The History of Zero-Turn Lawn Mowers
From landscapers to lawn care professionals to gardening fanatics, zero-turn mowers have changed the way many people approach mowing the lawn. But where did these machines come from, and how did we arrive at the designs we have today? We here at Magnum Power believe in knowing your tools inside and out, so we’ve put together a brief history of zero-turn lawn mowers, below. To learn more, or to see the zero-turn lawn mowers we have for sale, contact our store in Lawson, Missouri, today!
Early Years
For as fancy and innovative as zero-turn lawn mowers are, it comes as a surprise to many that these machines trace their origins back to 1949—that’s over 70 years ago! The first commercially-available model was invented by Max B Swisher, a resident of Warrensburg, Missouri—a local! The Ride King featured one driving wheel in the front with two driven wheels in the back, which unfortunately meant that utilizing the zero-turn function required the driver to go in reverse.
Development
In 1963, the next stage of the zero-turn evolution was initiated by John Regier of the Hesston Corporation. He was fascinated by belt and pulley mechanisms used in a recently-released swather and decided to try incorporating them into mowers. This innovation allowed for counter-rotation, where the top and bottom halves of a machine spin in opposite directions, which resulted in the world’s first twin-lever-steered zero-turn mower.
Though many customers were confused by the levers, the model was nonetheless a fascinating next step for these lawn care tools.
Refinement
Reiger’s patent for this counter-rotating mower was bought by Hustler Turf and BigDog Mower Co. and was released as the Hustler mower, which is still a popular zero-turn mower to this very day. These two company’s parent company, Excel Industries, became the first large-scale manufacturer of lawn mowers with these capabilities.
In 1974, the term “zero-turn” was first coined by the Dixon company as they broke into the mower market, and another 23 years later a new steering system was introduced by Robert D. Davis Jr. With only one lever, operations were simplified considerably, which made zero-turn mowers easier to learn to use.
Today
Today, zero-turn mowers remain one of the most powerful and popular machines for lawn care and maintenance. Though they’re best for massive, relatively flat lawns, they can make any mowing task from a chore to a treat, and over 36 manufacturers currently produce their own variations on this 70-year-old design.
Ready to write your own chapter in the zero-turn mower history book? Contact us at Magnum Power for more information, or to see the zero-turn lawn mowers we have available. We proudly serve the people of Clay County and Kansas City, Missouri—let us serve you today!