Lawnmower History

The engineer Edwin Beard Budding invented the first lawnmower in 1830. Based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, Budding developed his idea as a result of witnessing a nap cutting machine in a local woolen factory, the nap cutter ran across the fabric providing a smoother finish to the cloth. Budding realised the same concept could be applied to cutting grass, if the mechanism could be mounted in a wheeled frame to make the blades rotate close to the lawns’ surface.

Edwin Budding formed a partnership with John Ferrabee in Stroud and together they built the first lawnmowers. The earliest machines were noisy and heavy, requiring a pony to pull them. They were made of cast iron and featured a large rear roller with a cutting cylinder (the reel) in the front. Cast iron gear wheels transmitted power from the rear roller to the reel making them not dissimilar todays’ machines. Budding and Ferrabee were shrewd enough to allow other companies to manufacture under licence.

Lawnmower Innovation

The next major innovation was the introduction of the side wheel machines. Although invented in England they became very popular in the US, where the grasses are often much coarser. They had cast iron wheels at each side which propelled the reel (cutting cylinder) directly by means of rachets inside the castings. They did not have a metal rear roller and were lighter and cheaper as a consequence.
The 1890′s witnessed the first motorised lawnmowers. The steam mower was the preferred choice until about 1900 when they were superseded by the petrol mower. Ransommes, Simms and Jefferies introduced a petrol machine in 1902 and went on to become market leaders until the advent of the First World War.
The immediate post war period saw an unprecedented growth in lawnmower production, with the introduction of new production technology. But the biggest change was due to the almost abrupt increase in demand from new suburban households away from the traditional large country estates. The well-known manufacturer Atco emerged during this period. The Atco motor mower, launched in 1921 was an immediate success. Just 900 of the 22in cut machines were made in 1921, each costing £1.75. Within five years, annual production had accelerated to tens of thousands. Prices were cut and a range of sizes was available, making the Standard the first truly mass produced motor mower.

Qualcast was another well-known make that emerged during the and models such as its E side wheel panther roller mowers sold at just a few pounds to people with small lawns who needed an economical reliable mower for a few minutes work each week. Qualcast’s seemingly modern ideas of electric power and rotary cutting were all tried out during the 1920’2 and 30′s although they did not become popular until much later.

During the 1930′s and 1940′s lawn mower technology innovations led to lighter designs with more powerful petrol engines. By the 1950′s lawn technology had advanced greatly machines to produce inexpensive and more reliable machines. The 1960′s saw the introduction of plastic components which reduced costs still further.

The hover mower has been the most influential innovation since the 1960′s which was made possible with the widespread use of lightweight plastics and high-power electric motors. The first hover mowers were introduced by Flymo. Early models were blue and white compared with the orange of today. However, lawn mowers continue to attract the interest of collectors around the world which is why the Old Lawnmower Club was formed.