| The History of Lawn Mowers | Honors Thesis | | Amber Shukitia and Erik Kortum | 11/6/2013 |

A brief history of the lawn mower and the different innovations that developed over the years will be researched and discussed. This discussion will include the functionality of the different styles over the ages, especially the abilities of the powerful mowers of today. The research will then be utilized in the design of our commercial riding mower deck lift system for capstone, along with discovering other advancements that may be taken into consideration for future designs. |

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TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures 3 List of Tables 3 Introduction 4 Developments through the Ages 4 Current Mower Designs and Accessories 5 Dixie Chopper Capstone Design 7 Possible Future Advancements 9 Conclusion 10 Acknowledgments 11 References 11 Appendices 13

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Scythe design
Figure 2: First Lawn Mower Design Created by Budding
Figure 3: Silens Messor
Figure 4: Horse Drawn Mower from the mid 1800s
Figure 5: Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies Engine Powered Mower
Figure 6: Walk-behind mower, the Toro Cordless Lawn Mower
Figure 7: Riding mower, Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2550
Figure 8: Tow-behind mower (does not move on its own, needs to be pulled)
Figure 9: Original Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2550 SolidWorks deck lift model
Figure 10: Final Design of Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2550 with adjustments

LIST OF TABLES
1. Table 1: Bill of Materials

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INTRODUCTION
The first tool ever used to cut grass to a more desirable length was the scythe. The scythe has a simplistic design, containing a long wooden handle with a curved blade attached perpendicularly to the end. Until the 19th century, the scythe was the only option for cutting grass, which proved to be a long tedious process. The first actual mower was invented in