Anglo Traction 761 #1 Posted December 13, 2019 I thought I'd add this here to maybe find out if, or what kind of mowers were around in the U.S at this period?. I'm sure there is a lot knowledge on them in general here, despite WH not being in existence then. This particular I/c powered machine was designed to fill a void left in Britain after WW1, where large width cutting cylinder/reel mowers (18-30 inch) were either a 2 man task or towed by Pony. With the loss of so many male workers, this machine was designed to convert most existing manually pushed/pulled mowers to ride-on machines. It became available to average sized households, rather than just large, wealthy estates, of which had enjoyed the availability of much larger engine powered Ride-ons since around 1903. I add a link here in this topic to the work done on this to peruse at your leisure if interested- MP Mower Pusher So are there any examples of vintage ride-ons from this era in the U.S, or indeed any other Countries ?. Is there a U.S. I/c powered Ride-on mower make/model that can claim to be the first on the market for the average consumer (not just the wealthy). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stepney 2,325 #2 Posted December 13, 2019 In the U.S. in the 20-30's era.. hmm. I had a Coldwell power mower with a ride on sulkey, built around 1918-19. I'm pretty sure the old Jacobsen Acre Mower came with a tow along seat too, those were 20's era. There was some machine around 1905 with a small FOOS engine. I can't think of it's name. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cafoose 3,354 #3 Posted December 13, 2019 1 hour ago, Stepney said: There was some machine around 1905 with a small FOOS engine. Maybe a distant relative of mine? My last name is Foose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foos_Gas_Engine_Company http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=2781&tab=0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stepney 2,325 #4 Posted December 13, 2019 7 minutes ago, cafoose said: Maybe a distant relative of mine? My last name is Foose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foos_Gas_Engine_Company http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=2781&tab=0 Anything's possible but the spelling is wrong. John Foos was a huge name back in the day and they were not just American, they were sold worldwide. Wish I could remember the name of the Foos powered mower. It was bizarre to say the least. I also forgot the IDEAL power mower and sulky, built from the early 1900's up through the 1930s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lane Ranger 10,968 #5 Posted December 13, 2019 https://newyorkhistoryblog.org/2013/03/newburgh-cradle-of-the-american-law-mower-industry/ Coldwell made a very early mower and the steam version was one of the first mowers used at the White House. The Coldwell Company was eventually bought by the Toro Company. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cafoose 3,354 #6 Posted December 14, 2019 2 hours ago, Stepney said: Anything's possible but the spelling is wrong. Foose Spelling Variations It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Foose are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Foose include: Foss, Fosse, Fos, Voss, Foose, Foos and others. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
