Mower Wars 3

[dewaltdisney]

All my gardening equipment has conspired against me. My original mower got dumped after trying to save it (Mower Wars 1) and I had to replace the drive belt in my newer mower (2 years old) The back section is made from an ABS plastic box section and this has the grass box hooks as part of it. I had just finished mowing (in September) and I noticed the grass box dragging. One of these useless plastic hooks had broken off. I could use it using the side discharger so I managed the last few cuts. I researched and found I could buy a whole new back plastic section part for £12. I could not find any meaningful exploded views, manuals, or YouTube videos to show me how to strip it. Draining the oil and fuel again, I gradually worked out how to get the wheels off but my circlip pliers broke trying to remove the circlips holding the wheels on. I bought a new set from Screwfix and got the wheels off. I just could not figure how to get the original plastic back section out and I gave up and we went to Ibiza.

Not a good idea to have a gap in procedures where I have now forgotten it all, so I resumed. I virtually dismantled the mower to get this section out and start reassembly, which was difficult and I had to take it down again as I had missed a bit. I get it back together and get set up for a mow. It is hard work as the self-propulsion is not working correctly. I fiddle around for a few hours but there is no reason why it is not working. I suspect the gearbox is knackered another £50 and no guarantee it will sort it, so I decided to make this my number two mower and look to get a replacement. I did a search and find a 22" Fox mower for just under £300 (just as well I topped up my appliance replacement sinking fund), but this is a good time to find end of season deals. This one has proper steel anchorage for the grass box. So stay tuned for the can I be arsed to replace the gearbox on the old mower thread. At least the grass has slowed growing now.

DWD

[dewaltdisney]

Update: I still cannot get the self-propulsion working. I have replaced the gearbox (£30) and the drive belt (again) and still no luck. Okay, run through my findings and see if you can suggest something. The drive is operated by a handle that pulls a cable that pulls a spring loaded lever which in turn activates a shaft that engages a gearwheel into the pulley-driven worm gear. The gearwheel is fixed to the drive shaft which in turn should turn the wheels. When you release the handle the lever pulls the gearwheel out of mesh and stops the drive.

I checked that the cable tension was pulling the gear-actuating lever
I turned the blade by hand to make sure the drive belt turned the gearbox pulley
I tied the handle in the drive position and turned the blade. The wheels move (albeit slowly due to the pulley turns and gear ratio)
When fired up the wheels turn very limply off the ground but there is not enough power to propel the mower.

The wheels are driven by handed gears on the end of the gear shaft that engage in plastic gear teeth around the inside of the wheel which provides the final drive. I swapped these over but that just reversed the limp turn of the wheels.

I am stumped, I have been messing around with this since September. I am not going to spend any more money on it. The motor works fine so it has some use still as a mulcher.

Any suggestions please

DWD

[dewaltdisney]

I have been thinking about this after looking at a YT video where a guy was dismantling a mower gearbox. Looking at the mechanical workings the lever pushes a ring against a dog gear that when meshed creates the drive. The dog gear will pull out on the pressure being released on the ring. My thoughts are leaning towards the cable pulling the sprung lever. I think my cable although taut is not quite pulling the dog gear into mesh. The limp turn of the wheels might be caused by the ring pushing the dog gear close but not fully engaging so that just the gear tips are getting occasional strikes. I will have another look at the cable. Don't hold your breath.

DWD