OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories UK & EUROPEAN Power Reel Models RANSOMES MINOR MK 1 to MK 5 – c1939

Hello ODK history lovers

The Ransomes Minors were released in the very late inter-war years.
I have no evidence that the interwar models sold in AUS or in NZ, but they
became popular down here post WWII, when imports commenced for
Ransomes in about 1947-48. The Minors were commercial successes.

CONTEXT
The original petrol-powered lawnmowers of the very early 20th
Century were bulky and heavy. They were the behemoths that once
roamed the lawns of the middle and upper-classes. They also roamed
selected sporting fields for private folk and public bodies that could
afford them.

By the 1920s, a new approach was required in lawnmower design
for the increasing middle-classes. Atco probably did not invent the
category, but certainly popularised the advent of the ‘lightweight
lawnmower’.

Less bulky, less heavy, and clever designs made them scalable
to different cutting widths within the design for smaller acreages.

The lightweights were an immediate success and all the major
British makers followed suit.

Ransomes introduced their ‘Minor’ range of lawnmowers in the late
1930s. Originally in 14” and 18” models, there also appeared an
additional 17” model in the 1939 Catalogue. Note that Ransomes
replaced ‘Light’ with ‘Minor’ at this time.



I wonder why the 17” presented. Was it that things were moving so fast
that Ransomes realised that two models – the 14” and 18” sizes –
were the best options for 1939? The 17” disappeared…

TO BE CONTINUED …

Part Two – The Imported Australian Minors
When WWII ended it didn’t take long for imported mowers
to arrive on these shores. The earliest evidence I have is
that the Ransomes Minor was imported to Australia from
late 1947.



By 1949 there were three cutting sizes:
The 12” Mk 1; the 14” MK 4; and the 18” MK 5.

The 12” and 14” machines are most common, but some
18” machines survive. These minors, then, sold here from
late 1947 to late 1951, when they would be replaced by
the radically new MK 6 Minor.

Here is a selection of newsprint advertising from 1949 to 1951.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART THREE – Specification & Parts List
The first and obvious observation is that the Ransomes
Minors – prior to the MK 6 – were essentially an inter-war design.

For me, post war, these Minors present as having a
‘classic’ look. Their styling was backward-looking;
rather than representing a positive, post-war,
‘modern’ style.

They were solidly built mowers too. They were lighter
than the heavyweights they replaced. With steel plate
side frames and alloy chain covers, these were lighter
than the cast iron monsters they replaced. This does
not mean they were … ‘light’ by today’s standards...

The popular, smaller sized, Minors had a single primary
clutch that controlled the reel and landroll. But from the
start, the larger 18” machine had a ‘slipping clutch’,
allowing the reel to work independently of the landroll speed.

Here is a parts list from my collection. It is in average
condition and I make it available for viewing or as a
quality download.

Ransomes MINOR 12 Inch
The 12” and 14” Minors were scaled version of the same
design. Both sold well here. Here is a selection of ODK members
and auction images of the 12-inch machine.

Note the crank start [used on all Minors MK1-MK6],
and the wooden-sided grasscatcher.

Also, of note is the single chain in the chaincase.
A primary cone clutch engaged both reel and landroll,
with travel speed determined by engine RPM.

TO BE CONTINUED …

Ransomes MINOR 14 Inch
The 14” Ransomes Minor was the most popular model here
[based on advertising], and that comes as no surprise.

The MK 4 14” is a scaled-up replica of the baby 12” mower.
A solid build of high quality, the same notes apply as in
the smaller machine [above].

Note the weights of the early minors:
12 inch – 131 lbs – 60kg
14 inch – 155 lbs – 70kg
18 inch – 165 lbs – 75kg

TO BE CONTINUED …

Ransomes MINOR 18 Inch

The Ransomes 18”MK5 Minor is the rarest one in Australia.
Essentially having the same engineering DNA as the minor Minors,
it additionally featured a secondary clutch for the landroll.
A very nice, usable lawnmower of high quality.