Giant Mower Becomes A Tourist Attraction

2022 - Volume #46, Issue #6, Page #21

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Herbert and Linda Higginbottom of Enderby, British Columbia run a small museum on a non-existent advertising budget. To get the word out, they’re always on the lookout for unusual items.
    “One day, Linda told me everyone likes big things,” Herb laughs. “She was pushing a manual lawn mower and asked me if I could build a really big one. So, without thinking, stupid me says ‘yeah’. Then I was stuck trying to come up with something.”
    When he talked with some engineers about the idea, they asked for his blueprints, but Higginbottom didn’t have any. He just measured the small mower and did some multiplying.
    After a year and a half of work, Herb completed a giant 4,200-lb., 18-ft. tall and 11-ft. wide representation that currently sits in front of their Deep Creek Tool Museum.
    Higginbottom sourced all the metal from scrap and salvage yards and made the entire mower from scratch. He built a set of 12-in. wide rollers to roll the steel for the wheels. The blades were scrap bars he cut into arcs and twisted into the reels and saddles using come-alongs and clamps to pull them into position. The wheels needed to be 7 in. wide but he could only get 5-in. steel, so he bought extra 2-in. strapping to make them to scale.
    “The handle is 2 by 12-in. wood and has spacers inside to hold it rigid, just like if you build a tank, you need baffles. I have similar baffles spaced every 4 ft. to keep it together.”
    Higginbottom says people come from all over the world to get their pictures taken with the giant mower.
    “All the older folks can relate to it because they pushed one when they were kids. Some loved them and some hated them, but they all remember them,” he says.
    Higginbottom says he has no idea what it cost to build the giant mower as the material was from the salvage yard or what he already had lying around.
    “We think it’s the largest one out there,” he says. “With the hundreds of people from around the world who’ve stopped in, nobody has ever seen another one like it.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Herbert Higginbottom, 91 Deep Creek Rd., Enderby, B.C., Canada V0E 1V3 (ph 250-832-2506; deepcrk@telus.net).

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Giant Mower Becomes A Tourist Attraction FARM HOME Novelty Items Herbert and Linda Higginbottom of Enderby British Columbia run a small museum on a non-existent advertising budget To get the word out they’re always on the lookout for unusual items “One day Linda told me everyone likes big things ” Herb laughs “She was pushing a manual lawn mower and asked me if I could build a really big one So without thinking stupid me says ‘yeah’ Then I was stuck trying to come up with something ” When he talked with some engineers about the idea they asked for his blueprints but Higginbottom didn’t have any He just measured the small mower and did some multiplying After a year and a half of work Herb completed a giant 4 200-lb 18-ft tall and 11-ft wide representation that currently sits in front of their Deep Creek Tool Museum Higginbottom sourced all the metal from scrap and salvage yards and made the entire mower from scratch He built a set of 12-in wide rollers to roll the steel for the wheels The blades were scrap bars he cut into arcs and twisted into the reels and saddles using come-alongs and clamps to pull them into position The wheels needed to be 7 in wide but he could only get 5-in steel so he bought extra 2-in strapping to make them to scale “The handle is 2 by 12-in wood and has spacers inside to hold it rigid just like if you build a tank you need baffles I have similar baffles spaced every 4 ft to keep it together ” Higginbottom says people come from all over the world to get their pictures taken with the giant mower “All the older folks can relate to it because they pushed one when they were kids Some loved them and some hated them but they all remember them ” he says Higginbottom says he has no idea what it cost to build the giant mower as the material was from the salvage yard or what he already had lying around “We think it’s the largest one out there ” he says “With the hundreds of people from around the world who’ve stopped in nobody has ever seen another one like it ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Herbert Higginbottom 91 Deep Creek Rd Enderby B C Canada V0E 1V3 ph 250-832-2506; deepcrk@telus net

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