Don Wales broke the world land speed record for a lawnmower

To most people a lawnmower conjures up the monotonous back-and-forth across a suburban garden. But for one man, a souped-up, custom-built gardening machine has landed him a place in the Guinness record book after racing it to speeds in excess of 87mph.

Don Wales broke the world land speed record for a lawnmower twice this weekend at Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire, west Wales, hitting 86.069mph on Saturday then 87.833mph yesterday. The record had been 80.792mph, set in 2006 at Bonneville flats in America.

"We are very excited and very pleased to have beaten our own record today," said Clare Hansley-Boyd, a spokeswoman for the British team. "We have finished the weekend as world record holders and have improved on yesterday's speed – so we are happy with that."

For the record attempt to qualify, challengers have to use a machine that is certified to be built primarily from lawn mower parts. Proof that it is a mower also has to be produced before the speed attempt, with a public grass cutting demonstration.

The team had hoped to break 100mph, but in the end settled for 87mph. "They're very tired after the efforts they put in over the weekend," Hansley-Boyd said. "It's a bit early to say where we'll be going from here, but I think the 100mph target is something everyone will be aiming at for the future."

Wales is the grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell, who broke the world land speed record driving a car at the same spot in 1924.