OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories UK & EUROPEAN Rotary Models LOYD Motor Sickle - c1949

Hello ODK History Lovers,
The British Loyd Motor Sickle was an unusually small (18�) rotary mower that arrived
on our shores in late 1949. Made by Vivian Loyd & Company in Camberley, Surrey,
England, its importance to the development of the Australian rotary lawnmower has
gone unrecognised � because it was sold (rightly) as an agricultural mower, rather
than a horticultural lawnmower designed for the aesthetic improvement of grass.

Nonetheless, it was a petrol-powered rotary mower, sold here before the late-1952
Victa � considered to be the first Australian production, petrol-powered rotary
lawnmower.

Have a look at the brochure (below). Do you notice something quite odd about the
engine? It�s a Villiers Midget � but not quite the type that appeared on the first
Victas�


SOURCE: Seventy Years of Garden Machinery by Brian Bell

Without a doubt this was what we call here a �slasher mower� � designed to cut
high grasses and more. The Loyd would influence some of the first Australian-made
slasher mowers, with their belt drive, and total lack of safety fitments.
This was more a 'widow-maker' than a 'toe-cutter'.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

PART TWO �Introduction & Specification
There was syndicated coverage in regional NSW newspapers of the Loyd�s first
showing in England in mid-1949. Here are two typical news reports, and the
story was significant enough to warrant an accompanying photograph.




SPECIFICATION
These early reports made it clear of the intended use and target markets:
�market gardeners, fruit growers, poultry farmers, nursery gardeners, small
holders, etc.� In other words, this was a commercial and agricultural machine,
not a �lawnmower� designed for the aesthetic improvements of lawns.

The surprising thing was the size: just 18 inches � small enough for a
residential machine. Fitted with pneumatic tyres (in the style of American
'Big Wheel' mowers), this machine was manually pushed � not self-propelled �
but it was light-weight, and it had a single, simple throttle control.

Power was directly transmitted via v-belt from the Villiers 2-stroke motor
to the cutter head. The blades were the rigid triangular design one would
see on sickle-bar mowers.

TO BE CONTINUED �

PART THREE � Arrival in Australia
I was surprised just how quickly the Loyd Motor Sickle arrived in Australia.
There was a clear use for this gadget in the colonies, and Great Britain was
under the inducement to �export or perish�, given the need to rebuild that
country after that devastating war.

Advertisements started appearing in late 1949! The earliest I have found
comes from regional Queensland � Nambour � from late November. The ad
suggests arrival is imminent and there is a captive, potential buyer �
pineapple farmers! The small size of the Loyd was its advantage � for
orchardists � that needed to maintain the small gaps between plants.



The Loyd was certainly displayed at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 1950.
The NSW agency appears to have belonged to the giant Moffat-Virtue company.



And of course, Victoria followed suit:-

PART FOUR � AUS Advertising
The records I have suggest that the Loyd Motor Sickle sold in the Eastern
States of Australia. The opposition came from the popular, imported sickle-
bar mowers � Allen, Atco, Barford, Lloyd, Mayfield, and the like. The new
rotary-action mowers � Loyd and Hayter � were in their ascendancy. By the
mid-1950s, the sickle-bar mower reign would be all but over.

At about 90 quid, the Loyd was double the price of a 1950�s residential rotary
lawnmower; but less than half the price of a walk behind sickle bar mower.
I think it would have sold quite well. Here are two typical advertisements:-




SAW ATTACHMENT
Reference was made to a 14" circular saw blade.
Probably a popular attachment for orchardists.


SOURCE: Seventy Years of Garden Machinery by Brian Bell

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART FIVE � An Anomaly
The newsprint advertising records show something odd. . .
The Loyd Motor Sickle appears to have been offered with two different engine
configurations � the vertical shaft (as previously shown), and a horizontal
shaft Villiers. No print records shed light on the reason.

Photographic evidence (see next part) suggests both had the same Midget MK3
shrouded engine: one vertical; the other horizontally mounted. I can speculate
a couple of reasons:

[1] Buyer or Seller preference � the horizontal shaft was well-established in
commercial and agricultural applications. Their fitment to the Loyd enabled
users to remove the engine for multiple tasks. Vertical crankshaft engines
were not common at all at this time.

[2] Availability � all manufacturers were subject to post-war limitations.
There was a shortage of engines in general, and it may be that Loyd adapted
to availability from Villiers.




TO BE CONTINUED ...

Here are the two types of the Loyd Motor Sickle.
I would have to say the earlier design (with vertical crankshaft)
is the better design.


SOURCE: Grace's Guide http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Vivian_Loyd_and_Co



SOURCE: My Old Machine: http://myoldmachine.com/topic/481-the-vivian-loyd-motor-sickle/

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART SIX - Analysis & Comment
The Loyd Motor Sickle was misnamed by our modern understandings.
It wasn�t a sickle mower at all � it had rotary action cutting as the key
cutting feature. It did, however, use the triangular-shaped sickle blades
though � rigidly fixed � just like on the sickle-bar mowers used widely in
agriculture. Early post-war rotaries adopted this style of blade (before
the use of swing-back blades).

Regardless, the first post-war rotaries in this country were of British
make � the Rotoscythe and Ladybird as domestic lawnmowers, the Hayter and
Loyd as agricultural machines. Both the Hayter and Loyd would influence
our first slasher mowers � the Marino Mowall, the Mobilco Heavycut, and
the Whirlwind machines of the 1950s.

ADVERTISING
The Loyd was advertised honestly � it was designed for cutting heavy growths,
including bracken and brambles and saplings. It was no lawn mower (as such).
However, a significant point I make is that advertising used with these early
agricultural mowers did influence the advertising we would see with residential
(domestic) rotary lawnmowers.

In the early-mid 1950s it was typical for Australian lawnmower makers to
advertise their lawnmowers as being able to cut any height of grass. This
�frontier� mentality meant that residential mowers � like Victas � were
advertised as jungle clearers! Quite irresponsible.



The Loyd Motor Sickle is largely forgotten today.
Collectors miss it and its significance as an early rotary mower; probably
because it was never a �lawnmower�, but an odd, lethal machine found on farms
and the like. It worked well on pineapple farms!

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

The Loyd Motor Sickle was made by Vivian Loyd and his company in
Camberley, Surrey, England. But, there is a backstory�

Vivian Graham Loyd was a war veteran whose claim to fame lay in military equipment
manufacture. The Wikipedia entry says Captain Vivian Graham Loyd MC, (13 May 1894 �
1972) was an English soldier and engineer who designed armoured vehicles including
the Carden Loyd tankette and Loyd Carrier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Loyd

This association � between war and lawnmowers � is not as uncommon as one would think ...
and military themes have been popular with lawnmowers � �Combat�, �Sabre�, �Commando� �
Think of lawnmowers, then, as peace makers � between you and the lawn.

In any case, Grace�s Guide has a brief summary: http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Vivian_Loyd

Pending.


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