[Dan Wyatt]

I had the idea of starting a post that would serve as a repository for RPM (Rotary Power Mower) advertising and artwork of products manufactured by RPM so we could have a place where we could easily find these materials and not have to sort through several pages of other posted material to find the RPM advertising or artwork reference material(s) that we are looking for.

I discussed this idea with several of our forum members including a “My Tractor Forum” moderator and they all thought that such a post would serve as a good collection of reference material for RPM products including Rotoflo and many other “brands” and other mower products made by RPM.

All of the people that I spoke to thought that we need to concentrate on posting RPM advertising, artwork, sale brochures, magazine articles, newspaper articles, etc. and refrain from posting pictures of actual mowers as there are places for those pictures on our forum already. Here are 2 examples as found on the MTF forum for those pictures:
1. http://www.mytractorforum.com/155-w...17-post-your-pictures-model-numbers-here.html
2. http://www.mytractorforum.com/155-w...er-mower-rpm-company-history-1946-1952-a.html

Also we would like for everyone to please refrain from posting manuals on products made by RPM as there is a “Sticky” titled “Walk Behind Reference Library” to post those manuals and the link can be found here: http://www.mytractorforum.com/155-walk-behind-mowers/647313-walk-behind-reference-library.html

In addition, I believe we can include “attachments” made by RPM and other pertinent ad or artwork information also so please include any product(s) that you think were made by RPM and what year they were manufactured if possible, but let’s not be concerned with posting them in chronological order as per years of manufacturing of these products as of yet. When we get quite a bit of information we can then possibly begin to organize it per year.

How about leaving this post open for discussion for a few days before we begin posting advertising, artwork, sale brochures, magazine articles, newspaper articles, etc. and then we can begin those postings in a few days……

Please give us your ideas about this post.

In closing ….. we hope to possibly/eventually develop a “Sticky” containing some of the materials that are contained in this post as it “develops”. Obviously a Sticky is much easier to find.

Thanks ~ Dan

 

[Yard Nazi]

Dan! Thanks for getting this off the ground. I am the moderator and one of the folks Dan bounced this idea off of before posting this thread. Not only will this be a great source of information but it will serve as a way to educate the next generation of mower lovers about the history of RPM and related mowers. Thanks again Dan!! Bill
:thThumbsU
:thanku:

 

[old lawnboy]

This is going to be a great place to go for some extra information on RPM.
Jack Doyle started RPM in Kansas City, Missouri in 1946 and moved the plant to Grandview, Missouri in 1948. The factory burnt a short time later and he moved it back to Kansas City. In 1950 he needed more manufacturing space and moved to Lamar, Missouri. RPM built many
mowers for Sears under the trade names of Dunlap and Craftsman. These mowers had model numbers starting with 542 and 134. RPM also built mowers under there own brand names of Rotoflo and Rototrim plus many other brand name for some hardware companies. Most of these mowers were identical except for the name tag and paint color. RPM used two different styles of handles and three different handle brackets on these early mower that makes it easier to identify them as RPM built. Retoflo advertising is fairly easy to find, but Rototrim is much harder to find. There should be other dealer handouts and other items out there also. it will be fun to see what will show up. Dan wants to keep this to RPM models prior to Lawn-Boy and then do the same with Lawn-Boy later.
old lawnboy

 

[Dan Wyatt]

Please begin posting your posting RPM (Rotary Power Mower) advertising, artwork, sale brochures, magazine articles, newspaper articles, etc. and again we ask that you please refrain from posting pictures of actual mowers & manuals as there are places for those pictures on our forum already.

Thanks ~ Dan

 

[old lawnboy]

I will start with a couple of 1947 RPM ads. The Black & white is from "The Business of Golf" magazine of June 1947. The color one from July 12, 1947 "Implement and Tractor" magazine. These both show address of 553 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.

 

[old lawnboy]

After posting a couple of early Rotoflo ads, there is an ad from 1952. I am not sure if how many Buccaneer mowers were built, but lee posted pictures of this same mower in the ad in one of the other threads on RPM.

 

[unclelee]

Here are the Brooks Stevens artist renditions of the Buccaneer design that became the modle for the 8FHLBs.
Where did you find the Buccaneer advertising Bill...it would seem to suggest that the Buccaneer staggered wheel was pre lawnboy.
Lee

 

[unclelee]

1948 sears catalog top left RPM manufactured rotory mower

 

[unclelee]

Dan.....I found a third rendition.
Lee

 

[Dan Wyatt]

Thanks Lee ...... another example of some of my father's artwork when he worked for RPM & Lawn Boy.

Dan

 

[zeeker]

 

[N84434]

I found a few RPM ads I'll post here. These are all Sears Dunlap ads I was looking for in various newspapers.
Some pretty cool stuff...
All are from 1950-55

 

[old lawnboy]

Some of the mowers shown are were not built by RPM. Ad 1 of 7 is RPM early 16 inch with aluminum spikes and typical handle brakes plates of that era. Number 2 or 7 also same is RPM built. Number 3 of 7 is later style of deck with metal rake bolted to front and same handle bracket plates. Number 4 or 7 shows What seems to be RPM built 18 inch mower (handle bracket seems to be same as Lawn-Boy with Iron Horse engine style), but 16 inch mower is not RPM built, has different handle brackets and deck is stamped steel (note the small square bump on top of deck in front). Number 5 of 7, doubt if either are RPM built, Never saw Dunlap with Power Products engine with fill cap on end of tank, only center fill on RPM built Dunlap and Craftsman mowers. Number 6 of 7 both have wrong handle brackets to be RPM built. Number 7 of 7 both RPM built, Top model same as RPM Rototrim model and bottom same as RPM Rotoflo model. 1955 was likely the last model year RPM built any mowers for Sears. By this time Sears had switched to other sources and RPM was now making mostly Lawn-Boy models. Nice ads, for some reason they seldom show model numbers, and when they do give model number they do not show the 3 digit source number at the beginning of the number. Sears mail order catalogs are good places to find pictures and do show model numbers less source numbers. Thanks for sharing ads.
Bill

 

[N84434]

Good eye Bill. When I saved those ads, I labeled them with the year and where they were advertised.
1) 1950 Toledo Ohio
2) 1951 Pittsburgh
3) 1951 Toledo Ohio
4) 1953 St. Pete FL
5) 1955 Victoria BC
6) 1955 Albany GA
7) 1950 Daytona FL

 

[old lawnboy]

Thanks for posting dates. I try to make copies of ads and file them in note book for future reference. Note the 1951 Pittsburgh and 1951 Toledo show same mower, one with aluminum spikes and and one with metal rake on front. This tells me that spike models changes to metal rake in 1951. Some times pictures are not correct, but if picture shows metal rake then I will go with that year. The picture showing spikes, may be old picture and not updated for ad but it also helps date mower.

 

[N84434]

I'd have to hunt it down again, but that 1951 Pittsburgh Press ad may be an early March or late February ad that used an image from the 1950 advertisement. The 1951 Toledo ad was probably late in the year, considering the mower was on sale. Kind of an "End of the Season" thing.

I'll keep looking and see what else I can find.

 

[N84434]

Here are a couple more.

1) 1955 Schenectady NY
2) 1956 Wilmington NC

I find the slight variations in decks and handlebars from year to year interesting. I didn't think there would be that much of a difference between model years, but I guess there was.