Lawnmower History A

Image and text from An Encyclopaedia of Gardening by J.C. Loudon, new edition of 1850:

‘Budding’s mowing machine is an admirable contrivance for cropping, or shearing lawns, grass-plots, or indeed any kind of short grass. In the operation of pushing forward the machine, the cylinder (a) rolls upon the ground like a wheel of a wheelbarrow; and, by the wheels and pinions connected with it, causes the revolving cutters to act rapidly, by their smooth outer edges, against the edge of the fixed rectangular steel plate (c), so as to crop or shear grass or vegetable surface. There is a box (d) in which all the grass cut by the machine is collected, thus saving the expense of sweeping. The machine may be easily rolled from one place to another without cutting by merely lowering the handles, so as to lift the gauge-roller from the ground.’

In 1830 a freelance engineer Edwin Budding invented the first lawnmower, adapting the design from his machine used in cotton-mills to trim the nap off cloth. This mower was manufactured by John Ferrabee at the Phoenix Foundry in Stroud, Gloucestershire, with the patent claiming ‘Country gentlemen may find using my machine themselves an amusing and healthy exercise’. Budding and Ferrabee produced more than 5,000 mowers from 1830 to 1863 with prices ranging from £4 10s up to £20. Licences were sold to other manufacturers and in 1832 J.R. & A. Ransome of Ipswich produced a version which was in production until about 1860.

1830: First Lawnmower. 1832 Regents Park bought a Budding mower.
1841: Alexander Shanks of Arbroath patented first pony-drawn mower.
1850: First Lawn mowing Boots.
1885: British Leyland manufactures a steam-powered mower.
1908: Ransomes using petrol engines.
1926: Ransomes invents the electric mower.
1960s: The Flymo is produced.
1994: The Husqvarna Solar Turtle lawnmower is unveiled (solar-powered).

Subimages show: Petrol Mower and Steam Mower from William Woods catalogue of 1909.