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Overheating can ruin the battery or motor of your electric lawn mower. This will affect the operation and functionality of the mowing machine.

In this article, we share common reasons why electric lawn mowers can overheat and their possible fixes to ensure a smooth lawn mowing experience.

Contents show

Why Electric Lawn Mowers Can Overheat And Fixes

Here are some reasons why electric lawn mowers can overheat plus fixes:

1. Clogged Cutting Deck

Your electric mower can overheat if the mower’s cutting deck gets accumulated with a load of dried-on clippings and other debris.

When the mower deck is clogged up, the airflow becomes less efficient, making the motor work harder in discharging grass clippings. This will cause the mower to overheat.

Fix: Turn the mower over and scrape off the debris bit by bit until it is cleared.

It is advisable to rinse and wipe down the mower’s undercarriage after every mow especially if the grass is a bit wet when you mow.

2. Blocked Air Vents

Electric mowing machines come with air vents to prevent them from overheating.

It channels the flow of cool air into the mower’s motor to maintain an ideal temperature while operating the mower.

When the vent gets blocked, there will be restricted airflow and this will cause your electric mower to overheat.

Fix: Use a stiff-bristled brush to clean the vents.

It is important to regularly check the condition of the mower’s air vents.

If the debris can’t be removed, you can also use an air compressor to blow the debris out.

3. Loose or Bent Blade

A loose blade won’t allow your mower to cut the grass properly. It may also cause the cutting height to change constantly, causing uneven cuts on lawns.

In this process, bent or loose blades can cause a strain on their motor which could get hot while functioning.

Fix: You can simply tighten a loose blade and replace it with a new one if the blade is bent.

4. Dull Blades

Using dull mower blades to cut the grass may also cause your electric mower to overheat.

Dull blades don’t cut grass well but rip it, leaving ragged edges that can clog the air vents of your mower.

Once the vents are clogged, the batteries may overheat and this will cause the mower to stop working.

Fix: You can sharpen the dull blade but the best option is to replace it with a new one

5. Setting the Cutting Height Too Low

Setting the mowing height too low may increase the chances of overheating.

When the grass is cut too low, it clogs the mower. It can also attract flying rocks or debris that can harm the user and mower.

Fix: The easiest way to fix this is to move the mowing height a notch or two from where you usually set it.

6. Obstructed Blade

The blade of your electric mower can tackle rugged terrains like gas lawn mowers.

If you notice that the blade can’t move properly due to excess build-up, you need to free up the area before operating the mower.

Furthermore, mowing on wet grass can affect the performance of the blade.

A bad bearing can cause the blade to get obstructed. In addition, a broken socket prevents the bearing from moving properly, causing the blade not to spin when the bearing stops.

In this case, the mower’s motor will work until it overheats.

Fix: Check the blade before you mow. Inspect the bearing for dirt and pull it gently so that the blade can move freely.