Electric lawn mower. not the simplest equipment, and if it is not purchased by a specialist (that is, not an electrician), then he is unlikely to be interested in the question of what type of engine is installed in it. The problem becomes relevant only when the engine begins to “junk”. Accordingly, it requires attention. He can:
- Overheat and shut down.
- Do not “pull” in power.
- Just burn out (worst case scenario).
In any of these cases, the user begins to repair or replace the engine, and then, finally, he finds out what kind of electric motor his equipment has.
In order to save you from such unpleasant moments, we picked up advice on which electric motor for lawn mowers to choose, taking into account their capabilities and needs.
Bit of theory
Before solving the problem of choosing a lawn mower to work on your lawn, you should know that there are two types of electric motors for a lawn mower:
- Synchronous. This is a motor in which the rotor and magnetic field rotate at the same speed. synchronously. Even if the rotor receives a heavy load during operation, its speed does not decrease. The engine continues to run at stable speeds. To achieve this result, sliding contacts are used. Therefore, a synchronous motor is more complex in design, and therefore more expensive at cost.
- Asynchronous. An engine in which the rotor speed does not match the speed of the magnetic field. The stator and rotor are separated by an air gap, there are no slip rings. It is simple in structure, which means that it is not as difficult and expensive to make it as synchronous.
Which motor of the lawnmower is better cannot be answered unequivocally. Both types of engines have their advantages and disadvantages.
For those who do not want to delve deeply into the wisdom of electromechanics, we explain very simply. Each motor has two key elements: a stator (immovable, with windings) and a rotor (movable). Current from the mains is supplied to the stator. A magnetic field appears in its winding, which rotates. Thanks to him, the rotor also begins to rotate. And already the rotor speed is transmitted to the device shaft.
In our case, on a vertical shaft on which a cutting knife of a lawn mower is mounted. It turns out that the operation of the knife directly depends on the engine speed. Stable revolutions. the knife also rotates stably and powerfully. Weak rotor speed. the knife also begins to weaken, tightens the grass. He simply has “no strength” to quickly and efficiently cut vegetation.
To determine very briefly which lawnmower is better, let’s say this:
But all this is a little exaggerated, and in no way means that the induction motor is worse. Asynchronous motor is the simplest and cheapest of all previously invented. It does not require complicated maintenance, does not heat up much, it does not have rubbing contacts. Yes, and its reliability is within normal limits, if the manufacturer is of high quality and has installed protective systems.
Synchronous Electric Lawn Mower
The synchronous motor always runs at a constant speed. Due to this factor, it is used where stable turns are especially needed. In lawn mowers, this moment is key and necessary. Also, synchronization is important with high engine power. In mowers, this is more than 1 kW. The knife in synchronized lawn mowers is placed on a separate shaft. This shaft is connected to the engine shaft by a belt drive. Weak point. knife shaft bearings.
- Low sensitivity to power surges.
- Stable rotation of the cutting knife, regardless of load.
- High efficiency and power factor.
- Sophisticated design.
- Brushes with friction are heated.
- Hard start. To facilitate this, the rotor is first started asynchronously, and then it is adjusted to the magnetic field.
Asynchronous Electric Lawn Mower
Currently, asynchronous motors in lawn mowers are used more and more often. In this case, the knife is placed directly on the motor shaft. It turns out a simple and fairly reliable design. There is no rotor winding. There are no brushes. Nothing complicated, and everything works fine.
- Simple construction. No maintenance needed. Easy repair.
- Low cost of manufacturing and operation.
- Heats less. Even if it heats up, it continues to work, losing momentum.
- Efficiency and power factor lower than that of a synchronous motor.
- It is difficult to regulate the speed of revolutions. low controllability.
- Turnovers are network dependent.
- Very sensitive to power surges in a stationary network.
Thus, when choosing synchronous or asynchronous lawn mowers, you should be guided by considerations of either low cost, or decide which is more reliable in operation.
A reliable and simple tool for cutting grass in the garden. a lawn mower, is extremely popular. However, it may break. Repair required. As a rule, repairs to electric lawnmowers are carried out at service centers.
In order not to transport a sufficiently voluminous apparatus to the workshop, a number of malfunctions can be eliminated with your own hands.
Types of malfunctions of electric mowers
Why don’t lawn mowers start?
To answer the question, you need to understand that all breakdowns are divided into mechanical and electrical. The first include malfunctions:
- knives
- wheels
- pens;
- corps.
The second. everything related to the engine, whether it is electric or gasoline.
Video: How to Remove an Engine from a Clog Lawn Mower
It is not difficult to repair dull knives on their own, since they are removable and can be sharpened with ordinary emery, withstanding a sharpening angle of 30 degrees. In case of malfunctions of the remaining parts cases, wheels, handles they will also need repair or replacement.
In battery devices, battery failure is added to this problem. It is more difficult to cope with the repair of a lawn mower equipped with a motor, i.e. gasoline and electric lawn mower.
In the first case, the problem of overheating and overload, as well as a malfunction in the oil and fuel supply circuit, is added to possible breakdowns. In electrical failure, it can also be caused by overheating or overload, since not all models are equipped with protection.
It is necessary to cool the electric motor by disconnecting it from the power supply and replace the filter. In the future, in order to avoid repair of the electrical apparatus, it must be cleaned at least once every three months.
The appearance of extraneous noise or smell indicates that repair of the electric lawn mower is necessary. Not everyone will do it with their own hands, because it will be necessary to replace the drive.
The electric mower does not start or stalls
Sooner or later, many are faced with the failure of the lawn mower. This happens, as a rule, after 3-4 years of active use or after the device was stored in an unheated room in the winter.
A lawn mower fails if:
- does not start;
- the mower stalls shortly after it starts up;
- engine does not work at full power or intermittently
Problems with the engine arise over time in all devices, regardless of whether a simple “Chinese” or an expensive “Japanese” stand on it. The moment is unpleasant, but you should not be upset, as there is no need to rush to the service center. You can try to repair yourself.
How to identify the cause of the breakdown?
Repair must begin, guided by the principle of “from simple to complex”, i.e. repair is recommended to start by checking for gas in the tank. If the gasoline engine stops after wintering, replace the fuel.
After all, fuel, unfortunately, is not always of decent quality. Therefore, during prolonged inactivity of the device, it may delaminate or form a precipitate. And motors are sometimes very sensitive to fuel quality.
If there is no doubt as the latter, but the mower does not start, it is necessary to check the spark by removing the wire with the cap from the candle, unscrewing it with the key supplied in the kit.
Attach a candle to a clean metal surface (without paint) of the engine, first having thrown a cap on it, and asking someone to pull the starter.
If an unstable and weak spark appears, the candle will need to be cleaned with a file or sandpaper.
Another problem that can be easily repaired is a clogged fuel hose. They check this by disconnecting it: if the fuel does not flow, then the filter or the saloon is clogged. The filter will have to be replaced, the saloon can be cleaned with a needle.
Well, if after that the mower will work. However, the cause of the malfunction in 90% of cases lies in another. failure of the carburetor, which will need repairs. You can handle the repair with enough experience. In its absence, you will need the help of a service center.
How to clean the carburetor?
Begin by checking that there are no open sources of fire nearby. Do not carry out repairs indoors. This is fraught with a gas leak.
Recommended:
Unscrew the screws with a flat screwdriver to remove the plastic cover of the air filter from the motor. Check the clogged filter, remove it with a vacuum cleaner or replace it with a new one (if the condition is unsatisfactory).
You must also remove the inner filter cover, which is located under the cover. This, having unscrewed the bolts, is easier to do with a ring wrench. An air hose is attached to its inside, which will also have to be removed.
Finally, we got to the carburetor of the device, which can be dismantled. Having disconnected the fuel hose going to it from the tank, i.e. having removed the clamp, the hose is turned, trying to remove it from the nozzle. Do the work carefully. After all, if there is fuel in the tank, it will certainly spill.
The carburetor is mounted on the engine with two bolts, for unscrewing of which a coupling head is required. Unscrewing the second bolt, try not to drop the carburetor, so as not to damage the spring suspension.
In the next step, the return spring is removed. It is more convenient to carry out the operation from the side where it is attached to the motor. Now you can remove the cable responsible for the position of the flapper by gently turning the carburetor counterclockwise.
After removing the carburetor, unscrew the bolt that secures the fuel chamber cap.
Cleaning is carried out with a special liquid or WD-40 and a copper wire, from which the insulation is stripped.
Finally, you can remove the plastic float located under the lid of the chamber, which regulates the level of gasoline, for which the hairpin is first removed.
The camera must be cleaned of plaque. The inside of the carburetor is abundantly moistened with WD-40 (or an analog), wiped dry. After repeating the operation several times, they clean the fuel channels of the copper core and purge them, since their pollution is the main reason why the engine stalls or does not start.
Having done all the steps described, assemble the carburetor in the reverse order.
Having established it in place, having connected a hose, air is expelled from the fuel chamber. On this repair is completed.
After the described manipulations, the equipment will start up easily and work stably.
Faults in Electric Lawnmowers
If the electric mower is silent, the cause may be a blackout and a break in the cord. To check if there is current in the network, use another electric device plugged into the outlet. The cord must be inspected and replaced when a break is detected. Disconnect it with a hexagon, and check for an open with a multimeter.
As in the case with gasoline lawnmowers, the cause of a non-functioning electric motor may be overheating and overload (blocking the element with a foreign object). The troubleshooting procedure is the same as described above.
Repair malfunctions of an electric mower
Longer grass wound around them can lead to jamming of knives. For repair, you need to disconnect the device from the network and turn the cylinder in the opposite direction.
If the electrical device is silent, the drive belt breaks as a result of wear and requires repair: it can be stretched or torn off. This means that you cannot do without replacement, for which you need to remove the protective cover.
The new belt is first installed on the small gear of the electric apparatus, then put on a large pulley, and turning it.
To replace the power cable of this electrical device, it is necessary to disconnect the device from power and unscrew the cover.
To disconnect the cord, insert the hex wrench into the hole with the wires, releasing the clamp.
The new power cord is installed in the reverse order.
The reason may also lie in the faulty power switch, which is simply replaced with a new one.
Repair an unexpectedly stopped electric motor
If the engine worked, but suddenly stalled, you need to check the crankshaft and piston. maybe they are stuck. This happens due to the lack of oil in the crankcase. With this breakdown, it is better to contact specialists, as in the case when the electric motor of the lawn mower requires repair.
Video: Lawnmower Repair
Maintenance work
For trouble-free operation of the lawn mower, the owner must carry out its regular maintenance after the end of the working season, i.e. before its placement in winter storage. It will cost less than repairing or buying a new electrical device.
Among the main measures ensuring the reliable operation of the electric mower is its cleanliness. Mowed grass accumulated under the deck causes erosion of metal parts. A compressor or blower will help remove trash weed residues.
The electric motor of the mower is air-cooled, therefore it also requires keeping it clean, which is the key to effective functioning. A soft brush and compressed air are suitable for cleaning cooling fins.
If you have some experience, it’s easy to repair the mowers yourself. The video below will help with this.
Where to repair a lawn mower?
If the owner of the electric mower does not have sufficient knowledge, repair of your favorite equipment that allows you to maintain the proper area around the house will help make service centers, learn more about which you can on the sites: