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.
------------------------------------
JACK

TAD - MODELS
The TAD mowers appear to have 'borrowed' design features from the Australian Tecnico,
our most important Australian-designed electric mower.

For one thing, TADs had only 12 inches cut in the early years. They also had two rubber wheels at the
front and a roller at the back.

- 1/3 h.p. Junior electric at 43/10/- pounds.
- 1/2 h.p. Senior electric at 46/10/- pounds.
- 98cc Villiers petrol at 53/18/- pounds.

The striking thing in these ads. is that TAD's 12" petrol machine was sold at a higher price
than the 18" Victa:-




Here are some stock photos of the TAD petrol machine:-

THE LARGER TAD:-
I have not, as yet, been able to trace TAD mowers beyond 1956.
The last evidence shows that TADs were sold at a large department store - Anthony Hordern's.

I have no evidence that TADS sold outside of NSW, or, indeed, outside the Sydney area.
The late 1956 ad. below shows a new 16 inch TAD fitted with a Villiers.
NOTE how the price - at 59 pounds - was considerably dearer than the benchmark Victa 48 pounds.

Member Kye has brought to my attention a photo held by the
Museum of Victoria, that depicts a HG Palmer Salesman (?) and
a 'typical housewife' of the day.

This was a professional studio photograph - so both were probably paid models.
Note the elongated muffler that appears to have been of TAD origin (not Villiers).

This was in the day when free home demonstrations were the norm...




SOURCE: http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1763436

PATENT 20062 of 1953
It was an exciting find to discover the full name behind the TAD ...
he was Donald Alfred Taplin, of 56 Beauchamp Street, Marrickville, Sydney.

Note: this is the address presented in the first part of this article.
I guess it means Mr Taplin was operating from his home, converting
manual push mowers to power, before he started manufacture of the TAD.

His patent, 20062 of 1953, was for a safety clutch to protect electric motors and
petrol engines from shock loads. This was at a time when mower makers did not
appreciate or understand the more elegant and much simpler solution - the swing-back
blade.

ODK Member Kye T runs a successful Facebook Page on Lawnmowers.
He has great historical knowledge on many collectables, and he
is always keen to share for the record.

Please visit his page here:-

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Vintagemowers/

The gallery images (below) show that TAD did survive to see the late 1950s.
This machine must date from late 1957 or a bit later.

They show a more modern TAD, with the Villiers 7F engine.
Note the more conventional design, but also note the pronounced,
raised discharge chute!

This is the TAD-Mow. Brilliant!
--------------------------
Jack