Lawn mowers: a brief history and surprising facts

Whirltronics is one of the largest manufacturers of rotary lawn mower blades in the industry. We are proud to be a part of a reliable home maintenance appliance, steeped in history that has become a part of every home owners routine. Take a look back at the history of lawnmowers and discover fun facts you didn’t know you had hiding in your garage.

1830: The first lawn mower was invented and patented in 1830 by Edwin Budding outside Gloucestershire, England. This first mower was primarily designed to cut grass on sports grounds, cemeteries, and extensive gardens. Pushed from behind and made of wrought iron, Buddigs first machine was 19 inches wide. Ten years and many innovations later, a mower pulled by animals was introduced; 20 years later a steam powered mower was built.

1868: A reel-type spiral-bladed mower makes its debut via manufacturer Amariah Hills, who receives the first U.S. patent for the machine.

1870: The first human-pushed lawn mower was designed.

1921: Knud and Oscar Jacobsen introduce a gas powered mower that cuts about 4 acres a day.

1929: William Beazley builds a power rotary lawnmower with blades that are driven horizontal to the grass, (as opposed to a perpendicular reel mower), creating a very precise and short cut.

1938: Toro launches a power mower for the all-American homeowner. Not only is it affordable and able to fit in a standard garage, but it’s also easy enough for teenagers to handle, allowing parents to cross off one more item from weekly “to-do” lists.

1953: Briggs & Stratton create the lightweight aluminum engine for mowers. By 1957 it accounts for 80 percent of engines in the U.S.

1969: MowBot, the first commercial robotic lawn mower was introduced paving the way for Roomba and other robotic household helpers.

1982: Backed by lawmakers, universal lawn mower safety standards are implemented.

2005: The year robotic lawn mowers represented the second largest category of domestic robots. Now, users can control robotic lawn mowers from smartphones and save on neighborhood noise.

2010: The world record for fastest speed on a mower is set on May 23 in Pendine, U.K. coming in at 87.83 mph.

2012: Black & Decker releases a new cordless electric mower with a fast charge and extra batteries.

54 Million: The number of Americans who mow their lawns each weekend.

70 hours: The average number of hours Americans spend on their lawn care every year.

5%: The EPA estimate of the amount of air pollution caused by garden equipment engines.

5 Million: The number of gas powered mowers sold in the U.S every year.

800 million gallons: The number of gallons of gas Americans burn each year trimming and maintaining yards.

15%: Electric lawn mowers now account for 15% percent of all push mower sales. Featuring rechargeable batteries, electric mowers can cut up to a third of an acre before needing to be charged (recharging takes about an hour). Costing about twice as much as gas models, Consumer Reports estimate it takes about 10 years to break even on the added expense after saving on gas, oil, and maintenance.