I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong or if there's a problem with my mower. I have the LM2102SP and I love the way it cuts the grass. However, it leaves most of the grass on the lawn after cutting rather than sucking it up into the grass bag attachment. It is also very poor at picking up any leaves on the lawn.
Does anyone else have this issue?
You can see from the images below how much of the grass drops back onto the lawn/driveway/bark. This is not in mulching mode, this is with the grass bag attached.
I left a message with customer service this morning and am hoping to get some help with this. It is not meeting my expectations for a $600 mower. Does anyone have insight as to what's going on? Thanks in advance.
Does anyone else have this issue?
You can see from the images below how much of the grass drops back onto the lawn/driveway/bark. This is not in mulching mode, this is with the grass bag attached.
I left a message with customer service this morning and am hoping to get some help with this. It is not meeting my expectations for a $600 mower. Does anyone have insight as to what's going on? Thanks in advance.
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238 Points
Posted 4 years ago
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2,568 Points
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14,688 Points
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1,778 Points
Dan,
I hate to ask this but did you remove the mulch plug when you bagged the grass? The only time I have seen this was when I forgot to remove the plug when I switched between mulching and bagging.
I hate to ask this but did you remove the mulch plug when you bagged the grass? The only time I have seen this was when I forgot to remove the plug when I switched between mulching and bagging.
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37,202 Points
Wet grass can clump up in the opening and have the same effect.
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238 Points
David HD, Champion
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35,214 Points
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100 Points
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1,042 Points
The last time I was at Home Depot, they had a whole stack of Ego blades, both 20 and 21", right next to all the other blades for comparison.
First, as I mentioned in another thread, the ego 21" blade is NOT 21". Even if measured diagonally (which is silly, since the blade is tapered) it still only measures a hair over 20". Just comparing it to the other 20 and 21" blades on the shelf, it's pretty clear the ego blade is very, very close to 20". A generic 21" blade is noticeably longer (by about 3/4")
Unfortunately, after browsing through all the other universal fit blades, I was unable to find one that would precisely match the center hole of the ego blade. A couple were very close, but without being exact, it will be impossible to get it perfectly centered to eliminate vibration.
So, I guess it's up to ego to give us a better blade. Please guys...hurry. The lack of vacuum on this mower is annoying.
First, as I mentioned in another thread, the ego 21" blade is NOT 21". Even if measured diagonally (which is silly, since the blade is tapered) it still only measures a hair over 20". Just comparing it to the other 20 and 21" blades on the shelf, it's pretty clear the ego blade is very, very close to 20". A generic 21" blade is noticeably longer (by about 3/4")
Unfortunately, after browsing through all the other universal fit blades, I was unable to find one that would precisely match the center hole of the ego blade. A couple were very close, but without being exact, it will be impossible to get it perfectly centered to eliminate vibration.
So, I guess it's up to ego to give us a better blade. Please guys...hurry. The lack of vacuum on this mower is annoying.
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1,092 Points
Tim, Don't hold your breath waiting and hoping that Ego will come up with something that will cure the lack of suction on these mowers. I hoped and prayed for almost 90 days as I loved the thought of this mower vs. gas. For me I decided to return it to HD for a refund as Ego did nothing to address the issues (lack of suction and poor mulching) that I had with it. I can't imagine how frustrated I would have been with this come the Fall. There will be many more leaves, pine cones and needles, acorns and the like witch I don't believe the Ego mower would have been able to pick up off the lawn as well as I would expect a $500+ mower to do.
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22,226 Points
I just measured the blade on my "21" SP and sure enough, it's not 21". Nor is the interior of the deck. The blade is roughly 20-1/4. Not happy.
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37,202 Points
So the 21" is an inch longer than the 20"
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22,226 Points
called Ego. they had no answer for why a 21" mower is not really cutting a 21" swath. they said their specs show the blade is 20.5 and the 20" mower shows a blade length of 19.5.
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
Is it 20.5" if you measure from tip to tip? Apparently mower blades are not measured parallel to the sides as that doesn't represent the actual diameter of cut.
Either way, it's still not a 21" blade...
Either way, it's still not a 21" blade...
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8,626 Points
Like when Dell was selling 15" monitors that were less than 14".
I bet the EU model metric measures correctly. :)
I bet the EU model metric measures correctly. :)
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1,042 Points
As I mentioned earlier, measuring "tip to tip" isn't really applicable, since the ego blade tapers down to nearly a point at the end.
I don't believe that's the issue anyways, since when I measure the blade on my 19" gas mower, it measures a true 19", parallel to the edge of the blade. No tip-to-tip business necessary.
By my measurements, the ego blade is right around 20 1/4". 20.5 is a real stretch.
It's really not a big deal at all, I don't care one bit if the blade is 20" or 21" or anywhere in between. I would have bought the mower regardless. It's the marketing (some would call it deceit) that bothers me a bit. Why not just call it a 20" mower? How many people are going to look at the 20" figure and say "i'm not buying that tiny mower, it needs to be at least 21!" I doubt that would ever happen. People would buy this mower if it was 20" or 21". No marketing hyperbole necessary ego, your product will stand on it's own.
Once again, I really like this mower and have no intention of returning it. I just try to call BS when i see it, and the ego blade is not 21". It's not a deal breaker, but people should know what they are buying.
now, how about giving me a blade the fills the mower deck and actually provides some vacuum? I'd be a pretty happy guy!
I don't believe that's the issue anyways, since when I measure the blade on my 19" gas mower, it measures a true 19", parallel to the edge of the blade. No tip-to-tip business necessary.
By my measurements, the ego blade is right around 20 1/4". 20.5 is a real stretch.
It's really not a big deal at all, I don't care one bit if the blade is 20" or 21" or anywhere in between. I would have bought the mower regardless. It's the marketing (some would call it deceit) that bothers me a bit. Why not just call it a 20" mower? How many people are going to look at the 20" figure and say "i'm not buying that tiny mower, it needs to be at least 21!" I doubt that would ever happen. People would buy this mower if it was 20" or 21". No marketing hyperbole necessary ego, your product will stand on it's own.
Once again, I really like this mower and have no intention of returning it. I just try to call BS when i see it, and the ego blade is not 21". It's not a deal breaker, but people should know what they are buying.
now, how about giving me a blade the fills the mower deck and actually provides some vacuum? I'd be a pretty happy guy!
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
According to this link:
http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/ego-p...
The 21" mower is rated at 52cm/21", but 52cm is really only 20.47".
I'm not too worried about a mathematical rounding condition, but I agree completely that marketing in general can be a shady business...
http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/ego-p...
The 21" mower is rated at 52cm/21", but 52cm is really only 20.47".
I'm not too worried about a mathematical rounding condition, but I agree completely that marketing in general can be a shady business...
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8,626 Points
I am going to get some metric labels...that will make me feel better. :)
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238 Points
Has anyone tested the Kobalt? Do you know if it has better sucking power?
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
Dan, check out this video by TIA:
https://community.egopowerplus.com/eg...
They rate the Ego best overall and best in cut quality over the Kobalt and a few others.
https://community.egopowerplus.com/eg...
They rate the Ego best overall and best in cut quality over the Kobalt and a few others.
(Edited)
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1,092 Points
I have to take the TIA video with a grain of salt as they admit at the start of the review that they are sponsored by EGO. I however, after 2.5 months of use have no doubt that the EGO is the best of the battery mowers tested. My problem was, that I was comparing the Ego to my previous gas powered Toro recycler. Other than the Ego being superior in convenience of use, the Toro was superior in basically all cutting and performance aspects. I too expected for $500+ that I would not just get the fantastic advantages of battery power but the performance of my old gas mower. I guess I set my expectations for the Ego too high and in the end I was disappointed. Hopefully next season Ego will have a new mower out that corrects the mulching/sucking issues that are very often mentioned in this forum.
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1,042 Points
I have not actually used the Kobalt, but I cross-shopped the Kobalt and Ego quite a bit before buying the Ego.
I have no idea if the Kobalt has better suction or cuts better than the ego, but I know it seems to be inferior in just about every other way. Comparing the two side-by-side is like comparing a new Cadillac (ego) to a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier. They really aren't in the same ball park in terms of build quality. The ego has that fantastic aluminum handle system, while the kobalt has old school steel pole handle with black plastic friction knobs used to hold it in place. The deck on the ego seems much more substantial somehow, even though it's plastic. The switches and levers on the ego are far better. Then there's the self propelled function....
If vacuum and mulching are your only requirements, the Kobalt is probably worth a look. It may also be worth a look if it was on a killer sale that made it $200 cheaper. But otherwise, the Ego is a better machine in every way. I certainly wouldn't trade.
I have no idea if the Kobalt has better suction or cuts better than the ego, but I know it seems to be inferior in just about every other way. Comparing the two side-by-side is like comparing a new Cadillac (ego) to a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier. They really aren't in the same ball park in terms of build quality. The ego has that fantastic aluminum handle system, while the kobalt has old school steel pole handle with black plastic friction knobs used to hold it in place. The deck on the ego seems much more substantial somehow, even though it's plastic. The switches and levers on the ego are far better. Then there's the self propelled function....
If vacuum and mulching are your only requirements, the Kobalt is probably worth a look. It may also be worth a look if it was on a killer sale that made it $200 cheaper. But otherwise, the Ego is a better machine in every way. I certainly wouldn't trade.
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14,688 Points
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14,688 Points
I got this response today from the UK site:
Hello,
Kind Regards
Now I noticed mine does not have the E on the end - homedepot lists it as LM2102SP
anyone have any idea what that means?
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37,202 Points
I believe all Ego products sold in the European market have an E at the end of the model number. I'm not sure if there is actually a difference in the tool or just the charger.
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8,626 Points
Charger is different due to the voltage/hz differences. Unlike many modern devices the charger is not dual voltage.
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14,688 Points
With a blade, I don't see where charging is any issue - lol
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8,626 Points
I was responding to David Cline's response. :)
(Edited)
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2,832 Points
Would someone at EGO reply to the question on the European "high lift" blade. Is it different that the blade supplied to the US market? Is it available to US users. The lack of decent lift is a major drawback for the 21" SP mower. No where near the "suction" power of my old gas mower.
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
Ego has previously confirmed that the high lift blade is not a mulching blade, it is designed for discharge and bagging. It is also not UL listed and therefore cannot be sold in the US.
The blade included with the mower is a 3-in-1 design for mulching, discharge and bagging.
Anything additional will have to be clarified by Ego, but I'm pretty sure that's where they're at with it.
The blade included with the mower is a 3-in-1 design for mulching, discharge and bagging.
Anything additional will have to be clarified by Ego, but I'm pretty sure that's where they're at with it.
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22,226 Points
the US "3 in 1" blade is more like a 2 in 1 blade, at best. how come we US citizens get the short end of the stick, so to speak???? I'm not thrilled that the US blade is worthless for mulching, but the lack of vacuuming is what REALLY pisses me off.
(Edited)
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822 Points
Trying to think outside the box on this one. How about an external mini vac that fits into the mulching plug chute that vacs up the blades of grass and distributes them right back into the deck for further mulching.... hell nothing else seems to be working with this $600 toenail clipper.
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
Chris, check out Jennifer's Official Response below. Might be worth a try before launching such an ambitious experiment. :-)
Jennifer VandeWater, Community Manager
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81,068 Points
We’re listening! I’m happy to let the community know that the EGO “High Lift Blade” (official name to be determined) will be available on TheHomeDepot.com on or around Jan 1, 2017. I won’t bore the community with the intricacies of listing and stocking a new item, but please know that this is the absolute earliest we can make it available. Thanks for your enthusiasm, interest and detailed reports. Our community continues to amaze us!
(Edited)
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1,042 Points
YAY! I'm glad you guys pay attention to the forums.
If we can get a decent blade on this otherwise excellent mower, you may well have the best mower on the market.
If we can get a decent blade on this otherwise excellent mower, you may well have the best mower on the market.
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9,440 Points
It's killing me that I'll have to do another fall cleanup with a blade that just can't lift anything, but I guess late is better than never. At least we'll be able to cut decent again next spring/summer (assuming this high-lift blade addresses the current mower's shortcomings).
David HD, Champion
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35,200 Points
Just use your leaf blower and blow it to your neighbor's yard ---
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37,202 Points
Top: Biggest source of leaves in my yard.
Bottom: Where they ultimately end up.
My blower just helps accelerate the natural process!
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
Dave HD:
:-)
:-)
David HD, Champion
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35,200 Points
Haha .....
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22,276 Points
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9,072 Points
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Lift issues with the new 21" mower.
I've cut my tall fescue lawn with the 21" sp mower to full height a few times. Now that my grass is in full growth and thick, I am seeing something I did not see earlier in the year.
I cut my lawn 4 days ago and I was out pulling weeds and noticed that most of my grass is now lying down and getting matted altogether. Practically none of it is actually standing as if it had been clean cut.
I know I thought the mower did a better job with lift from the last version but I just don't know at this point. I am cutting at the highest setting but I don't think it should leave my tall fescue lying down as if it had been steamrolled.
thoughts?
I've cut my tall fescue lawn with the 21" sp mower to full height a few times. Now that my grass is in full growth and thick, I am seeing something I did not see earlier in the year.
I cut my lawn 4 days ago and I was out pulling weeds and noticed that most of my grass is now lying down and getting matted altogether. Practically none of it is actually standing as if it had been clean cut.
I know I thought the mower did a better job with lift from the last version but I just don't know at this point. I am cutting at the highest setting but I don't think it should leave my tall fescue lying down as if it had been steamrolled.
thoughts?
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9,440 Points
Whenever I have this issue, cutting it high doesn't seem to help. I have to cut it low - like lower than one would normally recommend, meaning I have to do multiple passes just to mulch. Hopefully the new "high-lift" blade that's coming in January 2017 will help.
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2,568 Points
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424 Points
I had lift problems with my 20'' mower as well. I bought a 21'' High Lift Blade and adjusted it with a grinder.
Long story short: I fixed the problem. I like my mower now.
Battery life will be affected I'm sure but that's okay for me as I have extra batteries which came with my line trimmer and blower. So it's a case of swap and go instead of waiting for recharging.
Here are some photos of grinding the blade back:
http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/zpunout/media/Ego%20battery%20mower/IMG_20170203_161556.jpg.html
Hope this post is helpful.
Long story short: I fixed the problem. I like my mower now.
Battery life will be affected I'm sure but that's okay for me as I have extra batteries which came with my line trimmer and blower. So it's a case of swap and go instead of waiting for recharging.
Here are some photos of grinding the blade back:
http://s1272.photobucket.com/user/zpunout/media/Ego%20battery%20mower/IMG_20170203_161556.jpg.html
Hope this post is helpful.
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9,440 Points
@Shane: two questions... 1. Where did you get the blade??!!! and 2. Does it mulch - like - at all? ;)
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424 Points
Hi DJDDay. I live in Queensland, Australia and bought the blade at a store called TradeTools for AU$29 https://www.tradetools.com/search?ProductSearch=ego
It still mulches fine. One difference is it runs significantly louder than before but still way quieter than an internal combustion engine mower. I haven't yet done an entire lawn to test the difference in battery life. I want mow the whole property today but it's way too hot outside. Speaking about hot, I also stuck some white plastic on the transparent battery cover to fix the overheating issue while mowing on a sunny day. :)
It still mulches fine. One difference is it runs significantly louder than before but still way quieter than an internal combustion engine mower. I haven't yet done an entire lawn to test the difference in battery life. I want mow the whole property today but it's way too hot outside. Speaking about hot, I also stuck some white plastic on the transparent battery cover to fix the overheating issue while mowing on a sunny day. :)
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424 Points
EDIT: After mowing the entire lawn, I noticed a faster battery drain with the high lift mower blade. I estimate about a 40% loss of area per charge. I recommend the high lift blade if you have a smaller area to mow or have another battery charging on a rapid charger while mowing. I'm using a 4Ah battery first then a 2.5Ah battery from the line trimmer while the 4Ah goes onto the rapid charger. I can live with that but would enjoy a 7.5Ah battery :)
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
Great job on the blade, Shane!
I was also considering a cover to keep the sun out of the battery compartment. The black end cap on the battery gets very hot in there, yet the internals of the battery seem to stay cool.
I was also considering a cover to keep the sun out of the battery compartment. The black end cap on the battery gets very hot in there, yet the internals of the battery seem to stay cool.
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9,440 Points
Man, how hot is it in Queensland lately, @Shane? I'm in metro-Detroit, Michigan, US and our summers average mid/high 80's F (29+ C), but some days can easily top the low/mid 90's (32+ C). I've never had a battery overheat on me, but I do tend to cut when the sun is low or when the shade has overtaken much of my lawn.
I'm not surprised about the additional battery drain with the high-lift blade. More resistance = more stress on the mower motor. I can live with a 40% reduction, but I have two 7.5 Ah batteries and two rapid chargers. ;)
I'm not surprised about the additional battery drain with the high-lift blade. More resistance = more stress on the mower motor. I can live with a 40% reduction, but I have two 7.5 Ah batteries and two rapid chargers. ;)
(Edited)
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424 Points
In my part of coastal Queensland, the temperature in summer cycles between about 24C early morning to about 33C early afternoon. Cooler maximums if the tropical monsoon weather comes. Winter temps are about 10 degrees cooler. The sun in summer at midday is basically perpendicular and very intense. The grass grows at a rate which often requires weekly mowing in the warmer half of the year.
(Edited)
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420 Points
I used my new 21" non-SP mower today for the first time. I loved
everything about it with the exception of it's ability to suck up
leaves. I was using the bag. The grass was pretty high, so I cut it
first with the height set on 3 and then went back over it with the
height set on the shortest setting. The grass cut great, but the lawn
still looks like crap. It hardly picked up any leaves, which I feel like
is kind of a big deal. Everyone says it's just like your gas mower, but my gas mower sucked those
leaves right up.
I read through a lot of the reviews before purchasing and they were so good overall..maybe I missed this as a frequent complaint? I'm honestly surprised the reviews are as good as they are. Granted, otherwise this mower is awesome, but this is a pretty big flaw.
So, what's the solution? This new blade? But you have to bag with it? So you can either pick up leaves or mulch? Seems kind of impractical...don't most people want to do both without switching the blade?
If the new mower with the brushless motor is much better at picking up leaves, I will return this and upgrade. I don't care so much about the steel deck, but definitely would be happier if this one sucked up leaves better. I haven't even tried to mulch yet.
Does the UK version with the steel deck have the brushless motor or is this motor brand new? Just wondering if there are any reviews out there already.
Don't mind my lawn...it is a new house and yes, the lawn is mostly weeds. Will be fixing that this year! This was taken today after 2 passes with the mower....so many leaves left behind. :(
I read through a lot of the reviews before purchasing and they were so good overall..maybe I missed this as a frequent complaint? I'm honestly surprised the reviews are as good as they are. Granted, otherwise this mower is awesome, but this is a pretty big flaw.
So, what's the solution? This new blade? But you have to bag with it? So you can either pick up leaves or mulch? Seems kind of impractical...don't most people want to do both without switching the blade?
If the new mower with the brushless motor is much better at picking up leaves, I will return this and upgrade. I don't care so much about the steel deck, but definitely would be happier if this one sucked up leaves better. I haven't even tried to mulch yet.
Does the UK version with the steel deck have the brushless motor or is this motor brand new? Just wondering if there are any reviews out there already.
Don't mind my lawn...it is a new house and yes, the lawn is mostly weeds. Will be fixing that this year! This was taken today after 2 passes with the mower....so many leaves left behind. :(
(Edited)
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,078 Points
Stacey, the brushless steel deck mowers are new to the US market but have been out a while overseas. You may find reviews if you dig a little. They apparently use the same blade as the original 20" mower, and some people claim it mulches a little better than the 21".
The solution may be to try the high lift blade. Yes it would mean swapping blades if you need to clean the yard up unless you want to bag all the time. That blade has been imminent for a while now... should be here any time. We hope!
The solution may be to try the high lift blade. Yes it would mean swapping blades if you need to clean the yard up unless you want to bag all the time. That blade has been imminent for a while now... should be here any time. We hope!
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424 Points
I fixed my suction problem by replacing my original blade with a high lift blade which has bigger wings. The bag inflates with air and fills right up with clippings. Mulching still works too if I use the mulch plug. The mower is louder now and battery life has been reduced by about a third due to the extra load on the motor. I bought my high lift blade a few months ago in Australia from Trade Tools. I wrote a more detailed post earlier in this thread somewhere. https://www.tradetools.com/product-ra...
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14,688 Points
I wish I would have bought one from the UK back when I found them.
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14,688 Points
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180 Points
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65,100 Points
Are these mulching mowers with suction power vented? Meaning they have a vent near the motor to allow the air to escape allowing for low pressure area being created in the deck. Otherwise how do they create suction. Blow a fan in a bag sealed around the fan.. nothing gets pushed into the bag Cuz no pressure change. Someone enlighten me please.
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,098 Points
It's a toroid (donut) shaped air flow pattern... up on the outside and down in the middle. Air flows from the center of the mower (low pressure zone) down through the grass and then up past the blade, then back to the middle. The inner portion of the blade's edge "mulches" the clippings on the way down:
The higher the air velocity, the more it's supposed to pick up, in theory. Larger pieces that don't get forced down into the grass far enough get sucked up and cut again.
The standard blade is designed for a mix of grass cutting performance and aerodynamic efficiency. In my opinion, based on the average user reviews I'd say they got the balance pretty right, but there are obviously certain people who have lawns, environmental conditions, or both, that the blade design struggles with. And obviously it doesn't pull debris out of the lawn well either.
The new high lift blade should help with the airflow portion of the equation, it's just not designed to mulch. With the bag allowing air out the back of the mower deck, air will be drawn in under the sides which should increase the vacuum as well vs. mulching.
The higher the air velocity, the more it's supposed to pick up, in theory. Larger pieces that don't get forced down into the grass far enough get sucked up and cut again.
The standard blade is designed for a mix of grass cutting performance and aerodynamic efficiency. In my opinion, based on the average user reviews I'd say they got the balance pretty right, but there are obviously certain people who have lawns, environmental conditions, or both, that the blade design struggles with. And obviously it doesn't pull debris out of the lawn well either.
The new high lift blade should help with the airflow portion of the equation, it's just not designed to mulch. With the bag allowing air out the back of the mower deck, air will be drawn in under the sides which should increase the vacuum as well vs. mulching.
David HD, Champion
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35,208 Points
Nice graphic Blue and thanks for the explanation. Now I see why all the mowers are shaped the way they do, to help shaped airflow patterns. That said; I bet my backwoods "home made" mower still mulches purdy ....
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,098 Points
That thing might mulch roadkill, not sure about grass! :-)
David HD, Champion
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35,208 Points
Hey, are you calling my baby "ugly" Blue?
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14,688 Points
Aha! Mowermagic.co.uk will sell them to us. Cost is $57, now to decide whether to wait with no end in sight (it's mowing season, duh) or spring for the $$$ I may darn well do it
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog/EGO-AB2101-High-Lift-Lawnmower-Blade-EGAB2101.html
(Edited)
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26,632 Points
Form follows function, but apparently not in this case... yes, I just called it Fugly.
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,098 Points
Every baby is the cutest baby.
To its parents.
To its parents.
Blue Angel, Champion
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180,098 Points
bloomz, if you were in Canada I'd grab a few Euro-goodies and split the shipping with you!
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2,310 Points
Those parents are wrong. My baby was the cutest. She's now the cutest pre-schooler.
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2,310 Points
Those parents are wrong. My baby was the cutest. She's now the cutest pre-schooler.
David HD, Champion
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35,208 Points
Ada Pepper ..... :-)
