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Lawn mower

technology Maturity 7-9 Next article →

A lawn mower is a special tool used to keep grass at an even height.

Pushmower1
Pushmower1

People use these machines to care for gardens, parks, and big sports fields. You can often change how short the grass is by using a lever or adjusting the wheels. There are many different ways these machines work. Some are small enough to push by hand in a tiny garden. Others are large enough for a person to sit on and drive.

John Deere lawn mower
John Deere lawn mower

Some modern mowers are even robotic and can work all on their own.

There are two main ways that mowers cut the grass. The first way is using a rotary mower. This type uses a single blade that spins around a middle point. The second way uses a cylinder mower, which is also called a reel mower.

ReelMower
ReelMower

This machine has a spinning reel of blades that moves past a fixed cutting bar. This action works just like a pair of scissors. Because the cut is so clean, the grass can heal much faster. This helps the lawn stay thick and healthy without getting sick.

Walzenmäher 002
Walzenmäher 002

Machines for cutting grass have a long history. Edwin Beard Budding invented the first mower in 1830 in England.

ReelMower
ReelMower

His machine was made of wrought iron and was pushed by a person. It was much better than using a hand tool called a scythe. Later, other inventors made new kinds of mowers. James Sumner patented a steam-powered mower in 1893. These were very heavy and took a long time to warm up. By 1902, Ransomes produced the first gasoline-powered mower.

Ransomes00
Ransomes00

Different mowers are built for different sized jobs. Small push mowers are great for a person to use at home.

Pushmower1
Pushmower1

For very large areas, people use ride-on mowers or even tractors.

TORO Z Master Commercial Zero-Turn Riders mower at Construct Expo Utilaje 2010
TORO Z Master Commercial Zero-Turn Riders mower at Construct Expo Utilaje 2010

Some commercial mowers are called zero-turn mowers because they can move very fast. There are also multi-gang mowers that use many blades at once. These are used on huge places like golf courses.

SLNSW 8483 The horsedrawn mower makes a vignette of a player putting
SLNSW 8483 The horsedrawn mower makes a vignette of a player putting

Even robotic mowers like the Robomow exist today.

Robomow 110 City 2012-06-05
Robomow 110 City 2012-06-05

Many of the tools we use today started with these early ideas. The way a cylinder mower cuts grass is still a very smart way to keep plants healthy. Even the first gasoline mowers led to the powerful engines we see now. In Australia, a man named Mervyn Victor Richardson made a famous mower in his garage.

SLNSW 8483 The horsedrawn mower makes a vignette of a player putting
SLNSW 8483 The horsedrawn mower makes a vignette of a player putting

His company, Victa, became very successful after 1952. It is interesting to see how a simple iron machine from 1830 changed how we look at our grass.

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🖼️ Images & Media (14)
File:Lawn Mowing DVIDS119604.jpg
Lawn Mowing DVIDS119604.jpg
File:John Deere lawn mower.JPG
John Deere lawn mower.JPG
File:Robomow 110 City 2012-06-05.jpg
Robomow 110 City 2012-06-05.jpg
File:TORO Z Master Commercial Zero-Turn Riders mower at Construct Expo Utilaje 2010.JPG
TORO Z Master Commercial Zero-Turn Riders...
File:ReelMower.png
ReelMower.png
File:SLNSW 8483 The horsedrawn mower makes a vignette of a player putting.jpg
SLNSW 8483 The horsedrawn mower makes a...
File:Ransomes00.gif
Ransomes00.gif
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-09651, Elektrische Grasmähmaschine.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-09651, Elektrische...
File:Pushmower1.JPG
Pushmower1.JPG
File:Walzenmäher 002.jpg
Walzenmäher 002.jpg
File:Electric mower underside.jpg
Electric mower underside.jpg
File:Kosoř, silnice od rozcestí, traktor se sekačkou.jpg
Kosoř, silnice od rozcestí, traktor se...

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