Our Flymo hover mower has stopped cutting properly. It cuts the grass short
(*) but it leaves longer tufts, probably where the grass is growing more
densely, instead of cutting it to a uniform length.

This started before we had the blade sharpened last autumn, by which time
the cutting edge had become very blunt. So we had it sharpened but this has
made no difference. I've checked that the blade has been refitted with
"grass side" closest to the grass, and with the cutting edge in the correct
direction - ie when the blade rotates, the cutting edge is at the leading
edge.

The blade sounds as if it is rotating fast enough, though it's difficult to
judge this by sound alone. The blade is fairly flat, though the tips of the
blade, where this cutting edges are located, are bent slightly upwards ie
further from the grass.

Any suggestions?



(*) For example, after several months of not cutting the lawn over the
winter, the grass was fairly long, and the mower took off the majority of
this at the first cut.

When we had a hover mower the angled blades bent down to the grass, sounds to me like it is upside down?

Richard

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:14:57 -0700 (PDT), Tricky Dicky
wrote:

When we had a hover mower the angled blades bent down to the grass, sounds
to me like it is upside down?

Richard

This video of the Flymo vital parts and it's assembly does indeed show
the blades angled down at the tips. http://tinyurl.com/jogm822

Hmmm. It does look as if my blade is angled the opposite way, though it's
definitely stamped "grass side" on underside which is closer to the grass. I
wonder if it's gradually got bent upwards with use and the shop that
sharpened it didn't notice or bend it back the correct way (or say that they
can't do this and that it needs replacing).

Would a bent blade cause this symptom? Presumably the grass is cut to the
length of the lowest part of the blade, no matter whether this is nearer the
hub or the tip.

"NY" wrote in message
o.uk...
"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:14:57 -0700 (PDT), Tricky Dicky
wrote:

When we had a hover mower the angled blades bent down to the grass, sounds to me like
it is upside down?

Richard

This video of the Flymo vital parts and it's assembly does indeed show
the blades angled down at the tips. http://tinyurl.com/jogm822

Hmmm. It does look as if my blade is angled the opposite way, though it's definitely
stamped "grass side" on underside which is closer to the grass. I wonder if it's
gradually got bent upwards with use and the shop that sharpened it didn't notice or
bend it back the correct way (or say that they can't do this and that it needs
replacing).

Would a bent blade cause this symptom? Presumably the grass is cut to the length of the
lowest part of the blade, no matter whether this is nearer the hub or the tip.

At a guess, using a rotary blade at a slow enough speed acros the
grass should ensure that it's all cut to the same length. What may
be happening is that some clumps are bendng over and being missed
by the blade completely. Presumably this can happen if the stem
closest the ground isn't strong enough to support the abundant top
growth, which is bending away from the mower. Maybe lightly
raking or brushing the grass into the intended direction of
the mower might help. Then once its all the same length this
should no longer present a problem.


michael adams

....

On our old hover mower the height of the cut was determined by spacers between the blade and the the fan, at its highest setting, no spacers, the blade was tight against the fan. Rotary mowers like this depend on the peripheral speed of the blade to do the cutting how sharp the blade is of little consequence. I sharpened the blade but noted no difference in the quality of cut.

Richard

NY wrote:
"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:14:57 -0700 (PDT), Tricky Dicky
wrote:

When we had a hover mower the angled blades bent down to the grass,
sounds to me like it is upside down?

Richard

This video of the Flymo vital parts and it's assembly does indeed
show the blades angled down at the tips. http://tinyurl.com/jogm822

Hmmm. It does look as if my blade is angled the opposite way, though
it's definitely stamped "grass side" on underside which is closer to
the grass. I wonder if it's gradually got bent upwards with use and
the shop that sharpened it didn't notice or bend it back the correct
way (or say that they can't do this and that it needs replacing).

Would a bent blade cause this symptom? Presumably the grass is cut to
the length of the lowest part of the blade, no matter whether this is
nearer the hub or the tip.

I had a Flymo for years.
With the grass side of the blade facing the errr, grass, the tips of the
blade were angled up.
It worked well until I sharpened the blade with my trusty file and did not
balance the blade. Then it started to smoke.
The pikey scrap men took it away.

Although not the model we owned but the blade was very similar and the blade fitting diagram clearly shows the angled tips angled down towards the grass.

http://www.flymo.com/ddoc/FLYO/FLYO2..._511959303.pdf

Richard

The hub is moving slower than the tip though.
In the one I had there was a plastic centrifugal fan in the middle and no
cutting was supposed to be done t near it. Certainly the ends were always
angled down so this cut first. This though seemed to be the reason for it
slowing up as per my original message. the grass collector was a joke as
well as most of the grass just dropped on the lawn when wet.

I think in this country a floating mower or one with a large hot air dryer
on the front is needed.
brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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Blind user, so no pictures please!
"NY" wrote in message
o.uk...
"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:14:57 -0700 (PDT), Tricky Dicky
wrote:

When we had a hover mower the angled blades bent down to the grass,
sounds to me like it is upside down?

Richard

This video of the Flymo vital parts and it's assembly does indeed show
the blades angled down at the tips. http://tinyurl.com/jogm822

Hmmm. It does look as if my blade is angled the opposite way, though it's
definitely stamped "grass side" on underside which is closer to the grass.
I wonder if it's gradually got bent upwards with use and the shop that
sharpened it didn't notice or bend it back the correct way (or say that
they can't do this and that it needs replacing).

Would a bent blade cause this symptom? Presumably the grass is cut to the
length of the lowest part of the blade, no matter whether this is nearer
the hub or the tip.

I gave up on hovers, and tis was one of the reasons. the height varies with
speed, and as grass tufts or is very wet in places the thing used to bottom
out with a tendency to tear grass up by the roots or in other places stall
completely.
I'd have thought they might have found a fix for this by now. Mind you most
electric mowers do tend toward this as they do not have enough torque to
keep the blade spinning when on wet or tufty grass.
I now have to employ somebody to do my lawns, and the always use petrol
mowers and strimmers for this very reason.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"NY" wrote in message
...
Our Flymo hover mower has stopped cutting properly. It cuts the grass
short (*) but it leaves longer tufts, probably where the grass is growing
more densely, instead of cutting it to a uniform length.

This started before we had the blade sharpened last autumn, by which time
the cutting edge had become very blunt. So we had it sharpened but this
has made no difference. I've checked that the blade has been refitted with
"grass side" closest to the grass, and with the cutting edge in the
correct direction - ie when the blade rotates, the cutting edge is at the
leading edge.

The blade sounds as if it is rotating fast enough, though it's difficult
to judge this by sound alone. The blade is fairly flat, though the tips of
the blade, where this cutting edges are located, are bent slightly upwards
ie further from the grass.

Any suggestions?



(*) For example, after several months of not cutting the lawn over the
winter, the grass was fairly long, and the mower took off the majority of
this at the first cut.

On 01/04/2016 10:34, Brian Gaff wrote:
I gave up on hovers, and tis was one of the reasons. the height varies with
speed, and as grass tufts or is very wet in places the thing used to bottom
out with a tendency to tear grass up by the roots or in other places stall
completely.
I'd have thought they might have found a fix for this by now. Mind you most
electric mowers do tend toward this as they do not have enough torque to
keep the blade spinning when on wet or tufty grass.
I now have to employ somebody to do my lawns, and the always use petrol
mowers and strimmers for this very reason.
Brian


Are the air ducts and fan clean and clear of debris? The 4 stroke Flymo
I used years ago needed regular cleaning to keep it cutting properly.

Mike

On Thursday, 31 March 2016 14:44:42 UTC+1, NY wrote:
Our Flymo hover mower has stopped cutting properly. It cuts the grass short
(*) but it leaves longer tufts, probably where the grass is growing more
densely, instead of cutting it to a uniform length.

This started before we had the blade sharpened last autumn, by which time
the cutting edge had become very blunt. So we had it sharpened but this has
made no difference. I've checked that the blade has been refitted with
"grass side" closest to the grass, and with the cutting edge in the correct
direction - ie when the blade rotates, the cutting edge is at the leading
edge.

The blade sounds as if it is rotating fast enough, though it's difficult to
judge this by sound alone. The blade is fairly flat, though the tips of the
blade, where this cutting edges are located, are bent slightly upwards ie
further from the grass.

Any suggestions?



(*) For example, after several months of not cutting the lawn over the
winter, the grass was fairly long, and the mower took off the majority of
this at the first cut.

Higher speed or sharper blade would fix it.


NT