MOWER OF THE MONTH
Number Thirty Six
ATCO BATTERY MOWER, 1950s-1960s
Battery mowers were popular in the latter part of the 1950s, throughout the
1960s and into the 1970s. They were produced by a number of companies
including Qualcast, Webb and Valor although the best known manufacturer was
Atco.
The battery was similar to those used in motor cars. It supplied power to
an electric motor that drove the cutting cylinder and rear roller to move the mower
forward.
Atco produced battery electric mowers in 12", 14" and
17" cutting widths during the 1950s and 1960s. The mowers had a 12V battery
and included a built in charger that could operate with the 200/250V and
110/120V mains power supplies. Each of these mowers was basically a modified
version of the company's petrol-engines mowers with the same cutting widths that
were produced at the same time.
The battery mower offered a quiet and inexpensive alternative
to the conventional motor mower before mains electricity was widely accepted as
a power source for garden tools. The battery mower was quieter than a petrol-engined machine. It could be
used well away from the house and did not need a mains cable to supply the
electricity. It was therefore highly mobile - the sort of technology we now call
"cordless".
Despite these advantages there were also some significant limitations to battery power.
The battery only held enough charge to mow a relatively small lawn before it
needed recharging. Batteries do not generally perform well when constantly drained and
recharged and their useful life is shortened. The battery had to be
carried by the mower. This made the whole machine heavy and a significant
proportion of the battery's energy was used simply to carry the battery.
When mains power became more widely available, safer and accepted the days of the battery
mower were numbered. By the early 1970s they had virtually disappeared from the
manufacturers' ranges. However, in recent years some manufacturers have renewed
their interest in battery power for situations where an environmentally friendly
solution is required, for example where low emissions or quiet operation is
needed.
Battery mowers are not among the most highly prized of old
lawn mowers but they are nevertheless an interesting part of mowing history.
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