MOWER OF THE MONTH
Number Seventy-Eight
SHANKS FIREFLY
The Shanks Firefly was a 1950s motor mower designed for use on
sports turf surfaces such as cricket pitches, bowling greens and golf courses.
It was a high quality machine which gave an extremely good finish to the
lawn.
Fine turf and sports ground mowers are often designed and
constructed to be more robust and heavier than mowers aimed at the
domestic market and the Firefly was no exception. Despite its compact
design the Firefly was deceptively heavy. The design incorporated a heavy
rear roller and the chain cover was made from cast iron to provide
additional weight. This was considered useful in helping the mower provide
a good quality finish to the surface of the lawn. The mower was available
in 16", 20" and 24" cutting widths.
Like many mowers of the period the Firefly featured a kick
starting mechanism. The pedal was mounted centrally at the rear of the
chassis and was pressed down to engage with a sprocket on the drive
mechanism. Power was supplied by a Villiers four stroke engine.
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