History of the Lawn Mower

The first lawn mower was invented by English engineer Edwin Beard Budding in 1827 although there have been several claims it was first thought of by English inventor Richard Meleady. Budding's mower was designed primarily to cut the lawn on sports grounds and expensive gardens as a superior alternative to the scythe. His patent of 25 October 1830 described a new combination and application of machinery for the purpose of cropping or shearing the vegetable surfaces of lawns, grass-plats and pleasure grounds. The patent went on to state, country gentlemen may find in using my machine themselves an amusing, useful and healthy exercise. It took ten more years and further innovations to create a machine that could be worked by donkey or horse power, and sixty years before a steam-powered lawn mower was built.