The fact that you can logically think your way through the conditions needed for operation makes the fact that you’re not an electric lawn mower scientist irrelevant. Nicely done, sir!
These are the type of videos that make UA-cam such a valuable resource. I do not have any issues with my EGO, but i find this so fascinating. Also ill just keep my handles bent at the half way mark and not fold it up to avoid this. Thanks. EGO should provide a wiring schematic for their mowers if they dont already
I really appreciate the attitude here. None of that “these darn new fangled safety mechanisms” that so many people immediately jump to. You just started trouble shooting and resolving.
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I think it is a good thing that there are so many safety features here. It is odd to me, but I think a lot of people see these as battery powered gizmos and forget that they are still really dangerous. Thanks for watching!
Great video! My mower is 2.5 years old and I fold it after each use as well. I’m struggling with intermittent solid orange, flashing orange, and flashing green and red LED on the mower… and then the blade just stops. I can sometimes get through an entire cut without issue… and sometimes, I can’t go more than 15 mins. It’s been incredibly difficult to replicate / troubleshoot.
As a retired Mathematics teacher, I really enjoyed your systematic approach to diagnosing the problem and fixing it. I now live on a farm with lots of equipment to keep in good, working order and finally time to spend doing so…I am gaining the skills/knowledge one broken implement at a time and this video has been extremely helpful…THANKS!!!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I really appreciate it. Also, thank you for your time as a math teacher. Not enough praise and recognition goes your way, for sure. I am glad that you are having fun maintaining your equipment and that I was able to play a small role in your journey. Good luck with all of your repairs and thanks for watching!
As a qualified mechanic I see this sort of failure often. Some people on this thread have suggested that they hope Ego have fixed this problem now. The fact is that if you bend a copper wire back and forth many many times it will ultimately break. It does not matter how much protection you put on the exterior of the wire nor how you try and secure it, nothing stops the fatigue the wire experiences from repetitive bending. As a side note, one way to isolate the location of the break is to pull quite forcefully (subjective term i know!!!) on the wire itself. An intact wire will not yield but a broken wire will easily snap at the location of the break as most of the copper is already broken amd the only thing holding it together is the insulation that will easily break with some force. This is a trick i learned from an older auto electrician and have used it many times with great success.
The fix is to distribute the bend instead of just directly running wire following a straight path thru the hinge. It's hard to describe in words, but there are many patents (most expired by now) which show different techniques. One approach is to roll over a large circumference which requires the wire to be managed (usually by loops and spring tension) to increase and decrease the arc covered by wire at the hinge. Another approach is to run the wire perpendicular to the hinge (wire to the hinge, turn fixed 90 degree to travel some distance along the hinge, turn fixed 90 out the other side of the hinge) so the bend is transformed into a slight twist along the length of the hinge.
@@Sylvan_dB Another way is to form a length of wire into a loose coil. That will also make the wire not to have so much flex in it. This is the method used by auto manufacturers to have some controls mounted in the steering wheel. The coiled wire device is call a "clock spring".
so, because I watched your video I went back to my Ego mower to troubleshoot some more and discovered my problem. The green locking clamps on the side have a plastic pin that lock-in the sliding handle. One of the pins broke so as I pushed the mower forward the handle would slide inward on that side causing the power to shut off. Your explanation of its safety shut-offs is what brought me to it. Simple enough on my end but something I overlooked. Thanks for making your video. It saved me a lot of money and time. 🙋🏻♂️👍🏼
Thank you so much! I am glad that I was able to help out. This is why I made the video in hopes of saving others the headache and cost of replacement over repair :) BTW, I just last week posted a video about replacing the green handle locks on my mower as I had the same problem as you with the holding pin shearing off. Hope it helps. There is a link in the description of that video for the replacement part needed. Good luck and thanks for watching!
This is a known issue. So we’ll known that ego now on the upgrade has put the wires within the brace handle extension and no longer allows for extension. I have the LM 2206SP , I read about this. For those who have limited space and the constant close because garage space is at a premium. Great job fixing it and documenting your finding for us 👍
Thank you so much! That is interesting. Ya, it seems like a bunch of folks are having this same problem with their mowers. This is why I made this video, in hopes of helping out those that are willing to fix their units themselves. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the comment! I agree. I could have just bypassed the switch but that doesn't really help people as much. At the end of the day, I wanted to share my experience with others in the hopes of helping save a few more machines from the landfill. Thanks for watching!
I had the exact same problem with my Ego mower after 5 years. I decided to do some research and stumbled across your video. I popped the side cover off and started flexing the wires and it instantly started up. Now I’m off to buy some wire and tape so I can do the repair! Thanks so much!
Sorry to hear that you are having issues. It seems unfortunately more common that one might think. Glad you are able to fix it. Glad to have helped out, if at all. Good luck. Thanks for watching!
My ego push mower would sound like it would start, but then quit in a couple of seconds. I have taken it to a repair shop Ego recommends in my area. The mechanic groaned when he saw I had an Ego mower. I said it lasted 8 years without a problem. He said he did not like working on them because there are no nuts and bolts. Now that I have watched your video and another similar one, I can see there are things to take apart. I think I should go visit the mechanic and tell him to watch your video and the other one to get an idea of what is wrong. Thanks for giving me this info. S. Beasley
Thanks for the comment. Ya, it is going to be a while until the electric mower repair game catches up. I just really enjoy taking stuff apart and figuring out how it works. I hope you get your mower worked out. Thanks for watching!
I have the same mover, i dont baby it at all. Left it out in the rain several times, the battery door broke off, hit bricks with the blade. And this thing is a beast. Thanks for sharing incase mine does it!
Oh wow! That's crazy! Glad to hear that you are still going strong. Yah, I have to sharpen my blade a couple times a year, though I haven't tried the brick deal...I agree it is a beast. Thanks for sharing and for watching!
I’m doing small engine repair as a side hustle at the moment. Knowing that the market is heading towards full electric, I’m working to stay ahead of the competition and learn to fix these as well. Excellent video! I learned a lot on the troubleshooting aspect and possible fix. Thank you so much.
Thank you. I had this same issue. Mower worked great for 5 years and then same random issue you had. I was able to fix it with the same fix you did. It's weird, from day one, I knew that the folding handle would cause issues and it did, but otherwise, my favorite mower I've ever owned.
Thank you. I am glad that you were able to take care of the issue. This is the reason that I made this video. I also was concerned about the folding stress on the wiring. As untold numbers of these units fall out of warranty, folks are going to face the decision of trashing their mower or trying to fix it. I agree with you that, other than the wiring issues, this has been a really great mower. Thanks for watching.
I bypassed the switch by connecting the smaller black and red wires together. The wire had pulled out of the connector socket. The handle extension switch will no longer stop the mower. Only need to remove the cover over the back of the mower and takes much less time and skill.
Thank you so much for the feedback! Ya, I could have tried to get it warranty repaired at a shop, but I don't have a backup mower for the month or two of downtime that it would have required. Thanks again and thanks for watching!
That is great! It is amazing how many people have had this problem with their machines. Glad you were able to get it up and running again. Mine as been running without problem since my repair as well. Thanks for watching!
I bough tone of these mowers factory refurbished from Home Depot about 4 years ago for about $300 with the battery included. That's about $100 more that the price of the battery. It has run great and I bought several other factory refurbished tools from them and they have also been great.
Had this exact same problem. Did this fix instead of just jumping the motor controller side of the connector like a lot of other people. Worked perfect, and gave me a reason to pick up a soldering iron. 10/10
That is so cool! This is the reason that I made this video. I never really planned on recording content that day, I just wanted to get my mower working before it stormed that afternoon. I can't believe how many people it has helped. This makes me super happy :) I am glad your repair worked out well. Good Job! Thanks for watching!
My family mows a small portion of our 5 acres with this mower, myself, my wife and my 9yo and I just came across this problem today. It was in the top position. He went to take over and the only thing that changed was him lowering the handle. Now it won't even turn on.... looks like we have the same issue... thank you for posting this. Looks like I may need some wire.
Sorry to hear that you are having trouble. I hope you are able to get it back up and running soon. I am glad to hear that my video may be of some service to you. Best of luck! Thanks for watching
Mine stopped working after 5 years. I went and bought the new cross cut with the double blade… Wow what a huge difference. I already loved my old EGO but the new one is even smoother, even more powerful, and amazing that they could improve on the one I’ve used the last 5 yrs!
thank you for the comment! That is so cool that you got an upgraded machine. I have heard about the cross cut but haven't ever tried one. I will keep that in mind when it's time to replace mine. Thanks for the input!
I had the exact same problem after my 3rd season. Same symptom of working fine one minute and dead the next. I also store it the same way and the repeated folding and unfolding breaks the wire internally at the pivot point. I would expect this to be a 100% failure rate for mowers used and stored as you and I do. In my case, I replaced the 3 wire harness with 18 GA silicone insulated wire which is very forgiving of being repeatedly flexed. The larger gauge affords additional protection as well. It probably would have cost a lot to have the repair performed by a service center, so I'm glad your efforts were productive. It's been 2 seasons since I fixed mine and it has worked perfectly since. I also have the blower and string trimmer and recently got the chain saw which works great. Your video will probably save others frustration and expense when their mower breaks.
Thank you so much for the kind feedback. You are the second person to comment about silicone insulated wire. I just grabbed what I had on hand at the time, lol. I will have to look into that kind of wire for future projects. Thanks for the heads up! Ya, I hope my video helps others in the same boat as me. A LOT of these mowers are running out of warranty this year and the next, so folks are going to need to learn how to do the repair :) I also have continued to fold my mower up after every use and have not had anymore issues so far (after about 20 mows). Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!
@@marilynt1 I replaced the entire length of the control wires (3 wires total). However, if you can pinpoint the break a splice is OK. You might want to add a short length of wire to complete the splice so as not to put a lot of tension on the wire harness when the handle is folded for storage. I replaced the wires with silicone insulated wire which is very flexible and less likely to break when the handle is folded for storage. Amazon sells 18 GA silicone insulated wire.
Thank you so much. It is funny, I actually look forward to stuff breaking so I can figure out how to fix things. I guess it is a puzzle game to me :) Thanks for watching and good luck with your mower!
Thank you so much! It is usually born out of necessity. I have saved a lot of money over the years repairing instead of replacing :) It is funny, I wasn't even planning to make a video that day. I just really needed to get my lawn mowed. Thanks for watching!
Glad to hear that your repair was repairable. I had one of those cotrol boxes go out on mine. It was the one that did the rear wheel drive. I am told that this is a common problem with my model. EGO did the repair under warranty. And my local repair guy (who up until now has only done ICE mowers) got to learn a few things.
Thank you for your very analytical search for the problem. It has encouraged me to try the various safety switches to see if I can isolate the problem and repair it.
Style: Self-Propelled / Dual Port / (2)5.0Ah Battery Gather round Mowers while I spin you a tale about customer service and product warranty. About June of 2022, I started having periodic starting problems and then the Ego self-propelled mower didn't start at all. The problem appeared to be in the safety harness wiring in the handle. I found the nearest authorized repair facility was 50 miles from my home. I talked to the service technician at the dealership who worked on the Ego mowers. I told him my problem and that, initially, by pivoting the handle back and forth, the mower would sometimes start, but now it wouldn't start at all. He said that he probably knew what the problem was and I should deliver the mower to the dealership. He said that he would have to order a new handle and wiring harness and that the repair would take 2 to 3 months due to the order procedures and shipping time. I asked him if they had loaners because my grass needed mowing during the interim. He said that they did not have loaners. I told the tech that I had the skill to troubleshoot and repair wiring problems and I had already figured it was a broken wire at the pivot point at the base of the handle(looking up the problem on UA-cam helped pinpoint the problem area). I asked the technician if the new handle would solve the broken wire problem(caused by repeated folding of the handle into the folded position after mowing). He said that he didn't know. I asked him how I would mow my lawn when my mower was in his shop for 2 to 3 months. He said that if I repaired the wire and used the mower for the rest of the mowing season(up to mid November), I could the then take the mower to him and he would replace the handle over the winter. I agreed that solution would work. I found two broken wires at the pivot point and soldered in splices. I used the mower for the rest of the season. In November, I called the authorized dealer and asked to talk to the technician. The dealer said that he was no longer with the company. I told him about my mower and he said that they would not work on it because I had invalidated the warranty by opening up my mower. I called the Ego customer service and they were adamant in refusing to help me because the warranty was invalidated. In retrospect, I love the mower, but Ego places their consumers in a no win position by taking a disabled mower for 2 to 3 months during mowing season without a loaner and then invalidating the warranty if the only solution is for the customer to repair the mower himself. I still don't know if the new replacement handle has solved design flaw that allowed fatigue failure of the wires at the pivot point of the handle.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. This is what I think of every time I get a comment about "why don't you just warranty it?" Eventually, there will be more of a repair market out there for these mowers, but as of now, not enough repair shops are available for warranty service. I was able to get my mower fixed for free and in less time than it takes to make a phone call to customer service (while recording a UA-cam video). I also do not have a backup mower for the downtime. Sometimes you just have to take care of stuff on your own. As an update...I have used my mower about 15 times since my repair in this video without further problems. Thanks again for sharing and thanks for watching!
Just an FYI: Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act forbids the voiding of a warranty due to repairing a product yourself, or having a "non-authorized mechanic" repair it. They cannot void your warranty simply for "opening the case" or for opening anything that would normally require being opened to make an inspection/diagnosis and repair, even if they claim they can and will. They _can_ void a warranty if you or any repair facility damages it in the process of attempting a repair, but the onus is on the warrantor to prove that you damaged it. These companies will continue to treat everyone like this until they are forced to stop via lawsuits. DO NOT LET THEM BULLY YOU. My EGO is well out of Warranty unfortunately, but if anyone else is here thinking the same thing, know that just because they put it in the agreement doesn't mean it is lawful or enforceable. You have a right to repair your property. And the Magnusson-Moss Act allows you to recover attorney fees and court costs.
I've had my Ego mower for 8 years and have rarely folded it all the way down. For the last few years I cleared room in my shed, so I can just push it in upright like a normal mower. I used to shorten the handles to make it fit. I would catch myself forgetting to extend them and wonder why it won't start. lol. Glad to know it's fixable if it happens though.
Lol. That is great. You must have one of the really early models. Ya, the wiring is pretty weak on these units but they are relatively easy to fix. Thanks for watching!
That is exactly what happened to my mower this week. Thanks so much for your video, I now know how to fix it. I did call EGO support and they said it was probably a battery problem, but that didn’t make sense. The mower has a 5 year limited warranty, so the mower is still covered. Like you, my mower is about 3 1/2 years old and I fold mine down for storage every time. Thanks again, great video.
Thank you so much for the comment! I am glad that I was able to help you out. I am sorry to hear about your mower though...I hope you are able to get it up and running again.
Before making any dismantling check, it is right to remove the blade, hopefully also the 56V BATTERY for safety...thanks for sharing your repair experience.
Thanks! I, too, am an EGO fan and I started w/the un-propelled version of this mower. I store it the same way but I haven't had this problem yet( and I hope I don't). We got it in 2018. It's had a LOT of abuse as it was purchased to temporarily replace a lawn tractor that was in for repair. It didn't miss a beat. Now we live on 8.1 acres of land and it's mostly tress so not a lot of grass to cut. Now I know what to look for if I have this problem. I have the 765 cfm leaf blower(like you do), the original pole saw and extension, and the self propelled snow blower(as we live above 1000 ft.). The 18" chain saw is on the "next thing" list.
That's great! You have really invested in the EGO game :) It is always nice when all of your gear is the same brand so you can share batteries and chargers. Glad you haven't had a problem with your wiring but ya no big deal if you do. The chain saw would be nice, especially if you have a lot of trees on your land. I have heard that the snow blower works pretty well as long as it is not pushed too hard. I definitely LOVE my leaf blower. I use it everyday to keep my garage dusted (as well as its stated uses like lawn work lol :) ) Thanks for watching!
Go ahead and get the 18” chainsaw. I cut through an 18” pine tree that got uprooted during a storm. Cut through it like butter and actually made 5”x5”x10’ posts out of it
We bought an 2018 EGO cheap lacking the 7.5 AH Battery. I really don't want to convert to a battery Mower but bought this one to try out and maybe flip? Well, the battery is $400. I did borrow a battery and the self-propelled is stuck on full-speed which apparently is a broken wire between the speed lever and the controller. Someone wrote the green wire is bad. MADE IN CHINA. Going to keep using my wonderful Toro Commercial 2-cycle Suzuki powered Mower. Enjoyed your video and troublesbhooting. Excellent job!
From the looks of it. It seems like those 2 bolts play a role in kinking those wire and cause it to break due to many folding and unfolding. Hopefully the manufacture put in a rubber gromet on those expose metal part to keep all the electrical wires from getting kinked in theyre next line up future model lawn mower. Great video, very informative, Thank you! I already have an idea on which ego mower to get and this video will for sure come in very handy for all the DiYer.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the positive feedback :) Yes, I hope that EGO has addressed this issue in newer models as well. The response to this video has been tremendous. I am amazed at how many others have had the same issue as me. Though many of these units are still under warranty, a lot of them are not, and more are expiring everyday. My hope is that others will find my repair process helpful. Thanks for watching!
I have the same mower, intermittently will shut off and the battery light will flash. I think what my problem is the slide arms on the side that adjust the "steering/telescoping" out. I notice the black arrows that indicate how far out the arms has to be is further in. I have a very bumpy lawn out back and seems to be when back there that it happens the most. Anyhow....appreciate the video, not intimidated by whats inside, looks like a fairly simple system. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for the feedback! Recently, my slide arms are acting up as well. One of the two green handle locks snapped off its little green insert that penetrates the slide handle. This makes the safety switch turn on and off as I push and pull on the mower handles. I have ordered a new set of handle locks for it. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much! Hopefully you are not having trouble with your machine, but if you are, I hope this video is helpful to you. Thank you for watching!
Great info and great troubleshooting, sir! Without reading every comment, I wanted to point out that the melted wiring likely occurred after the wire broke. Resistance that may also include arcing will certainly create heat. I am looking to purchase an EGO mower so this makes the decision easier knowing it can be worked on. Sometimes you open something up and realize it's meant to be thrown away, or isn't worth the aggravation. Many thanks!
as a 5yr EGO mower owner, I say DO NOT buy an EGO mower. If I could back in time, I would buy a top shelf (Honda or Husqvarna) gas mower and 6 have enough saved to buy 6 yrs of gasoline. My single blade EGO (7.5 Ah battery) does not cut/mulch spectacularly and that is AFTER buying the high lift blade. Save money, buy a really nice gas mower.
I haven't been able to use mine since the middle of last year and have been paying a lawn service $40/week to do the mowing. Super excited to try this and hopefully able to get at it this week. Will let you know if I have success.
That was excellent to watch because I am looking at this mower as a first time mower buyer. I like to know the inner workings of things... especially when you might need to fix them yourself. Thanks!
Thank you so much! Ya, I know what you mean. I am reminded everyday that this mower "has a warranty", but I really like to fix things myself. Good luck with your purchase! Thanks for watching!
They used inexpensive wire that has a vinyl jacket that was made for static or very limited movement during installation. They should have used something much more flexible like high strand count silicone jacketed wire and allowed for a much larger bending radius within the housing to prevent binding. This is a failure that could have been rectified through proper engineering but it was likely rushed into production and they figured most would not break till they were out of warranty.
Sounds about right. The realistic lifetime of most products these days is unfortunately the same as the warranty period. Thanks for the input and thanks for watching!
You are spot on. I have had not one bit of trouble with this mower. My warranty ended 2 months ago. So now the last 2 weeks I have had this issue. Isolated it to the wires as indicated in this video, but I do not have enough knowledge or tools to fix the wiring. I will be at the mercy of a repair shop.
4 years well i had a toro recycler for over 25 years and when i put it in the trash it still worked perfect (i'm retired so a new recycler with a honda motor was the best call)
The most serious thing with Ego mowers is the battery. Mine started going south towards the 2nd year. They did replace it at no charge but I had to take it to Ace Hardware to get it replaced. Thank you Ace and Ego! I love my Ego products. Oh by the way,my 10 amp hour battery is $500!
Ya, that would be poor to lose the battery. I have been lucky that the problems I have had with mine have been wiring related and easy to fix. Wow, a 10 amp hour battery? Is that what comes on the newer models? My large battery is only a 7.5 amp hour. 500 dollars is hard to swallow since that would basically but you a new mower. Thanks for sharing
@@EndWrenchRookie Have you checked the price in the new Egos? The new one with the aluminum base is $1200! I’m not sure which battery it comes with. Mine is a self propelled model with the biggest battery at the time,$800 for the whole kit,Charger included. I bought the leaf blower on EBay about 6 weeks later without the battery and charger and it’s a tornado in your hand. Uses the same battery although the 2 of them together are a bit heavy.
Wow, that's crazy. I was not aware of the high-end prices. I paid 400 dollars for mine 6 years ago. Last year we bought our son a new unit. It was the new version of the same one that I have and it was only 450 dollars with battery and charger. Overall, I have been super happy with my EGO products. I had to fix another wiring issue last week, but other that the annoyance factor, it has cost me almost nothing in maintenance for 6 years. I also LOVE the blower and trimmer. I do need to replace my two smaller batteries for the blower and trimmer as they don't last as long as they used to, but I am hoping they aren't too pricey.
seems like those two bolts near the wires could be replaced by button head bolts and turned around to help prevent any breakage problems. The smooth head of the button head bolt would be less likely to snag the wires
Thanks so much for the video, I'm having there exact same problem and with your approach I think it's something I can handle. Excellent instructional video!!
Thank you so much! I am glad to have helped, if at all. This is why I posted the video, in hopes of helping others diagnose and repair their own equipment. Good luck with your repair! Thanks for watching!
My self-propel drive is inoperable . After watching this video I'm sure I can attack this problem, figure it out and get the drive working again. Thanks
No worries. Glad to help. Last month my drive speed was stuck on high speed. I ended up finding a stretched wire in the wire harness at the location where the handles extend. Might check there. Good luck!
It's too bad you couldn't hear me. I was yelling that you bumped the little wire not the big one. I was like wait he said there were only 2 bundles and I could see 3. Then, when you bumped the little one and it stopped and started I was like see i told you. Later after you took it all apart I was like, yeah!! Wife thinks I'm crazy by the way. Hollering at the dang computer like you can actually hear me. :)
Thanks! Sorry you are having trouble with your unit. I got lucky that I was able to wiggle the wires to isolate the crimped wire in question. If your unit has a severed wire that is causing your power issue, then you should be able to use a multi-tester and probe each wire on either side of the problem area for continuity. Hope this helps.
@@EndWrenchRookie UPDATE: 1st let me say again how helpful this video was, I think it was your troubleshooting methodology that inspired my brain to think this problem through. My issue was not intermittent (at least not at first) but I was getting the error code that the arms were not extended all the way. I figured I’d bring it to work and between a bunch of us tech geeks we should be able to figure it out. Of course after sitting in my car for a few miles the problem turned intermittent, I guess the bumps must have jostled the cable just right. Short story is we sourced which cable it was (the 3 that go from the middle of the arm to the motor directly, it was shorting at the pivot point). Now I may have broken a safety rule here, we drilled down to the female plug just short of the motor, bent a paper clip and snipped it short. Jumping the black and red, this makes the motor think the arms are extended all the way and completely bypassing the shorted wire. I plan to store this going forward never folding the arms to hopefully avoid any future issues. Again thank you for your video, after watching multiple videos trying to solve this yours was the most helpful.
I just bought a new EGO mower just like yours, thanks for the heads up on a problem I never have but I will be folding mine up after ever use as well. This should be covered under the 5 year warranty, but who has time to wait for a factory repair?
That's great! I am sure you will love your mower as i do. A lot of guys ask me if I still fold up my machine after every use...I absolutely do. It is the best feature of this mower. Will it crimp the wire again? Probably. It is an easy fix if it does happen. (there is a video that shows how :) lol). Yes, you can just have it repaired under warranty, if you have a backup mower on hand and the desire to deal with the entire process. The reason I made this video is because, like my mower, thousands of units out there are surpassing their 5 year warranty period everyday and folks are faced with replacement vs repair. Thanks for the input and thanks for watching!
Thank you! It must have been the handle extension safety switch - I also store mine folded up in my garden shed but never have to shorten the handle. All I had to do was collapse the handle and re--extend it and it works fine!
Yes the wire harness and wire fatigue is a weak point in these mowers. I have fixed three different EGO mowers where the self propel quit. All those wires were broken at the mid point of the handle where it collapses for storage. I replaced the wire at the breaks with heavier gauge wire on each mower and the SP started working. I have told everybody I know with an EGO mower not to collapse the handles. Now I may stop bending the handle too.
Thanks for the comment! Ya, it is definitely a weak point. Luckily it is an easy fix. I haven't had any problems with my repair yet. I agree that it would be better not to fold them down anymore to avoid further crimping of the wires, however, I am really limited on space and need to collapse it in order to store it out of the way. Also, I really enjoy the process of folding and unfolding the machine. It makes me feel like a kid playing with a Transformer toy :) I will likely have to fix more wires in the future, but that is the price I pay for entertainment. LOL. Thanks for the info and for sharing your story. Also, thank you for watching!
I called EGO after repairing the third lawnmower and supposedly talked to a tech rep about it. He was very non-committal about the problem. I also talked to an EGO rep at a Lowe's when Lowe's took over distribution. Same non-committal. I love EGOs products and their warranty is the best. Hopefully newer generations will have wiring upgrades. Great videos by the way. @@EndWrenchRookie
@@old-n-still-runnin1597 Very interesting...Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, I think that products just aren't made to last these days. I imagine someone figured out how many times the average user would collapse and unfold the mower, then multiplied that by length of the warranty, then tested the durability of different wire setups, and landed on an average of a usability factor of 5 years one month. Science...Lol
Congrats on fixing it. The sad part is that decades ago they moved into much smaller wires which really hamper your ability to splice and fix (esp wired headphones). Cannot believe on a device like this they would still use such small gauge wires (what 22?). Good comments here too. The "compact" feature appears to be the main culprit in how long this unit will last. Thanks.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the input and feedback. I agree, the wires are undersized and not made for longevity. It is a fine balancing act for a company to figure out how to make products that either last or make profit. Just glad I was able to get it back into service same-day, without having to deal with a warranty claim. Thanks for the comment!
I was having the same problem with my ego and I noticed the two green clamps on the side of the bars loosen with use causing the bars to slide down and prevent your blades from rotating. Grab some duct tape 😂 and wrap around the bars and clamps to stop the bars from slipping down. Gotta love the duct tape.
That's great. Nice fix. Ya, I had the same problem. I actually ended up snapping off one of the green tabs inside of the handle frame. I stuck a screw in it to hold it for a while, but I eventually replaced the green lock handle. I have a video on this channel of that process.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Ya, I find it does me no good getting worked up when stuff breaks. I am just glad that it worked out and that I was able to bring you all along with me. Thanks for watching!
I bought the same mower. I too stored it folded. Then, after 2 years, I had the same problem. Still under warranty, I got authorization to bring it to Ace for repair. It turned out, they trashed it in their attempt to fix it. I ended up with a new replacement.
@@tac73 That's cool. Ya, I have had at least 50 comments about why I didn't just warranty my machine. It was because it is my only machine. I was able to fix it in less than an hour, for free, while making a UA-cam video about it. There was a storm coming that day and I really needed to get the lawn mowed asap. :)
Excellent. I've been looking at getting an EGO mower, good to know that this is a possibility of something happening in the future and what to look for! Thanks for the video.
I had that same failure in that same mower. mine was under warranty, so they replaced the harness and safety switch at the base of the handle. I came to the same conclusion you did. They clearly didn't intend for it to be folded every time. These mowers are actually pretty easy to disassemble and repair, so it's not a big deal, but it's frustrating a feature they advertise is not as robust as you might expect. I suspect my failure was the harness, and failed like a car door harness, the wire was broken inside the insulation.
Well it is great that you got it all fixed up :) Ya, I could have tried to warranty it as well but I really needed to get the lawn mowed that day and I don't have a backup mower for the downtime. Also, that wouldn't have made a very interesting UA-cam video :) Thanks for watching!
Ironically I had this same exact issue about a year ago. I took it apart and traced it down to that heat shrink tubing. I stopped there as the mower was still under warranty. I took it to their shop and their “fix” was to replace the entire handle assembly. It’s working good as new now but I know exactly where to look now as it will likely happen again in another 3 years.
Wow! Thank you so much! That is really cool. I am sure you will love your machine. My son just bought one as well as a first time homeowner and he also really likes it. Thanks for the feedback. Ya, doggo is like 14 years old, so he pretty much chills all the time. Thanks for watching and good luck with your yardwork!
When I first got mine I took it apart and cut all the plastic out that the wires run through inside The mower because I noticed as you folded they get caught up in the plastic channels I also added loom to it no problems yet
Just yesterday, I bought a used EGO 21" mower on Marketplace. The guy said it was working fine and now the blades don't spin up. I needed parts to repair the height adjusted for my front wheels, so I figured I would use parts from his mower. I only paid $50 for the "fixer." Now that I have seen this, I will attempt the same repair. If it works, I'll just have a "new" mower for $50! WOW! Thanks for posting this! By the way, do you know how to do a "reset" on the EGO batteries?
That is great! By my estimation, there are thousands of these units out there that are having the same problem. Especially once they are out of warranty they are likely to be discarded. I would pick up as many as you can find :) Have not heard of resetting the batteries, sorry. Thanks for watching!
Most lawn mowers are designed to only last 3-4 seasons. As my Father always says, it's planned obsolescence. They are designed to breakdown, so you have to buy a new one. I have a Husqvarna that still runs, but a bolt that holds the handle on and a couple other things fell out and not even the manufacturer has replacements. I have to get the other one and take it to a machine shop to have one specially made.
I am a ham radio operator I love electronic hobbies You knock it out of the park, awsome really great job of process of eliminating the obvious. However, ------ I want to see more of that black 2dr coupe more more , 56 Ford????
Lol. That's great. Thanks for the feedback! The car in the background is a 1964 Corvair Monza 110. I have videos of all three of my Corvairs on my channel :) Thanks for watching!
Congrats on getting it working. One thing I will note, from personal experience. You lucked out this time. You would have had a lot of unnecessary work to undo had your fix failed. You should always test the wiring before using the heat shrink or anything else. You can save yourself a lot of time that way. Great job otherwise! :)
Thank you so much! Great tip. It's funny, I didn't really plan on making a video that day...I just wanted to get my lawn mowed before the storm hit :) Thanks for watching!
Bet the small (3) wire cable is the Control Signal, DC Power & DC Ground to the lawn mowers motor ESC module ( Electronic Speed Controller ). The electronic ESC is very close to the same device used in Radio Controlled model airplanes.
I have the same mower, but my problem is the self propel speed controller (the green, red and black wires) went from working fine - to working only on high speed - to not working at all. I am thinking that I have the same issue that you have, crimped wiring at that hinge. Although I am also afraid that my wires could be wearing out where the handle collapses. Tearing it all apart tomorrow.
I had to collapse the handle every time I put it into my truck. Eventually the wire inside of the harness wore out/ broke due to being tightly bent and then straightened out a couple hundred times. I found the wire that frayed/broke internally and then did a splice repair. About now, two years later, it started cutting out and then run a bit for 4 seconds and then die. I strongly suspect the 700 Watt controller failed. The motor never worked again. This seems to be a recurring problem on older EGO mowers. Mine was manufactured December 2018, and I took delivery April 2019. I have rental properties and I do a lot of mowing myself. I estimate I put about 4 years worth of mowing into one mowing season typical of an average home owner. I wore out gasoline mowers about every 4 years even though they were maintained regularly. I found a 2021 EGO motor/ controller with complete plastic motor housing and will replace all of it as one unit. I will have an old chassis with new guts.
My new Ego mower purchased in April 22 did the same thing this year when I first started to use it. Had a hard time with phone support finding me a shop that repairs them. Fortunately , Lowe’s let me swap it out with a new one.
Thanks for sharing. Ya, its going to be a while until repair shops catch up with the electric mower game. You pretty much have to work out a full replacement under warranty if you want to get it fixed. You are lucky to have gotten Lowes to replace for you. Hopefully your new unit works better for you. Thanks for watching!
Very interesting! I have a few Ego products and need a new mower. With limited space, I also plan to fold it up to store… but your theory makes sense as to why it fails. Other than this, I assume the mower works well. I’ve seen a few people post that it still hasn’t been resolved, so would you recommend NOT folding the mower to avoid potential stress on the wires?
Thanks for the question. To be honest, the folding capability is my favorite part of the mower. I still fold it up every time I use it. If you have trouble with it like I did, you can have it repaired under warranty, or just solder in a repair wire like I did in this video. It is a free fix that takes less than an hour to do. Good luck!
Nice troubleshooting job. I don't know if I could do as well as you have. I believe that I have the same mower that you have, it is about 3 years old. Knock on wood, I haven't yet had any issues. Great video.
Wow! Thank you so much for the feedback! I hope you do not have trouble with your machine either. Although if you do, I am sure you can get it taken care of. Thanks for watching!
when you got to the state that the motor was not running and you figured out it was that wire. Were the lights and the wheels also not working? I am not comfortable re-wiring but I have no problem replacing the whole harness, but wondered its worth the cost to end up finding out it was a whole different issue.
Understandable. You could very well replace the entire harness just to find out it is a loose connection at the controller, or any number of other issues. The only way to isolate the issue is to take it apart and start investigating. If you plan to replace the harness then you are going to have to take it all apart anyway. If I remember...the drive and the lights still worked at the time of the issue. Yes, there could be any number of issues causing your problem, but after interacting with as many people as I have on this video, I would bet that you have the same problem at the same hinge-point area.
I would take the wiring out of the plastic elbow. Take it direct to the wiring box. Using larger wires may be a problem in the future. Good , informative video.
Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate the feedback. :) It is funny, I never meant to record a video about my lawn mower, it just happened to break that day so I turned on the camera. I am glad it has helped out so many people. Thanks again and thanks for watching!
FYI, I stored mine all folded up in my small shed for years and never had this issue, so I don't think it's a matter of it not being designed to fold up every time it's used. Still going strong 6 or 7 years later. Next time you decide to pop this open, take the battery out for your safety. Also watch out for any large capacitors. I don't know how this thing is build, but large capacitors can be extremely dangerous.
Yep, most motor controllers have capacitors in them. Its a good practice to hit the 'on button' after de-energizing (removing the battery) the circuit.
That conduit / plastic sleeve thing should have extended all the way into the housing up to the point where the wires no longer move. As an Ego owner this is disappointing that they would miss something so obvious. Glad it was an easy fix, but still frustrating.
@@EndWrenchRookie It was a great video! I think you had a good balance of showing the critical parts, and skipping through the more basic parts like soldering. Overall I've been happy with the EGO products as well. I chose the platform because it seems they thought through the battery cooling better than most other of the high voltage platforms. Unfortunately they don't have the power tool experience of say Dewalt, Milwaukee or Makita. Those companies would have known to shield that wire better. I hope the longevity is as good as the short term performance...
Thanks again for the comment! Yeah, I was pretty surprised when I read the battery charger manual to find that they had not only cooling included, but also a long term docking setup where the battery will stay charged and cool for long periods and if it goes too long, the charger will automatically discharge and recharge the battery to keep it fresh. How far we have come...
The fact that you can logically think your way through the conditions needed for operation makes the fact that you’re not an electric lawn mower scientist irrelevant. Nicely done, sir!
Lol! Thank you so much for the nice comment! I actually really enjoyed working on the mower. I am just glad it all worked out.
These are the type of videos that make UA-cam such a valuable resource. I do not have any issues with my EGO, but i find this so fascinating. Also ill just keep my handles bent at the half way mark and not fold it up to avoid this. Thanks.
EGO should provide a wiring schematic for their mowers if they dont already
Thank you so much! Hope you have no troubles with your mower. Good luck
I really appreciate the attitude here. None of that “these darn new fangled safety mechanisms” that so many people immediately jump to. You just started trouble shooting and resolving.
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I think it is a good thing that there are so many safety features here. It is odd to me, but I think a lot of people see these as battery powered gizmos and forget that they are still really dangerous. Thanks for watching!
I hope Ego sees this video so they can do a redesign to prevent these issues. Good job!
Thank you so much! I agree. With my mower being 4 years old, I would imagine that they have addressed this issue by now? Thanks for watching!
It's 3.5 years old, they have several new models since then.
Great video! My mower is 2.5 years old and I fold it after each use as well. I’m struggling with intermittent solid orange, flashing orange, and flashing green and red LED on the mower… and then the blade just stops. I can sometimes get through an entire cut without issue… and sometimes, I can’t go more than 15 mins. It’s been incredibly difficult to replicate / troubleshoot.
They won't even listen to consumers re the lack of appropriate height settings and the huge front overhang so I don't fancy your chances.
They have not fixed this problem with models after this.
I'm an engineer. Your logical progression towards isolating and mitigating your issue was on point. Great job!
That's high praise. Thank you so much!
As a retired Mathematics teacher, I really enjoyed your systematic approach to diagnosing the problem and fixing it. I now live on a farm with lots of equipment to keep in good, working order and finally time to spend doing so…I am gaining the skills/knowledge one broken implement at a time and this video has been extremely helpful…THANKS!!!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I really appreciate it. Also, thank you for your time as a math teacher. Not enough praise and recognition goes your way, for sure. I am glad that you are having fun maintaining your equipment and that I was able to play a small role in your journey. Good luck with all of your repairs and thanks for watching!
As a qualified mechanic I see this sort of failure often. Some people on this thread have suggested that they hope Ego have fixed this problem now. The fact is that if you bend a copper wire back and forth many many times it will ultimately break. It does not matter how much protection you put on the exterior of the wire nor how you try and secure it, nothing stops the fatigue the wire experiences from repetitive bending.
As a side note, one way to isolate the location of the break is to pull quite forcefully (subjective term i know!!!) on the wire itself. An intact wire will not yield but a broken wire will easily snap at the location of the break as most of the copper is already broken amd the only thing holding it together is the insulation that will easily break with some force. This is a trick i learned from an older auto electrician and have used it many times with great success.
Thank you much for the comment and the tip! All good points. Thanks for watching!
The fix is to distribute the bend instead of just directly running wire following a straight path thru the hinge. It's hard to describe in words, but there are many patents (most expired by now) which show different techniques. One approach is to roll over a large circumference which requires the wire to be managed (usually by loops and spring tension) to increase and decrease the arc covered by wire at the hinge. Another approach is to run the wire perpendicular to the hinge (wire to the hinge, turn fixed 90 degree to travel some distance along the hinge, turn fixed 90 out the other side of the hinge) so the bend is transformed into a slight twist along the length of the hinge.
@@Sylvan_dB Another way is to form a length of wire into a loose coil. That will also make the wire not to have so much flex in it. This is the method used by auto manufacturers to have some controls mounted in the steering wheel. The coiled wire device is call a "clock spring".
so, because I watched your video I went back to my Ego mower to troubleshoot some more and discovered my problem.
The green locking clamps on the side have a plastic pin that lock-in the sliding handle. One of the pins broke so as I pushed the mower forward the handle would slide inward on that side causing the power to shut off. Your explanation of its safety shut-offs is what brought me to it. Simple enough on my end but something I overlooked.
Thanks for making your video. It saved me a lot of money and time. 🙋🏻♂️👍🏼
Thank you so much! I am glad that I was able to help out. This is why I made the video in hopes of saving others the headache and cost of replacement over repair :) BTW, I just last week posted a video about replacing the green handle locks on my mower as I had the same problem as you with the holding pin shearing off. Hope it helps. There is a link in the description of that video for the replacement part needed. Good luck and thanks for watching!
People like you have made my life so much more enjoyable 😉
Lol. Thanks
This is a known issue. So we’ll known that ego now on the upgrade has put the wires within the brace handle extension and no longer allows for extension. I have the
LM 2206SP , I read about this. For those who have limited space and the constant close because garage space is at a premium.
Great job fixing it and documenting your finding for us 👍
Thank you so much! That is interesting. Ya, it seems like a bunch of folks are having this same problem with their mowers. This is why I made this video, in hopes of helping out those that are willing to fix their units themselves. Thanks for watching!
This seems to be a common design problem with this brand. I like that you fixed it right, rather than disabling the safety feature(s).
Thanks for the comment! I agree. I could have just bypassed the switch but that doesn't really help people as much. At the end of the day, I wanted to share my experience with others in the hopes of helping save a few more machines from the landfill. Thanks for watching!
This brand has to many safety feathers. Most have 2. The bailing handle, and the button. That is enough.
Thank you! This is a similar problem to that of another person who had to troubleshoot his Ego mower that wouldn't start. Helps out greatly!
Thank you so much for the feedback :) I am glad to have helped out, if at all. Good luck!
I had the exact same problem with my Ego mower after 5 years. I decided to do some research and stumbled across your video. I popped the side cover off and started flexing the wires and it instantly started up. Now I’m off to buy some wire and tape so I can do the repair! Thanks so much!
Sorry to hear that you are having issues. It seems unfortunately more common that one might think. Glad you are able to fix it. Glad to have helped out, if at all. Good luck. Thanks for watching!
My ego push mower would sound like it would start, but then quit in a couple of seconds. I have taken it to a repair shop Ego recommends in my area. The mechanic groaned when he saw I had an Ego mower. I said it lasted 8 years without a problem. He said he did not like working on them because there are no nuts and bolts. Now that I have watched your video and another similar one, I can see there are things to take apart. I think I should go visit the mechanic and tell him to watch your video and the other one to get an idea of what is wrong. Thanks for giving me this info. S. Beasley
Thanks for the comment. Ya, it is going to be a while until the electric mower repair game catches up. I just really enjoy taking stuff apart and figuring out how it works. I hope you get your mower worked out. Thanks for watching!
I have the same mover, i dont baby it at all. Left it out in the rain several times, the battery door broke off, hit bricks with the blade. And this thing is a beast. Thanks for sharing incase mine does it!
Oh wow! That's crazy! Glad to hear that you are still going strong. Yah, I have to sharpen my blade a couple times a year, though I haven't tried the brick deal...I agree it is a beast. Thanks for sharing and for watching!
I’m doing small engine repair as a side hustle at the moment. Knowing that the market is heading towards full electric, I’m working to stay ahead of the competition and learn to fix these as well.
Excellent video! I learned a lot on the troubleshooting aspect and possible fix. Thank you so much.
That's great! Thanks for the feedback. Good luck with your future enterprises. Thanks for watching.
Thank you. I had this same issue. Mower worked great for 5 years and then same random issue you had. I was able to fix it with the same fix you did. It's weird, from day one, I knew that the folding handle would cause issues and it did, but otherwise, my favorite mower I've ever owned.
Thank you. I am glad that you were able to take care of the issue. This is the reason that I made this video. I also was concerned about the folding stress on the wiring. As untold numbers of these units fall out of warranty, folks are going to face the decision of trashing their mower or trying to fix it. I agree with you that, other than the wiring issues, this has been a really great mower. Thanks for watching.
I bypassed the switch by connecting the smaller black and red wires together. The wire had pulled out of the connector socket. The handle extension switch will no longer stop the mower. Only need to remove the cover over the back of the mower and takes much less time and skill.
Nice. Good work. Thanks for sharing and thank you for watching!
Very systematic and logical approach to a problem. Most people would have taken the mower to a shop or dumped it. Kudos to you.
Thank you so much for the feedback! Ya, I could have tried to get it warranty repaired at a shop, but I don't have a backup mower for the month or two of downtime that it would have required. Thanks again and thanks for watching!
Buy a meter
@@boblevy1901 Great idea...Then I could have 6. Thanks!
My symptoms exactly! You have a a talent for trouble shooting! I’ll make the fix tomorrow.
Thanks!
Thank you so much! I just got lucky on this one :) I hope your repair goes well. Good Luck and thanks for watching!
This saved me an expensive and embarrassing trip to the repair shop. THANKS!
That is great! I am glad it worked out for you. My repair has held up great so far :) Thanks for watching!
Had to make the same exact repair on mine 2 years ago. Great machine. We’ve had it for 6 years now and still running strong
That is great! It is amazing how many people have had this problem with their machines. Glad you were able to get it up and running again. Mine as been running without problem since my repair as well. Thanks for watching!
So perfectly done and explained. Love your dog too. 😊
Thanks for the feedback :) Glad you enjoyed. Hope you are not having trouble with your mower, but if you are I hope this video helps.
I bough tone of these mowers factory refurbished from Home Depot about 4 years ago for about $300 with the battery included. That's about $100 more that the price of the battery. It has run great and I bought several other factory refurbished tools from them and they have also been great.
That's great!
@MAGA MAN Now that was a good deal! Glad you were able to snag one! Heck the battery costs more than than your deal
My mower is working properly, but great to see this video in case I experience the same issue in the future. Thanks!
Thank you for the comment! Hope your machine continues long into the future, but glad to have helped if not. Thanks for watching!
Excellent deductive reasoning! I'll have to remember this video if my new one ever starts having this problem.
Thanks! I hope you don't have problems, but if you do, I am sure you will figure it out. Thanks for watching!
Bought the verry first ego that came out and its still pushing strong,no problems thank Yah.
That's great. Hope you continue to have good luck :) Thanks for watching!
Had this exact same problem. Did this fix instead of just jumping the motor controller side of the connector like a lot of other people. Worked perfect, and gave me a reason to pick up a soldering iron. 10/10
That is so cool! This is the reason that I made this video. I never really planned on recording content that day, I just wanted to get my mower working before it stormed that afternoon. I can't believe how many people it has helped. This makes me super happy :) I am glad your repair worked out well. Good Job! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for giving a detailed video. You showed exactly what we needed to see.
That is great. I am glad to have helped, if at all. Thanks for watching!
My family mows a small portion of our 5 acres with this mower, myself, my wife and my 9yo and I just came across this problem today. It was in the top position. He went to take over and the only thing that changed was him lowering the handle. Now it won't even turn on.... looks like we have the same issue... thank you for posting this. Looks like I may need some wire.
Sorry to hear that you are having trouble. I hope you are able to get it back up and running soon. I am glad to hear that my video may be of some service to you. Best of luck! Thanks for watching
Mine stopped working after 5 years. I went and bought the new cross cut with the double blade… Wow what a huge difference. I already loved my old EGO but the new one is even smoother, even more powerful, and amazing that they could improve on the one I’ve used the last 5 yrs!
thank you for the comment! That is so cool that you got an upgraded machine. I have heard about the cross cut but haven't ever tried one. I will keep that in mind when it's time to replace mine. Thanks for the input!
I had the exact same problem after my 3rd season. Same symptom of working fine one minute and dead the next. I also store it the same way and the repeated folding and unfolding breaks the wire internally at the pivot point. I would expect this to be a 100% failure rate for mowers used and stored as you and I do. In my case, I replaced the 3 wire harness with 18 GA silicone insulated wire which is very forgiving of being repeatedly flexed. The larger gauge affords additional protection as well. It probably would have cost a lot to have the repair performed by a service center, so I'm glad your efforts were productive. It's been 2 seasons since I fixed mine and it has worked perfectly since. I also have the blower and string trimmer and recently got the chain saw which works great. Your video will probably save others frustration and expense when their mower breaks.
Thank you so much for the kind feedback. You are the second person to comment about silicone insulated wire. I just grabbed what I had on hand at the time, lol. I will have to look into that kind of wire for future projects. Thanks for the heads up! Ya, I hope my video helps others in the same boat as me. A LOT of these mowers are running out of warranty this year and the next, so folks are going to need to learn how to do the repair :) I also have continued to fold my mower up after every use and have not had anymore issues so far (after about 20 mows). Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!
Was wondering wire gauge replacement. Thanks 💪👍
@@lowridingtrucks88I used #18 silicone insulated wire which is larger than the original wiring.
@@ctbcubed Did you splice it in like @EndWrenchRookie did or did you have to replace all of the wire?
@@marilynt1 I replaced the entire length of the control wires (3 wires total). However, if you can pinpoint the break a splice is OK. You might want to add a short length of wire to complete the splice so as not to put a lot of tension on the wire harness when the handle is folded for storage. I replaced the wires with silicone insulated wire which is very flexible and less likely to break when the handle is folded for storage. Amazon sells 18 GA silicone insulated wire.
Good trouble-shooting. I just got one of these. I'm glad they're easy to disassemble like this.
Thank you so much. It is funny, I actually look forward to stuff breaking so I can figure out how to fix things. I guess it is a puzzle game to me :) Thanks for watching and good luck with your mower!
I admire anyone who can fix things most wouldn’t even think to mess with 👍
Thank you so much! It is usually born out of necessity. I have saved a lot of money over the years repairing instead of replacing :) It is funny, I wasn't even planning to make a video that day. I just really needed to get my lawn mowed. Thanks for watching!
I am a 75 year old single woman and UA-cam has taught me so much about repairing my things. I am grateful for folks like you who share.
Glad to hear that your repair was repairable. I had one of those cotrol boxes go out on mine. It was the one that did the rear wheel drive. I am told that this is a common problem with my model. EGO did the repair under warranty. And my local repair guy (who up until now has only done ICE mowers) got to learn a few things.
That is great! I am glad you got it worked out. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for your very analytical search for the problem. It has encouraged me to try the various safety switches to see if I can isolate the problem and repair it.
Thank you so much for the comment! I am glad to have helped. I hope you find your problem and resolve without issue. Thank you for watching :)
Thank you, I had the same issue after 8 years.. Thank you again my friend
You are very welcome. I hope this info helps you out. Thanks for watching!
Style: Self-Propelled / Dual Port / (2)5.0Ah Battery
Gather round Mowers while I spin you a tale about customer service and product warranty. About June of 2022, I started having periodic starting problems and then the Ego self-propelled mower didn't start at all. The problem appeared to be in the safety harness wiring in the handle. I found the nearest authorized repair facility was 50 miles from my home. I talked to the service technician at the dealership who worked on the Ego mowers. I told him my problem and that, initially, by pivoting the handle back and forth, the mower would sometimes start, but now it wouldn't start at all. He said that he probably knew what the problem was and I should deliver the mower to the dealership. He said that he would have to order a new handle and wiring harness and that the repair would take 2 to 3 months due to the order procedures and shipping time. I asked him if they had loaners because my grass needed mowing during the interim. He said that they did not have loaners. I told the tech that I had the skill to troubleshoot and repair wiring problems and I had already figured it was a broken wire at the pivot point at the base of the handle(looking up the problem on UA-cam helped pinpoint the problem area). I asked the technician if the new handle would solve the broken wire problem(caused by repeated folding of the handle into the folded position after mowing). He said that he didn't know. I asked him how I would mow my lawn when my mower was in his shop for 2 to 3 months. He said that if I repaired the wire and used the mower for the rest of the mowing season(up to mid November), I could the then take the mower to him and he would replace the handle over the winter. I agreed that solution would work.
I found two broken wires at the pivot point and soldered in splices. I used the mower for the rest of the season. In November, I called the authorized dealer and asked to talk to the technician. The dealer said that he was no longer with the company. I told him about my mower and he said that they would not work on it because I had invalidated the warranty by opening up my mower. I called the Ego customer service and they were adamant in refusing to help me because the warranty was invalidated.
In retrospect, I love the mower, but Ego places their consumers in a no win position by taking a disabled mower for 2 to 3 months during mowing season without a loaner and then invalidating the warranty if the only solution is for the customer to repair the mower himself. I still don't know if the new replacement handle has solved design flaw that allowed fatigue failure of the wires at the pivot point of the handle.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. This is what I think of every time I get a comment about "why don't you just warranty it?" Eventually, there will be more of a repair market out there for these mowers, but as of now, not enough repair shops are available for warranty service. I was able to get my mower fixed for free and in less time than it takes to make a phone call to customer service (while recording a UA-cam video). I also do not have a backup mower for the downtime. Sometimes you just have to take care of stuff on your own. As an update...I have used my mower about 15 times since my repair in this video without further problems. Thanks again for sharing and thanks for watching!
Just an FYI: Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act forbids the voiding of a warranty due to repairing a product yourself, or having a "non-authorized mechanic" repair it. They cannot void your warranty simply for "opening the case" or for opening anything that would normally require being opened to make an inspection/diagnosis and repair, even if they claim they can and will. They _can_ void a warranty if you or any repair facility damages it in the process of attempting a repair, but the onus is on the warrantor to prove that you damaged it. These companies will continue to treat everyone like this until they are forced to stop via lawsuits. DO NOT LET THEM BULLY YOU.
My EGO is well out of Warranty unfortunately, but if anyone else is here thinking the same thing, know that just because they put it in the agreement doesn't mean it is lawful or enforceable. You have a right to repair your property. And the Magnusson-Moss Act allows you to recover attorney fees and court costs.
I've had my Ego mower for 8 years and have rarely folded it all the way down. For the last few years I cleared room in my shed, so I can just push it in upright like a normal mower. I used to shorten the handles to make it fit. I would catch myself forgetting to extend them and wonder why it won't start. lol. Glad to know it's fixable if it happens though.
Lol. That is great. You must have one of the really early models. Ya, the wiring is pretty weak on these units but they are relatively easy to fix. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for uploading this video , i'm having same problem you have saved me hours of work👍
That is great. You are welcome. Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your machine. Good luck repairing it :) Thanks for watching!
That is exactly what happened to my mower this week. Thanks so much for your video, I now know how to fix it. I did call EGO support and they said it was probably a battery problem, but that didn’t make sense. The mower has a 5 year limited warranty, so the mower is still covered. Like you, my mower is about 3 1/2 years old and I fold mine down for storage every time. Thanks again, great video.
Thank you so much for the comment! I am glad that I was able to help you out. I am sorry to hear about your mower though...I hope you are able to get it up and running again.
If they send you a new one I'd like to buy your old one!
Did ego give you a new mower?
Before making any dismantling check, it is right to remove the blade, hopefully also the 56V BATTERY for safety...thanks for sharing your repair experience.
Thanks for the tips and for watching!
Thanks! I, too, am an EGO fan and I started w/the un-propelled version of this mower. I store it the same way but I haven't had this problem yet( and I hope I don't). We got it in 2018. It's had a LOT of abuse as it was purchased to temporarily replace a lawn tractor that was in for repair. It didn't miss a beat. Now we live on 8.1 acres of land and it's mostly tress so not a lot of grass to cut. Now I know what to look for if I have this problem.
I have the 765 cfm leaf blower(like you do), the original pole saw and extension, and the self propelled snow blower(as we live above 1000 ft.). The 18" chain saw is on the "next thing" list.
That's great! You have really invested in the EGO game :) It is always nice when all of your gear is the same brand so you can share batteries and chargers. Glad you haven't had a problem with your wiring but ya no big deal if you do. The chain saw would be nice, especially if you have a lot of trees on your land. I have heard that the snow blower works pretty well as long as it is not pushed too hard. I definitely LOVE my leaf blower. I use it everyday to keep my garage dusted (as well as its stated uses like lawn work lol :) ) Thanks for watching!
Go ahead and get the 18” chainsaw. I cut through an 18” pine tree that got uprooted during a storm. Cut through it like butter and actually made
5”x5”x10’ posts out of it
We bought an 2018 EGO cheap lacking the 7.5 AH Battery. I really don't want to convert to a battery Mower but bought this one to try out and maybe flip? Well, the battery is $400. I did borrow a battery and the self-propelled is stuck on full-speed which apparently is a broken wire between the speed lever and the controller. Someone wrote the green wire is bad. MADE IN CHINA. Going to keep using my wonderful Toro Commercial 2-cycle Suzuki powered Mower. Enjoyed your video and troublesbhooting. Excellent job!
Thanks for sharing. Thanks for watching and commenting as well!
Good job repairing it. I believe it came with a 5 year warranty so if someone else has a problem, check with Ego for warranty repair.
Thank you so much! Ya, a lot of these mowers will be out of warranty soon so hopefully this video will help out :) Thanks for watching!
From the looks of it. It seems like those 2 bolts play a role in kinking those wire and cause it to break due to many folding and unfolding. Hopefully the manufacture put in a rubber gromet on those expose metal part to keep all the electrical wires from getting kinked in theyre next line up future model lawn mower. Great video, very informative, Thank you! I already have an idea on which ego mower to get and this video will for sure come in very handy for all the DiYer.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the positive feedback :) Yes, I hope that EGO has addressed this issue in newer models as well. The response to this video has been tremendous. I am amazed at how many others have had the same issue as me. Though many of these units are still under warranty, a lot of them are not, and more are expiring everyday. My hope is that others will find my repair process helpful. Thanks for watching!
I have the same mower, intermittently will shut off and the battery light will flash. I think what my problem is the slide arms on the side that adjust the "steering/telescoping" out. I notice the black arrows that indicate how far out the arms has to be is further in. I have a very bumpy lawn out back and seems to be when back there that it happens the most. Anyhow....appreciate the video, not intimidated by whats inside, looks like a fairly simple system. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for the feedback! Recently, my slide arms are acting up as well. One of the two green handle locks snapped off its little green insert that penetrates the slide handle. This makes the safety switch turn on and off as I push and pull on the mower handles. I have ordered a new set of handle locks for it. Thanks for watching!
Well done, dude!! Great troubleshooting, and actual repair work. A professional job.
Thank you so much! Hopefully you are not having trouble with your machine, but if you are, I hope this video is helpful to you. Thank you for watching!
Great info and great troubleshooting, sir! Without reading every comment, I wanted to point out that the melted wiring likely occurred after the wire broke. Resistance that may also include arcing will certainly create heat. I am looking to purchase an EGO mower so this makes the decision easier knowing it can be worked on. Sometimes you open something up and realize it's meant to be thrown away, or isn't worth the aggravation. Many thanks!
Thanks for the input and your kind words. I am glad to have been of some assistance. I would buy another EGO mower without hesitation. Good luck!
as a 5yr EGO mower owner, I say DO NOT buy an EGO mower. If I could back in time, I would buy a top shelf (Honda or Husqvarna) gas mower and 6
have enough saved to buy 6 yrs of gasoline. My single blade EGO (7.5 Ah battery) does not cut/mulch spectacularly and that is AFTER buying the high lift blade. Save money, buy a really nice gas mower.
I haven't been able to use mine since the middle of last year and have been paying a lawn service $40/week to do the mowing. Super excited to try this and hopefully able to get at it this week. Will let you know if I have success.
Sorry to hear that. I am sure you will have success. Thanks for watching!
Yikes, at $40 a week, you could have bought a new one?
It definitely works. Many people online have made the same exact repair
That was excellent to watch because I am looking at this mower as a first time mower buyer. I like to know the inner workings of things... especially when you might need to fix them yourself. Thanks!
Thank you so much! Ya, I know what you mean. I am reminded everyday that this mower "has a warranty", but I really like to fix things myself. Good luck with your purchase! Thanks for watching!
They used inexpensive wire that has a vinyl jacket that was made for static or very limited movement during installation. They should have used something much more flexible like high strand count silicone jacketed wire and allowed for a much larger bending radius within the housing to prevent binding. This is a failure that could have been rectified through proper engineering but it was likely rushed into production and they figured most would not break till they were out of warranty.
Sounds about right. The realistic lifetime of most products these days is unfortunately the same as the warranty period. Thanks for the input and thanks for watching!
You are spot on. I have had not one bit of trouble with this mower. My warranty ended 2 months ago. So now the last 2 weeks I have had this issue. Isolated it to the wires as indicated in this video, but I do not have enough knowledge or tools to fix the wiring. I will be at the mercy of a repair shop.
4 years well i had a toro recycler for over 25 years and when i put it in the trash it still worked perfect (i'm retired so a new recycler with a honda motor was the best call)
That's great! I almost bought one of those last year. They look really nice. My John Deere lasted me 22 years and I loved it :) Thanks for watching!
The most serious thing with Ego mowers is the battery. Mine started going south towards the 2nd year. They did replace it at no charge but I had to take it to Ace Hardware to get it replaced. Thank you Ace and Ego! I love my Ego products. Oh by the way,my 10 amp hour battery is $500!
Ya, that would be poor to lose the battery. I have been lucky that the problems I have had with mine have been wiring related and easy to fix. Wow, a 10 amp hour battery? Is that what comes on the newer models? My large battery is only a 7.5 amp hour. 500 dollars is hard to swallow since that would basically but you a new mower. Thanks for sharing
@@EndWrenchRookie Have you checked the price in the new Egos? The new one with the aluminum base is $1200! I’m not sure which battery it comes with. Mine is a self propelled model with the biggest battery at the time,$800 for the whole kit,Charger included. I bought the leaf blower on EBay about 6 weeks later without the battery and charger and it’s a tornado in your hand. Uses the same battery although the 2 of them together are a bit heavy.
Wow, that's crazy. I was not aware of the high-end prices. I paid 400 dollars for mine 6 years ago. Last year we bought our son a new unit. It was the new version of the same one that I have and it was only 450 dollars with battery and charger. Overall, I have been super happy with my EGO products. I had to fix another wiring issue last week, but other that the annoyance factor, it has cost me almost nothing in maintenance for 6 years. I also LOVE the blower and trimmer. I do need to replace my two smaller batteries for the blower and trimmer as they don't last as long as they used to, but I am hoping they aren't too pricey.
seems like those two bolts near the wires could be replaced by button head bolts and turned around to help prevent any breakage problems. The smooth head of the button head bolt would be less likely to snag the wires
That is a great idea! Thanks!
Thanks so much for the video, I'm having there exact same problem and with your approach I think it's something I can handle. Excellent instructional video!!
Thank you so much! I am glad to have helped, if at all. This is why I posted the video, in hopes of helping others diagnose and repair their own equipment. Good luck with your repair! Thanks for watching!
This is the video today I watched with the same problem. Thank you for sharing. I need to check my mower and do some preventing maintenance.
Thank you much for watching. I hope it helps you out!
My self-propel drive is inoperable . After watching this video I'm sure I can attack this problem, figure it out and get the drive working again. Thanks
No worries. Glad to help. Last month my drive speed was stuck on high speed. I ended up finding a stretched wire in the wire harness at the location where the handles extend. Might check there. Good luck!
Worked like a charm. Thank you!!!
That's great! Glad to have helped, it at all :) Thanks for watching!
I love it when a plan comes through
Lol. I just love it when my lawnmower works :)
It's too bad you couldn't hear me. I was yelling that you bumped the little wire not the big one. I was like wait he said there were only 2 bundles and I could see 3. Then, when you bumped the little one and it stopped and started I was like see i told you. Later after you took it all apart I was like, yeah!! Wife thinks I'm crazy by the way. Hollering at the dang computer like you can actually hear me. :)
Good eye! Yah, I thought it was the big one. It made more sense to me once I got it torn apart. Thanks for the comment!
Im still planning to buy one.. you are a hero! Thank u.
Thank you so much! I hope it works out for you.
I'd get an extended warranty mine died 3rd mow of second season
I love this video, I have a similar issue but not the same. The problem is not intermittent so it makes it difficult to troubleshoot.
Thanks! Sorry you are having trouble with your unit. I got lucky that I was able to wiggle the wires to isolate the crimped wire in question. If your unit has a severed wire that is causing your power issue, then you should be able to use a multi-tester and probe each wire on either side of the problem area for continuity. Hope this helps.
@@EndWrenchRookie UPDATE: 1st let me say again how helpful this video was, I think it was your troubleshooting methodology that inspired my brain to think this problem through. My issue was not intermittent (at least not at first) but I was getting the error code that the arms were not extended all the way. I figured I’d bring it to work and between a bunch of us tech geeks we should be able to figure it out. Of course after sitting in my car for a few miles the problem turned intermittent, I guess the bumps must have jostled the cable just right. Short story is we sourced which cable it was (the 3 that go from the middle of the arm to the motor directly, it was shorting at the pivot point). Now I may have broken a safety rule here, we drilled down to the female plug just short of the motor, bent a paper clip and snipped it short. Jumping the black and red, this makes the motor think the arms are extended all the way and completely bypassing the shorted wire. I plan to store this going forward never folding the arms to hopefully avoid any future issues. Again thank you for your video, after watching multiple videos trying to solve this yours was the most helpful.
Hi just like to thank you for your help support just got my mower working gary
Hey that's great news! Great work. I am happy to have helped, if at all :) Thanks for watching!
I just bought a new EGO mower just like yours, thanks for the heads up on a problem I never have but I will be folding mine up after ever use as well. This should be covered under the 5 year warranty, but who has time to wait for a factory repair?
That's great! I am sure you will love your mower as i do. A lot of guys ask me if I still fold up my machine after every use...I absolutely do. It is the best feature of this mower. Will it crimp the wire again? Probably. It is an easy fix if it does happen. (there is a video that shows how :) lol). Yes, you can just have it repaired under warranty, if you have a backup mower on hand and the desire to deal with the entire process. The reason I made this video is because, like my mower, thousands of units out there are surpassing their 5 year warranty period everyday and folks are faced with replacement vs repair. Thanks for the input and thanks for watching!
@@EndWrenchRookie Yes thanks for the great video and the information on fixing the issue if it ever arises.
Thank you! It must have been the handle extension safety switch - I also store mine folded up in my garden shed but never have to shorten the handle. All I had to do was collapse the handle and re--extend it and it works fine!
Thank you! Ya, lots of safety gizmos on these machines. Probably a good thing. :) Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yes the wire harness and wire fatigue is a weak point in these mowers. I have fixed three different EGO mowers where the self propel quit. All those wires were broken at the mid point of the handle where it collapses for storage. I replaced the wire at the breaks with heavier gauge wire on each mower and the SP started working. I have told everybody I know with an EGO mower not to collapse the handles. Now I may stop bending the handle too.
Thanks for the comment! Ya, it is definitely a weak point. Luckily it is an easy fix. I haven't had any problems with my repair yet. I agree that it would be better not to fold them down anymore to avoid further crimping of the wires, however, I am really limited on space and need to collapse it in order to store it out of the way. Also, I really enjoy the process of folding and unfolding the machine. It makes me feel like a kid playing with a Transformer toy :) I will likely have to fix more wires in the future, but that is the price I pay for entertainment. LOL. Thanks for the info and for sharing your story. Also, thank you for watching!
I called EGO after repairing the third lawnmower and supposedly talked to a tech rep about it. He was very non-committal about the problem. I also talked to an EGO rep at a Lowe's when Lowe's took over distribution. Same non-committal. I love EGOs products and their warranty is the best. Hopefully newer generations will have wiring upgrades. Great videos by the way. @@EndWrenchRookie
@@old-n-still-runnin1597 Very interesting...Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, I think that products just aren't made to last these days. I imagine someone figured out how many times the average user would collapse and unfold the mower, then multiplied that by length of the warranty, then tested the durability of different wire setups, and landed on an average of a usability factor of 5 years one month. Science...Lol
Congrats on fixing it. The sad part is that decades ago they moved into much smaller wires which really hamper your ability to splice and fix (esp wired headphones). Cannot believe on a device like this they would still use such small gauge wires (what 22?). Good comments here too. The "compact" feature appears to be the main culprit in how long this unit will last. Thanks.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the input and feedback. I agree, the wires are undersized and not made for longevity. It is a fine balancing act for a company to figure out how to make products that either last or make profit. Just glad I was able to get it back into service same-day, without having to deal with a warranty claim. Thanks for the comment!
I was having the same problem with my ego and I noticed the two green clamps on the side of the bars loosen with use causing the bars to slide down and prevent your blades from rotating. Grab some duct tape 😂 and wrap around the bars and clamps to stop the bars from slipping down. Gotta love the duct tape.
That's great. Nice fix. Ya, I had the same problem. I actually ended up snapping off one of the green tabs inside of the handle frame. I stuck a screw in it to hold it for a while, but I eventually replaced the green lock handle. I have a video on this channel of that process.
@@EndWrenchRookie 👍
impressive skill and patience, well done!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Ya, I find it does me no good getting worked up when stuff breaks. I am just glad that it worked out and that I was able to bring you all along with me. Thanks for watching!
I bought the same mower. I too stored it folded. Then, after 2 years, I had the same problem. Still under warranty, I got authorization to bring it to Ace for repair. It turned out, they trashed it in their attempt to fix it. I ended up with a new replacement.
Wow. That worked out well for you. (assuming that it didn't put you out of a mower for the rest of the mowing season). Thanks for sharing.
@@EndWrenchRookie No. I still have my zero turn mower. I just enjoy the Ego mower more. 😁
@@tac73 That's cool. Ya, I have had at least 50 comments about why I didn't just warranty my machine. It was because it is my only machine. I was able to fix it in less than an hour, for free, while making a UA-cam video about it. There was a storm coming that day and I really needed to get the lawn mowed asap. :)
Thanks for the assistance. Cant wait to fix mine. Have a wonderful day.
That's great! Sorry that you are having trouble with your machine, but I am glad to have helped you out. Thanks for watching!
Good video 👍 Thanks for taking the time to make the video . 👍
Thanks! You are welcome. I hope it helps you out :)
I don’t fold my Ego handles down for this reason, good job 👍
That is cool. You will probably never have to dust off the old soldering iron then :) Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching
Excellent. I've been looking at getting an EGO mower, good to know that this is a possibility of something happening in the future and what to look for! Thanks for the video.
Thank you so much! I definitely suggest buying one if it fits your needs. Thanks for watching!
stay with gas
@@Monza62000 Compelling argument
I love my Ego. It lasted 8 years before I had a recent problem. It is so much quieter and I don't have to keep gas and oil on hand for it. S. Beasley
I had that same failure in that same mower. mine was under warranty, so they replaced the harness and safety switch at the base of the handle. I came to the same conclusion you did. They clearly didn't intend for it to be folded every time. These mowers are actually pretty easy to disassemble and repair, so it's not a big deal, but it's frustrating a feature they advertise is not as robust as you might expect. I suspect my failure was the harness, and failed like a car door harness, the wire was broken inside the insulation.
Well it is great that you got it all fixed up :) Ya, I could have tried to warranty it as well but I really needed to get the lawn mowed that day and I don't have a backup mower for the downtime. Also, that wouldn't have made a very interesting UA-cam video :) Thanks for watching!
@@EndWrenchRookie I agree, but when I had my failure, I had a backup, so it made sense for a free replacement harness.
Ironically I had this same exact issue about a year ago. I took it apart and traced it down to that heat shrink tubing. I stopped there as the mower was still under warranty. I took it to their shop and their “fix” was to replace the entire handle assembly. It’s working good as new now but I know exactly where to look now as it will likely happen again in another 3 years.
That's cool. At least you were able to get it fixed up :) Hopefully you have better luck this time. Thanks for watching!
Cool, thanks for sharing. I made my decision to get the EGO because of your long term use. That's a chill dog too.
Wow! Thank you so much! That is really cool. I am sure you will love your machine. My son just bought one as well as a first time homeowner and he also really likes it. Thanks for the feedback. Ya, doggo is like 14 years old, so he pretty much chills all the time. Thanks for watching and good luck with your yardwork!
When I first got mine I took it apart and cut all the plastic out that the wires run through inside The mower because I noticed as you folded they get caught up in the plastic channels I also added loom to it no problems yet
That is very smart. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way! Thanks for the info and thanks for watching!
Just yesterday, I bought a used EGO 21" mower on Marketplace. The guy said it was working fine and now the blades don't spin up. I needed parts to repair the height adjusted for my front wheels, so I figured I would use parts from his mower. I only paid $50 for the "fixer." Now that I have seen this, I will attempt the same repair. If it works, I'll just have a "new" mower for $50! WOW! Thanks for posting this! By the way, do you know how to do a "reset" on the EGO batteries?
That is great! By my estimation, there are thousands of these units out there that are having the same problem. Especially once they are out of warranty they are likely to be discarded. I would pick up as many as you can find :) Have not heard of resetting the batteries, sorry. Thanks for watching!
Most lawn mowers are designed to only last 3-4 seasons. As my Father always says, it's planned obsolescence. They are designed to breakdown, so you have to buy a new one. I have a Husqvarna that still runs, but a bolt that holds the handle on and a couple other things fell out and not even the manufacturer has replacements. I have to get the other one and take it to a machine shop to have one specially made.
Sounds about right. Longevity is not good for business. Thanks for watching
Very nicely done!!
Thank you so much. Thanks for watching!
This is so helpful. Thank you!
That's great. I am glad to have helped out, if at all :) Thanks for watching!
I am a ham radio operator I love electronic hobbies
You knock it out of the park, awsome really great job of process of eliminating the obvious.
However, ------ I want to see more of that black 2dr coupe more more , 56 Ford????
Lol. That's great. Thanks for the feedback! The car in the background is a 1964 Corvair Monza 110. I have videos of all three of my Corvairs on my channel :) Thanks for watching!
Excellent to know .. I have the "exact" same self-propelled mower ..
That's cool. I sure have enjoyed mine over the years. Thanks for watching!
Congrats on getting it working. One thing I will note, from personal experience. You lucked out this time. You would have had a lot of unnecessary work to undo had your fix failed. You should always test the wiring before using the heat shrink or anything else. You can save yourself a lot of time that way. Great job otherwise! :)
Thank you so much! Great tip. It's funny, I didn't really plan on making a video that day...I just wanted to get my lawn mowed before the storm hit :) Thanks for watching!
Bet the small (3) wire cable is the Control Signal, DC Power & DC Ground to the lawn mowers motor ESC module ( Electronic Speed Controller ). The electronic ESC is very close to the same device used in Radio Controlled model airplanes.
Sounds about right. Thanks for the input!
I have the same mower, but my problem is the self propel speed controller (the green, red and black wires) went from working fine - to working only on high speed - to not working at all. I am thinking that I have the same issue that you have, crimped wiring at that hinge. Although I am also afraid that my wires could be wearing out where the handle collapses. Tearing it all apart tomorrow.
Sorry to hear that. Hope your repair goes well. Best of luck on it. Thanks for watching!
That dog in the background, is that a real one? So calm and composed, both of them know what exactly they are doing and hence the calmness. :)
Lol. Ya, he's real. He's just old :)
@@EndWrenchRookie What is his name?
@@curious-abc-xyz Pedro
I had to collapse the handle every time I put it into my truck. Eventually the wire inside of the harness wore out/ broke due to being tightly bent and then straightened out a couple hundred times. I found the wire that frayed/broke internally and then did a splice repair. About now, two years later, it started cutting out and then run a bit for 4 seconds and then die. I strongly suspect the 700 Watt controller failed. The motor never worked again. This seems to be a recurring problem on older EGO mowers. Mine was manufactured December 2018, and I took delivery April 2019. I have rental properties and I do a lot of mowing myself. I estimate I put about 4 years worth of mowing into one mowing season typical of an average home owner. I wore out gasoline mowers about every 4 years even though they were maintained regularly. I found a 2021 EGO motor/ controller with complete plastic motor housing and will replace all of it as one unit. I will have an old chassis with new guts.
Nice. Way to get stuff done! I will keep an eye on my machine for signs of the controller failing. Thanks for the heads up. Thanks for watching!
My new Ego mower purchased in April 22 did the same thing this year when I first started to use it. Had a hard time with phone support finding me a shop that repairs them. Fortunately , Lowe’s let me swap it out with a new one.
Thanks for sharing. Ya, its going to be a while until repair shops catch up with the electric mower game. You pretty much have to work out a full replacement under warranty if you want to get it fixed. You are lucky to have gotten Lowes to replace for you. Hopefully your new unit works better for you. Thanks for watching!
Very interesting! I have a few Ego products and need a new mower. With limited space, I also plan to fold it up to store… but your theory makes sense as to why it fails. Other than this, I assume the mower works well. I’ve seen a few people post that it still hasn’t been resolved, so would you recommend NOT folding the mower to avoid potential stress on the wires?
Thanks for the question. To be honest, the folding capability is my favorite part of the mower. I still fold it up every time I use it. If you have trouble with it like I did, you can have it repaired under warranty, or just solder in a repair wire like I did in this video. It is a free fix that takes less than an hour to do. Good luck!
Nice troubleshooting job. I don't know if I could do as well as you have. I believe that I have the same mower that you have, it is about 3 years old. Knock on wood, I haven't yet had any issues. Great video.
Wow! Thank you so much for the feedback! I hope you do not have trouble with your machine either. Although if you do, I am sure you can get it taken care of. Thanks for watching!
Good catch! Thanks for posting. Mine is from 2017, so this may be in my future. Thanks again.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words. Thank you for commenting and for watching. Good Luck with your machine!
when you got to the state that the motor was not running and you figured out it was that wire. Were the lights and the wheels also not working? I am not comfortable re-wiring but I have no problem replacing the whole harness, but wondered its worth the cost to end up finding out it was a whole different issue.
Understandable. You could very well replace the entire harness just to find out it is a loose connection at the controller, or any number of other issues. The only way to isolate the issue is to take it apart and start investigating. If you plan to replace the harness then you are going to have to take it all apart anyway. If I remember...the drive and the lights still worked at the time of the issue. Yes, there could be any number of issues causing your problem, but after interacting with as many people as I have on this video, I would bet that you have the same problem at the same hinge-point area.
I would take the wiring out of the plastic elbow. Take it direct to the wiring box. Using larger wires may be a problem in the future. Good , informative video.
Great tips. Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!
Your video is about one of the best I have seen.
Wow! Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate the feedback. :) It is funny, I never meant to record a video about my lawn mower, it just happened to break that day so I turned on the camera. I am glad it has helped out so many people. Thanks again and thanks for watching!
FYI, I stored mine all folded up in my small shed for years and never had this issue, so I don't think it's a matter of it not being designed to fold up every time it's used. Still going strong 6 or 7 years later.
Next time you decide to pop this open, take the battery out for your safety. Also watch out for any large capacitors. I don't know how this thing is build, but large capacitors can be extremely dangerous.
Awesome! Ya, I probably should have had the battery out when I was fixing it up. Thanks for the input and for watching!
ditto
@@johnmarquardt1991 :)
Yep, most motor controllers have capacitors in them. Its a good practice to hit the 'on button' after de-energizing (removing the battery) the circuit.
Good job brother!
Thank you!
That conduit / plastic sleeve thing should have extended all the way into the housing up to the point where the wires no longer move. As an Ego owner this is disappointing that they would miss something so obvious. Glad it was an easy fix, but still frustrating.
Thank you for the input! I am really glad it was an easy fix as well. I am still overall very pleased with the EGO products. Thank you for watching!
@@EndWrenchRookie It was a great video! I think you had a good balance of showing the critical parts, and skipping through the more basic parts like soldering. Overall I've been happy with the EGO products as well. I chose the platform because it seems they thought through the battery cooling better than most other of the high voltage platforms. Unfortunately they don't have the power tool experience of say Dewalt, Milwaukee or Makita. Those companies would have known to shield that wire better. I hope the longevity is as good as the short term performance...
Thanks again for the comment! Yeah, I was pretty surprised when I read the battery charger manual to find that they had not only cooling included, but also a long term docking setup where the battery will stay charged and cool for long periods and if it goes too long, the charger will automatically discharge and recharge the battery to keep it fresh. How far we have come...