The History of the Electric Lawn Mower
The electric lawn mower has become as much a part of modern living as any other household device. It is a very useful and time-saving innovation that has a rich history. From its innovative beginnings in 1830, mowers have gradually evolved into what they are today.
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Predecessors
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In 1830, English engineer Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawn mower, which originally comprised a set of blades mounted on a wheeled frame. From such a simple mechanism made of cast iron, lawn mowers with side-wheel machines—including cast iron wheels on each side—became popular in the 1890s across Europe and North America.
Powered Units
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By the 1890s, lightweight and steam-powered lawn mowers had been introduced to market. One of the first companies to produce engine-powered lawn mowers was Atco. It was one of the most successful companies in the motor industry after it introduced its Atco motor mower in 1921. The mower was powered with a petrol engine and incorporated a primitive version of rotary cutting, a mechanism in which the blades rotate on a vertical axis.
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Electric Motor
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Although rotary cutting has been employed in earlier models, it was not fully developed until the 1930s when mowers became more powerful and smaller. C.C. Stacy, a farmer in the Midwest region of the United States, became an inventor when he first tried to power his own mower with the use of an electric motor. He also attempted to advance the design of the blades. The efficiency of his electric motor, however, was limited by the fact that the blades he used were not suitable for cutting grass and other plants.
Rotary Blades
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When two cutting mechanisms—the reel (horizontal cutting) and the rotary (vertical cutting)—were designed, altered and perfected, mowers began to gain heavy popularity. All mowers began to work through the method of allowing the engine to power the spin of the blades, providing a strong and forceful cut.
Cordless Mower
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The first electric motors had a trimming range capacity limited by a power cord. Later, electric mowers became cordless, using batteries as a source of power. This innovation made them far more practical and widespread than ever before.
During the new millennium, the latest innovation came in 2005 when robotic lawn mowers were created. With motion sensors that can detect lawn boundaries, these robotic mowers can trim up to 5 acres of grass at a 500-watt power requirement.
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References
- Photo Credit mower image by Tomasz Wojnarowicz from Fotolia.com
