Rotary Mowers and Grass Catchers
In these next three parts I want to address the topic of grass catchers and rotary mowers.
There is something serendipitous about key dates in mower designs.

Let's talk 1832 and 1932. In 1832 Ransomes introduced the first commercial mower with
its Budding's Patent reel mower. It had a front-mounted, flat-tray grass catcher.
In 1932 James Cockburn patented the first commercial UK rotary mower - the Rotoscythe.

it too had a catcher, but it was rear-mounted. Exactly a century apart, the reel mower had a
front catcher, the rotary had a rear catcher.

The Rotoscythe was way ahead of its time and it has not received due recognition for its
advanced design - even today. A machine that was two decades ahead of the first Victa,
three decades ahead of the first Victa with a catcher, and four decades ahead of a Victa with a
high-arch catching system. The Rotoscythe had it all in 1932.

So, the first rotary mower with a catcher was the Rotoscythe.
The Rotoscythe was sold in Australia from 1937.

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