Perhaps a mower in a household cannot be called essential equipment. But for the garden it is an indispensable tool. Owners of personal plots, looking at the high cost of lawn mowers, are increasingly thinking about ways to assemble such a device themselves from scrap materials. Today we’ll figure out how to make a lawn mower from a washing machine with your own hands.
First steps
First you need to prepare everything you need to install the lawn mower. If you decide to make it from an old automatic washing machine, then we will need:
- Electrical engine;
- wheelbase - you can use a trolley or a baby stroller;
- steel sheet, the thickness of which varies between two and four millimeters;
- knives made of tool steel;
- water pipe. It will make a handle for a lawn mower, and its diameter should be suitable (thin);
- electrical cable with plug;
- switch.
The engine is an important element, and certain factors must be taken into account when choosing it. Let's imagine that a motor with a starting relay and a 180 W capacitor is best suited.You can take it in the simplest washing machine, and it will be better if it is an old model, since the solid weight of the element will be very useful.
Wheels, if you don’t have an old stroller, can be made yourself from plywood sheets and bearings. When installing them, it is recommended to maintain a distance to the ground surface of five to six centimeters, corresponding to the mowing height. You choose the number of wheels yourself so that the lawn mower has sufficient stability and moves easily. The optimal option is four wheels, but many, in order to save money, install only three, which does not affect the performance. You can use only a pair of wheels, which ensures quick maneuvering.
The sheet of metal is also not chosen at random. Its dimensions are taken into account, which should be thirty by fifty centimeters.
The frame, as a rule, is arranged with a width of 30 by 50 cm, which is the optimal solution. Don't go overboard with the depth - make sure that the engine doesn't go beyond the boundaries, and that will be quite enough.
We make an electric lawn mower
Assembly is not particularly difficult if you act in accordance with the developed plan. If successful, you can assemble a lawn mower with a washing machine engine within one day.
First, we install a base in the form of a metal sheet on the wheelbase. We make a handle from the pipe.It is desirable that its shape resembles the letter “P” and its height matches your height. The finished handle must be welded to the steel platform.
At the base we prepare a hole for the electric motor shaft. On the front of the frame you will have to install protection in the form of an arc or a grille made of soft metal. This is necessary in case the knife suddenly falls off the shaft.
Assembling a lawn mower from a washing machine with a grass catcher
To make such a model, you will have to perform the following algorithm of actions:
- a platform for an electric motor is prepared from a steel sheet, the size of which is 500 by 500 mm;
- in the center there is a hole for the motor shaft from the washing machine;
- A metal corner is welded from the bottom of the square base around the entire perimeter (you can secure it with bolts);
- Wheels are installed on metal gussets. By the way, they can be connected with steel axles;
- The engine is installed on the platform. If it is flanged, holes are drilled in the base; in a regular one, corner stands for paws equipped with special slots are welded on;
- the control handle is attached;
- a casing made from the lid of an old washing machine is installed under the platform;
- a homemade knife is installed on the motor shaft. A simple tin can is placed under it, protecting the shaft from vegetation.
Mechanical assembly is complete. All that remains is to assemble the electrical circuit of the lawn mower. For this:
- a switch is installed, which should be fixed in a convenient place in relation to the handle;
- an electrical cable and plug are connected;
- RCD is installed.
More information about the lawn mower blade
The quality of work and service life of the lawn mower depend on this important detail. The knife is made in two versions.
Whole
Outwardly it resembles a plate, the working surface of which is sharpened along its entire length, and there is a hole in the center. The plate is made of durable steel.
If the knife has two blades, it should be balanced to eliminate vibration that could destroy the shaft of the electric motor from the washing machine. To ensure that the knife does not quickly become dull, an angle of sixty degrees is maintained when sharpening.
To ensure that the cut weed is laid evenly, the back of the knife is bent like a propeller. Before processing, the steel is “tempered” on a gas burner and hardened again, after which it can be sharpened.
Since the mechanical part of a homemade lawn mower operates under extreme conditions, the shaft must have protection to prevent the mown grass from winding up.
Composite
The steel used for its manufacture may not be particularly hard; the working surface is not sharpened to its full length, but in five-centimeter sections. From a sudden blow, the blade will simply bend at a right angle, the knife and the motor shaft will not be damaged.
The fastening of boat engine propellers works on this principle - only the key suffers from a collision.
The shape of knives can be curved, figured, trapezoidal. Their length should not exceed fifty centimeters.An unusual version of the knife is represented by a solid disk.
Safety regulations
When assembling a lawn mower with an engine from an old washing machine with your own hands, do not forget about safety precautions. Please remember that you should not use this lawn mower in the rain or on wet grass.
A self-made product cannot be compared with a factory-made analogue, and the insulation can fail at any time.
The operating lawn mower should not be handed over to small children.
Before starting work, it is recommended to inspect the area of the lawn for stones and other obstructions to minimize damage to the blades.
Conclusion
A lawn mower powered by a washing machine engine can be assembled at home. The design of the device is simple and effective; no additional costs are required. Note that craftsmen have come up with a large number of different models of lawn mowers, differing in appearance and complexity of installation.
Improved models are equipped with a special mechanism that regulates the height of the legs above the ground. In addition, by releasing the power button, you can quickly turn off the engine.
In addition, from a used washing machine you can also construct:
- router,
- irrigation pump,
- grass cutter,
- electric bike,
- honey extractor,
- Potter's wheel,
- wood splitter,
- concrete mixer,
- lathe,
- juicer,
- circular
- and much more.
