OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models SUNBEAM - Lawnkeeper 2 & 4 - c1967

Hello ODK History Lovers

The Sunbeam Corporation made a cash offer for the shares and assets of Victa Ltd
in February, 1970. Two months later (late April) Victa had a new owner Sunbeam.

Sunbeam, the giant Appliance Manufacturer, had a commercial relationship with
Victa prior to this: I believe Victa secretly made Sunbeam's (Australia) first petrol
lawnmowers the 2-stroke and 4-stroke Lawnkeeper of the late 1960s.
I do not have direct evidence of this claim, but the design screams 'Victa'.

My best guess is that the Lawnkeeper was introduced in late 1967 for the 1967-68
lawnmowing season.

Originally powered by Kirby 2 stroke and 4 stroke engines, they appear to have had
no common parts with Victa mowers. Most probably designed by Victa and Sunbeam
engineers, it was a mid-arch, feature-full design of considerable complexity,
and I have no doubt that it was equal to Victa's flagship of the day, the Corvette.

I should add, after the Sunbeam takeover of Victa, this mower survived.
But the 2-stroke was powered by ... Victa 125cc & 160cc units(no surprises there).
The 'new' Lawnkeepers were introduced in about 1972.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - Advertising
The Sunbeam was sold through electrical retailers and specialised mower shops.
The earliest ad I have dates from January, 1968. The last ad is from February,
1976. Note how, in the last ad, the Lawnkeeper is now Made by Victa, and has
the smaller Victa 125cc engine.




TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE Specification
At some point Sunbeam would have decided to discontinue (or downplay) its aging
electric rotary and make the move to petrol-powered units. In distinctive blue
and green livery [later brown (bronze) and orange], the Lawnkeeper was a spectacular
mower to behold on the showroom floor.

With all the features of the top-line Victas, this was a very good example of
lawnmower making in Australia in the late 1960s. With chrome folding handles,
snorkel filtering, rear safety flap, large diameter rear wheels, hose wash port
this mower was top-end.

Engines were the respected Kirby-Tecumseh KAV 2-stroke, or the Kirby-Tecumseh
VK 4-stroke. Note that the chassis has the beautiful Sunbeam cursive font in
the cast branding. Later machines would have the modern GT stripe and bold
branding SUNBEAM!



A notably distinctive feature was the carry-over (from the electrics) of the
bar blade holder and swing-back, fluted blades. By the late 1960s we had
safety double skirted bases.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART FOUR - Manual
I guess this was the first Sunbeam Lawnkeeper Manual, with a date from
August, 1967. It is comprehensive and includes a spare parts list.

As always, this is my personal copy, made available for a personal-
use download. It is a great record of this machine.

PART FIVE - SUNBEAM KEYSTART

I have found some interesting evidence of a Sunbeam Lawnkeeper 4 Key-start.
This advertisement, from late 1970, indicates that this is a Sunbeam-Victa.
The engine is a Kirby-Tecumseh 4-stroke fitted with Tecumseh electric start.
Quite rare now, I would think. Does anyone have one?



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART SIX - The Lawnkeeper 125 & 160 - c1972
After the introduction of Victa�s Series 70 Mark Two engine (with decompressor)
it would appear that the Lawnkeeper was offered in both 125cc and 160cc versions.

Note the conventional Victa throttle and air filter. The distinguishing
features are the GT stripes on the new base, and the new colour scheme.



BROCHURE
Here is my brochure of the Lawnkeeper 160 (and 125).

PART SEVEN - The High-Arch Sunbeams
I include this entry for the record.

By the end of the 1970s mid-arch machines were going out of fashion
for all but entry-level lawnmowers.

There is evidence that the Sunbeam name was used for a high-arch
Lawnkeeper 160. Essentially, now, just another Victa, with no unique
features of the earlier machines.

This machine belongs to the respected ODK member Mr Davis:-


TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART EIGHT - Analysis & Summary
Sunbeam has a long and proud history in Australia - an American company that
spread its rays around the world from 1880. Sunbeam entered the lawnmower market
here with considerable experience with lawnmowers back home. Its first Australian
model was the Twin Rotor Electric Rotary of 1959.

By the late sixties it was clear that electric mowers had become very much a
niche market. If Sunbeam wanted to stay with garden products then it had to
engage with petrol-powered machines. It could have imported a range of petrol-
powered machines from the USA. It was a wise move in understanding that these
would not sell in Australia.

The Lawnkeeper was very much an Australian lawnmower, incorporating all the
deluxe features of a top-end Australian rotary machine. I have argued that it
was probably designed by Victa for Sunbeam.

Originally powered by Kirby engines, the original 2 & 4 cycle models were
painted with a green and blue livery. It was Sunbeams takeover of Victa in
1970 that brought about significant change: new models powered by Victa
engines and with a new colour scheme. These were the Lawnkeeper 125 and
Lawnkeeper 160 models. It is my opinion that the early Sunbeams are less
common and more desirable than the Sunbeams made by Sunbeam-Victa.

The rest is history.
--------------------------------------
Jack

Here is a first model from member ihatewetsocks:-

UPDATE - May, 2019 - 1967 Patent
In May, 2019, collector and historian maxwestern identified the
Actual Inventor of the Sunbeam Lawnkeeper chassis ...

Filed in May, 1967 the inventor was James Edward White.
This fits in nicely with this Historical Record: The Sunbeam Lawnkeeper
was introduced in late 1967 for the 1968 range year.

Many thanks to Max for unearthing this document!