Friday, August 10, 2012

A Brief History of the Lawnmower

August 10, 2012 6:30 AM Text Size: A . A . A "Gentlemen will find using my machine an amusing ... healthful exercise." ? BRITISH MECHANIC EDWIN BUDDING'S PATENT APPLICATION FOR THE FIRST LAWNMOWER, 1830

1868: The reel-type spiral-bladed cutter makes its stateside debut via manufacturer Amariah Hills, who receives the first U.S. patent for the machine.

1921: Knud and Oscar Jacobsen introduce a mower with a purpose-built gas engine. The reel-mowing machine cuts a blistering 4 acres a day?perfect for the golf courses, parks, and cemeteries it's intended to maintain.

1929: William Beazley builds a power rotary lawnmower with blades that are driven horizontal to the grass rather than perpendicular like traditional reel mowers, creating a very close cut.

1938: Toro launches a power mower for the homeowner: It's affordable, fits in a garage, and is so easy to handle that parents make their kids use it.

"No feature of a suburban residential community contributes as much to the charm and beauty of the individual home and locality as well-kept lawns." ? ABE LEVITT, WHO INSTITUTED STRICT LAWN-CARE RULES IN HIS LONG ISLAND DEVELOPMENT, IN A NEWSLETTER TO LEVITTOWN HOMEOWNERS, 1940s

1953: Briggs & Stratton creates the lightweight aluminum engine for mowers. By 1957 it accounts for 80 percent of engines the company ships in the U.S.

1982: Explicit lawnmower safety standards are implemented?and an ominous label is born.

1987: The lawnmower takes a star turn in Can't Buy Me Love: Nerdy Ronald woos popular Cindy, and the pair head into the sunset on his Snapper riding mower.

2000: Two companies debut robotic mowers. "Who needs to pay a kid to mow your lawn?" asks Popular Mechanics in September.

2010: The world record for fastest speed on a mower is set on May 23 in Pendine, U.K.: 87.83 mph.

2012: Black & Decker releases a new cordless electric mower with fast charge and extra batteries?enough juice for marathon yard maintenance. Husqvarna's Automower 305 even returns to a dock to charge itself. Bow to our future robot overlords!

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/outdoor-tools/a-brief-history-of-the-lawnmower-9989506?src=rss

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