Damaged mower

[treetop]

Well, a month or so into my new business & I'm on my third mower. Went to a client last week & was asked to cut grass, add weed control fabric to a bed & weed out the rest. He'd been a dog owner & said the dogs had been gone about a month. The dogs toys were still on the grass when I went to do the job, I moved all I could see, but missed a rope pull (the ones with the knots in that you wrestle the dog for).

 

BANG!! It's been hit by the blade & breaks the blade mounting boss....Question is, my fault for not looking well enough ? Or his for being too lazy to clear up after his dogs......Long after they're gone?

 

Txt (Because he works nights & may be sleeping) yesterday to gain payment for work.........No reply as yet. I haven't asked for repairs to mower.

 

Should I add the cost or stand it myself? What's the position?

 

cheers, TT

[Tommy_B]

I'd say it would be your fault I'm afraid mate. Unless you specifically told him to tidy the garden, in which case you could ask for a bit of the repair cost. Might have to just bite the bullet on this one. (And check every inch of the next garden for rubbish next time!!)

[Gareth Dalzell]

Goes with the job unfortunately - hopefully you'll make it up on the next few jobs. Something to think about though and something that happens to us from time to time - if it had been a stone and smashed a window they'd be after you to fix it - at least it only damaged your mower. See - it could have been worse - get her fixed, move onto the next job and make some money before the rainy season starts:001_smile:

[geoff]

Fraid it goes with the teritory,as garreth says, glad it wasn't a window.

Don't be disheartened though,good things come to those who try in time.

[Dean Lofthouse]

What make of mower is it ?

 

Do you tighten your blade too tight?

 

Something like that shouldn't do that sort of damage unless you have over tightened your blade ( they should slip under a shock load ) or you have a cheap mower

[Brushcutter]

I'm afraid it comes with the job.

 

One of my guys hit something hard when mowing on a grass cutting contract once. The dammage it caused with astronomical. Bent the blade and dammaged the engine. so much force was involved the petrol cap blew off. it wrote the mower off. It was about 3 months old at the time. It was the 21" Viking 6 series so not a cheap mower by any means. Took it to the dealer saying it should of slipped but it didn't, got nowhere with them so i don't use them or Vikings anymore.

[ukminch]

What make of mower is it ?

 

Do you tighten your blade too tight?

 

Something like that shouldn't do that sort of damage unless you have over tightened your blade ( they should slip under a shock load ) or you have a cheap mower

 

A lot of mowers now have got a boss which is designed to break so that it means a £9.99 replacement instead of engine rebuild. IMO though they do break far to easily. When I'm using the stiga mower I carry a spare one as it feels like a twig can upset them!

 

R

[treetop]

Thanks guys, you all confirmed what I really know to be right. Dean, it is a B n Q mower that I bought last season with no thought of using for business. The boss is fitted to the shaft using a woodruff key, & it also has pegs for the blade to mount onto, so I'm not surprised it broke where it did TBH. Something had to give & the weakest point was the monkey metal in the said part. I fixed it, cost me £25 quid.....No thanks to B n Q, 'We don't stock those parts I'm afraid'.........No doubt waiting for me to offer to buy a new mower.....Yeah, right!!!!

 

Don't get me wrong though, it's a great little thing & does a nice job.

 

2 days later I hit a tiny lip on a path at my Mother-in-Laws house with the mower I got as a stop-gap from a mate & broke the flywheel in two:blushing:

 

Didn't dare even go to the toilet that day in case I broke anything else off

Brand new mower Saturday morning. Wish me luck:thumbup1:

 

cheers, TT

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

it is a B n Q mower

 

That's what you've got through 3 so quick.

[treetop]

That's what you've got through 3 so quick.

 

The other two were NOT B n Q (Hey, that rhymes)

 

As others have said, even the expensive ones fall foul sometimes. I am a believer in 'You get what you pay for, but as I said to Dean, it was bought for my own garden, not for work originally.

 

cheers mate. TT:001_smile: