Steam powered lawn mowers like the one pictured here were built in Newburgh, New York in the beginning of the 20th century.
Steam Powered Lawnmower
The boiler is a liquid fuel fired vertical-firetube type jacketed in copper with a copper smoke cone and chimney, which supplies a small vertical double simple-expansion steam engine, (visible at far left) approximately 2″ bore x 4″ stroke, with two bar guides, link reverse and crosshead driven boiler feed pumps.
The engine and boiler are mounted between steel arched frames which also carry a copper twin tank for water and fuel, with the driver’s seat on top. Roller chains (missing in this picture) drive a jackshaft and separate drives go to the mowing reel and the large under-roll; a small outrigger roll is provided at the engine end of the frame. Forward movement is to the right of the picture. Steering is by tiller in this version. The steam engine has a copper steam-jacket, and ball-bearing big-ends, and is of steam automobile style. The mowing reel cuts a 40″ swath. At one time Coldwell steam mowers were in use on the White House lawns.
Obviously these things have long since been replaced by gasoline powered engines and have rendered steam powered lawn mowers completely obsolete.
