Hayter (lawn mowers)


Hayter Ltd. is a British high-end manufacturer and distributor of garden machinery, specialising in industrial and domestic lawn mowers. Its headquarters is based in Spellbrook, Hertfordshire, where it was founded in 1946 by Douglas Hayter, a pioneer of the rotary mower.

History

The engineer Douglas Hayter formed the idea of the rotary lawn mower after he visited the London Science Museum where he saw a 100-year-old, horse drawn rotary mower, in around 1946. He returned to his house in Spellbrook, Hertfordshire, where he built a frame using some accumulated parts and combined it with a second hand, two-stroke engine. The following day, the machine was in full working order. Local interest in his design grew and he made similar machines for his neighbours. He called it the Hayter Motor Scythe and put it into production in 1947. Among his first customers was Ipswich Town Council. Further work, including the installation of a safety stone guard, was fitted to the mower deck. Hayter changed the two-stroke engine to a four-stroke variant with a horizontal crankshaft. Hayter's business became a limited company in 1946.
The company was awarded with a Royal Warrant in 1960 by Elizabeth II, meaning it is a trusted supplier to the British Royal Family. To date, it is currently the sole supplier of lawn mowers to the British royal estate.
Hayter was bought by the American horticultural company, Toro, in the 1990s.

Products

Hayter supply four types of machine;
Rear roller
Four wheel mowers
Electric rear roller mowers
Specialist products