Having a lawnmower that keeps cutting off after every ten seconds or so when switches it on can be frustrating and time-consuming, leaving you clueless as to what the issue is that might be.
Your lawnmower could be cutting off for several reasons depending on whether it is an electric lawn mower or a petrol lawnmower, some of the typical reasons for this continuous cut off could be a bad switch, stale fuel or a damaged air filter.
So to help you figure out why your lawnmower keeps cutting off when you start it, we have listed out the common problems in electric and petrol mowers, along with how to solve them so as your mower can be running continuously we no unexpected shutoffs.
Compared to a petrol run lawnmower, the reasons as to why your electric lawnmower might be cutting out is pretty easy to pinpoint and tends to be due to the motor, cables or start switch of your model.
We have listed out the main reasons below and how to solve them.
The cable of your electric lawnmower is one of the most important parts of your mower, as this is what provides power for it to work.
Common issues with cables that cause your mower to cut out are internal damage inside the cable. Internal damage can be caused by flexing, pulling or pushing your cable to hard during use.
To check if your cable is working, you can use a multimeter, and if this identifies no issues then you might just have a cut cable, which can happen by accidentally running over the cable, luckily, it can be replaced easily with the right matching cable for your model.
Additionally, if the above steps don’t work, you can try unplugging and replugging your cables to see if this fixes a loose connection, as well as looking out for any dirt or frays that indicate you need to change your cables.
One of the next most obvious reasons as to why your cordless mower could be cutting out is due to the battery.
This could mean your battery is low on charge or has reached the end of its life, so you can try inserting a new battery to see if this makes a difference and stops your mower from cutting out.
The start switch on your mower is the ‘on switch’ and can give intermittent power problems such as cutting out the motor when the switch is damaged.
If there is no power at all then you could potentially have a failed start switch which will need replacing by a professional.
Your lawnmower motor is responsible for turning the blades inside of the mower, overheating issues and start switch problems can cause the mower to intermittently cut out during use.
Also, check the air vents to make sure there is no debris clogging them up and preventing the blades from turning. Your motor could potentially be overworked too from heavy-duty work and may need time to cool down before using again.
You may have to replace your motor entirely if these issues persist.
If your gas lawnmower keeps cutting out then you might find issues such as bad fuel or a problem with your carburettor is the reason for this frustrating problem.
We have put together some of the typical problems as to why your gas-powered lawnmower could be cutting out below.
Gas can start to go bad pretty quickly from 30 days onwards and leave sticky deposits behind in your machine that can cause issues with the fuel flowing in your mower.
To fix this problem you should try switching out your fuel or using a destabiliser in your mower next time if you leave it for long periods in storage.
Mowing on a lawn with very tall grass could be clogging your air filter and shutting off air to your mower’s engine causing the cutout. Debris, long grass and other dirt can get into your filter from long grass and enter the cylinder.
To prevent this from happening don’t use your mower on very tall grass and clean the air filters regularly.
If you have checked the above parts on your mower, then you might need to move your focus on the carburettor of your mower.
If you want to adjust your carburettor on your mower you will need this done so as it can correspond perfectly to your engines speed.
You may also need to get your carburettor cleaned as dirty fuel can stick to the bore or screen inside of your carburettor and suffocate the mechanism, resulting in an engine that may cut out due to needing more fuel that can’t reach.
A damaged or chipped spark plug can cause your mower to run for several minutes then cut out, you can inspect your plug for any carbon and clean it with a brush if it’s dirty, but if this does not solve the problem you might just have to replace the spark plug entirely.
Now we have identified the main common problems that could be causing your electric mower/gas mower to cut out, we have listed out some safety tips for you to consider before you start examining your mower.
What is a carburettor?
A carburettor on a lawnmower is the cylinder inside your machine which mixes the fuel and air inside the mower for combustion to power the engine, if your carb has problems then this might be why your mower is cutting out.
How quickly can gas go bad in a lawnmower?
Gasoline inside a lawnmower can go bad in as quickly as 30 days, however, you can add a stabiliser to your fuel if you want it to last for longer.
What are some signs of a poor air filter in a mower?
Signs of a bad air filter could be smoke, cutting out and running rough, or if your mower is generally hard to start.
To round up our troubleshooting guide, if your mower is cutting out then you likely need to check the cables and battery first if you have an electric mower, or the age of the fuel and the carburettor if you have a gas mower.
Most of these issues can be resolved by cleaning your mower or contacting a professional for the carburettor replacement.
