[Boyd]

Who made the 1st 4 wheel riding mower?

 

[pgawanab69]

I heard on the radio this weekend that it was a Wheel Horse and that the man who started the company (Cecil Pond) died recently. I have done nothing to verify this information, just thought it was interesting.

 

[bontai Joe]

Probably could say the Speedex in 1938 was the first. It would have pulled a set of gang reel mowers. Simplicity sold a 2 wheel tractor with a mowing deck and a riding sulky (adding another 2 wheels) in 1939. Gravely was also being built in this time frame. All the above machines were sold as garden tractors whose primary function was to work in the soil, cutting grass was just another possible task among several others. If your question is what was the first dedicated lawn tractor? its primary or only function was to cut grass? That would probably be after WWII and the Pond company which became Wheelhorse. But it could also be Speedex.

 

[bontai Joe]

Harold and Elmer Pond started Speedex in 1935. Elmer left in 1946 to start the Pond Wheelhorse company. Cecil was Elmer's son and he joined the Wheelhorse Company in 1948. Bolens was also a player in this era as was Power King Economy. Plus there were little local cottage industries manufacturing out of garages making lawn equipment. Some of these little businesses made a few dozen or a few hundred machines and then went out of business. So it's really difficult to say that on such and such a day, in such and such year, the first 4 wheel tractor that could cut grass in the entire world was built by brand "X".

 

[Kbeitz]

Way before Speedex was tractors was called traction engines...
People started making tractors in 1889.
The first small tractor was a Froelich tractor.
Later called Waterloo Boy tractor...
Case made tractors in 1894.
Charles Hart and Charles Parr started in 1901.
Ford in 1907.
Frick started in 1853 with steam...

A Hart and Parr Tractor 1903 30 horsepower weighting 14,000 pounds #3 is the oldest surviving internal combustion engine tractor in the United States and is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C

In Britain, the first recorded tractor sale was the oil-burning Hornsby Ackroyd Patent Safety Oil Traction engine in 1897.

 

[Sergeant]

Way before Speedex was tractors was called traction engines...
People started making tractors in 1889.
The first small tractor was a Froelich tractor.
Later called Waterloo Boy tractor...
Case made tractors in 1894.
Charles Hart and Charles Parr started in 1901.
Ford in 1907.
Frick started in 1853 with steam...

A Hart and Parr Tractor 1903 30 horsepower weighting 14,000 pounds #3 is the oldest surviving internal combustion engine tractor in the United States and is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C

In Britain, the first recorded tractor sale was the oil-burning Hornsby Ackroyd Patent Safety Oil Traction engine in 1897.

Kevin in the late 1760's the French Army used Steam driven Tractors to Pull there Field Pieces But the OP was asking about Garden tractors Not Full size Tractors:thThumbsU