It's lawn-care season. Ever wonder when the first lawn mower or
lawn sprinkler was invented? The first mower was invented about
1830 in England. In the United States, lawn mowers were improved
and patented frequently after the first horse-drawn mowers of
1868. Newer mowers were run by steam or gas engines until
finally, in 1899, the push-it-by-hand mower for home use was
patented. Sprinklers were patented in the United States by 1897.
There are collectors of mowers and sprinklers, and some of the
early examples are very high-priced. There are sprinklers shaped
like turtles, alligators, ducks, frogs, mermaids and even a
cowboy with a lasso that date back to the early 1900s. These
painted iron sprinklers sell for hundreds of dollars if the
paint is in good condition. The figural sprinkler has remained
popular. Today you can find new sprinklers shaped like SpongeBob
SquarePants, “Star Wars” characters or the Little Mermaid for
less than $30. Even plastic sprinklers from the 1960s are
collectible. Look carefully