OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models CARTER - Made by Kirby - c1957

Hello ODK members,

The 18 inch 'Power-Giant' Carter was an Australian-built rotary lawnmower that was sold between
about late 1957 to late 1960. This is a best guess only.

I have never seen a Carter mower, nor a quality photograph of one. I have never heard of anyone owning one.
I am convinced, however, that some survive. [See updated information below].

Here is an early advertisement:-
Before I can continue the story, I need to show you what one looks like:-



FEATURES:-
There were a number of features that stood out as different when I looked at the advertising records.
The first was the motor. It was ... different. The copy said that the engine was
'powered by the precision engineered Kirby Hi-Torque Engine'.

A Kirby lawnmower engine in 1957?
Not only that, the engine was described as 'famous'! I noted that the engine was rated at 2 Brake h.p.
and that it was mounted laterally (across) the mower base.

Significantly, I read that the engine was automatically governed!
I believed that the mighty Villiers 7F ' newly introduced in late 1957' was our first governed
rotary lawnmower engine, alongside the infamous Victa Automatic, with its fanciful 'governed'
Predicta system.

These engines now had competition for being the first to have this important feature in vertical shaft
lawnmower engines in Australia.

Excited at finding out that Kirbys had entered the lawnmower engine market earlier than anyone thought,
I made a serious blunder in assuming the engine was a four-stroke. It wasn't.

It was a GE-A1 Hi-Torque Kirby 2-stroke, AKA Johnson Iron Horse.
To learn more about this first Kirby lawnmower engine click HERE.

PART TWO - The Chassis
The alloy base had a narrow skirt that was an improvement in safety when compared to the 'plough disc'
or 'toe cutter' bases used on many Australian rotaries of the time.

It had 'instant' 4-wheel height adjustment. The automotive-style 'grill front' in the casting resembled
Pace, Supa-Swift and Turner bases of the era. The rear wheels were larger than the front and all wheels
were 'tubeless'.

Here is an advertisement I own, taken from Australian Home Beautiful, December, 1958.



PART THREE - The Bombshell
I've saved the best for last and it is new information.
The thing that intrigued me the most is that all the records I found did not identify a manufacturer.
The only clue was that the Carter was 'Marketed throughout Australia by James N. Kirby Sales Pty. Ltd.'

So, Kirby was marketing a lawnmower in 1957 and it was supplying the engines for them.
But who made this mysterious Carter? The answer I present is speculative and, given the passage
of time, we're not likely to know the full story. But here's my best guess ...

In reading the biography of James N. Kirby I came across a short entry on page 33.
It confirmed that the Kirby Hi-Torque 2-stroke was made in Sydney's inner-east, but the entry
went on to tell us where the engine castings were produced.

They 'were supplied by a Kirby-owned company, Carter Tooling Pty. Ltd.'
Hmm ...

PART FOUR - Conclusion

For me, it seems highly likely that the mysterious Carter was made by Kirby themselves.
Kirby was a lawnmower manufacturer!

Why the secrecy? I can only speculate...

It may be that the Carter was a marketing experiment. Should Kirby directly enter the lawnmower
market? My best guess is that Kirby remained aloof from claiming manufacture of the Carter
because it decided that small engine production was the most profitable way forward and
overtly manufacturing a mower would undermine potential sales of engines to lawnmower customers.

In any case, the Carter did survive for a few seasons. Then it disappears. However, I do know
that the Carter base of 1957 is pretty similar to the first Turner base of 1959. The Turner
used Kirby's first four-stroke, the GEB1...

All very interesting.
------------------------------------------
JACK.

It was an exciting find when a member came forward and presented a Carter Chassis
on these forums. All but the original Kirby 2-stroke engine was there!

The First Turner Lawnmowers: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=59384#Post59384

Kirby Sales WA with Carter Mowers on Floor: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...rby-sales-carter-mower-images-c1958.html

Carter Restoration by Paul C: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...arter-rotary-lawn-mower-restoration.html



The Carter Lawnmower is better understood now.
If you have any information, or photographs, or in any way can contribute
to this story then ODK welcomes your feedback.

The Old Soap Box is the place to start. Click HERE.