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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

SHANKS Alexander

An Arbroath engineer, Alexander Shanks was engaged by W.F. Carnegie to improve upon Budding's mower so that it could be more easily pulled by two men or a pony. This design was patented in 1842 and, because Budding's original patents did not cover Scotland, it was able to enter full production. Shanks produced a steam powered mower in 1902. A wide range of mowers was produced both before and after the two World Wars, but in later years the company ran into financial difficulties and turned to making gang mowers for ATCO, eventually being taken over by that company in 1960. The Shanks name finally disappeared from the mower scene about 1970.