Our history
Family-owned. Innovation-driven.
Family-owned since the day our parent company was founded in 1958, The Grasshopper Company has spent the past seven decades as the sole decision-making force behind our innovative True ZeroTurn™ mowers. Driven by our commitment to engineering excellence, we push the boundaries of zero-turn performance to this day as we continue to strive toward our goal of manufacturing the best zero-turn mower on the market.
Grasshopper Innovation Through The Years.
Mid 1950s
Elbert Guyer develops the portable recirculating grain dryer after years of experimenting with different custom harvesting tools.
1958
Moridge Manufacturing, Inc. is established in Moundridge, Kansas, and larger-scale production of the Moridge Portable Grain Dryer begins.
1965
The first Grasshopper mower prototype is developed and the iconic Grasshopper logo is designed.
1969
The first Grasshopper zero-turn mower is introduced to the U.S. market and The Grasshopper Company is born.
1970
Full-scale production of the Grasshopper zero-turn mower begins.
1973
Grasshopper introduces the industry’s first zero-turn mower equipped with swing-out, dual-lever steering.
Mid-1980s
A commitment to product innovation spurs the installation of state-of the art engineering equipment including press brake, laser cutting, robotic welding, and a powder coat paint system.
1994
Grasshopper introduces the first iteration of the ergonomic Ultimate Operator Station™.
1996
The award-winning AERA-vator™ aeration system is introduced to the market.
2000
Grasshopper is the first in the industry to offer FrontMount™ and MidMount™ mowers with swing-out, dual-steering levers.
2004
The innovative PowerFold™ deck is released.
2007
T-Drive™, an advanced, intelligent hydrostatic transmission system, was added to many of our zero-turn mowers.
2009
4X Rear Discharge™, a four-spindle design with three cutting blades and a fourth spreader blade to evenly distribute clippings out the back, was created by Grasshopper.
2015
The HighLift™ PowerVac™ Collection System was launched. This allows the operator to hydraulically raise and extend the debris collector to unload grass clippings into an elevated space like a truck bed or trailer.
2017
Grasshopper launched the 500V Series of FrontMount mowers. This series used a vertically mounted engine—instead of the Grasshopper standard horizontally mounted engine—to help make FrontMount mowing available to a larger audience.
2023
Grasshopper introduced the Outstander® Stand-On mower. While not the first in the industry to launch a stand-on, Grasshopper took additional years to perfect this mower before putting the legendary name on the zero-turn and launching it to the market.
Our dealer network.
Grasshopper products are available through a worldwide network of knowledgeable, independent dealers. Each and every one of our authorized dealers has been vetted to ensure you are always receiving unmatched product knowledge and top-of-the-line service and support.
