Only two years old...and already broken !

[JDgreen227]

Pic shows the lower handle mount of my Husqvarna (American Yard Products) self propelled push mower. Probably has about 70 running hours on it. I have NEVER had a push mower handle fracture like this in over 35 years of owning them. Does anybody think the 1/4" bolt I added to the handle to eliminate the movement while pushing it had anything to do with the fracture?

I have done something to the handles on numerous other push mowers in the past to lock the handles in place and none of those ever fractured. Maybe this one just had a weak spot in the steel? What do you think?

 

[Thomas]

Wasn't Husqvarna brought by company in France or Germany?

Has somewhat the same thing w/?Sears snow blower couple years ago...just bad metal press etc,,but in your case I'd check for rust on crack see if snap quick or on going crack,than take ride to dealership.

 

[kiotiken]

Pic shows the lower handle mount of my Husqvarna (American Yard Products) self propelled push mower. Probably has about 70 running hours on it. I have NEVER had a push mower handle fracture like this in over 35 years of owning them. Does anybody think the 1/4" bolt I added to the handle to eliminate the movement while pushing it had anything to do with the fracture?

I have done something to the handles on numerous other push mowers in the past to lock the handles in place and none of those ever fractured. Maybe this one just had a weak spot in the steel? What do you think?

From the pics, it looks to have broken were the handle is pinched down flat to attach to the mower. That's what weakened the metal, not your bolt. Looks easy enough to fix, just a PITA, but I'd say it's more of a fluke than quality concern.

 

[zzvyb6]

There is probably a good reason that the handle was hinged in the first place. It's to eliminate the large bending moment (force times distance) that is created when the mower bumps around on the lawn and you hang firmly onto the handle. I'd vote for the coat-hanger fatigue diagnosis.

Can you saw off the handle to equal lengths on both sides, pinch it a bit drill a hole and pin it back? If you are going to bolt it back rigid again, push a wooden dowel into the tube to give it some reinforcement.

 

[JDgreen227]

There is probably a good reason that the handle was hinged in the first place. It's to eliminate the large bending moment (force times distance) that is created when the mower bumps around on the lawn and you hang firmly onto the handle. I'd vote for the coat-hanger fatigue diagnosis.

Can you saw off the handle to equal lengths on both sides, pinch it a bit drill a hole and pin it back? If you are going to bolt it back rigid again, push a wooden dowel into the tube to give it some reinforcement.

Your explanation is a good one and a likely cause if the handle was thin to begin with. I will either weld it or dig out a part from one of my old Crapman push mowers (have four of them) as a replacement. Could probably use the entire handle from the old mowers if I wanted to get fancy as length (42 inches) is identical.

 

[s219]

As far as I know, they like to let the handles float a bit in order to keep the deck and handles somewhat independent as you roll over irregularities in the lawn (ie, deck will tend to stay level and handle will tend to stay put in your hands). I suppose it could have contributed to the break if you eliminated that floating action and put a lot of loads on the handle in a place it wasn't designed to have a load. I'd really have to see how the handle was "intended" to be loaded to make a call, and I can't tell that from the photos.

At least on my mower (Honda), the handle floats forward and backward a few degrees, but I frequently tip it back against the stops to roll over obstacles. That seems like it would be a common activity with mowers, so you'd think they'd be designed to accommodate some horsing around with the handle in a rigid pose.

I have heard that a lot of the newer Husky products are not well made, so it could just be lousy design or materials. I know that some of the box-store Husky chainsaws are really Poulans, and are junk.

 

[JDgreen227]

I have done the "bolted handle" on several of my other gas push mowers and so far none of them have broken. Husqvarna is just a brand name manufactured by American Yard Products as are the majority of Crapman mowers, etc. I may be wrong but to me, by having the handle rigid would prevent it from flexing side to side and up and down while leaving it loosely attached would cause more bending ?