OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models SOUTHERN CROSS - Mark KX-B - c1963 The Tin Mowers

Hello ODK History Lovers

The famous Toowoomba Foundry that gave us the great Southern Cross brand windmills
gave us much, much more than that. From humble beginnings in the late 19th Century,
the foundry became an Australia-wide identity, making steam engines, petrol IC engines,
kerosene engines, diesel engines, and many other products. Their Windmills still stand
on many farms today as icons of the great Australian countryside.

Southern Cross were also lawnmower makers, and that story is not well known ...

This story records the KX-B models - the 'Tin Mowers' as they were nicknamed -
from the mid-1960s. They were called tin mowers because they had a pressed steel base.
That fact seems unusual - coming from a foundry. However, there is a significant point to
be made on design and intended market.

The KX-B was made in Standard and Power Drive form.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - Acknowledgement
Many times, individuals make significant contributions to the history of specific
companies. The definitive book on Southern Cross must be Rob Laurent's superb
Southern Cross Engines: An Illustrated History of Toowoomba Foundry's Steam,
Internal-Combustion and Windmill Engines.

For any Southern Cross owner, this is the starting point for context. Chapter 8
discusses in some detail the SC lawnmowers ...



This book has helped me in the understanding of context. Southern Cross was a
pioneering Australian manufacturer who contributed to our history. Post-WWII,
the company attempted to diversify and its entry into lawnmower production
reflects that.

It made a serious attempt at that -

SECOND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The second acknowledgement must go to the Southern Cross Register
Ian Matthews' site provides for registration (and acknowledgement) that
SC machines survive ...




If you have a Southern Cross lawnmower, I recommend
you place it on the register ... http://southerncrossregister.nqmp.org/

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE - Specification - Engine
Of course, it is odd that a respected and proud agricultural, industrial and
marine engine manufacturer would choose an outside engine make for the KX-B
mower - the Villiers 147cc Lightweight 4-Stroke. Why not Southern Cross's own
EC-B 150cc engine?



Rob Laurent says, in his splendid book, that the EC-B engine suffered from being
too heavy (many cast iron components) and too expensive in manufacture.

We should also consider that the Foundry only made about 5000 mowers in total!

The KX-B was intended in Standard form to be a less expensive machine. Part of that
goal was achieved by fitting the Villiers unit. I have written about this engine
previously because a few Australian manufacturers used this engine [see Related Links].

Bob Laurent's anecdotal evidence is telling: "This was a new model engine made
by the Villiers plant in Ballarat, Victoria. It proved to be a troublesome engine
that gave Southern Cross mowers a bad name."

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART FOUR - Specification - Chassis
When I first set eyes on the KX-B I knew it was not the single inspiration
of the Toowoomba Foundry. The chassis had striking similarities to the Pope
side-discharge lawnmowers of the day.

The Pope Company of Adelaide is the odd-man-out in the 1960s; in that they
exclusively made their lawnmower bases of pressed steel - when the preferred
method of the other 'big players' was the die cast alloy base. It was therefore
interesting that the KX-B machines would be referred to as 'The Tin Mowers'.
That was the clue that led to other detail observations.

It was only in recent times that I saw closer similarities in detail -
with the base style, wheels, windrower and bladeholder. There was clear
collaboration between two great companies - from QLD and SA.

When I say collaboration, I certainly do not mean the KX-B was a Pope copy.
There are too many similarities in design to say it was coincidence; but
too many differences to say this was a re-badge. It may be that Pope supplied
certain expertise, components, or process machinery. We are never likely to
know that. Also, note that the self-propelled version of the KX-B is totally
unique to Southern Cross.

The image below is an exploded view of a Pope 320-13. This mower was
powered by Clinton. This chassis is one of the earliest Popes to use the
single-point height adjuster - a major change in the 320 series.



The image below is an exploded view of the KX-B



The base is a deep skirt pressed steel design in the style of the Pope.
The height adjuster assembly is of a similar design, as are the wheels,
bladeholder and blade assembly, and windrower. The handle assembly is
quite different.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART FIVE - The KX-B Self Propelled
For me, the most fascinating thing about Southern Cross lawnmowers was
the boldness of the Toowoomba Foundry in the mid-1960s. For an Australian
manufacturer to even attempt manufacturer of a self-propelled domestic
[18"] lawnmower was rare.

Rover, Victa and Turner did it. But small mower makers! Sydney's Loukon
did it - and Toowoomba Foundry did it! The KX-B 'Power-Drive' is a rare
and highly collectible lawnmower. Southern Cross advertised it as
"Australia's First Variable Control Mower."

It was ridiculously over-engineered, and must have been expensive to
make. This was no primitive 'drive dog on wheel' approach - as Rover
used, and Victa first used. Variable control came from an expanding
pulley arrangement (adjusted via a rear-mounted handwheel).

This was part of a worm drive box that then connected to a transfer
box (via chain) that then connected to the drive wheels. The drive
wheels had differential action via a pawl and ratchet incorporated
in both rear wheels. Clutching was achieved via a handle mounted
lever, with a cable to a dog clutch. Probably more complicated
than any NASA design of the day!




Bob Laurent best sums up the design:

The KX-B was also offered as a self-propelled mower, known as the
Power Drive Machine. The Foundry-designed drive mechanism consisted of a
complex arrangement of pulleys, gears, chains and shafts. While the mechanism
worked well when new, it required a lot of maintenance and mechanical know-how
to keep it functioning properly. A neglected Power Drive soon gave trouble,
and this further harmed the reputation of Southern Cross mowers. The KX-B
mower was produced until the mid-1960s.

What a fantastic mower and folly - this machine must be the pride of any
collector now and in the know. Let's save every one!

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART SIX - Brochures
These must be rare brochures. They are from my collection and they probably
record the model as intended - a large, comprehensive brochure, and a small
(pocket) brochure.

The pocket-sized brochure introduced the main features of the KX-B.
The large brochure gives us more information. These were expensive lawnmowers
at 59 Guineas for the Standard, and 75 Guineas for the Power Drive.
The optional grass catcher was priced at £6/6/-.

PART SEVEN - Operator Manual - Part 1
The Instruction Manual for the KX-B is comprehensive and nicely illustrated.
I have divided it into three parts for efficiency. The first part covers
Operation and Maintenance of the KX-B.

PART EIGHT- Operator Manual - Part 2 & 3
Parts 2 of the Operator Manual for the Southern Cross KX-B cover the parts list
for the Standard and the Power Drive. Part 3 is the accompanying illustrated
exploded views of the engine, chassis, transmission and starter. All for personal
use. Enjoy...

PART NINE - Conclusion & Comment
Rob Laurent says the KX-B was introduced in 1963 because the directors felt
sales were "not as high as hoped". The KX-B sold alongside the larger KX-D.

Cost savings were made by using a smaller 18" pressed steel base, and a cheaper
(and lighter) Villiers 4-stroke. I have argued in this record that Pope Products
appear to have been involved in some capacity in the new design.

I have no doubt that the streamlined Villiers engine was more aesthetic and a
cheaper and lighter option than their own EC-B engine. Laurent's anecdotal
evidence was that the Villiers engine caused trouble in service. The Southern
Cross Power Drive system also appears to have been too complex.

For these reasons, it appears there was buyer resistance and the model's
lifespan was limited to 1963-65 - about three years. Production numbers would
have been low.

The bigger picture should be noted in all this. Southern Cross entered the
rotary lawnmower market quite late - in 1960. The Golden Age was the 1950s ...
when 'small players' could make a go of it and make a quid. By 1960, the
industry consolidated by virtue of the 'big players' who had the resources,
capital, and economies of scale of production methods to produce fresher
designs with more features in large and viable volume.

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

Images of the KX-B are thin on the ground...
I hope this is not an omen of just how rare these mowers are.


SOURCE: https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/54682/Southern_Cross_KX-B_Power_Driv.html

A big thank you to member Paul C who took these images at the
Southern Cross Museum in 2016.

Villiers Lightweight 4-stroke:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/76728/VILLIERS_-_Lightweight_4-Strok.html

Southern Cross KX-C Mower: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...1/re-southern-cross-mark-kx-c-c1960.html


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