Thanks Jack for the info, I wasn't sure if Janson was an American mower but now I'm certain that the Janson name is a typo and should read Lauson in that 1960 newspaper ad.
Kirby Australia made early 2 stroke engines but I did not think that the vertical shaft 4 stroke Kirby was made here before 1962.I was thinking that the 1963 Kirby motor with the Walbro carby was the first Australian built Kirby 4 stroke vertical shaft motor,Vertical Kirby (VK).
I assume all the sure start starters were imported, also saw a Patent filed in 1957 showing an American impulse starter.
It's interesting how the Carter mower was released in 1957 a few years before Turner but both mowers were using the same designed base ,I was told Supa-Swift made the first Turner base.
G'day Max, Paul and Norm I feel Max's explanation of a typo is the best bet here.
I'm less sure that manufacturers were importing Tecumseh engines than that they were using Tecumsehs imported by James Kirby.
In any case it appears they were fully imported in the early days, and not made locally.
A note on Carter and Turner. I'm sure this came about because of some deal done between James Kirby and Rene Turner - at a high level.
In the attachment below, Graeme Plaw, a Turner Engineer, discusses Turner. Note that he was unaware that the Carter actually was produced and marketed through Kirby Sales Pty Ltd.
[Correction: I mean, that he was not aware the Carter made it to production].
It's pretty clear that Carter was a Kirby project.
Plaw confirms that all Turner bases were made by Swift Foundaries. I think Supa-Swift was their separate mower division.
Many thanks to Max for the research, and all for the great conversation.
And while discussing the Carter one pops up on ebay
G'day Norm Many thanks for spotting that. I didn't.
I hope this one is saved - and it is sensibly priced! The eBay seller certainly has browsed these forums]
For me, Carter tells a story. It is an important lawnmower!
If Kirby was to undertake engine manufacture, it was best that they did not become a mower maker themselves.
I think the Carter experiment represents Kirby backing away from being an OEM. If they were to sell to dozens of mower makers, it was best they did not make an end product themselves.
As a mower maker, would you trust an engine maker who was also a mower maker and sold their engines to other mower makers?
[Honda got away with it; Briggs have backed off recently]
The 4-stroke engine dominated the 1960s mower market here. Kirby was wise to drop the Carter project.
Cheers Jack
p.s. Norm, I have recorded the Carter 2020 sale information.
Thanks Jack for that Turner information explaining the Carter mower ,I read somewhere that the Turner factory in Lilydale had a fair amount of pilfering reminds me of my tour of the Nylex factory when they said employees were stealing garden hose by feeding it through a hole in the brick wall to someone on the other side.
Originally Posted by CyberJack
G'day Max, Paul and Norm
I'm less sure that manufacturers were importing Tecumseh engines than that they were using Tecumsehs imported by James Kirby.
Yes I agree Jack ,we know Pace and Victa were directly importing engines from Tecumseh USA and Turner, Pope, Villager, Scott Bonnar etc were using middle men to import engines from Tecumseh USA.
Hurricane also got away with making engines and mowers.
I was also told the Swift Foundry was responsible for the Boundy mowers.(Lawn Patrol etc)
I find the different types of starting mechanisms interesting, there was even a push / roll start lawn mower invented but an impulse starter built into the rear wheel that's different.
I was thinking Singer had their name on the Hurricane 4 base mowers and from the looks of this, Carter had their name on the Hurricane 4 base but I haven't found any supporting evidence so it may be a store brand.
I am annoyed with myself for not explaining the issue to the members. Sometimes, I feel like a failed chef - fighting the back burners and the front burners. Sometimes I get burnt.
Their are three types of lawnmower illusion: - [1] The Stencil Brand. Stencils are copies - like the Victa Mayfair. These are not store brands because they were sold to many stores.
[2] The Store Brands are most commonly stencils that have been tailor- made for a store. Example: A Victa Mayfair was rebranded as a 'Pathfinder'.
[3] An OEM to OEM Brand is where original equipment manufacturer (OEM) makes a lawnmower, tailor-made to be sold by another OEM. These might be more disguised.
I am writing about one of those now - the Ezycut mowers.
Max, many thanks for drawing our attention to this one. Like you, I'll just keep an open mind.
That's another good way to explain the 3 types ,I remember another good post here of yours Jack on the subject of the Stencil , Mafair and Store Brands Link
I've seen a fair amount of the Myer Whirlwind store brand mowers but only one that I could easily read the original decal and that decal was Pathfinder , I've seen a few store brand Victa 18 mowers with Pace on the cowl but they may have had replacement cowls fitted at some stage ,I have wondered if the Myer store brand Victa 18 was completely unbranded or possibly Pathfinder.
The Ezycut mower in the History Forum , yes thanks Jack ,that's one of the best parts of the Forum.
I would have thought when Kirby made the Carter mower ,they would not have been a one hit wonder ,I just thought they must have tried manufacturing another mower.
Just thought it was interesting that we were previously discussing the differences between sixties mowers in Australia compared with North American mowers in the sixties.
I've seen a 1962 Jacobsen that looks like the 1964 Hurricane mower, it's a very close copy of the base , the 1964 Hurricane handle bars where they pivot and the locking mechanism does look of Turner design , possibly just a copy .
