flymow playing up

[123hotchef]

the flymow is playing up the motor spins a bit slower than it should and throws out some nice blue/white light from the commutor and brushes. is it knackered? would a strip and clean fix it or am I wasting my time.

 

[Alan Reynolds]

Sounds like a shorted armature winding. You may be lucky and it's just worn brushes causing it to arc. Might be worth a quick look.

 

[123hotchef]

Sounds like a shorted armature winding. You may be lucky and it's just worn brushes causing it to arc. Might be worth a quick look.

the brushes still have plenty of meat on them, what would cause the arature to short

 

[eddie49]

Stalling the armature - e.g. by catching the blade in a tangle of long wet grass - the last time it was used could have caused some windings to overheat, burn their insulation, and short to earth on the metal core. A track of sparks following the commutator around away from a brush, or from both brushes, is a sure sign of this. It's had it, I'm afraid. It is no more. It will neither mow nor fly again. It is an ex-Flymo.

 

[123hotchef]

Stalling the armature - e.g. by catching the blade in a knot of long wet grass - the last time it was used could have caused some windings to overheat, burn their insulation, and short to earth on the metal core. A track of sparks following the armature around away from a brush, or from both brushes, is a sure sign of this. It's had it, I'm afraid. It is no more. It is an ex-Flymo.

cheers it gets binned tomorrow then! the armatures look burnt

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Sounds like it has had it.
I had a look at the neighbours today, his was sparking and you could smell the burning.

It was fine last year, but today it was dead.

B&Q had a decent one for about £50.

The metal is now in my scrap pile. The cable is now earmarked to fix NIS tools.



One thing I did notice, none of the new mowers came with a suitably long cable.

 

[bourbon]

I had one and the Bearing had seized in the plastic housing. It was running slowly, sparking like you describe. In short it was goosed. Went to the tip the next day.

 

[gaz1]

Long grass pull it backwards doesnt slow the motor down as much

 

[waddycall]

Long grass pull it backwards doesnt slow the motor down as much

How does that work?

 

[123hotchef]

Sounds like it has had it.
I had a look at the neighbours today, his was sparking and you could smell the burning.

It was fine last year, but today it was dead.

B&Q had a decent one for about £50.

The metal is now in my scrap pile. The cable is now earmarked to fix NIS tools.

View attachment 173062

One thing I did notice, none of the new mowers came with a suitably long cable.

exactly that they dont like not being used

 

[gaz1]

How does that work?

when you push on flymo you push it forward but it also goes downwards slowing blade

if you pull it towards you theres no force downwards but a slow enough pulling towards you on first cut the blade dosnt bog down or slow down

try it out you will see difference