Tier E — Heritage / discontinued UK Est. 1874
John Allen & Sons of Oxford; the Allen Scythe (1935-73) is an iconic British two-wheel motor scythe (finger-bar mowing, not tilling). A heritage collector’s machine.
The Oxford firm behind the Allen Scythe was originally established in 1874 as the Oxfordshire Steam Ploughing Company. It was taken over in 1897 and became John Allen & Sons Ltd. in 1925.
The Allen Scythe was manufactured between 1935 and 1973. The Mk1 appeared in 1935 with a 147cc Villiers two-stroke engine, and more than 250,000 examples were manufactured over that period. The last Allen Scythe was the Model F, introduced in 1957 and made until 1973, which added a power take-off for attachments. We list it as the Allen Scythe, marked discontinued.
There is no new Allen Scythe to buy, so any purchase is a used machine and should be judged as a restoration or collector's piece rather than a working garden tool bought on its name. Check whether the engine turns over and has compression, whether the cutter bar and drive are complete, and whether you can find parts for that exact version before you agree a price. If you want to run attachments, the Model F's power take-off makes it the version to look for, but price any example on its condition, not its badge.
Sources: Museum of English Rural Life · Old Lawnmower Club
1 model — two-wheel tractor.
Iconic British two-wheel motor scythe (1935-73), Villiers 2-stroke, 2-4 ft finger-bar for mowing - NOT a tiller (tineType is nominal; it cuts with a reciprocating bar). Engine/cutting width verified; weight approximate. Used-only.
From £150–£600
Allen is a brand from the UK, founded around 1874.
Allen sits in Tier E — heritage / discontinued. The one model we cover is the Scythe — 1.9 hp, £150–£600.
