Lawnmowers: Maintaining an Electric Lawnmower

Looking after your electric lawnmower is important for safety and can prolong its working life, as well as improving the cut it delivers to your lawn. Always unplug electric mowers before working on them and put the plug that plugs into the mains in your pocket, this prevents anybody inadvertently plugging it in while you are working on it! You should always wear gloves when working on mower blades to prevent cutting your fingers.

Whenever you use your mower:

• Unplug the flex and use a stiff brush to dislodge dirt and grass from the mower housing and outside of the mower.
• Make sure the power is disconnected. Use a wooden kitchen spatula or plastic utensil to scrape the underside of the mower, blades and surrounding area to remove caked-on grass cuttings.
• Wipe down the whole mower with a damp cloth, avoiding the switches and motor area.

Note that you should never use water for cleaning electric lawnmowers and you should avoid any cleaning materials not supplied by the manufacturer as chemicals, including petrol and solvents can damage plastic parts.

Changing Electric Mower Blades

If your blade is cracked or damaged it must be replaced. Many people prefer to have this done professionally, but it is very simple to replace a blade yourself, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and avoid overtightening the blade housing as this can lead to it shearing off as soon as you use it.

A new mower blade can improve your electric mower's performance. Mower blade image courtesy of Mole