OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Power Reel Models KELLY LAWNMASTER - c1948 - The Pram

Hello ODK members

The Lawnmaster was quite a novel 14" powered reel mower.
It was manufactured by Kelly Brothers Engineering Company of Marrickville, in Sydney's Inner West.

The Lawnmaster was manufactured from 1948 and was in production until about 1957.
It had a Villiers Midget engine that powered the reel only. It was not self-propelled.

It was of all-steel construction and its most unique feature was that it had an
'ingenious built-in grass catcher' mounted at the rear. There was no front roller, enabling the makers
to boast that it could get close to edges.

It wasn't a handsome machine... The Model A looked like a motorised perambulator!

PART 2

The Lawnmaster was made in two models over its life span.
The evidence is that the Model B replaced the Model A, rather than the two models
running concurrently:

Model A 1948-1952 4 side wheels
Model B 1953-1957 2 side wheels

Here is the Model B. Note how the grass catcher is not fully enclosed, and the machine somewhat
loses its ugly charm. It becomes a simple side-wheel power mower:-

SIGNIFICANCE

Kelly Brothers� Lawnmaster was one of the first Australian-made powered mowers to enter the market
post WWII. The evidence suggests that it was remarkably successful.

It sold widely - from its Sydney base, the Lawnmaster was sold as west as WA and as north as North QLD.
It seemed to be a machine that was cleverly promoted and marketed.

In this early 1954 article, note how negatives are turned into positives.
This machine was not self-propelled. That was a good thing ...



In retrospect, the unique feature of the Model A was its safety.
A fully enclosed rear catcher preceded the Scott Bonnar Diplomat machines by 3 decades!
And The Diplomat won an Australian Design Award primarily for its safety features ...

For me, the Model B is less interesting. The Lawnmaster became a run-of-the-mill powered
sidewheel, in competition with better machines - the Ogden, Pope and Crowe power sidewheels,
and the extremely successful Qualcast 16" power sidewheel.

The Lawnmaster was probably over-priced for what it was, but it should be considered important
in being an early post WWII Australian-made lawnmower:-

PHOTO RECORD

The photograph record is poor. Here is a Model A -



Here is a Model A from Member Joe Carroll





We welcome any information or photographs on this machine.
Please use the Old Soap Box by clicking HERE.

This is a fantastic example of a sensitive restoration.
Many thanks to Trevor for these images of a Model A restored with original patina.