Howard hb rotavator

[Massey Holland]

I have one here it's a100" rotaspike model,I did no research before buying it a few years back.Anyhow it works fine for the few bits that I use it for.
I have since learned that they were a very bad model,with the self adjusting chain,and a heavy duty gearbox that wasn't so heavy duty after all.
I'm just wondering does anybody remember them or have any experience of them.
It didn't cost much,I only use it for tidying up poached bits and odd bits at reseading,so if it blows up it's not the end of the world.
For those like myself that are not in touch with the various howard models,it's the one with the big aluminium cover on the chain.

 

[classic cutter]

we ran one years ago the rear taper roller bearing in the gearbox used to fail on a regular basis but it never damaged anything else if it fails buy a good quality bearing they do last a lot longer we had a roter bearing fail but had no trouble with the chain adjuster to be fair we used it for working potato land so it was working deep and hard i have been told if you used them on shallow work they were ok

 

[Massey Holland]

Yes I heard that that bearing can go,I know a man that didn't spot in time and had to get the gearbox bored and a sleeve put in it to carry the new bearing.The gearbox looked heavier than earlier models but it wasn't as reliable .
What years were they made does anyone know ?

 

[multi power]

Have you by any chance a photo?
We had a heavy duty Rotavator and the gear box was a bit of a weak link, far bigger box than the e series, I seem to remember it as a triangle shaped gear box

 

[classic cutter]

i think we bought our 100 inch hb rotavator in about 1980 our was one of the first models as we had the chance to buy one of the last the e90 inch but went for the wider one to speed the job up the massey 590 worked it ok
the triangler box was fitted to the s type rotervator they had a gear train to drive the roter we had one of those as well we found it reliable
we also ran krone rotervaters they were brilliant no oil leaks we bought them secondhand used them till we gave up potatoes and sold them for a good profit happy days

 

[Massey Holland]

Have you by any chance a photo?
We had a heavy duty Rotavator and the gear box was a bit of a weak link, far bigger box than the e series, I seem to remember it as a triangle shaped gear box

Sorry I don't have a photo at the moment,but the gearbox is fairly square looking ,a good bit more robust looking than older models,but from what I hear it wasn't as good .

 

[multi power]

Sorry I don't have a photo at the moment,but the gearbox is fairly square looking ,a good bit more robust looking than older models,but from what I hear it wasn't as good .

The one thinking has been mentioned s type I think, no chain, gear train down the end