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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

MP044: Atco Lightweight & Middleweight Motor Mowers

Atco motor mower from the early 1930s.

By the beginning of the 1930s the design of the original Atco Motor Mower was becoming outdated. When it was introduced in 1921 it had revolutionised motor mower design and production. In doing so it became the first mass produced motor mower that was affordable to a large part of the growing domestic market. However, its heavy design and open chains were no longer leading edge designs. From 1931 Atco started to replace the Atco Motor Mower with a range of machines.

These new mowers were given the names of De Luxe, Lightweight and Middleweight. From about this time Atco began to refer to the original Atco Motor Mowers as the "Atco Standard" so that its customers, dealers and service agents could tell the different mowers apart.

The first replacement designs used a number of components that were also fitted to the Atco Standard. These included the cutting cylinder, front and rear rollers, lever clutch, carburettor, and engine (a Villiers two stroke). This helped the company with its service because it needed to stock fewer parts to maintain mowers across its range. This concept had been at the heart of the success of the original Atco Motor Mowers and also helped keep production costs to a minimum.

The three most noticeable changes in the design were in the frame, drive mechanism and engine cooling. The new style of frame was made from plate steel which was easier and cheaper to manufacture than the cost iron sections of the earlier design. It also made the mower lighter and easier to adjust. The second major change was that the chains and sprockets were all enclosed beneath guards and covers. This was safer and also kept dust, grass and other debris away from the moving parts which aided reliability and made it easier to keep them lubricated. The third difference was the lack of a fan on the engine, a real trade mark of the original Atco Standards. Instead there was an enclosed cowling on the engine that directed air more efficiently past the cylinder block.

Starting was achieved using the same handle that was used on the Atco Standard but this was finally replaced by a primitive kick start mechanism from 1935. A year later a more convenient kick start was introduced and Atco never produced a handle start mower again.

Although the first new designs bore more than a passing resemblance to the original Atco Motor Mowers, and in particular the 12" and 14" HY, the appearance changed gradually during the 1930s. There was a clear trend towards even more steel components, lighter and more reliable clutch mechanisms and smaller engines. Nevertheless Atco retained its hallmark "torpedo" fuel tank right through the decade and well beyond.

Atco motor mower from the early 1930s. These machines replaced the original Atco "Standards" but were similar in appearance and used many of the same components.

Atco motor mowers from the 1920s and 30s are reasonably easy to find and many collectors have an example or two. The great variety of machines made by the company also make them popular with "single make" collectors.