PART TWO - SpecificationThe two factors that dominated lawnmower design in the 1960s were
Safety and
Features.
It is no surprise then that the
Model 49 complied with the new
Australian Manufacturers'
Safety Standards for rotary lawnmowers.
Crafted along traditions Scott Bonnar lines, it had an aluminium base with a double safety
skirt at the front and a partial one at the rear, and incorporating a
safety gap between the
blade tip and the rear axle and chute flap. A
safety shield was provided when mowing
without a catcher. Unlike previous models, this had a conventional
18 inch cut.Feature-wise, the chassis ran on ball-bearing wheels, and the handle was both folding and
height adjustable. With chrome highlights, this was a handsome mower on the showroom floor.
The grass catcher, originally metal, would be made of plastic on the later models.
Original
engine options were the Villiers 'Torque Major' 2-stroke, and the Kirby-Tecumseh
VK30 4-stroke engines. Both had Impulse start. Later variants would include 49s fitted with
Briggs & Stratton 4-strokes, and Kirby-Tecumseh 2 and 4 stroke engines.
TO BE CONTINUED ...