OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories UK & EUROPEAN Rotary Models HAYTER – Rotary Slashers – AUS c1951

Hello ODK history lovers
If you have never heard of Hayter mowers then you would
not be alone. Hayter, founded in 1946, survives to this day
as a UK manufacturer of domestic and commercial mowers.
That’s eight decades!

This is the thing: Hayter mowers were sold In Australia in small
volume in the 1950s. I’m not particularly talking about their
domestic rotary lawnmowers [though they did sell here], but their
commercial pedestrian and tractor-mounted slasher mowers.



Hayter was distributed here by Clyde Sales, a division
of Clyde Engineering [makers of lawnmowers in their own right].

In any case – for the record – Hayter clearly influenced
the design of early Australian slasher mowers post war.

I should also add - at this early stage – that I feel Clyde Sales
contributed to Victa’s most famous slogan … about turning grass
into lawn …

Merv Richardson clearly was influenced by Hayter’s advertising
copy and claims. We see this in early Victa advertising.

More on that later.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART TWO – Advertising
It would appear that Hayter mowers were sold here from
about 1951 to about 1956. After that, I think the Australian-
made machines simply took over.

Douglas Hayter’s first production mower was the 1947
walk-behind 24” Motor Scythe. This mower was introduced
here in about 1953.

However, Hayter’s first mower to be sold here was the
tractor-mounted Hayter Rotary Grass Cutter. Originally of
5-foot cutting width, this would become a 6-foot machine by
1953. These were marketed here as pasture and orchard mowers.

By 1954, Australian advertising was depicting Hayter rotary
‘gang units’ … producing a 12-foot cut [2 units] and a massive
18-foot cut [3 units].

Of importance is the change in marketing too ...
These mowers were now advertised as suitable for parklands
and golf courses – meaning they became cross-over mowers
[from agriculture to horticulture].

The gallery [below] is a fair cross-section of illustrated ads of
Hayter mowers of the day.