Recently I spent a day down at the farm rummaging through some of the ‘stuff’ that was still there from my long-gone-by childhood when I came upon the first rotary lawn mower we ever had. My Dad purchased it in about 1950-51 to replace the old push-type reel mower we had been using. Although it was a far better tool than the swing-blade it replaced, the reel mower was a poor excuse for a labor-saving device. But this new rotary mower…..WOW…now that was a MACHINE!
I remember the day Dad brought it home in his pick-up; took both of us to lift it down since it had some kind of cast metal deck (didn’t want any corrosion, you know), a cast iron Clinton engine, handles made of heavy pipe, and metal rim wheels. It had an 18” cut (20% wider than the reel job), and discharged the clippings out the back in a nice streak on the right side of the cut (unless there was a rock or stick, which it threw straight into your right ankle—no more lawn mowing without high-top shoes—clodhoppers, we called them). We rushed to get it ready to cut; add oil to the crankcase and the air filter, adjust cut height which was done by removing wheel axles one at a time and putting them in one of the 3 levels provided in the cast-something deck, adjust the handle height by adding shims to a rod (we set it to match Mom and my heights, for some reason), and give a quick training course to the new operators. Now to start it. Open the gas line valve, set the throttle at half open, flip the choke, wind the rope around the pulley on the end of the crankshaft, put foot on the mower deck, and PULL. Then repeat this process again and again until the motor ‘fired’. Then open choke, and repeat the process until it ‘fired’ again, hoping it would stay running which was aided by opening and closing the choke a few times until the motor warmed-up a little and would stay running. Then rev her up and off we go. But don’t go too fast since the motor only has a little over 1 hp (and it was a little horse, at that). And watch out for sticks, pine cones, and rocks!
That routine continued regularly from the early 1950’s until the late 1990’s when I was no longer at home and Mom wasn’t able to use it anymore. That little engine was overhauled a couple of times. Between overhauls, new points, condensers, and spark plugs were about an annual thing. New wheels were provided. Had to change blades many times. And the last time I saw it run, it cut the grass as always but had taken on a new task—mosquito fogging.
When I got back home, I went to my shed and pulled out my 3-yr old Honda mower. This wasn’t a problem since its corrosion-resistant deck (guaranteed for life!) is lightweight plastic. I checked the oil and gas and opened the fuel line valve. I checked the height of cut and since I was going to be cutting grass and mulching leaves, I lowered the deck a notch by flipping one lever down a notch (10 second process). Since I was going to mulch while I cut, I set the clippings chute level to “MULCH”. I moved the throttle lever to “choke”, pulled the cord once (and not too hard since this one has compression release for us mature folks). As always, on the first pull, it started. I pulled the throttle to ‘high’ and let the engine warm a little. I engaged the blade safety clutch lever and then the drive lever. As the mower started to move, I adjusted the level on the hydrostatic transmission to set the mowing speed at a comfortable pace that allowed for optimum mulching—and minimal perspiration. But the mower could have cut any speed I wanted with its 21” cut (16% wider than the antique) and 5.5 hp engine (550% larger than the antique). On this mower, other than changing oil, adding gas, and sharpening blades maintenance is minimal since the new ignition system eliminated all moving parts and the spark is hot enough to keep the plug clean, plus in addition to the lifetime deck warranty, the rest of the machine has a 5-yr warranty against all by normal wear items. In three years, it’s been back to the dealer once and the remedy was totally acceptable.
Yea, the Honda was more expensive at $559 (2007 basis) vs. the antique at $89 (1950 basis) Based on the average inflation rate of 3.8% during that period, those 89 1950 dollars would have been worth $761.03 in 2007, so the Honda was approximately 30% less expensive! However, the newer mower is singular in purpose since it does not foul the environment and run off mosquitoes while in use.
Last week, I drove by a recently-shuttered, once proud, functional, effective, and efficient for its time paper mill. In many ways it reminds me of my Dad’s old mower. LGMI’s endeavor is to lead the development of the designs for next generation of paper machines and options for rebuilds of current machines so that they can avoid becoming antiques and subjects for ol’ foggies’ tales of yesteryear.
Join us at LGMI’s 2011 Winter Conference at the Atlanta Airport Hilton on January 15-16, 2011.