[ex-cavator]

My lad & I have been looking at buying a rotavator, but, finding good models that are affordable has been proving difficult.

So, without any realistic hope of being successful, I stuck a Wanted ad on Freecycle, and, Hey! Presto! - got a response from a guy who "had several he was looking to restore, but needed some space for another project" and so was willing to let me have one.

We went round today, and were given a remarkably sound looking Mountfield M1 that has already been extensively restored, but stuck in a corner & forgotten about because he went on to concentrate on Merry Tillers.

We've yet to see it run, but, the guy explained that the engine (which he says is a 6 H.P. Aspera, though I can only find reference to the 3.5 H.P. Aspera being fitted to the M1) is in very good condition, & has bags of compression, new oil & plug, the gearbox has new oil, the carb he'd had difficulty with & so had fitted a new one, a later version with primer button, but subsequently sorted out the original, so included that as a spare, together with some other new spares and a workshop manual for the engine. He last ran it 5 years ago & it ran perfectly, & has been stood in the corner of his garage ever since.

The only problems seem to be a split fuel tank (but he gave us a similar tank as a replacement), worn belts, missing rotor clips (four), and possibly a slight oil leak at the base of the engine (though it's not dripped any in the 5 years it's been stood).

Anyway, I'm going to give it a once over tomorrow & hope to see it start, I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, if anyone can confirm whether a 6 H.P. Aspera was ever used in a Mountfield, please let me know 

[Gwiz]

I don't know for sure, but would have thought a 6hp would shake the machine to destruction.

[Bigbadfrankie]

My M1 had a 5 hp briggs on it and was fine.

[flitwickone]

i have a 1983 merry tiller centaur that has a 5bhp briggs and stratton

if that helps

[Slowgrind]

Come on then ex! Keep us informed. 

[ex-cavator]

Unfortunately work, weekends away, etc, have prevented me from giving anything more than a cursory look at the machine until now, though I did stick a cupful of petrol in it a couple of weeks back, and it fired up OK, but only for a second or so, dependant upon how much fuel I tickled through with the primer button.

Tonight I dismantled the carb, and as I suspected, there was muck in it. Having cleaned it out (a couple of times) it now starts and runs fine - I ran it for several minutes, and it engages & disengages the tine shaft OK, though the belts are somewhat worn 

I've managed to confirm that it is, indeed, a 6HP Aspera, manufactured around 1975, and it was indeed supplied as standard in the M1, although I guess probavly not too many were produced with this engine.

The main problem now is that, as I said before, I don't have the 'D' clips to secure the tines to the shaft, and I can't find any listed online anywhere - can anybody help with these, or point me in the right direction?

[smud6ie]

If your aim is to keep it original my sugestion won't work but if not,use suitable size bolts with a hole for  split pin to keep it in place.
smud6ie