OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Power Reel Models CROWE - Grass Master - c1956

Hello ODK History Lovers
The Crowe Engineering Works of Holmesdale Street, Marrickville
should be recognised as one of the great manufacturers of
lawnmowers in this country. Yet, they remain largely unknown!

Crowe started producing lawnmowers in 1922, years before the
1930s tariffs that fostered our lawnmowing industry!

This article is a History Record of a Crowe Power side-wheel –
The Grass Master - from the mid-1950s. This should not be
confused with a rotary lawnmower from the 1960s, also named
Grass Master [or Grassmaster].

Little is known about the Crowe Grass Master, but I now
feel I have a more complete view. A couple of spark-plug
guides acknowledge its existence.





A couple of factory images survive [Powerhouse Museum], but
depicting a Crowe REX with Villiers Midget 98cc engine – not the
JAP engine as described in the Champion spark plug guide.

My best guess is that the Rex was a prototype, but the
Villiers Midget and JAP powered Grass Master was certainly produced.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART TWO - Crowe Grass Master
The Grass Master was arguably doomed to fail because of the rotary
revolution taking place at that time. AUS makers like Pope and Ogden
gave it a go in the first half of the 1950s, but the market for powered
side-wheels was being strangled by the proliferation of powered rotaries.

I think our lifestyle, and the maintenance costs of reel mowers, meant
that the powered side-wheels would not survive the 1950s. That’s pretty
much the case.



The Grass Master – like the Pope and Ogden – had a belt drive.
It had a 14” cut and it was not self-propelled. I have only ever found
a few illustrated advertisements. Note the 1956 JAP-powered
Grass Master below.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

It’s amazing that one of these Crowe side-wheels survives.
These images – from Vintage Mowers – records a Villiers Midget powered
Grass Master. Note the redundant PTO side - power was taken off the flywheel
side of the engine.