Hello from Hazard!
We had several responses on Item No. 1202. Many of you know it is a push lawn mower. Those responding: James Miller, Louisville, Ohio; David Hodges; Keith Greathouse; and Wendell Cole.
Clark Colby, North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, gave us a detailed description: “It is a push-type MontaMower lawn mower made by the MontaMower Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The nine vertical toothed wheels are ground-driven and in turn (no pun intended) drive the 16 sharpened horizontal cutter wheels which cut the grass blades with a scissors-like action. The MontaMower is kind of a cross between mail fraud and a reel-type push mower. Several decades ago, there used to be one at virtually every farm auction I attended in ‘used only once’ condition, for reasons that become apparent during attempted use. My prized example retains its original navy-blue finish and is the later style with the crossed-rods-type handle, like Ed’s. A simple Google search will return much additional information on this mechanical oddity, which reportedly was made in several versions form the late 1890s to maybe about 1950.”
Dennis Graham, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, agrees with Clark on the MontaMower. David also submitted an advertisement for MontaMower. It sold for $15 in 1951. Dennis also writes the mower on display at Westmoreland Antique Museum at the Westmoreland fairgrounds, Greensburg, is owned by Wilbur Weaver, of Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Roseann Harbage said Item No. 1202 is a buckhorn cutter used to cut buckhorn out of your lawn.
Ed Homer, of Transfer, Pennsylvania, submitted Item No. 1202. There are 16 sharp rotating wheels over nine rotating wheels underneath. The metal handle is about the same size as an old push lawn mower handle.
Item No. 1203 was submitted by Lowell Reed, Cowansville, Pennsylvania. It was manufactured by Church Bros of Adrian, Michigan, patent date 1905.
If you know what the item is and how it was used, email us at editorial@farmanddairy.com; or by mail to: Hazard a Guess, c/o Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.
