Can a lawnmower mow ordinary grass

Electric lawn mowers: device, operation, malfunctions

An electric lawn mower is a complex tool, so it is very important to use and maintain it correctly.

Improper maintenance or use can result in not only serious damage to the mower, but also injury.

The general rules for safe use are the same for all lawn mowers, however, there are nuances that apply only to certain types of these machines.

The information that you will find in this article cannot fully replace the user’s manual for a particular model, but it will give a general idea of ​​the correct use of electric lawn mowers, including their maintenance and repair.

Let’s give answers to the following questions:

• what is the device of an electric lawn mower;
• how to use it correctly: how to turn it on, how to mow the lawn;
• how to service: disassemble, sharpen a knife, can it be washed with water, mow wet grass, how to store;
• the most frequent malfunctions: does not turn on, stopped working, smoke and what could be the reasons;
• other nuances of the operation of these devices.

How to disassemble?

After the end of the season, as well as to reduce the size of the machine during transportation, the mower has to be disassembled. For the vast majority of models, disassembly consists in the fact that the handle, fixed with wing nuts or some kind of quick-release clamps, is disconnected from them, although other methods of fastening are also possible.

A detailed procedure for assembling and disassembling each model is described in the operating instructions for the lawn mower.

After removing the handle, disconnect the lever block with the matching wires from it. If the mower is used by people of different heights, it is necessary to adjust the length of the handle from time to time to match the height of the operator. This operation is performed in different ways, depending on the device of the handle, therefore it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations set out in the instruction manual.

Faults and repairs: how to diagnose and fix

Here is a list of the most common faults:

• The engine does not turn on or periodically turns off.
• The knife does not rotate when the engine is running.
• Strong vibration of the lawn mower.
• The device does not mow the grass well.
• The engine is hot or there is a smell of smoke.
• Self-propelled mower does not drive forward well when the wheel drive lever is pressed or does not drive at all.

How to use electric lawn mowers correctly?

The use of these machines means not only the mowing of the grass, but also the maintenance carried out before and after the mowing.

In addition, correct assembly is also required for new devices, because most of them are supplied as separate units located in a common box.

Since the assembly method for each model is individual, we recommend that you carefully read the corresponding section of the operating instructions for the device, which is also often called the user’s manual.

On uneven areas

Remember that any collision of the knife with the ground not only blunts it, but also poses a serious threat to the engine, so before mowing the grass, try to level all small elevations in the area.

If this is not possible, then cut the grass only around such obstacles, this will lead to the need to use a trimmer to cut grass on elevations, but it will save the knife and the lawn mower engine from damage.

If the rise of the ground occurs smoothly and the knife does not catch the soil in any position of the machine, then mow it in the same way as on ordinary slopes.

Service after mowing

When you have finished mowing, follow these steps:

• Release the engine start lever and wait for the engine to stop.
• Unplug the extension cord from the outlet.
• Disconnect the mower from the extension cord.
• Sweep the outside of the lawnmower with a broom.
• Remove and empty the grass catcher, if it is made of plastic, then thoroughly clean the ventilation holes, if it is made of cloth, then turn it inside out and shake it well to remove adhering grass residues. Some collector models can be washed with a water jet.
• Use a wooden, plastic or rubber spatula to clean the grass ejection holes.
• Turn the mower over and use a wooden, plastic or rubber spatula to remove any grass residues from the deck.
• Clean wheel shafts and bearings, including plastic or metal bushings, from grass debris and make sure wheels turn easily.

The engine is hot or there is a smell of smoke

If, when mowing grass, the engine speed does not decrease, and the operating time does not exceed the maximum values ​​allowed taking into account the characteristics of the grass, but the motor heats up more than it should, then the problem may be:

• undervoltage or overvoltage of the network;
• faulty bearings;
• turn-to-turn winding closure;
• wear of the brushes of the synchronous motor;
• misalignment of the shaft caused by motor shear.

If the voltage differs by no more than ± 5%, that is, it is 210-230 volts, then the problem is inside the mower, so disconnect the machine from the mains and put it upside down. Then turn the knife several times, if it rotates with little effort and without jamming, then the problem is not in the bearings or bent shaft, but in the electrical part of the engine.

Turn the mower over onto the wheels and remove the protective cover, if the motor smells of smoke or smoke, it means that it has an inter-turn circuit and this unit must be replaced. If there is no strong smell of burning, check the brushes and all joints, somewhere there is poor contact, which heats up under heavy load.

A bad connection can be detected by melted or burnt insulation. If the problem is in the plug connection, separate the contacts and clean them with a special spray, for example, KONTAKT 61 REXANT. If the soldered connection is problematic, then unsolder it, then carefully clean and irradiate the contacts, then solder them again.

Deck lawn mower design features

Any garden equipment with fast rotating cutting edges is a hazard to the user. On the lawnmower, the blade system is located inside the body behind the protective deck. The grass pressed by the deck straightens behind it, but especially long stems straighten very late or do not straighten at all. In other words, the mower does not cut, but simply crushes tall grass.

Is it possible to mow tall grass with a lawn mower

Uncontrolled grass growth is a widespread problem faced by utilities, park workers and gardeners. Deck lawn mowers are designed to work in grass up to 30 cm thick.Longy thickets can be a serious problem.

How to mow a tall lawn

If you want the perfect lawn, start mowing by cutting off high tops. A regular scythe, lawn mower or grass trimmer is suitable for this. Once the lawn has been cut to a level of approx. 30 cm, it can be mowed with a lawn mower.

Alternatively, you can use a segment lawn mower. It does not have a soundboard. In front there is a knife system with two knives. The knives have teeth that do the shearing. One knife moves with high frequency in relation to the other. This system allows you to cut grass of any height. The only drawback is that you cannot accurately adjust the cutting height, so the lawn will turn out to be imperfect, with waves.

How to mow tall grass with a conventional lawnmower

Not every farm has a complete range of lawn mowing equipment. If you only have a lawn mower, the area overgrown with tall grass will need to be mowed in two passes:

• primary cutting on tall grass;
• final haircut.

Initial mowing should be done at higher engine speeds. When mowing tall grass with the lawnmower, it is best not to use the grass catcher function. Long stems clog the container very quickly, literally after 10 meters, and block the knives, causing the engine to constantly stall. Mowing tall grass with a grass catcher takes a lot of time and requires you to constantly start the mower. Optimally mow tall grass with rear ejection. This is not as convenient as side throwing. Noah not all lawn mowers have a side discharge function. In addition, from experience: lateral ejection is also often clogged from tall stems.

The final mowing of the plot can already be carried out with the collection container. Repeated passage will allow to trim the already mown stems and mow the long stems of grass missed or bent during the initial mowing.

Did you know that mowing a wet lawn is much more difficult??

Do you enjoy looking at a smooth, mowed lawn? Did you know that if you mow a wet lawn with a gasoline or electric mower, you are unlikely to get such a perfect result? This is because it is more difficult for wet knives to cut the grass evenly. As a result, this leads to an uneven surface of the lawn. This is especially true for mobile mowers. So if you care about the look of your lawn, you should wait until the grass on your site is completely dry.

How can you mow the grass on the site

Once the lawn grass seeds have been sown, the immediate question is what tools are needed to mow the lawn. A simple oblique to make an even haircut will not work. For this, a large number of different tools have been released:

• lawn scissors;
• trimmer;
• lawn mowers.

Wet grass. increased risk of danger

Even if your waterproof shoes are well-soled, you still have the risk of slipping on wet grass while you mow. And with a running lawnmower it can be dangerous. Especially if you are trying to cut grass quickly.

The role of equipment

It should be pointed out at the outset that there are two main types of trimmers that “relate” differently to wet vegetation. Some devices are equipped with a gasoline engine, others are set in motion by connecting to the mains or installing a battery. In turn, electric mowers are divided into two subgroups: with the location of the motor in the lower or upper part of the machine. Safe enough for the user to remove wet grass can only petrol trimmers or hand scythes.

Dethatching Your Lawn

In this case, it is absolutely undesirable to use an electric lawn mower. Sometimes one can come across assertions that this requirement applies only to devices with a lower motor placement. Such an electric motor directly comes into contact with water. Due to this contact, you can be afraid of a short circuit.

However, do not use an overhead mower after rain.

If water does get inside the power plant, there is a risk not only of a short circuit, but also of an electric shock. It is worth noting that these restrictions apply not only to trimmers, but also to full-fledged lawn mowers. The assurances of manufacturers and marketers about safety should not be taken into account. To minimize the risk to yourself and your equipment, you should use a lawn mower. But there are a few more subtleties that must be taken into account.

Even if the mower does not fail and its owner is not electrocuted (let’s say such a favorable situation for a minute), you still cannot mow wet grass with a trimmer. This is a deliberately abnormal mode of operation, due to which the equipment wears out too quickly. Wet vegetation is much more resistant to cutting elements than it should be. Therefore, even very well insulated motors operate with overload.

Due to the sticking of wet grass to the knives and to the spindle, the load on them will necessarily increase. This cannot be avoided, and no skill of mowers, no methods and schemes of lawn clearing help. Not only the motor suffers, but also the shaft, which sometimes turns.

Problems when mowing wet grass can also arise with gasoline machines. Yes, they are more powerful than their electrical counterparts, but the load still exceeds normal values. First of all, piston pairs and other moving parts are “under attack”. If there is no way out other than using a gasoline mower, you need to take care of it. When mowing raw grass, the machine is periodically switched to idle mode without load. 30 seconds is enough to remove excess heat, as well as save trimmer life.

And more about different situations

• it is wet after the rain;
• it’s raining;
• the cause of moisture is a damp area (lowland or soil water).

In the first case, it is quite possible to take a chance and try to put things in order with a lawn mower. In the second, mowing is impractical. In the third, you will first have to deal with moisture and only then put the lawn or lawn in order. If you often have to mow wet grass after rain or “through dew” in a small area, then it is better to use not a trimmer or a lawn mower, but a simple hand scythe. You need to look not only at the grass that is removed, but also at the one where the power cable is placed.

Moisturizing it can be a very serious risk factor. To mow the grass after rain, you need to wait a little. A few minutes, even with a very big rush, will not noticeably reduce the time that can be allocated for mowing.

And the result may be clearly better. Mowing through dew, even with an electric lawn mower or trimmer, is usually allowed.

As for mowing raw grass, there are still the following objections to it:

• It is more difficult to walk with a trimmer or lawn mower in such conditions, you can easily fall and get injured;
• you will have to spend more time on work;
• after mowing, it will be necessary to thoroughly clean the machine itself;
• wet chlorophyll will leave more stains on clothes, leather, shoes.

Now you need to figure out exactly how to act if you still decide to use a gasoline trimmer to clean your lawn or lawn in wet weather. An important rule is to maintain the optimal length of the grass. By overly shortening it, especially in the summer, summer residents run the risk of provoking early drying of plants. It is unlikely that this will contribute to a good appearance.

Safety requirements are standard: you need to wear goggles and gloves, and take care of the protection of your feet.

How does a mulching mower work?

Of course, they wear sturdy, waterproof shoes. Headphones or earplugs are used only when working with a two-stroke petrol trimmer. On a large clearing with flat grass, mowing is carried out along imaginary squares, conventionally dividing the entire territory into them. They first move along the perimeter of each square, then mow it from the inside and move on to the next part of the lawn. Regardless of the weather, before starting work, you should do the following:

• check the serviceability of the equipment;
• remove all debris and foreign objects from the site;
• replace, if necessary, worn-out cutting elements;
• determined with the direction of the mowing, so that the lawn does not resemble a “washboard”.

For information on how to mow wet grass with a trimmer and lawn mower, see the next video.

Wet grass can clog the mower

Wet grass is very sticky! It not only sticks to your shoes, but also to various parts of the mower. As a result, overgrown grass can block the blades and other parts of the mower, making it difficult to mow the lawn further. What’s more, wet grass can even damage your mower.

Major equipment malfunctions

Any equipment breaks down at the most inopportune time, and lawn care equipment is no exception. Lawn mowers most often experience the following breakdowns:

• Defective engine. It is necessary to check the fuel in the tank, the performance of the spark plugs, the cleanliness of the filters.
• Carburetor clogged. It is necessary to check the gasket between the carburetor and the engine, blow out the fuel hose.
• Muffler defective. Clean anti-spark grid.
• Damage to the gearbox. Check gears and bearings.
• Failure of the starter. Check cord tension.
• Air filter problems. If the braid starts up without a filter, then you need to change it to a new one.

Important! If you carefully monitor the lawn mower, carry out preventive inspections and replace its components, then the tool will last a very long time without any repair.

the trimmer is simpler than its gasoline relative, therefore, it has fewer problems, but it still has:

• defective electrical cable;
• defective electrical outlet;
• the plug has been damaged;
• there is a problem with the control stick;
• burned out the stator of the engine;
• there was a break in the contact connection.

To detect the above problems, you can use an indicator screwdriver and a multimeter, and in most cases, you need a soldering iron to fix a breakdown.

If you follow the safety rules, including under no circumstances mowing damp grass with appliances powered by electricity, and refrain from mowing wet lawn with a gasoline mower, so as not to harm the plants, then the tools will last long enough.

Arrangement of a suburban area (and even a local area in a city) is a very complicated matter. Especially because you have to take care of the farm all the time. Many people also have questions about how to do this or that work, for example, is it possible to mow wet grass with a trimmer.

Mulching vs Bagging vs Side Discharge. Which is Best & Why to help your Lawn

Trimmer

It is a rod with handles, a special coil and a motor, which can be electric or gasoline. The reel has a spool on which a special line is wound or a knife is put on.

Note! The electric trimmer simply plugs in and is ready to go. It is lightweight, handy, but its operation requires long wiring and a socket, which is not always convenient. It will be difficult to mow a large area.

• Low-power. Comfortable, lightweight, but can’t handle tough, damp grass and weeds.
• Powerful. They come with a lower motor and an upper one. A special blade can be fitted to cut coarser grass. Models with a lower motor do not cut wet grass.
• Rechargeable. lightweight, mobile. The disadvantages include the fact that the battery lasts for an hour.

A trimmer with a gasoline engine is heavier than an electric mower, but it differs from it in mobility. It has a forged shaft, shoulder straps and a powerful drive train. The device of the gearbox allows you to use not only fishing line, but also a knife and a toothed disc, which greatly improves the quality of processing the site. A lawn mower can mow very impressive areas.

With a trimmer, you can mow grass in hard-to-reach places (under benches, near poles), as well as mow paths, regardless of their location.

But there are still a few disadvantages:

• do not get a flat surface;
• when mowing for a long time, the operator will get tired.

Is it possible to mow wet grass with an electric lawn mower

Increasingly, summer cottages are becoming not only a territory where you can grow fruits and vegetables, but also a place for recreation. Allocate zones on which they put gazebos with barbecue and break flower beds and lawns. To have such a lawn, not so much effort is needed: water it and cut it in time.