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Panther 30 Hand mower
Panther 30 Push Cylinder Mowers ...
Best-selling hand mower for the finest cut!
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The Qualcast Panther 30cm/12inch push cylinder mower is
ideal for smaller lawns or areas remote from a power supply.
The Panther 30 represents exceptional value, and is compact
and very lightweight at 6.5kg, making it is easy to use
and store. The Panther 30 is also a healthy alternative to powered lawnmowers, and definitely very environmentally friendly as there are no emmissions, and an electrical supply is not required.
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History - : The Qualcast Panther is one of the most
successful hand mowers ever produced. It remained in production
from 1932 until the end of the 1950s. During this time,
more than one million were sold. The Panther was one of
the first mass produced hand mowers to be manufactured from
materials such as modern steel and components such as ball
bearings. Although these are commonplace now they were unusual
on mowers in the 1930s. Qualcast claimed in its trade promotion
material that the Panther would "give the public a guaranteed
ball bearing mower at a price lower than many sidewheel
machines". Sidewheel machines were generally less expensive
than roller hand mowers. Qualcast was always successful
at advertising its products. Before the Panther was available
in the shops Qualcast alerted its many wholesalers and retailers
that there would be an "enormous advertising campaign" to
promote the new mower. Advertisements during this period
focused on the quality and price of the machine and highlighted
the features that were only normally found on much more
expensive machines. When the Panther became one of the biggest
selling mowers ever its success became an important part
of the advertisements. The success of the Panther is based
on the simplicity of the design. Unlike the model it replaced
the Panther was built using the latest materials and components.
The frame was made from strong but lightweight sheet steel.
A side cover protected the chain and created an oil bath
for reliability and easy operation. The rear roller was
manufactured from pressed steel rather than cast iron. Ball
bearings ensured the roller and cutting cylinder were free
running. Turning a single wheel enabled easy adjustment
of the whole cutting mechanism. The design enabled Qualcast
to produce a good quality machine at a very reasonable cost,
not the cheapest on the market but much less expensive than
many similar machines. The original price of the Panther
was £2-17-6 (approx £2.87 in modern money) and it was guaranteed
for three years, which was highly unusual at the time. Customers
could buy the mower in instalments over a few months. This
was not a new idea but it made the mower very affordable
for many people. The Panther was only available in 12in
cutting width. This is just about the optimum width for
a hand mower on a normal lawn as it allows reasonably rapid
mowing without making it too hard to push the mower. Smaller
mowers would be easier to push but would take longer to
mow the lawn whereas larger mowers would generally be quicker
but required more effort. The original Panther continued
in production to the end of the 1950s. In 1959 the price
of the Panther was £8-17-9 (approx £8.85) and Qualcast guaranteed
it for 10 years. By now the original design was looking
old and Qualcast introduced a new model, the Super Panther,
in 1960. This was manufactured from lighter steel components.
Its enclosed rear roller gave it a very streamlined appearance
that was popular at the time. Newer Panther models were
introduced in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, Qualcast still
produces the Panther 30 model, shown on this page, although
the modern machine has a sidewheel, rather than a heavy
roller, reducing the physical effort needed to mow the lawn. As one of the most successful mowers ever
made the Qualcast Panther is not rare. Some are still in
everyday use and many collectors have examples in their
collections. However, it continues to hold its place as
a significant part of lawn mower history. more history |
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