Help with a Howard please

Hi All

New to the forum and gardening. I've got myself an allotment and a kind freecyler gifted me a very old looking rotovator 


By fatspanner79 at 2011-05-28


By fatspanner79 at 2011-05-28


By fatspanner79 at 2011-05-28

I've had a little googling session and found it's an howard of some type. Could someone please help me identify the model. I also have no idea when it comes to engines so can some king soul please let me know the fuel and oil that this machine takes.

Would it have taken the old 4 star petrol and require an additve in the fuel or wil it run ok on unleaded. Is it a two or four stroke engine, which type of oil is best and do ou mix it in the tank?

Any help greatly received
Many Thanks
Leigh

p.s great forum!!

Hi,

I'm a member of the VHGMC, and hopefully can point you in the right direction.

You have a Howard Demon, the smallest rotavator in the Howard Range, launched in 1957, with your model having the 1.9hp BSA four stroke engine.

Ordinary unleaded petrol is fine, and as for oil, you can see on the bottom row on the data plate to use either SAE 30, or SAE 40 grade engine oil (I'd always go SAE 30, as it is the most common grade of oil for garden machinery and is available in all good machine shops) It is seperate in it's own sump like you'd fill a car. (I shouldn't think you'd ever be needing the SAE 20 unless rotavating on Christmas day!)

It might also be a good idea to oil/grease all moving parts before use as you don't know how well it has been cared for previously.

Hope this is of help
Damon

I have a Howard 200 (similar to your machine) and it now runs on unleaded quite happily.

My father bought it second-hand 40+ years ago and it still runs like a dream and starts up 2nd pull everytime.

Take care of it.