GRASSHOPPER - Continued.

It is also significant that these machines were sold at a major Department Store.
The David Jones ad. below is from December of 1952.

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FEATURES:
They were not pretty machines.
They were called Grasshoppers because they were a motor mower that 'Eats Your Grass'.
They were as handsome as insects too.

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But they had an interesting feature that dealt with an early 'problem' with rotaries.
All Grasshoppers were belt drive from a horizontally mounted motor to the blade spindle.

This prevented shock loads reaching the engine - electric or petrol.
Bar blade holders or solid bar blades offered poor shock protection to directly coupled
engines of the period.

It would be the development of swing-back blades, disc blade holders, and more robust
engines fitted with three bearing crankshafts that would overcome criticism of
engine damage in early rotaries.

All very shocking.
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JACK