OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories TAD: 1951-19** - Who WereThey?

Hello ODK members,

A mid-2012 sale on eBay for a little machine got me thinking. It was described as,
"VINTAGE AUSTRALIAN TAD LAWN MOWER SUPER RARE." The sale attracted 7 bids from 3 bidders
and it sold for a healthy sum. The sophisticated collector knew what this was.

It was a TAD, manufactured in Sydney from 1953 by D.A. Taplin.

I thought TAD might have been short for 'tadpole', given that this was a little 12 inch machine.
It was only later that I realised that TAD was the manufacturer's name but in reverse!



TAD's original factory was at 5 Renwick Lane, Leichardt. Phone: LM7509
I have some evidence that TAD did expand and become TAD INDUSTRIES PTY. LTD.,
122a Constitution Rd., Dulwich Hill, NSW.

I have found very little on this small manufacturer. I don't even know what Taplin's first
or middle name was [D.A.]. He's just a mystery.

TAD - DETAILS
TAD's venture into lawnmower manufacture appears to have been via mower conversion.
The earliest advertisements advertise "any roller mower converted".
This conversion entailed putting electric or petrol motors on existing reel/roller push mowers.




All this changed at some point and advertisements in about August of 1953 introduced the TAD mower.
Within a year of Victa's rotary, TAD were making their own electric and petrol machines.

Frequently TAD and Victa would advertise in the Sydney Morning Herald on the same days and
their advertisements would appear in close proximity to each others:-



In the next section I would like to discuss the TAD models.

All very interesting.
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JACK