According to one story, Atco’s move into lawnmower design (over ninety years ago) was prompted by the death of a horse. The horse in question had previously maintained the grounds at the Atlas Chain Company – later shortened to Atco – using a horse-drawn lawnmower. This poor beleaguered pony eventually died of overwork though, so someone at Atco had the clever idea of using a petrol engine to power a lawnmower. As well as preventing future equine fatalities this set the company on a whole new road, with Atco’s 1921 “Standard” the first successfully mass-produced lawnmower and the company’s name now synonymous with beautifully manicured lawns.

Whether or not this story is true, it provides a nice jumping off point for examining Atco’s Quattro 22S 4-in-1. This thoroughly modern mower shares in the high build quality upon which Atco’s reputation was built, but also does far more than any previous Atco mower (or horse) to ensure that routine lawn maintenance is an effortless and enjoyable experience. This begins with the Quattro 22S’s clever four-in-one cutting system, which features four distinct mowing modes; traditional cut and collection, side discharge, rear discharge and mulching.

The Quattro 22S’s cut and collection performance speaks for itself, the inclusion of a hard-topped 70 litre canvas grass collector ensuring a pristine surface while keeping stops to dispose of clippings to a minimum. The rear and side discharge modes, meanwhile, enable quick cutting of longer, rougher areas of grass (and a choice of from whence clippings are ejected). The Quattro 22S’s pièce de résistance, however, is its mulching mode. Activated with the simple insertion of the mulching plug into the rear chute, mulching holds grass clippings in the cutting chamber for longer so that they are reduced to tiny fragments, which are then ejected onto your lawn where they break down to release valuable moisture and nutrients. This is perfect for routine mowing as it saves time spent on disposing of clippings, produces a tidy finish and fertilises your lawn in one go!

Another advantage of this four-in-one cutting system is that it allows you to work in different areas equally effectively. Thus if you have a larger garden the Quattro 22S 4-in-1 will be just as handy throughout regardless of the grass conditions at hand, whether trimming a fine ornamental lawn or taming longer grass. All cutting modes also benefit from the inclusion of a front skid plate to prevent scalping, along with a six-position cutting height adjustment system (featuring setting from 26mm to 87mm) to ensure precision and a high quality finish. The Quattro 22S 4-in-1 is therefore versatile enough to handle even the most varied and challenging domestic lawns around.

Equally important for those with expansive lawns is the Quattro 22S 4-in-1’s potent 190cc Briggs & Stratton 675 EX Series four-stroke engine and self-propulsion system. This provides a steady forward speed of 3.8km/h to help ensure an even finish, but also takes much of the hard work out of maintaining sizeable areas. In conjunction with the Quattro 22S’s smooth-running wheels and ergonomic handlebar, this means that you will even be able to work in comfort on undulating lawns up to 2500m² in size. Combined with the option of collection-free mowing, this hardworking mower is therefore perfect for hassle-free maintenance of larger domestic lawns.

There are also a few additional features on the Quattro 22S 4-in-1 designed to make life (or mowing) even easier, such as the hose connection for quick cleaning of the cutter deck and the bumper-mounted carry handle. And on top of everything else this mower features a durable steel cutting deck and comes with a five year manufacturer’s warranty as standard, so you can rely on the Quattro 22S 4-in-1 to deliver years of dependable performance. Of course, only time will tell if the Quattro 22S follows in the footsteps of the Atco “Standard” in being considered a design classic a century down the line. But if all you want for now is something to take the stress out of challenging routine lawn maintenance, Atco’s Quattro 22S 4-in-1 is definitely the machine for you.