The Old Lawnmower Club
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Budding Style Lawnmowers

Lawnmowers based around the original Budding Patent design were produced for over a quarter of a century. None of the very first machines dating from the early 1830s are known to survive. There are, however, there two machines that probably date from the late 1830s and early 1840s that closely follow Budding's original design. In addition there are three machines that were certainly made by Ferrabee, three probably made by Ransomes after 1861, and two made by Shanks. 

All machines manufactured by Ferrabee appear to have carried a serial number which, with published and/or claimed production numbers drawn from contemporary reports, allows their dates to be estimated. Machines manufactured (or believed to be made) by Ransomes carry no identifiable serial numbers and the dates given are for the introduction of the model as it is impossible to estimate the year of production. 

EXISTING EARLY BUDDING STYLE LAWNMOWERS
Serial No Manufacturer Model Cutting Width (in) Approximate Date Current Location
1623 John Ferrabee Budding Patent 19 1840 Museum of Gardening, Hassocks (loaned by Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd)
3157 John Ferrabee & Sons Budding Patent 19 1849 Science Museum, London.
7508 J. Ferrabee & Co. Ferrabee Improved 12 1858 Museum in the Park, Stroud
7638 J. Ferrabee & Co. Ferrabee Improved 12 1858 Private Collection
8043 Phoenix Iron Works Company Phoenix Iron Works Company 19 1863 Museum in the Park, Stroud
Link Ransomes & Sims Ransomes Improved 14 1862-66 Wimbledon Museum of Tennis, London
Link Ransomes & Sims Ransomes Improved 16 1861-66 Milton Keynes Museum, Milton Keynes
Link Ransomes & Sims Ransomes Improved 18 1861-66 Private Collection
1147 Shanks Shanks Patent New Mowing & Rolling Machine   1855 Signal Museum, Arbroath
Link Shanks Shanks New Improved Patent 19 1862 and after Private Collection

Note: for the purposes of this list, a "Budding Style" lawnmower is a hand machine designed for use by one or two people, with a large diameter rear roller and large intermediate gear wheel.