MOWER OF THE MONTH
Number Thirty One
DRUMMOND WILLING WORKER
The Willing Worker was a hand operated roller mower manufactured
by Drummond Brothers of Guildford in Surrey. The company was better known for
its machine tools and engineering lathes but, like many similar companies during
the "inter war" years, turned to other products at the end of the
First World War.
The company introduced the Willing Worker in 1923 and the mower
was available in 10" and 12" cutting widths. In some ways the design
was outdated and the frame was manufactured from cast iron which made it rather
heavy. Nevertheless the design also featured gears between the rear roller and
cutting cylinder that were enclosed in an oil bath. While not completely
innovatory this was still more advanced than the open chain or gear drives still
employed by many manufacturers of the period.
The early Willing Workers were painted green although models
produced from the mid-1920s onwards were painted silver. The mower had not been
a success and the company hoped the colour change would boost sales by making
the mower appear lighter, easier to use and more modern. Drummond
introduced a modified design in 1926 using some aluminium components to reduce
the machine's overall weight. This machine, known as "The Ladies"
model, is much less common than the earlier design which continued in production
alongside its smaller companion. The company also introduced a
motor mower in 1926. This was basically an enlarged version of the hand mower
with a simple four stroke engine. Drummond ceased mower
manufacture in the mid 1930s although the company continued to produce its range
of machine tools for many years after. Today, examples of the
Willing Worker are relatively easy to find while not being the commonest mower
in collections. The motor mower and "Ladies Mower" are much less
common.
|
