Yesterday my Flymo was working OK but suddenly it began to run slow and
there was a smell of burning. I stopped using it immediately.
Is this a brushes problem? Should I strip I down and have a look?
Blair

"Blair"  wrote in message 
news:dg0f8i$cov$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...

> Yesterday my Flymo was working OK but suddenly it began to run slow and
> there was a smell of burning. I stopped using it immediately.
> Is this a brushes problem? Should I strip I down and have a look?
> Blair


You'll probably find the motor has burnt out!  I had one that did this and 
so did my neighbours, both were Compact 380's BTW.  It was more cost 
effective to buy a new one and sling the burnt out one, after vandalising it 
(them) for spares.

HTH

John

"John"  wrote in message 
news:dg0kih$j5s$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...

> "Blair"  wrote in message 
> news:dg0f8i$cov$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>> Yesterday my Flymo was working OK but suddenly it began to run slow and
>> there was a smell of burning. I stopped using it immediately.
>> Is this a brushes problem? Should I strip I down and have a look?
>> Blair
>
> You'll probably find the motor has burnt out!  I had one that did this and 
> so did my neighbours, both were Compact 380's BTW.  It was more cost 
> effective to buy a new one and sling the burnt out one, after vandalising 
> it (them) for spares.


The plastic bits seem to degrade after 10 yrs.  My Flymo strimmer motor is 
still fine after oiling the bearings several times, but the plastic parts 
elsewhere are splitting up.  So its off to the great tip in the sky.

Probably planned obsolescence.

"Rusty"  wrote in
news:dg0lo7$4tb$1@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk: 


> The plastic bits seem to degrade after 10 yrs.  
> 
> Probably planned obsolescence.
> 

10 whole years! I doubt it   ;-)

mike

John wrote:

> "Blair"  wrote in message 
> news:dg0f8i$cov$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
> 
>>Yesterday my Flymo was working OK but suddenly it began to run slow and
>>there was a smell of burning. I stopped using it immediately.
>>Is this a brushes problem? Should I strip I down and have a look?
> 
> You'll probably find the motor has burnt out!  I had one that did this and 
> so did my neighbours, both were Compact 380's BTW.  It was more cost 
> effective to buy a new one and sling the burnt out one, after vandalising it 
> (them) for spares.


Interesting - I have the same model too, and exactly the same thing 
happened to me this summer.  It wasn't very old or particularly 
hard-worked so I was a bit miffed - I wonder if they have a fundamental 
problem, eg with having to carry the extra weight of collected grass? 
My 'other' much older Flymo is still in use after about 10 years with no 
problems or any servicing - it's a non-grass-collecting one (which is 
why I bought a Compact 380).

David

On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 12:06:08 GMT, Lobster
 scrawled:


>I wonder if they have a fundamental 
>problem, eg with having to carry the extra weight of collected grass? 


More likely a fundamental design flaw in that they use the cheapest
motors possible because no-one wants to pay for decent equipment any
more. 
-- 
Stuart @ SJW Electrical

Please Reply to group

IMO the present Flymo product is not of merchandisable quality, and 
anyone who buys one is very misguided. We bought one of these mowers a 
couple of years ago and returned it to B & Q after a day as 
unsatisfactory. Our 30 year old 21" Flymo which does not collect grass 
is still running on it's original electric motor. It has broken a couple 
of fans, however, when I consider the number of times the children have 
attempted to plough with it, the reliability has been outstanding. The 
really cheap replacement grass collecting 15"(say) wheeled rotary with 
an induction motor is running well and light enough for her to use!! 
Many shops will no longer sell small Flymos as the returns rate is too 
high. Their strimmers are not much better. I'm waiting for the Chinese 
to get into the act, perhaps then we will get a reliable Flymo type 
mower at a low price.

	Regards
	Capitol

Capitol wrote:

>     IMO the present Flymo product is not of merchandisable quality, and 
> anyone who buys one is very misguided.


I certainly agree that it's well worth avoiding anything with the
word "flymo" and either "compact", "Turbo", or both, like the plague.

Chris Bacon wrote:

>Capitol wrote:
>>     IMO the present Flymo product is not of merchandisable quality, 
>>and  anyone who buys one is very misguided.
>
>I certainly agree that it's well worth avoiding anything with the
>word "flymo" and either "compact", "Turbo", or both, like the plague.


Verily, it flies not, neither doth it mow.


-- 
Ian White