Recently acquired RJ (uk)

[Phyliss 28]

Hello again. I just thought i'd share a photo or two of my recently acquired Wheelhorse. I found it locally (Sussex) & will hopefully get the plough & possibly bade to go with it.

It needs a repaint, new front tyre & has been fitted with a different steering box. The previous owner found it difficult to control when ploughing. Hopefully he's got the original somewhere. The engine turns & with slight compression so hopefullly shouldn't be to bad.

 

Hope you find it interesting.

 

Philip

[meadowfield 2,545]

what a fabulous find - all original with plough frame and rear weights! you are a lucky guy

[farmer 1,075]

  ^{There can't be many in Europe like that,   well done you.}  

^{edit.   Where's my manners......    to} 

Edited April 11, 2015 by farmer

[Phyliss 28]

Thanks chaps for letting me know.

I didn't know of it's unusualness. I could see it's a Wheelhorse but i'm more used to the odd Raider 10 or 12 tractor or rear engined ride-on during my day to day business. I initially didn't want to part with much money; i'm also in to stationary engines that also need work & a couple of tractors but in the end i thought it was a good machine to get my children interested in tractors etc.

[AMC RULES 36,945]

Very nice indeed...    

rare  to find across the pond. 

Appears it's oil bath air cleaner is mounted upside down.  

Edited April 11, 2015 by AMC RULES

[Phyliss 28]

I'll look into the air filter next week, thanks AMC RULES

[Anglo Traction 759]

Firstly,        

You are indeed, a lucky man to have found/obtained this little RJ.

From what I can see in the pics, it is all there. Belt and Exhaust covers and what looks to be the original engine. Well done. Thanks for sharing. What part of Sussex are you in?

Regards   

[953 nut 51,664]

  â€‹That is one fine RJ!  Do a search on this site for  Downdraft Updraft which was posted a couple of years back, it shows step bu step how to convert an oil filled air cleaner, fellow called AMC RULES posted it.

 

 

[Phyliss 28]

Firstly,        

You are indeed, a lucky man to have found/obtained this little RJ.

From what I can see in the pics, it is all there. Belt and Exhaust covers and what looks to be the original engine. Well done. Thanks for sharing. What part of Sussex are you in?

Regards   

Hi Anglo Traction,

                        I'm in West Sussex, not far from Surrey really. I see you're fairly local to.

 

Regards

[neil 2,398]

Welcome to Redsquare , not many of those around , there is a another guy in Sussex with an RJ558 I'm sure he will be along shortly to say hi.

I also own an RJ58 but mine was imported from US. I don't know how true the information is but apparently there was only 5 RJ58s imported to UK ,I sold one of these about 18 months ago and has now bee restored by the new owner

[Phyliss 28]

Welcome to Redsquare , not many of those around , there is a another guy in Sussex with an RJ558 I'm sure he will be along shortly to say hi.

I also own an RJ58 but mine was imported from US. I don't know how true the information is but apparently there was only 5 RJ58s imported to UK ,I sold one of these about 18 months ago and has now bee restored by the new owner

Morning Neil, Thank you for the welcome. I do know of a fellow in Sussex  (mentioning no name) who i know from the shows. I phoned him initially to find out more info. As mentioned i hope to get the rear plough & possibly front blade (if he can find it) later this year. 

 

Forgot to mention that i've got the suppliers plate on the bonnet, well it was as it's fallen off, but i'll try & see what it says tomorrow & let you know. 

Edited April 12, 2015 by Phyliss

[Phyliss 28]

Morning Neil, Thank you for the welcome. I do know of a fellow in Sussex  (mentioning no name) who i know from the shows. I phoned him initially to find out more info. As mentioned i hope to get the rear plough & possibly front blade (if he can find it) later this year. 

 

Forgot to mention that i've got the suppliers plate on the bonnet, well it was as it's fallen off, but i'll try & see what it says tomorrow & let you know. 

Good evening Neil (& everyone else)

 

I've had a look at the supplier plate that was on the RJ58 & it reads the following:

 

FOR CARE, PARTS OR SERVICE CONTACT

GARDEN MACHINERY LTD

BATH ROAD, SLOUGH, BUCKS

OR YOUR LOCAL AGENT

 

LUBRICATION

 

ENGINE     DRAIN AFTER EVERY 25 HOURS AND

REFILL WITH CASTROL XL

 

GEARBOX    CHECK EVERY 25 HOURS AND

                  ADD CASTROL ST TO LEVEL

 

GREASE     ALL POINTS  EVERY 10 HOURS WITH

CASTROLEASE C

 

TYRE PRESSURE FRONT 20LBS REAR 6LBS

 

I hope this is of interest as it would be nice to know if they were importers & also if indeed there were very few initially imported. Did the RJ35 get imported early on or did it start with the RJ58?

[neil 2,398]

The biggest wheel horse dealer in UK wa GD Mountfield from Maidenhead

I have a an original price list that is from that very company that you mention for the RJ58 . It shows all the prices of the implements and the price of the tractor . My price list was used by Michael Martino for the wheel horse book ,Straight from the horses mouth.,,,

I highly recommend that you buy the book and have Michael ship it over to you.

I also supplied some other information for the book and Michael is a great friend of mine .

[Anglo Traction 759]

Garden Machinery Ltd were the main Importers at that time (58-early 60s). The subject was covered on here back in 2011, but posts were corrupted and now incomplete. here is a quoted post from back then by Michael (fordsonmajortom) -

 

'The information is available in a book titled 'Seventy Years of Garden Machinery' they were marketed by Garden Machinery Ltd of Slough in the late 1950s and early 1960s and cost ..........'

end of the post is missing!,

Book is still available, just google the title if you want a copy.          

Edited April 13, 2015 by Anglo Traction

[Phyliss 28]

The biggest wheel horse dealer in UK wa GD Mountfield from Maidenhead

I have a an original price list that is from that very company that you mention for the RJ58 . It shows all the prices of the implements and the price of the tractor . My price list was used by Michael Martino for the wheel horse book ,Straight from the horses mouth.,,,

I highly recommend that you buy the book and have Michael ship it over to you.

I also supplied some other information for the book and Michael is a great friend of mine .

Thanks for letting me know. I'll see what the cheapest & easiest way of obtaining a book is. 

 

You mentioned prior that apparently only 5 RJ58s were originally imported. Would these have gone to GD Mountfield or got shipped around to say Garden Machinery Ltd & other dealers. 

Just trying to work out if my RJ was an original (one of 5) import or a later one brought over?

[Phyliss 28]

Garden Machinery Ltd were the main Importers at that time (58-early 60s). The subject was covered on here back in 2011, but posts were corrupted and now incomplete. here is a quoted post from back then by Michael (fordsonmajortom) -

 

'The information is available in a book titled 'Seventy Years of Garden Machinery' they were marketed by Garden Machinery Ltd of Slough in the late 1950s and early 1960s and cost ..........'

end of the post is missing!,

Book is still available, just google the title if you want a copy.          

Thanks Anglo Traction for the additional info. I'll do some Googling & see what occurs. 

[Anglo Traction 759]

Hello Phil, No problem. I would look up that book first, then Neil's recommendation.

The reason being that the G.D. Mountfield Company was not formed until 1961. Which means they would not have been involved with RJs of 1958.

Having said that, you can't rule out 3 year old stock being imported!. I doubt that many were imported at all, considering the Import restrictions and  austerity that was still apparent at that time in England.

 

It is worth checking your Tractor out for an I.D. Tag. It should be somewhere on the Frame on the Left side forward of the Engine. 

Regards   

[Phyliss 28]

Hello Phil, No problem. I would look up that book first, then Neil's recommendation.

The reason being that the G.D. Mountfield Company was not formed until 1961. Which means they would not have been involved with RJs of 1958.

Having said that, you can't rule out 3 year old stock being imported!. I doubt that many were imported at all, considering the Import restrictions and  austerity that was still apparent at that time in England.

 

It is worth checking your Tractor out for an I.D. Tag. It should be somewhere on the Frame on the Left side forward of the Engine. 

Regards   

Book is ordered, as recommended, thank you. I remember reading similar books by the same author 20 years ago when i was at college doing my Horticultural Engineering diploma.

 

I'll have a good look for that plate but i believe it's missing, unless it's been painted over. As you say even though an early import it may not be of the original 5?

[Tom. 70]

Very, very nice find indeed! I am certainly jealous What are your plans for it?

 

Tom

[Phyliss 28]

Very, very nice find indeed! I am certainly jealous What are your plans for it?

 

Tom

Although i've still got plenty of other projects on the go i hope to restore it one day. As mentioned previous i didn't know of it's rarity so i may restore sooner rather than later. If it was the original red then i'd leave it as is. I've ordered some points for the engine so i'll see if the engine has any life & may take it to a show mid May. Thank you for your interest. 

[neil 2,398]

The id tag that you need to look for is where Anglo Traction said , it was sticker type tag & not a metal tag., not many have survived.

[Phyliss 28]

Good evening,

                       I've had a good look for the plate & as expected is long gone. I have however got some engine details but am unsure if it's a K90 or K91 (Kohler 4hp) but the spec is 31107A & serial 407704.

 

I'm not sure if the machine can be dated form these but i do also have the gearbox number as per photo, possibly D9-9 (April 9th 59)?

 

Could it end up being a RJ59 rather than RJ58?

 

Regarding the upside down air filter; if it was possible to turn it round it would clash with the steering column & upper mount?? I'll have a go though.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Phyliss

[neil 2,398]

Quite possibly a 59

[meadowfield 2,545]

K91 from the model number -  likely an RJ-58. but there are a lot of experts on here....

 

Neil might be right

[Phyliss 28]

Thank You to you both. I did wonder if it was a 59 although in other posts it mentions differences of wheel rims & seats. I'll have a look through the forum about RJ59s. Don't suppose there's many RJ59s around either??

 

Having had a look at other RJ58/RJ59 queries i think i'll note mine as a 58 due to RJ59 build possibly being later in 1959.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Phyliss