history
Our Story
Ransomes, founded by Robert Ransome, is an Ipswich-based turf care company. We are known for producing the world's first lawn mower and have been constantly innovating ever since. Our equipment is trusted to maintain some of the world's most prestigious and sacred areas, such as royal palace lawns, cemeteries, and monuments. Quality has always been at the heart of Ransomes, and we continue to keep our promise through ongoing modernization and green initiatives.
Through The Years
Ransomes' long history began in 1789 when Robert Ransome started his iron-foundry business with only £200. In 1832, Ransomes built the world’s first lawn mower, the “Buddings Patent,” and the turf care industry leader was born. Since then, Ransomes has taken pride in providing superior quality turf maintenance equipment to customers around the world.
Robert Ransome was born in Norfolk, England in 1753. He was an apprentice in an ironmonger before starting his own small, brass foundry, which later became an iron foundry. In 1784, Robert published directions for laying Ransomes' patent for cast-iron coverings. In 1832, Robert Ransome became licensed to manufacture grass-cutting machinery and so the lawncare revolution had begun.
In 1785, Robert Ransome discovered the process of chilled steel when an employee accidentally dropped molten cast iron on the cold floor. The result was a metal perfect for ploughshares as it sharpened itself with wear. In 1808, Robert Ransome patented the process which transformed the industry, and Ransomes soon became the largest agricultural equipment manufacturer in Britain.
Ransomes has learned to quickly adapt and therefore has produced various products in different industries throughout the years. Some of these include railway equipment, stationary steam engines, steam lorries, motor tractors, buses, aircraft, cranes, trolleybuses, electric buses, electric lorries, fairground rides, combine harvesters, forklifts, and more.
Throughout history, Ransomes has made numerous lawnmower variations. Some notable models include the Budding's Patent lawn mower which was the world's first lawn mower, the Ransomes, Sims & Head Automaton Lawn mower which was the first modern push lawnmower in 1867, the ‘R.S.J.’ De-luxe Model to celebrate 100 years of mower manufacturing, and the AJAX MK.5 which was popular for over 60 years.
Ransomes has seen many generations and has gone through various name changes over time. Some of which include, Ransomes & Son 1809, Ransome & Sons 1818, J&R Ransome 1823, JR&A Ransome 1830, Ransome & May 1846, Ransome & Sims 1852, Ransome Sims & Head 1869, Ransome Sims & Jeffries 1881, Ransomes Sims & Jeffries LTD 1884, and finally Ransomes Jacobsen since 1998.
Ransomes is a proud, established company with sustainable innovation that cuts new paths in research and development. Ransomes' commitment to exceeding expectations through smart engineering and design creates legendary cutting units that support hundreds of skilled professionals.
