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Lesser Known Classics Discussion Forum

Snapping Turtle Mower

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dkmruss, Durham

04-06-2008 13:52:27




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My dad had a Snapping Turtle. He bought it from the school where he was principal. We used it til I was about 14 or 15. Ugliest mower I ever saw
but I would love to have a working one now. Was a workhorse, self propelled, 6 1/2 hp Wisconsin engine with separate pull rope, had to wrap and pull. Industrial green with brown engine and brown turtle head. That mower would cut anything in its path like a hot knife through butter.

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Russ Bolton

06-27-2008 10:10:37




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 Re: Snapping Turtle Mower in reply to dkmruss, Durham, NC, 04-06-2008 13:52:27  
I have one that has the Wisconsin engine. As dkmruss states it is a 6.5 hp model AKN. Mine is serial A0358 and was manufactured in Atlanta. Dad bought it in the early fiftys as I remember from the man who had sold the patent to Sothern Saw works, he was a Snapper dealer in Sanford Florida. It was used continually until he died in 1970. After that, it fell into disuse and was left outside to rust. I now have it stored inside and intend to restore it. The engine is completely useless and I am looking for a rebuildable AKN for it. Contact me if anyone knows of one in the Central Florida area. Shipping is cost prohibitive.

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jdemaris

04-07-2008 16:03:39




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 Re: Snapping Turtle Mower in reply to dkmruss, Durham, NC, 04-06-2008 13:52:27  
I've got two of them. But, I've never seen one with a Wisconsin. All I've seen, including my two have 2 1/2 horse Clintons.



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dkmruss

04-07-2008 19:56:17




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 Re: Snapping Turtle Mower in reply to jdemaris, 04-07-2008 16:03:39  
I'm pretty sure is was a Wisconsin engine, but I could be wrong. I haven't seen it since about 1972 or 73. We broke a spark plug off in the engine and Dad eventually sold it to someone. He bought it from the school about 1968 I think. The cranking rope was not built in. It wrapped around and came loose when we cranked. It was a good mower.



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jdemaris

04-08-2008 05:51:02




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 Re: Snapping Turtle Mower in reply to dkmruss, 04-07-2008 19:56:17  
Both of mine are the same - but here are the specs off of one. Has a Clinton motor, rope-start, and a 18” wide cut. Has turtle head on front. Distributed by Henry
Diston. “Snappin Turtle” , Southern Saw Works, Atlanta, Georgia. Model 2ST19R , ser. #
A8584 Made about 1956. The engine is a Clinton serial # 2301982B model # B791COB

Here's a brief history somebody wrote:

Incorporated as Southern Saw Works on November 1, 1894, by then owner Isaac Boyd, the
company made circular saws for the growing Georgia lumber industry. For almost 60 years, as
lumber prospered, so did Southern Saw. But by 1949, saw making was an industry in decline. William R. Smith, who then owned
Southern Saw, watched as green lawns replaced towering pines. Smith, seeing opportunity,
made an insightful decision to enter the lawn mower industry. He purchased the patents of
"Snappin' Turtle" mowers, one of the first rotary mowers, then being built in Florida. Actual
Georgia production began in East Point in January 1951, when 16 of the unique mowers were
shipped. By the end of 1951, a total of 3,975 mowers were manufactured and delivered
throughout the United States. Several of these first mowers are on display at the Smithsonian
Institute in Washington, DC, and the Atlanta History Museum. In the early 1950s, lawn mowers were a "growing" business. Although the first mowers were
English-made push reel mowers, Americans took the design one step further adding newly
developed small engines to reel mowers. During the 1950s and 1960s, as lawn sizes grew from
the postage lots in the city to the half-acre or more lots of the suburbs, homeowners were
spending more of their recreation time mowing grass. Power reel mowers, though widely
available, were expensive, heavy and awkward to handle. Their open reel made safety a
continuing concern. On January 16, 1951, Snapper introduced its "Snappin' Turtle," the first self-propelled rotary
mower. Its smaller, lighter engine and safe, covered blade revolutionized the industry. A lower,
more compact body made with new, less expensive yet stronger materials brought the price to a
reasonable level. The rotary mower became as common as a garden spade. As the mower business grew, the saw business waned. Soon, lawnmower manufacturing
replaced saw production in the plant. Even so, by 1954 the East Point plant could grow no
further. The decision was made to merge Southern Saw Works and the McDonough Foundry
& Machine Works and move the entire operation to McDonough in Henry County.
McDonough Foundry & Machine Works, a supplier to Southern Saw, was organized in 1946
to produce iron castings and textile machinery. The merger of the two manufacturers created a
new company known as McDonough Power Equipment. Snapper mowers were leading a new revolution in lawn care equipment, and McDonough
Power was growing with this revolution. Innovations in power mowers and accessories, many
designed by Snapper, fueled the growth of rotary mowers and McDonough Power's line of
consumer products. In fact, Snapper owns 44 patents for innovations in safety, deck design and
transmissions. As lawns got bigger and leisure time got shorter, even self-propelled walk behind mowers
couldn't cut it fast enough. So Snapper engineers designed and produced one of its most lauded
innovations, the Snapper rear engine-riding mower. A hybrid of sorts, it gave consumers a
machine priced between a walk behind mower and its more expensive cousin, the lawn tractor.
The Snapper was built with an engine behind the operator so as not to obstruct the view of the
mowing area and to keep the hot engine behind rather than in front of the operator. In its early
production the Comet—named in the midst of the space race—replaced the traditional steering
wheel with handlebars similar to those on a bicycle. Consumers loved them and even today, the
company gets letters from homeowners who still proudly own and operate those mowers. At
one time, Comet sales were more than 80 percent of McDonough Power transactions. The success of the Comet and other products made Snapper an attractive acquisition, and in
1967, Snapper was purchased by Atlanta-based Fuqua Industries. The alliance provided
Snapper with the capital to expand to a second manufacturing plant in Texas and continue the
development of new and innovative additions to its product line, including lawn tractors in 1982
and rear-tine tillers and snowthrowers in 1983. Building on its growing product/name
recognition, McDonough Power was renamed Snapper Power Equipment in 1982. Between 1982 and 1987, Snapper was growing almost twice as fast as the industry. During
1985, the McDonough plant was building a mower every 52 seconds to keep up with demand.
Commercial equipment was added to the Snapper mix in 1987 and the company used its years
of creativity in the residential market to redefine the standards for commercial mowers. But a downturn in the economy coupled with a nearly nationwide drought as well as the success
of mass merchandisers and discounters caused difficulties for Snapper. As a result, sales stalled
in the late 80s and early 90s. As the decade progressed, Snapper developed inventive products
such as the hydrostatic rear engine rider and tractor and the Ninja® mulching system to answer
consumer demands for better and more earth-friendly mowing systems. On the administrative side, Metromedia International Group purchased Snapper's parent,
Fuqua. But changes in the front office did not stop changes to the product line. In 1997,
Snapper introduced its biggest innovation yet—the Yard Cruiser®. A variation of the rear
engine rider, the Yard Cruiser® is a zero-turn radius mower providing the ultimate in comfort
with single-hand, joystick steering and the best of the Snapper mowing tradition. After 50 years, the company has grown to be a leader in the industry, with approximately 900
employees housed in nearly one million square feet of facilities in McDonough, Georgia. Major
distribution centers outside of Georgia are located in Texas, Nevada and Ohio. Snapper
products are sold nationwide and abroad through over 5,000 servicing dealers. What started with a commitment to innovation and quality has persevered through the good and
tough times. Now Snapper is prepared to start its second half-century with a renewed
dedication to the ideals that have brought it to the new millennium. You might say Snapper is
"Born To Mow."

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