# Swardman Edwin 2.0 Broken Handle Bar and Sheared Bolt



## lacrossekite (Aug 10, 2020)

Anyone had these issues and any ideas on how to fix?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

lacrossekite said:


>


Edited: I changed my mind about possible abuse.


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## M3ntalATX (Jun 4, 2021)

My question would be how did those pieces connecting the bars to the engine shear in half like that? (I hope I'm interpreting the first photo correctly). Seems like it would require some type of rapid force being applied.

With those broken it doesn't seem crazy that the welds are acting like a fulcrum for the rest of the machine.


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## lacrossekite (Aug 10, 2020)

Yeah the bars broken is the main issue. Guess I'll have to get some metal screws/bolts to see if I can bring it back together before the welds come off.

I've babied the heck out of this machine since the drum shaft sheared in half and was careful with it before hand as well. Honestly the machine is kind of stressful to use since I feel I have to be so careful with it.

I believe this one has just been a Lemmon from the manufacture.

I did buy it used. I guess it's possible the previous owner did something to it that is causing me these issues, but honestly I doubt it since he told me it had barely been used and looked the part when I inspected it.


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## TheCutShop (Jun 24, 2021)

Looks like a cold weld with no penetration to me. Cold welds in tension with leverage will do this sooner than later.


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## OKC Lush (May 20, 2020)

I'm not sure what could have caused such a force to shear the metal. If not abuse by prior owner then maybe it was shipping damage.


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## Bombers (Jul 14, 2020)

TheCutShop said:


> Looks like a cold weld with no penetration to me. Cold welds in tension with leverage will do this sooner than later.


Agreed. Poor quality. There's only weld seam on the outside. They didn't even attempt to at least weld over the material thickness and at least 1" on the inside before clearance issues.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

This broke first. How this part break? The most logical way is for the handle bar to push it towards the motor. Like a car/truck backing into it in a garage. This was an used machine, do you know if it had an issue prior to your use? It is out of focus but you can almost see the contact point between the handle and the bracket (by the motor bolts). 


lacrossekite said:


>


If you look at that same piece at the broken point you will see that it has a curve to it instead of being straight. This is to me a sign that there was strain before the break. Again this is in the same direction as the handle being pushed towards the motor.


>


Lastly, if you also look at that weld (what most are saying is the cause of this, but I disagree, to me it was a secondary issue cause by the first) you can see that the flat piece has what looks like a bent to it. The bend looks to start at the point of the weld breakage towards the operator side. With the top bracket broken, all the force of lifting the front of the machine via the handle will cause the weld to be in tension and break apart and bend the bottom plate.

In this image it looks like that bottom plate used to be straight. 


lacrossekite said:


>


Looking at the fracture surfaces under a microscope could allow to for inclusions in the metal or some other issue, but the most likely cause of the damage is not a manufacturing or design issue in my opinion.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

I don't recall seeing others having this problem with the welds. But I may be wrong. If this is really the only case of it then logically it would likely be abuse. There are a lot of people putting a lot of hours on these machines and I would think we'd be seeing this issue repeatedly if it were a real issue.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

TheCutShop said:


> Looks like a cold weld with no penetration to me. Cold welds in tension with leverage will do this sooner than later.


While I'd say it was abused, looking at those welds, they don't look great.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Get a welder/fabricator/machine shop's opinion on fixing the broken welds. It looks worse than it is. What on earth caused a tension break in that smaller bracket? (The one that reaches up to the engine?)

The welds certainly are not the point of failure here. They've been exposed to extreme force from the handle since that one bracket broke free. Is that bracket normally bent right where that break is?


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## TheCutShop (Jun 24, 2021)

Abuse or not, it's a bad weld. Yes the weld failed (certified welder/fabricator/ machine shops opinion.)


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## lacrossekite (Aug 10, 2020)

Yes, agreed the weld is only failing because the support bracket broke. Any ideas on how to rig up a new bracket?

Only force applied was tilting back. I did have the grass catcher on and it was full. No abuse to the machine as I baby it, but don't know what happened with it before I purchased so folks can take that as they may.

The machine (55cm version) is heavy so just that small bracket holding nearly all that weight seems to be the issue. Maybe bad/faulty metal used in the bracket.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Is this bracket normally straight or bent slightly in the area of the break?


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

Sorry to hear that.

Oddly enough, I just had a bolt shear and weld pop on my Electra 1.0 tonight. I had just replaced the handle last week and I am pretty gentle with it. I have the transport wheels and that seems to put a lot of torque on the affected area when used.


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## bgrass (Jun 1, 2018)

My Edwin 2.0 has also broken around the welds. No abuse here. I only use it to mow my 1400 sq fr front yard during the season. I also use pgr so that limits my mowings. No attachments either. I haven't posted about it or
contacted Reel Rollers as I've had the mower 2 years and figure it's my problem to get fixed. Going to try to find a local welder maybe? Guessing that's the route. Currently using clamps to hold it all in place :shock:


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## SeanBB (Jul 11, 2020)

Yikes you guys! &#128556;


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## Hapa512 (Mar 22, 2020)

I would suggest that you contact Reel Rollers or Swardman. If not? I might be able to ask my neighbor to fabricate another set of brackets to fix that issue. It's one for the side and another bracket for the engine. Works like a champ for now.

Sorry my mower is a little dirty as you can see..lol


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Yikes! So that's three examples of the same break. I would say that rules out abuse. Must be a weak point. I wonder if it was improved on the 2.1 models? Seems like I remember stronger handlebars being one of the improvements. Not sure if that was the handlebars themselves, the attachment point, or both?


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## SeanBB (Jul 11, 2020)

@ware ^&#128175;


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Same break point, this points at fatigue. One side of that bracket is welded, but the other is bolted to the engine. They will likely need to bolt the piece on and then weld, but i don't see a lot of space to weld in there. If they are welding first and then forcing the piece to match the engine bolts location, that can start bending that piece. The mass and vibration from the engine that also cause problems. This is a good one for Ansys.


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## Bombers (Jul 14, 2020)

Not sure how much clearance is between support bar holes and bolts, but it might be worth it to get some vibration damping bushings, or at the very least cushioning washers to alleviate some stress.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Wow… that's wild seeing it on multiple mowers.

Using the term "widespread" wouldnt be correct, but I would contact swardman about it, perhaps offering more evidence from others about maybe getting some help in a repair. I'm sure they'll stay on the line and anyone who has a model out of warranty, or bought it used will be told by swardman and their agents, sorry but nothing we can do.


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## lacrossekite (Aug 10, 2020)

Who knows how many have failed or about to fail and folks just are dealing with it and not bringing it up.

Swardman should thank their stars they have Lee at Reel Rollers handling all these issues.


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## TheCutShop (Jun 24, 2021)

Anybody in the Denver CO area have one that's cracked?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

@Hapa512 A pair of those brackets would be a good solution IMO. :thumbup:


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

g-man said:


> Same break point, this points at fatigue. One side of that bracket is welded, but the other is bolted to the engine. They will likely need to bolt the piece on and then weld, but i don't see a lot of space to weld in there. If they are welding first and then forcing the piece to match the engine bolts location, that can start bending that piece. The mass and vibration from the engine that also cause problems. This is a good one for Ansys.


Sounds in line with a complaint from people that the swardmans vibrate a ton and rattle. Suspect not really many areas that are solid for them to mate the handlebar as well as they could? The handlebar being bolted to the motor like that would cause the excessive vibrations, and the strain you mentioned.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

FATC1TY said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > Same break point, this points at fatigue. One side of that bracket is welded, but the other is bolted to the engine. They will likely need to bolt the piece on and then weld, but i don't see a lot of space to weld in there. If they are welding first and then forcing the piece to match the engine bolts location, that can start bending that piece. The mass and vibration from the engine that also cause problems. This is a good one for Ansys.
> ...


Actually, what it looks like they are trying to do is use the engine itself as a structure, which is a good strategy IMO. The weak point lies in the bracket that's bolted to the engine, right above where it's welded to the mower chassis. Every time force is exerted on the handle, it's going to bend that bracket slightly and apparently fatigue it over time. A sturdier bracket welded a bit further up the sides would probably hold up just fine.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

That bracket looks to have been redesigned on the 2.1 models. It is now a solid piece.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

bernstem said:


> That bracket looks to have been redesigned on the 2.1 models. It is now a solid piece.


Is it welded closer to the top as well?


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

MasterMech said:


> bernstem said:
> 
> 
> > That bracket looks to have been redesigned on the 2.1 models. It is now a solid piece.
> ...


It looks like it is welded for ~3 inches up the side or a bit over half way. I can't get a good picture of the weld for comparison, but I think it is a longer weld.


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## Hapa512 (Mar 22, 2020)

MasterMech said:


> @Hapa512 A pair of those brackets would be a good solution IMO. :thumbup:


I'm blessed with having a neighbor that is a retired vet with a machine shop in his garage..lol..I like seeing all the inputs from everyone, but I'm more of a solution guy myself.


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## Slim 1938 (Aug 24, 2019)

I think @lacrossekite deserves an apology from some of you. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

Slim 1938 said:


> I think @lacrossekite deserves an apology from some of you. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


For what? A normal conversation of give and take and brainstorming ideas?


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## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

Hapa512 said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> > @Hapa512 A pair of those brackets would be a good solution IMO. :thumbup:
> ...


The best kind of neighbor to have!


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Slim 1938 said:


> I think @lacrossekite deserves an apology from some of you. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣


Nah, he doesn't need one. It was mostly for everyone to not state what they really thought so early in the thread.


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## sheiraas (Jun 6, 2019)

Add another one to the list... I have only 72 hours on my swardman. The crappy thing is I think my 2 years was just up Sept 29th.. Has anyone had any luck working with landzie yet?


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## Bombers (Jul 14, 2020)

The only way to find out is be the first guinea pig lol. Another alternative that might be faster is find a welder on FB/CL and have them add beefier welds to those bracket.s


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2021)

Damn that sucks sorry this is going on with swardmans owners


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Yeah that sucks.


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

@sheiraas I am working with Landzie on some other items. I got my Electra welded back together but since I reconnected the battery I have had no luck getting it to move after countless resets. Best of luck.


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## tblood (Aug 7, 2018)

g-man said:


> This broke first. How this part break? The most logical way is for the handle bar to push it towards the motor. Like a car/truck backing into it in a garage. This was an used machine, do you know if it had an issue prior to your use? It is out of focus but you can almost see the contact point between the handle and the bracket (by the motor bolts).
> 
> 
> lacrossekite said:
> ...






It isn't abuse. It's a crappy design.


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## tblood (Aug 7, 2018)

Out of respect for Lee, because his customer service was so good, I didn't post any of the issues I had with mine, but the last was long. I specifically asked swardman if they thought the machine could hold up to what I planned to use it for, and I was assured that it would. Then every time it broke, they tried to blame me for it. Lee was the only voice of reason. I went through two of the Edwins in less than a year. Swarsman's approach was to try to send me the parts an have me fix it myself, when the rear drum broke.. I refused and sent it back to them. They sent me a new one, then the handle broke. Their approach to fixing that issue was to pay me back for having the welds fixed. Again, I refused. I paid a lot of money with the blessings and assurance from the company, not Lee, that what I was doing was well within the design specs. No way was I having that kind of warranty support. Those were just the major design flaws. I had to change out all of the drive gears less than two months after I bought it. That should have been and omen.


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

@tblood You are not alone. We should probably gather a list of users and machine status because it does not seem like most are holding up as they were promised and we're left high and dry. Right now I'm in at about $100/mow for the life of the machine with no resolution in sight. I am so glad I didn't end up selling to @MNLawnGuy1980 this past spring, I would have felt absolutely terrible with what has happened to the machine this year. I would lose sleep.


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## tblood (Aug 7, 2018)

mowww said:


> @tblood You are not alone. We should probably gather a list of users and machine status because it does not seem like most are holding up as they were promised and we're left high and dry. Right now I'm in at about $100/mow for the life of the machine with no resolution in sight. I am so glad I didn't end up selling to @MNLawnGuy1980 this past spring, I would have felt absolutely terrible with what has happened to the machine this year. I would lose sleep.


Luckily, mine is long gone, but I kept the pictures in case anybody had a similar isuue and needed backup.


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## sheiraas (Jun 6, 2019)

They are supposedly shipping me a new "Frame" to replace mine. Sounds like i have to remove the engine from the old one and mount it on the new frame. Its still on a shipping container somewhere it sounds like but this should be interesting either way when it finally arrives.


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## Guest (11 mo ago)

sheiraas said:


> They are supposedly shipping me a new "Frame" to replace mine. Sounds like i have to remove the engine from the old one and mount it on the new frame. Its still on a shipping container somewhere it sounds like but this should be interesting either way when it finally arrives.


Bad design/manufacturing I'd say...


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Nixnix42 said:


> sheiraas said:
> 
> 
> > They are supposedly shipping me a new "Frame" to replace mine. Sounds like i have to remove the engine from the old one and mount it on the new frame. Its still on a shipping container somewhere it sounds like but this should be interesting either way when it finally arrives.
> ...


Atleast you learn about your mower I guess. You end up having to rebuild it enough, eventually you will not be as stressed about broken stuff…. I'd still be livid at the cost, plus my time to repair.


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## Guest (11 mo ago)

Exactly I'd be pissed off if I invested that much money in a product and the manufacturer wanted me to troubleshoot it AND fix it then get back with them on that..f**k that.


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## sheiraas (Jun 6, 2019)

Yea not very happy at all. 72 hours on my machine and its broke. Working with Landzie they stated I could find a local repair shop to fix it and within reason would pay for it. Not sure how a local repair show will know how to work on Swardmans.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

They won't, but maybe have Landzie reach out to the folks you pick for the work. It's kind of garbage to expect you to do their work for them.


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## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

I had a caterpillar weld engineer take care of mine. We added some stock, ended up stronger than ever. Unfortunately upon reinstallation of the electronics nothing would work. Got a new unit heavily discounted since swardman couldn't figure out why it wouldn't run. Yeah no glove haha.


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## GreenLand (May 23, 2019)

Man all the failures in this thread suck bad. I am sorry for you guys spending $4k plus on these.

I would be willing to bet the welding done in the pic fried that board next to it. Likely a fried capacitor or transistor.

May yall be blessed.



mowww said:


> I had a caterpillar weld engineer take care of mine. We added some stock, ended up stronger than ever. Unfortunately upon reinstallation of the electronics nothing would work. Got a new unit heavily discounted since swardman couldn't figure out why it wouldn't run. Yeah no glove haha.


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## FoldsPocketAces (Mar 16, 2019)

Glad I saw this thread! Was planning on splurging this years bonus on one of these today. I'll look for something else


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## Guest (10 mo ago)

Keep your C-25


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