Worx is a renowned garden tool manufacturer with a whole line of cordless electric lawnmowers. Despite the feasibility of electric mowers over traditional gasoline variants, keeping the machine running smoothly during its life is critical. Some common problems that can occur due to poor maintenance routines are related to the drive and cutting performance of a lawnmower.

Worx Lawnmower Cutting & Drive Problems: Troubleshooting with fixes

If your lawnmower doesn’t cut the way it should examine the blades for blunt edges and signs of wear. Note that the blade should be correctly mounted and not wobble about its axis. If the lawnmower doesn’t go forward or drives roughly, the drive belt that powers the wheels must be examined for wear and tear. If a hard drive is observed, examine the wheel and axle components and thoroughly grease the bearings. For replacements, you can seek professional aid.

In more detail, I will explain in this article how to troubleshoot when a lawnmower doesn’t cut or drive smoothly.

Worx Lawnmowers: Troubleshooting Cutting Problems

Worx is amongst the leading domestic tools and spare parts manufacturers. Self-propelled lawnmowers are its main product in the garden tools category. Worx produces only electric cordless lawnmowers with a self-propelled feature and operates on a BLDC motor instead of a gas engine.

Typically, these lawnmowers have lesser maintenance needs as they run on an electric motor and require a battery to be recharged. However, the remainder of the system, including the drive and cutting mechanism, requires attention for the lawnmower to operate seamlessly.

Here are some of the most common cutting-related problems amongst Worx lawnmowers.

1. Worx Lawnmower Does Not Cut Straight.

Some main reasons why your mower may not cut straight are: 

a. Blunt Mower Blades:  

When your lawnmower blade tips are worn out, some strands of grass can be left uncut. Moreover, worn-out blade tips fail to produce the necessary suction pressure, reducing the cutting performance.

The wear and tear of your lawnmower blades accelerate due to prolonged exposure to dirt. Please ensure that the blades are sharpened before the start of every season. Avoid mowing on patches with large stones as this could harm the blades.

Sharpening of lawnmower blades can be quickly done with a bench grinder. You can use a hand file and sandpaper to sharpen and clean the blades if unavailable.

b. Blade Vibrations: 

A blade that isn’t balanced at its center can wobble as it rotates, affecting the cutting performance. This occurs due to uneven wear or after sharpening the blade, which might have chipped off more metal from one side than the other.

Your blade vibrates while rotating if it is not balanced at its center. Even minor blade vibrations at high RPMs can cause damage to the spindle bearings in the long run.

Before installing your Worx lawnmower blade, use a blade balancer to confirm that it balances at its center. You can hang your blade from a nail in the wall if you don’t have one of these instruments. If it isn’t balanced at its center, it is best to replace the blade.

c. Faulty Spindle Bearings: 

Damaged spindle bearings are also a source of vibrations as the blade rotates, ultimately affecting cutting. The spindle assembly constitutes the bearing and the shaft on which the blade is mounted. To check if the bearings are okay, try rocking the blade and noticing any squeaking noise.

If the bearings are faulty, you can seek professional assistance replacing them, as the disassembly could require advanced tools and skill levels.

2. Worx Lawnmower Cuts Uneven Grass Patterns?

To troubleshoot your lawnmower that cuts unevenly, check out the following components in the same order.

– Blades:

Examine the blades for indications of dullness or wear. Sharpen them if they seem dull, or buy a new blade if they’re worn beyond repair.

– Mowing Deck: 

Your mowing deck should be set per the manual’s recommended ground clearance. Use a level gauge and the adjustment screws to ensure the deck stays at that height. It is important to mention that the deck needs to be horizontally leveled from all sides. A deck leaning towards one side is probably why your lawnmower cuts unevenly.

– Belt & Spindle Assembly: 

The cutting patterns are uneven and rough when the blades wobble during rotation. Blades usually wobble when the spindle bearings have worn out or if a mass imbalance exists in the center. A drive belt that has worn out considerably is also a factor that contributes to blade vibrations.

– Variable Speed: 

Sudden changes in mowing speed can cause patchy and rough grass patterns at those points. Maintain a constant, steady speed when operating the lawnmower. When mowing, avoid accelerating or abruptly slowing down.

3. Worx Lawnmower Doesn’t Cut at All?

Follow these steps if your mower is not cutting grass at all: 

– Check the Blade Engagement Lever: 

First, ensure the blade engagement lever is correctly engaged. The blade engagement lever pulls on the blade clutch cable, causing the blades to rotate. If the lever is not engaged, the blades will be locked and not cut despite the engine running.

Debris or grass clippings can occasionally restrict the clutch cable. If the lever doesn’t work, disassemble the lever and the deck and carefully scrub the interior of the mower deck to get rid of grass clippings and debris.

– Blade Belt Replacement:

 A worn-out blade belt doesn’t grip the pulley that drives the spindle, preventing the blades from rotating.

Apart from this, it could also result in jerks or vibrations, resulting in uneven cuts. To avoid this, inspect the blade belt regularly and replace it when it becomes worn. 

– Locked-Up Mandrel Assembly: 

The deck-mounted mandrel assembly rotates the blade to cut the grass. The blade will not move if the mandrel becomes stuck. A damaged mandrel could become a source of vibrations and uneven cutting. Inspect the mandrels regularly to see whether they need to be changed.

Hiring a professional to remove and replace the mandrel assembly is recommended.

Worx Lawnmowers: Troubleshooting Drive Problems

When a lawnmower cannot move forward despite the motor running, it usually indicates a fault in the drive belt and pulley mechanism. Apart from that, other factors must be troubleshot as well to resolve the problem.

Here are some of the common problems related to driving a Worx lawnmower.

1. Worx Lawnmower Doesn’t Move Forward.

Mowers with dead batteries, damaged drive belts, non-contact friction wheels, or worn tires find it challenging to move forward.

1. Dead Battery:

A dead battery is one of the most common causes of a riding lawnmower’s inability to move forward. Batteries often lose their charge-carrying capacity after a while. Resulting in no power available for the motor to power the lawnmower and move forward.

A low battery may be quickly fixed. It only needs to be recharged. Depending on your charger, it either has an indication light that changes to green when the battery is ultimately charged or turns off automatically.

I recommend getting a new battery if your old one keeps dying even after being recharged. Batteries begin to lose their capacity to store a charge as they age.

2. Drive Control:

If the drive control button isn’t pressed, the lawnmower’s drive function doesn’t work despite the motor running. Check that you follow the starting instructions listed in the owner’s manual. Check if the problem is fixed after pressing the drive control button. If not, go to the next step.

3. Overheated Motor:

If the lawnmower motor is overrevved or overheated, it engages a safety shutdown switch. The motor stays off until it is cooled down. If this happens in your case, wait for 10-15 minutes before starting the lawnmower.

Precaution: If the grass is too tall, the motor tends to overrev and can quickly heat up. This can be detrimental to the motor’s winding. To avoid such problems, maintain a slow and steady speed while cutting through tall grass. You can do extra strokes to trim tall grass strands instead of cutting it all in one go.

4. Drive Belt:

If all the above steps fail to fix the problem, the drive belt is the culprit. The lawnmower moves when its wheels propel when the drive belt rotates the axle pulley. The belt tends to break and deteriorate over time. This affects how much power is transmitted to the wheels.

The issue can be fixed by replacing the old belt with the new one.

Common Drive Related Issues:

Following are some typical problems that most Worx self-propelled lawnmower users face daily while driving.

1. The lawnmower undergoes jerks in its movement.

A jerky operation of a self-propelled lawnmower can be due to two main reasons:

• Incorrect Belt Tension: The drive belt tension is too loose due to the worn-out V-teeth of the belt. Due to this, the axle pulley isn’t engaged properly, leading to a slippery operation.
• Lack of lubrication: The axle pulleys and the axles must be lubricated with grease. Accumulation of dust increases friction and makes the drive hard and jerky.

2. The lawnmower experiences a high wheel drag.

When the wheels face a high resistance to drive, it adds additional load on the motor and also reduces the battery’s discharge time. Here’s how you can fix it:

• Debris buildup: The buildup of grass clippings and dirt between the wheels and the axle increases the wheel resistance. Clean the axles and wheels thoroughly using a wire brush.
• No lubrication: Lubricating the axle and the wheel bearings eases up the wheel rotation. If the bearings can’t be lubricated, they should be replaced at least once every year.
• Brake problems: If your lawnmower has a brake, check the brake discs to see if they disengage fully. Brakes that aren’t retracted exert additional resistance. You can fix this by adjusting the brake control cable. Or by grinding off the brake pads by a few millimeters.

Drive & Cutting Troubleshooting table

1. Lawnmower Cutting Problems

2. Lawnmower Drive Problems

Riding Lawnmowers

Self-Propelled Lawnmowers