OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Machine Histories MANIMALS - People Powered Machines with a Twist

Hello ODK members,

This piece of vintage mower history is largely forgotten.
"People powered machines" these days is taken to mean the re-invention of
the popularity of hand-mowers - a person 'pushing' a mower.

'Manimals' was the term used, probably from the late 19th century' to describe
a person who assisted the operator of a large hand-mower to propel the machine.

Here is a picture from the early 20th Century that gives you an idea:-



The practice, though, dates from the inception of the handmower - Buddings Patent - of 1832.
When one looks at those patent machines there is a handle, designed to assist the pusher of
the machine. Here is a stock studio photo of a Budding Patent:-



Edward Beard Budding must have found that necessary, given the heavy iron frame,
and the primitive gearing (the gears were cast, but not machine cut.)

The amazing thing is, though, that this design did not cease in its need for a century!
TO BE CONTINUED ...

THE MANIMALS (Continued)

By the 1850s lawnmowers were becoming larger.

Whilst Shanks may have been the pioneer here, others quickly followed suit in
England and North America.

These machines were powered by animals, and specific machines were designed for ponies,
donkeys and horses. Those machines would be produced right up to the 1940s, and were
popular in Australia amongst golf clubs, sporting bodies and municipal councils.

However, the most amazing thing for me was to discover that larger push mowers,
of the Manimal kind, were still being offered and manufactured until the 1950s.

The great English company Ransomes included these machines in its 1950s catalogue of mowers.
I own a brochure of these machines (in poor condition), but also a catalogue (in good condition).

Here are the two relevant pages from the Ransomes catalogue. Note that these machines were
suitable for animal power but the clear market was India and its abundance of labour.




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