MOWER OF THE MONTH
Number Forty Seven
QUALCAST PANTHER
The Qualcast Panther was one of the most successful hand mowers ever made. It
remained in production from 1932 until the late 1950s and over one million were
sold.
The Panther was one of the first mass produced hand mowers to be manufactured
from "modern" materials such as steel and components such as ball bearings. Although
these are commonplace now they were unusual on mowers in the 1930s. Qualcast
claimed in its trade promotion material that the Panther would "give the
public a guaranteed ball bearing mower at a price lower than many sidewheel
machines". Sidewheel machines were generally less expensive than roller
hand mowers.
Qualcast was always successful at promoting its products. Before the Panther
was available in the shops Qualcast alerted its many wholesalers and retailers
that there would be an "enormous advertising campaign" to promote the
new mower. Advertisements during this period focused on the quality and price of
the machine and highlighted the features that were only normally found on much
more expensive machines. When the Panther became one of the biggest selling
mowers ever its success became an important part of the advertisements.
The success of the Panther is based on the simplicity of the design. Unlike
the model it replaced the Panther was built using the latest materials and components. The frame was
made from strong but lightweight sheet steel. A side cover protected the chain
and created an oil bath for reliability and easy operation. The rear roller was manufactured from pressed steel rather than cast
iron. Ball bearings ensured the roller and cutting cylinder were free running.
Turning a single wheel enabled easy adjustment of the whole cutting
mechanism.
The design enabled Qualcast to produce a good quality machine at a very reasonable cost,
not the cheapest on the market but much less expensive than many similar
machines. The original price of the Panther was £2-17-6 (approx £2.87 in
modern money) and it was guaranteed for three years, which was highly unusual at
the time. Customers could buy the mower in instalments over a few months. This was not a new idea but it made the mower very affordable for
many people.
The Panther was only available in 12in cutting width. This is just about the
optimum width for a hand mower on a normal lawn as it allows reasonably rapid
mowing without making it too hard to push the mower. Smaller mowers would be
easier to push but would take longer to mow the lawn whereas larger mowers
would generally be quicker but required more effort.
The original Panther continued in production to the end of the 1950s. In 1959
the price of the Panther was £8-17-9 (approx £8.85) and Qualcast guaranteed it
for 10 years.
By now the original design was looking old and Qualcast introduced a new
model, the Super Panther, in 1960. This was manufactured from lighter steel
components. Its enclosed rear roller gave it a very streamlined appearance that
was popular at the time. Newer Panther models were introduced in the 1970s and
1980s.
In fact, Qualcast still produces a model called the Panther
although the modern machine is a sidewheel.
As one of the most successful mowers ever made the Qualcast Panther is not
rare. Some are still in everyday use and many collectors
have examples in their collections. However, it continues to hold its place as a
significant part of lawn mower history.
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