Lawnmower woes

Merlin5

Merlin5

Merlin5

Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
18,395
Location
Finchley, London
My trusty lawnmower that I've had for years is not well. Here it is

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http://i.imgur.com/UM7bNQM.jpg
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The problem is that the engine tickover sounds like someone revving an engine up and down rather than one consistent smooth sound. Could it be the spark plug needs cleaning or replacing? It takes much longer to start from cold these days, it used to start very quickly.

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What happens now is that the engine cuts out whenever I move the mower over anything slightly difficult to cut.

Here's a video I made today where you can hear the inconsistent sound and it nearly cutting out. Best heard with headphones. A rather overgrown garden which doesn't help my ailing mower :p


Shortly after recording the video, the starter pull cord jammed, it won't pull more than 4 inches anymore and I've no idea how to unjam it. Any suggestions? I managed to finish the lawn all but a few small spots before the engine cut out and the cord jammed for the first time ever :(

edit: Just thought, I never checked the blade. I'll check it tomorrow. Perhaps it's gotten obstructed with clumps of grass and is stopping the cord? I'll be careful though, I'm still quite fond of my hands.
 
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Get it serviced although the cost of a service may be equal to the cost of a new one from Homebase on one of their 20% off weekends.

The blade is directly connected to the shaft so yes if the blade is jammed you won't be able to pull the cord. It won't suddenly fire up, flip it on it's side, I bet it's caked in years of grass and weeds.
 
What's the engine on your mower? If it's hunting as you describe, the diaphragm in the carburettor may have died. DIY service kits are cheap (plug, air filter, diaphragm) and are easy to fit.
 
Thanks guys. Didn't get a chance today so hopefully tomorrow I can at least try and get the cord going again. The engine is a Vantage 35. I found the manual with various diagrams and explanations. I'll have to see if I can figure out what screws are where that need taking out for access.

About the cleaning of the carb and air filter, do I need carb cleaner fluid for the carb, and anything in particular for the air filter?

When removing the spark plug, am I meant to unscrew that big nut surrounding it, or should the white spark plug unscrew itself quite easily by hand?

Which shops would I get a DIY kit with diaphragm in?
 
You might struggle to get a carb kit, better to take it & have it fully service properly, might be other issues & maybe worthwhile having the blade sharpen at the same time.

The place I've used for 20 years for garden machinery servicing , even gives a 10% winter service discount during the months of November & December.
 
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I think I'm going to have to do that, Nightglow, I'm stuck as to how to proceed and am not confident or even knowledgeable how to take the carb apart or clean any possible fuel blockage, which is what seems to be suggested elsewhere on googling this problem. I can do DIY to a point, but engine stuff is beyond me. I've no idea what screws to remove. This is what I've done today. First, the cord was an easy fix, it was clumps of dried grass blocking the blade. So that's working. The engine idle has gotten worse now and stalls in under 30 seconds.

I've bought a new spark plug for £4 but haven't bothered trying it yet. I bought a sparkplug wrench and you can see the condition of the plug, very black.

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I cleaned it up a bit with an old kitchen scourer, and used a metal nail file to scrap under the contact.

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Hasn't made any difference. Should I bother trying the new spark plug or get it refunded, as it does seem it's more likely to be a carb or fuel flow issue?

I removed the sponge air filter which was shredding and very black and dirty. I rubbed it off and turned the sponge and rubbed some engine oil in it. Do you think that would be acceptable?

Old side of sponge

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Turned over

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I'm wondering if I should buy a can of carb cleaner spray and spray it into the hole under the air filter which should flow into the carburetor, where I've marked a yellow line. Should I try that or would it be a waste of time and a few quid?

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Otherwise, anyone know where in north london I should take it, and how much would it cost to rebuild the carb or whatever it takes to get it running, smooth again? Don't mind spending £50 to £60 but if it's much more, I'm wondering if it will be sensible considering new ones can be bought for £110 to £150.
 
Used F&M must be 10+ years ago, when I was doing a job in Hackney.

EGM is in my little black book of contacts, never used them..
 
Nightglow said:
F&M must be 10+ years ago, when I was doing a job in Hackney.
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Well, I'll give F&M a call tomorrow, they're in barnet which is where I am, so that's good. :)

Depending how much it costs to repair, like if it's over £40, I'm wondering now whether I should cut my losses and change to an electric mower? My garden is only small, about 30 foot long by 15 wide. I bought a petrol mower because it's fun and I know it's more powerful. But electric would be maintenance free and can be bought new for around £70. What do you reckon?
 
Well you can use a petrol mower when the grass is damp, & you can't electrocute yourself if you cut through the cable.
Also if your lazy & miss cutting grass for a week or two, petrol will mange longer grass with ease, whereas electric may struggle.
 
Nightglow said:
Well you can use a petrol mower when the grass is damp, & you can't electrocute yourself if you cut through the cable.
Also if your lazy & miss cutting grass for a week or two, petrol will mange longer grass with ease, whereas electric may struggle.
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Yeah, those are good points. Though I'm not too bothered about cutting damp grass, I do it when it's dry. I do miss cutting it for weeks, hence why I need a complete new lawn. If I got an electric one, it would need to be powerful. Would this be good? http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wc...ay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=223620
 
We had Petrol ~9 years ago (when fuel wasn't so expensive, never looked at a Petrol v Electric scenario cost wise), honestly I'd go Petrol all the way, cables really are a PITA.
 
Hyburnate said:
We had Petrol ~9 years ago (when fuel wasn't so expensive, never looked at a Petrol v Electric scenario cost wise), honestly I'd go Petrol all the way, cables really are a PITA.
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The thing is, all the maintenance I should be doing just for a small garden. Changing oil, air filter, draining fuel while in storage, spark plugs, etc. I never really worried about that when I bought it but now it's become apparent that it needs as much TLC as a car. Electric would be so much easier on that score. But as Nightglow said, depends if electric will be as effective. Guess I'd need to keep on top of the cutting more regularly to compensate. Yeah, the cable would be a pain. Anyway, guess I'll wait and see what F&M recommend tomorrow.
 
Nightglow said:
Stick with petrol.

I have Qualcast petrol mower, would never go back to electric.
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Mate of mine reckoned he spent only £35 to repair his mower. He said
" I think he cleaned the petrol tank as it had bits floating in it and did something to the carb"

Sounds like what mine needs. I love this mower and if it can be brought to perfect running condition for around £35, I'd keep it. After all, it's never had an oil change or any servicing in the few years I've had it, so it's done pretty well.
But he's up north and so no doubt repair costs in London will be more costly.
 
Mine did the same, a mate who used to service them came round and took the carb apart - found something in the needle (i think) put it back together and all was well. He said a service when he did it was £40
 
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