PART SEVEN - ASSESSMENT

The desire to have simpler controls on lawnmowers was a good thing.
Pre-WWII machines could be cumbersome and required a balancing of throttle and clutch
controls. The new model Morrisons, introduced in about 1945, and sold here from about
1947, offered single control. The Australian-made Morrisons appeared from about 1953.

These were well-built, solid machines of a quality that would ensure their longevity.
This does not mean they are immune to criticism.

The single-control (via throttle) had one serious drawback. Manoeuvring in tight
corners of some yards was difficult with an automatic clutch. It engaged smoothly but
was, ultimately, an on/off mechanism.

Some companies that took this approach - like Ransomes - would draw back, and in later
models would augment the primary automatic clutch with a secondary landroll clutch that
was slippable: meaning a user could manoeuvre the mower into tight or difficult areas
with better control. The little Morrison could not do this.

The lack of a two-part rear roller is also questionable for a 16 inch machine.
I can only guess that the 20 inch machine did have a split roller with differential action.

These are important and collectable machines; they record both the iconic NZ Morrison,
but also the Sydney-made version of it. We're not likely to know what degree the Vulcan
Steel Morrisons were 'manufactured' here: whether they were, in fact, 'assembled' here
from imported parts, or whatever? That misses the point.

The rest is history.
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JACK

[Linked Image]
Reproduction decal: Silensmessor, eBay Store.