Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as it
used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the same
patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over rather
than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a week's growth
since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running at
full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend upwards
by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the grass).
Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter, given that the
height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point of the sharpened
part of the blade.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

NY wrote:
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as
it used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the
same patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over
rather than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a
week's growth since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running
at full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend
upwards by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the
grass). Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter,
given that the height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point
of the sharpened part of the blade.

I'm no lawnmower expert, and maybe someone will have a better answer for
you, but I would suggest that the height of the cut will actually be
determined by the lowest point of the sharpened part of the blade that
is moving quickly enough to cut it. This might not include the bits
further in to the centre. Is the upwards bend there by design? If not,
I would just try bending the tips back down again. Carefully, if
they're sharp :-)

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

In message , NY
writes
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as
it used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over
the same patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass
over rather than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a
week's growth since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is
running at full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend
upwards by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the
grass). Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter,
given that the height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point
of the sharpened part of the blade.

I had a couple of fairly cheap hover mowers, and on both of them, after
some use, the tips of the blades started to be bent slightly upwards. I
assume that this was caused by the constant pounding from hitting the
blades of grass - and also the occasional stone.

As it's the fast-moving part of the blade near the tips that does most
of the cutting, having the tips bent upwards allows the slow-moving part
near the hub to chew rather than cut.

Every time I took the blade off for sharpening, I made a point of also
bending the blade so that the tips were slightly downwards.
--
Ian

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

NY wrote:
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as
it used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the
same patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over
rather than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a
week's growth since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running
at full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend
upwards by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the
grass). Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter,
given that the height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point
of the sharpened part of the blade.
Have you got the blade in the right way round? Just a thought.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

"Bob Minchin" wrote in message
...
NY wrote:
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as
it used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the
same patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over
rather than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a
week's growth since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running
at full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend
upwards by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the
grass). Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter,
given that the height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point
of the sharpened part of the blade.

Have you got the blade in the right way round? Just a thought.

Good question. I did wonder about this. I took the whole mower (*) to the
mower servicing company that sharpened the blade, so hopefully they refitted
it the correct way round.

(*) Because the crappy plastic (!!!) spanner that Flymo provide for undoing
the central bolt is far too flimsy for the job: why couldn't they have
provided a metal one which would allow enough force to be applied?

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

On Thursday, 6 August 2015 13:39:20 UTC+1, NY wrote:
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as it
used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the same
patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over rather
than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a week's growth
since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running at
full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend upwards
by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the grass).
Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter, given that the
height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point of the sharpened
part of the blade.




You've got the blade upside-down! The blade ends should point DOWN.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

Being upside-down means that the BACK of the blade is trying to cut.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

In article ,
Mr Fuxit wrote:

You've got the blade upside-down! The blade ends should point DOWN.

That was my first guess as well. Blades usually have an inscription
which indicates (or says) "This side to mower". It's often obscured by
years of mulched grass, so scrape the blade to find out.

As for a spanner: surely someone that uses this news group has a spanner
(or rather adjustable wrench) that will undo the nut? You need to block
the blade from turning, if you need to undo it: use a piece o'wood.
HTH
John

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

In message , Another John
writes
In article ,
Mr Fuxit wrote:

You've got the blade upside-down! The blade ends should point DOWN.

That was my first guess as well. Blades usually have an inscription
which indicates (or says) "This side to mower". It's often obscured by
years of mulched grass, so scrape the blade to find out.

Or turn the mower over (so you can see the blade), and give the 'on'
switch a quick blip so you can see the direction of rotation. The sharp
sides of the blade should be the leading edge.

As for a spanner: surely someone that uses this news group has a spanner
(or rather adjustable wrench) that will undo the nut? You need to block
the blade from turning, if you need to undo it: use a piece o'wood.
HTH
John

Be aware that the direction of the thread is sometimes 'opposite to
normal' (well, it was on one of my two mowers).
--
Ian

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

On Thu, 6 Aug 2015 11:58:54 -0700 (PDT), Mr Fuxit
wrote:

On Thursday, 6 August 2015 13:39:20 UTC+1, NY wrote:
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as it
used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the same
patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over rather
than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a week's growth
since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running at
full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend upwards
by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the grass).
Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter, given that the
height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point of the sharpened
part of the blade.




You've got the blade upside-down! The blade ends should point DOWN.

Yes indeed. With the blade upside down the sharpened edges will not be
the ones hitting the grass.
--
Dave W

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

"Dave W" wrote in message
...
You've got the blade upside-down! The blade ends should point DOWN.

Yes indeed. With the blade upside down the sharpened edges will not be
the ones hitting the grass.

I'll check the direction of rotation to make sure, but I think it's correct
in that the edge is slightly less sharp that it was when the blade was first
sharpened, and has a small stone chip in it, suggesting that this *is* the
leading edge.

Maybe the blade has got bent the wrong way over the years of usage and (if
it's normal for the tips to bend *towards* the grass) I need to unscrew the
blade, clamp it in a vice and bend the tips the other way slightly.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

"NY" wrote in message
o.uk...
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as it
used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the same
patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over rather
than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a week's growth
since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running
at full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend upwards
by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the grass).
Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter, given that
the height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point of the
sharpened part of the blade.

The blade on my old Fymo mower bent a bit up on the ends and it WAS on the
right way. It was marked - grass this way or something. Even I could not go
wrong.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

On 07/08/2015 20:40, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:
wrote in message
o.uk...
I have a Flymo Hover Compact 350 mower which is not cutting as well as it
used to: it tends to leave clumps and sometimes I have to go over the same
patch a couple of times because initially it bends the grass over rather
than cutting it. This is for normal lawn grass with maybe a week's growth
since the last time it was cut.

I've had the blade sharpened. As far as I can tell, the motor is running
at full speed.

The only thing that is unusual about the blade is that it is slightly
kinked: the last few centimetres where the blade is sharpened bend upwards
by a few degrees (ie the tip is slightly further away from the grass).
Should the fact that the blade is not perfectly flat matter, given that
the height of the cut will be determined by the lowest point of the
sharpened part of the blade.

The blade on my old Fymo mower bent a bit up on the ends and it WAS on the
right way. It was marked - grass this way or something. Even I could not go
wrong.






If you google `lawn mower blades` and images you will see that some have
an upward bend on part of the blade, thats not to say yours is correct.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

On Fri, 7 Aug 2015 11:39:32 +0100, "NY" wrote:

"Dave W" wrote in message
.. .
You've got the blade upside-down! The blade ends should point DOWN.

Yes indeed. With the blade upside down the sharpened edges will not be
the ones hitting the grass.

I'll check the direction of rotation to make sure, but I think it's correct
in that the edge is slightly less sharp that it was when the blade was first
sharpened, and has a small stone chip in it, suggesting that this *is* the
leading edge.

Maybe the blade has got bent the wrong way over the years of usage and (if
it's normal for the tips to bend *towards* the grass) I need to unscrew the
blade, clamp it in a vice and bend the tips the other way slightly.

Well in my Flymo the tips are bent down, and I doubt if they could be
symetrically bent the wrong way through use. I hope your blade was
sharpened on the leading edges by someone who knew which they are.
--
Dave W

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

On Sat, 08 Aug 2015 20:23:18 +0100, Dave W
wrote:

On Fri, 7 Aug 2015 11:39:32 +0100, "NY" wrote:

"Dave W" wrote in message
. ..
You've got the blade upside-down! The blade ends should point DOWN.

Yes indeed. With the blade upside down the sharpened edges will not be
the ones hitting the grass.

I'll check the direction of rotation to make sure, but I think it's correct
in that the edge is slightly less sharp that it was when the blade was first
sharpened, and has a small stone chip in it, suggesting that this *is* the
leading edge.

Maybe the blade has got bent the wrong way over the years of usage and (if
it's normal for the tips to bend *towards* the grass) I need to unscrew the
blade, clamp it in a vice and bend the tips the other way slightly.

Well in my Flymo the tips are bent down, and I doubt if they could be
symetrically bent the wrong way through use. I hope your blade was
sharpened on the leading edges by someone who knew which they are.

I've just had a look at Google images, and it looks like the genuine
FLY008 blade for your mower is hardly bent at all, but it's obvious
that the sharpened bit is on the longer straight edge. So it will be
easy to check that it rotates the right way.
--
Dave W

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

"Dave W" wrote in message
...
I've just had a look at Google images, and it looks like the genuine
FLY008 blade for your mower is hardly bent at all, but it's obvious
that the sharpened bit is on the longer straight edge. So it will be
easy to check that it rotates the right way.

Strange that the place the sharpened the blade didn't bend it back to be
straight, if that's how it's supposed to be. You'd think that a place which
specialises in selling and servicing lawn mowers would know how it was
supposed to be.

They sharpened the correct side of the blade (ie the side that had previous
been ground to a point but had become blunt and pitted over the years) - the
rear of the blade is still full-thickness metal.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

In article ,
"NY" wrote:

"Dave W" wrote in message
...
I've just had a look at Google images, and it looks like the genuine
FLY008 blade for your mower is hardly bent at all, but it's obvious
that the sharpened bit is on the longer straight edge. So it will be
easy to check that it rotates the right way.

Strange that the place the sharpened the blade didn't bend it back to be
straight, if that's how it's supposed to be. You'd think that a place which
specialises in selling and servicing lawn mowers would know how it was
supposed to be.

They sharpened the correct side of the blade (ie the side that had previous
been ground to a point but had become blunt and pitted over the years) - the
rear of the blade is still full-thickness metal.

And have you checked, as I suggested before, if the blade has a "This
side to mower" inscription? (If you can see it, then obviously it's
been mounted the wrong way up).

J.

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

"Another John" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"NY" wrote:

"Dave W" wrote in message
...
I've just had a look at Google images, and it looks like the genuine
FLY008 blade for your mower is hardly bent at all, but it's obvious
that the sharpened bit is on the longer straight edge. So it will be
easy to check that it rotates the right way.

Strange that the place the sharpened the blade didn't bend it back to be
straight, if that's how it's supposed to be. You'd think that a place
which
specialises in selling and servicing lawn mowers would know how it was
supposed to be.

They sharpened the correct side of the blade (ie the side that had
previous
been ground to a point but had become blunt and pitted over the years) -
the
rear of the blade is still full-thickness metal.

And have you checked, as I suggested before, if the blade has a "This
side to mower" inscription? (If you can see it, then obviously it's
been mounted the wrong way up).

Not as yet - laid up in bed with flu at the moment - but I will. But the
fact that there were small signs of wear already on the sharpened side
suggests that it's mounted the right way round. Not so sure about the kink
in the tips, though...

Hover mower not cutting smoothly and leaving clumps
 

In article , NY
writes
"Another John" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"NY" wrote:

"Dave W" wrote in message
...
I've just had a look at Google images, and it looks like the genuine
FLY008 blade for your mower is hardly bent at all, but it's obvious
that the sharpened bit is on the longer straight edge. So it will be
easy to check that it rotates the right way.

Strange that the place the sharpened the blade didn't bend it back to be
straight, if that's how it's supposed to be. You'd think that a
place which
specialises in selling and servicing lawn mowers would know how it was
supposed to be.

They sharpened the correct side of the blade (ie the side that had
previous
been ground to a point but had become blunt and pitted over the
years) - the
rear of the blade is still full-thickness metal.

And have you checked, as I suggested before, if the blade has a "This
side to mower" inscription? (If you can see it, then obviously it's
been mounted the wrong way up).

Not as yet - laid up in bed with flu at the moment - but I will. But
the fact that there were small signs of wear already on the sharpened
side suggests that it's mounted the right way round. Not so sure about
the kink in the tips, though...
Suggest you got o local shed and have a look at a new replacement.
--
bert