A Brief History

The first patented lawn mower was invented in 1830 by a British engineer called Edwin Beard Budding. The idea came when he saw a cutting cylinder used in a cotton mill.

As lightweight petrol engines and small steam powered units became available in the 1890’s, these new technologies were applied to lawn mowers and the first motorised mowers were born.

Electric power and rotary cutting were trialed as early as the 1920’s but these ideas were not widely applied until much later. By the 1960’s with the introduction of lightweight plastic parts and more powerful engines, the market for these now ‘reliable’ lawn mowers was massive.

The most recent development, although it actually came about in the 1960’s, is the high power, lightweight Flymo hover mower. These are produced as petrol or electric powered machines.

Today, although the most common ‘domestic’ lawnmower would be powered by electricity, there is still a large market for petrol powered mowers and are preferred particularly for more heavy duty commercial use.

Tractor style ‘ride-on’ mowers are also very popular, particularly for mowing large areas although these can be a more expensive option.

Click here to see our vast range of lawn mowers for auction and sale.