum 6-800 value. I haven't looked for any tractors in 10 years as I don't really have enough room to keep any but, if I did, I'd be tempted in buying lots of them again.. lol

6-800?, I don't see that.  I know out here most of the old walk behinds any brand have little to no value anymore.  most people be happy to give them away or scrap.  there seems to a real lack of intrest in walk behinds anymore.  I think they are cool I don't collect them aside from the 1 david bradley I saved to display with the suburban 

[Pullstart 62,834]

There’s a Miranda Lambert song, called “Old Sh%t”.  Look it up if you don’t mind the s word.  

 

“One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure

one man’s pain is another man’s pleasure

if it’s out of style, man it drives me wild

I’m a fan of it, old sh%t”

 

They’re a little twisted, and really cool.  I’ll have to see if I can get either to fire before I decide what to do with them. Either way, they’re home!

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,421]

Right there with you brother man. Actually Trina is too. We're like two little five year old walking around at an antique car show or even a salvage yard.

[Dakota8338 115]

The DB looks to have good rubber on it.  In addition to three WH tractors and several pieces of WH equipment, I also have one David Bradley with a turning plow, middle buster, dirt blade, sickle bar, rotary mower, cultivators, pair of disks and the frame to a wagon.  I need to work on restoring the wagon, and since blades for the 'brush cutter' I have are no longer available, I retrofitted it to be able to use John Deere lawn mower blades.  I like the DB's, but prefer to ride than walk these days.