OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories UK & EUROPEAN Power Reel Models RANSOMES - Manimal - c1930s

Hello ODK History lovers
Look! ... Down on the grass ... Is it a man or animal? Why it's ... a Manimal!

The Ransomes Manimal was a power reel-roller lawnmower made for animal draught
or for man power. Made in 20-in and 24-in sizes, it was probably intended for
the export market - to developing countries (like India) that still had not
fully mechanized to motors and tractors, and had plentiful supply of beasts
of burden and cheap labour.

The amazing thing is that this was a mid-20th-century machine, probably
introduced in the late 1930s, but still being manufactured in the 1950s!

A single catalogue page I have (undated and in poor condition) says that the
Manimal was, "introduced to take the place of our well-known range of Pony and
Bullock Mowers, our 24-in Patent Chain and Patent Gear Automaton Machines, and
the larger sizes of the Countess model."

In other words, it was a modern anachronism - a remnant from another age of vintage
lawnmowers that still held a small place in the modern age of power lawnmowers.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - Specification
I have a later, 1953 catalogue, in good condition, that I reproduce below.
The Manimal was of the newer designs that were appearing in the 1930s =
lighter machines; with all-steel welded frames and enclosed chain transmission.
The height of cut was controlled via a turn-knob from the handles. Note the
draught rope and handle. A Transport Carriage and a Whippletree (for animal
draught) were extras.

One single photo image from that catalogue is of a Manimal at use in Delhi.
Note the famous Canopy - a 73-foot cupola - that places this photo close to
the India Gate war memorial. I'm not good at recognising animals ... it's not a
cat ... I think it is a bullock powering the machine. Note this was a two-man-
one-beast operation. Amazing!



Here is the 1953 catalogue description of the Manimal.




TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE - Parts List
I have dated the Manimal as an inter-war design. It probably was first manufactured
in the late 1930s. My Parts List is dated September, 1939 - and it is for the
Mk1 machine [I doubt there was a MK2].

There is a red stamp overlay dated 1/4/1946, that says, "Prices Subject to Increase
of 75% ". It seems pretty clear that this was a pre-war list used post WWII.
Ransomes lawnmowers started arriving in Australia again in about 1946-47.
The parts list reveals the quality of the Manimal:-

Pending


Would you like to comment on the Manimal?
Simply create a new topic in the Old Soap Box HERE.

It was a surprise that this article received an award from the Old Lawnmower Club
for the best article from their magazine, Grassbox, for 2017.



The trophy is an award sponsored by the Budding Foundation:



http://www.thebuddingfoundation.co.uk/

The award was a big surprise!

--------------------------
Jack