This has to be one of the funniest yet quite asked questions about a lawn mower. But interestingly, finding the answers is one of the best parts of my research.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the interesting ways people have managed to get their lawn mowers airborne. From homemade flying machines to creative stunts, there’s no shortage of excitement when it comes to flying lawn mowers.
Table of Contents
Can a Lawn Mower Fly?
Lawn mowers cannot fly. If you’ve used a lawn mower or simply just seen one, you will find that it’s too much of a heavyweight to stay in the sky. It is mostly made of iron, steel, and hardly any plastic. Even if the blade of the mower is replaced with an airplane propeller, it still won’t fly.
And even if it does which is quite impossible, it is no longer a land mower because its blades are gone and a propeller can’t be used instead of its original blades. Most engineers and scientists might want to disproof this. I know right? They are just one bunch of smarts. But till then, know that lawn mowers cannot fly.
Is The Lawnmower Flying Real?
Flying lawnmowers exist but they are not real lawn mowers. They sound and look exactly like a lawnmower until you look closely. They were designed by an engineer named Mathew Saunders. And like he said, it is the combination of two of his favourites, a lawn mower, and an airplane. It was quite unbelievable until I saw videos and read about them.
Can Lawn Mower Blade Fly Off?
Now, this I can say Yes to. If the blade or blade adapter is damaged, a lawn mower blade may fly off. The blade is not working properly if it makes a loud rattling noise or causes the lawn mower to vibrate excessively when in use.
There are different reasons why a lawn mower can fall and even fly off its spindle. It could be one of the following:
- The nuts holding the blades are loose
Blades are attached to a lawn mower blade adaptor and spindle with nuts or screws. The nuts are tightened so well to ensure that the mower cuts correctly.
But over time and possibly as a result of excessive hits on rocks, the nuts get weak and loose. This in turn causes the blades to loosen and become imbalanced. If it is not fixed on time, it could fly off.
- Manufacturer’s defect
While this reason can be very rare, it is still possible. If you purchase a new lawn mower, and at the first use, you notice some shakiness or hear some noise coming from the lawn mower deck, turn off the mower and check. If you cannot find anything or you find that the problem is with the blades, contact the manufacturers.
It is your first use or a couple of use within the year of warranty so that manufacturers will work on it with no pay. However, the years of warranty become void if you attempt to change anything in the mower.
- Incompatible replacement
When a part of a machine is damaged and requires a replacement, the replacement might be a little less in value or size than the one originally placed in the product. It is the same for lawn mower blades, that is why manufacturers recommend a couple of compatible brands for their lawn mower products. So when ordering blades to replace your old one, go for the standard one as recommended by the manufacturers.
- Dull blade
The impacts of rocks, hardwood and other hard objects can cause a lot of damage to a lawn mower blade. Continuous contact with these objects can cause holes in the blade and tiny parts of the blades to fall off. This also weakens the blades. It would just come as a surprise when you start the lawn mower and a part of the blade just flies off.
The speed at which a lawn mower blade moves (RPM) is high and when it hits a rock, the impact could bend the rock or cause it to backtrack just a little. This backtrack affects the nuts and forever backtrack, the nuts lose inches of tight depth. As time goes on and the nut loses little by little, it becomes very loose that it can fly off the lawn mower.
Turn off the motor and have the machine serviced right away if you discover either of these issues.
Also Read: How are Hover Mowers Better than Rotary Mowers?
Do Lawnmowers Move On Their Own?
A lawn mower cannot move on its own unless it is self-propelled or coming back down a sloppy terrain. The self-propelled feature of a lawn mower requires that a button, actually a bar be engaged for the lawn mower to move. Once it is engaged, the mower moves forward on its own.
How Fast Can A Lawn Mower Throw A Rock?
A lawn mower can throw a rock with a speed of up to 50 CFM at 160 MPH. Lawn mower blades are built to rotate at very high speeds that can cause great harm when it comes in contact with hands, feet, or flesh. With this speed, a lawn mower blade can throw a stone at a fast speed of 100 mph.
What Happens If Lawn Mower Blade Comes Loose?
There are a lot of things that could happen when a lawn mower comes loose. When it is loose, it moves around on its own and doesn’t perform as well as it should. If you are the type that does not check your lawn mower for some maintenance here and there, here are a couple of things to tell you that your lawn mower is loose.
- Rattling Sound
This is the most noticeable and possibly the first sign a lawn mower shows. Since the nuts holding the blades to the deck are loose even if it’s a little bit, it allows the blade to move around on its own and uncontrollably. This uncontrolled movement makes noise and even vibrates. The noise will get louder at every use and it becomes unmistakable.
- Uneven Cut
A properly tightened lawn mower cuts the lawn evenly on both sides. But when it is loose, the blades become unsteady and imbalanced. This imbalance causes the blade to cut the grasses loosely, and unevenly and in some cases, it does a rough cut. While it might be because of other issues, when you notice that your lawn looks unlevelled, you should check the blades and the nuts holding it first.
- Dragging the Grasses on the Lawn
Loosened lawn mower blades provide more space for grasses to get stuck than tight ones. A tight lawn mower rotates with speed and enough torque to cut grass. But when the blades are loose, the blade loses its torque and just lazily drags the grass. Due to the lack of speed, the grass gets stuck and blocks the blades from moving too.
- Gouging the Lawn
This mostly happens when you like to cut your lawn to be very low. This also has to do with the imbalance in loose mower blades. When it is imbalanced, one side of the blades is low while the other side is high. The low side can reach to cut the lawn but instead reaches down to the root, therefore, gauging the soil out of that part of the lawn. You might not notice until you are done with mowing and ready to have a look at your beautiful lawn, Just to find scattered earth and shallow holes in different parts of the lawn.
Conclusion:
Problems with the lawn mower are easy to fix and can be done by yourself even problems with the blades. But when it is not done properly, it could result in numerous consequences. And if the problem is not fixed on time, it could affect other parts of the lawn mower. However, with the right instructions and steps, you can get your lawn mower up and ready to mow.
