[GixXxerkid18]

Good Evening,

Recently going through one of my old barns I stumbled upon an old sickle bar mower and a few engines. Problem is I cannot seem to figure out what year/company/model mr sickle bar mower is. The engine that was on it was a Briggs & Stratton Model-NPR6 Type# 307055 Serial# 1535097. Not sure if this is the original motor on it seems to be a perfect fit but I also found an old Lauson Type RSH737FM # 5420660. Included I have photos of when I first found it up to the cleaning and rebuilding process as I am very interested in restoring it. *Important* that the NPR6 was on the sickle bar mower when I found it, I found the Lauson close to it but just the engine itself. Note: the Lauson engine has the same exact green paint as the sickle bar mower, yet the NPR6 fits it better and lines up. I appreciate any input in this matter as it has been frustrating trying to figure out what machine I have. If possible I would like to know when the engines were manufactured, and if you happen to know the company or specific sickle mower I have please send me a link showing that it is what it is. I recnelty have been told it was a Yari chieftain, Toro Zipper mower (which explains the Lauson) or even just a custom fabricated one since it was from a farm with many parts. Again thank you and hope someone can help me out.

Sincerely,
Bobby

When I First Brought it out

Top view with guard off when I first brought it over

Started the restoration process (this is with the NPR6, it is half put back together carb, tank, all external parts I rebuilt it to ensure engine was in good conditon which it looks brand new)

This is the Lauson Engine I mentioned, notice how the color match is perfect, but doesn't really fit pully inlinement whereas the NPR6 fits perfect)

 

[GixXxerkid18]

P.S. I have tons more photos just didnt want to flood the post so if anyone would like to see any physical attributes of the machine that you cannot see in these pictures please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you very much.

 

[Ingersoll444]

Flood away!!

MAN that thing looks in REAL solid shape!!!!! A few ideas... Could the Lawson at one time had a gear reduction unit bolted on it? Maybe that Lawson was from a parts mower the guy had at one time. Maybe the same brand, but a diferent model? Any signs that the pulleys have been moved? or maybe another jackshaft might have been in place?

 

[rhenning]

I believe it is a Jari and was made in MN. Roger

 

[GixXxerkid18]

The pulleys were never moved it seems but on the mounting plate itself there are seperate slots like for a second engine mount, and yes on the NPR6 the flywheel has a hint of green but the engine is black, and on the Lauson it is all green but its flywheel is black. I was thinkin maybe they did switch it if thats the case the Lauson would fit fine on it even match the color. But im still not sure what company made the sickle mower as the only yellow and green color scheme i know is john deere but I know its not that. The only other info I can find on the machine is on the wheels it says Gates Rubber Co. 1125-702 14x2.00 and on the sickle bar itself the teeth guards are stamped with MD888 so not sure if either of them help with the identification but figure I'd throw it out there. And here are some more pics. And if it is a Jari, What year, make, or model is it, I would like to know so i can restore it to its original state. Thank you again hope these look familar to someone.

Without any engine one, that is the plate I mentioned on the frame that has two extra slots cut into it.

Otherside view

The Lauson

Again when i first brought it over

This is my barn where I found it

Inside look underneath the guard

Finally another view of the NPR6

 

[GixXxerkid18]

I believe it is a Jari and was made in MN. Roger

This kinda furthers that I believe the Lauson is the original engine on it because it too was manufactured in MN.

 

[rhenning]

The engine was made in Port Washington WI and it is a late 1940s machine by the engine. The same basic design was used up to the 1970s. Minor modifications to the chassis and the engines were changed. Lausens became Tecumsehs in the early 1960s. Roger

 

[GixXxerkid18]

On the Lauson Engine itself it said it was made in New Holstein Wisconsin and the Briggs & Stratt says Milwaukee 1, Wisconsin. Note sure what the 1 means unless theres more than 1 plant

 

[Mike.ASC]

Very cool piece !

 

[rhenning]

New Holstein is about 10 miles from Port Washington and both are about 45 to 60 minutes north of Milwaukee. The engineers were regularly know to change companies. And for what its worth Kohler is about 30 minutes further north of New Holstein and shared the engineer pool. Roger

 

[GixXxerkid18]

Do you possibly know what machine companys they supplied? Like this is a Briggs & Stratton on what type of sickle mower? Seems I can find a ton of information on the engine but nothing on the machine itself. Thank you though thats good to know.

 

[Horsez2go]

the machine is VERY charistic of the Jari brand now manufactured by Year-a-Round of minnesota. thats where my money would be.

 

[hankll]

The 1 in an address was just the region or area number of a city, prior to zip codes.......There might be 6 different areas for an address in a given city.....probably refers to a specific post office.

 

[GixXxerkid18]

the machine is VERY charistic of the Jari brand now manufactured by Year-a-Round of minnesota. thats where my money would be.

I got in touch with them about a month ago and a lady named nancy shlatuer is looking into it but hasnt gotten back to me, i cannont find a line up of any sickle bar models even to compare it to.

 

[robfox14]

Someone on E-bay is currently selling some manuals for a Jari Power Scythe. It's E-bay item number 310283823274, and while it's active anyway, the posting can be found here. The picture the seller provided is pretty small, but from what I can make out, the drawing matches your machine (without the protective cover). To me this makes perfect sense, since your walk-behind looks very similar to the Jari Sickle Mower (i.e. the Chief or the Monarch), but seems to preceed them and remains disctict in subtle ways.

 

[GixXxerkid18]

Thank you very very much Rob. Im almost positive im going to bid on it, thats the closest manual/model picture reference I've seen yet and I've been searching since September of 2010. How did you manage to find this I've searched tons of ebay postings.

 

[GixXxerkid18]

Im almost positive im going to bid on it

Bidding on it now! even if the manual itself isn't a match, the original engine manual matches my npr6

 

[tractorbob222]

It looks like a Jari to me...

 

[robfox14]

How did you manage to find this I've searched tons of ebay postings.

I've got an old Jari reel mower attachment, so I pretty consistently do E-bay and C'list searches for Jari equipment. I just happened to run across this manual the other day, and I thought of your photos and figured I should let you know about it. Let us know if you win the auction, and if you do maybe you can scan and upload it to the forum for us all to have a look-see! :trink39: -Rob

 

[GixXxerkid18]

yeah i can do that, and my sickle bar mower is not a Jari :banghead3 I contacted Jari USA a few months ago a lady named Nancy Schlateur is one of the reasearchers there. She showed my mower to her staff and researched it for me for about 3 months. She told me that if it is a Jari its pre 1942 before Jari was bought out. When it was bought in 1942 no previous documents or archieves came with it so anything before that is unknown. I was in contact also with a Jari expert. If you notice there is one very obvious detail that makes ours not a Jari. All Jaris have a center crankshaft in the middle of the machine which drives the pulleys. My engine is not centered toward the middle ot goes out to the left side powering it like a locomotive horizontally not vertically. I have all the emails between here and I discussing it If anyones interested ill post them.