Hello
ODK History Lovers
The
American Singer Company - well-known sewing machine maker -
diversified way beyond sewing machines
in the
early 1960s. I guess there was a realisation that their traditional market was in decline as
cheaper factory-manufactured clothing became available on world markets.
In Australia, various types of products appeared under the
Singer brand: portable typewriters, washing machines,
vacuum cleaners, Knitting machines, shampoo polishers, fans, televisions, radios ...
lawnmowers!
Singer had become a marketing company of appliances not necessarily designed or manufactured by them.
Singer lawnmowers started to appear in
early 1963 for the 1962-63 lawnmower season.
These were somewhat conventional lawnmowers with one significant exception: on the later models they offered a
variety of
'Handyman kits' - via a power take-off - to convert the mower into a pump, spray and air compressor.
To give you an idea, here's a typical
1964 advertisement for the rear-catcher Singer:-
TO BE CONTINUED ...