# Allett Liberty 43 Mods



## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

Hey Everyone, I have been browsing for a few months and after seeding (a little late in the year) my back yard with Yukon that filled in (not as thick as i hoped) about 75% from middle of Sept 2021. I have been cutting the bermuda with the Fiskars StaySharp push reel mower and caught the Reel mower bug so I pulled the trigger on an Allett Liberty 43 with the extra cartridges. So since my bermuda is dormant I decided to do some mods to the mower, here are just a few i have done so far :mrgreen: ...

The first one was after watching the @Perfect Green youtube video of the height gauge modification and even though it was german it looked simple enough and it turned out great..



The second one took a little longer and after cutting the grass a couple times I found the front roller made the mower float around and not track very straight so since I could not find any grooved roller offerings and I had a few weeks off for the holidays I decided to get a new tool and learn how to turn on one on one of those Mini Metal Lathes from china. While it was a challenge and I could not turn one at the full length because the lathe was not long enough so I decided to break it down to 3 pieces and screw them together with 1/2" stainless steel threaded rods. This also let me learn another hobby of anodizing which is quite challenging as well. So after a few attempts I got a complete roller that the color matched.



The last mod was thinking about taking the side pannel off every time i needed to change the cartridge could be a pain so I just cut the section out where the gear slides out and used an acrylic hinge with a few small magnets to keep it closed and it does not look that pretty but it functions great.





Thanks
James


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## The Lawn Monk (Mar 15, 2021)

Looks awesome. Love the hinge idea!


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## DFWLawnNut (Jul 7, 2020)

How big does the slot need to be for the gear on that hinge? Ive been debating doing this too, especially since the new ego version has something similar.

Is this what you used?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZD4LF24/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AYZI7SD4348VU&psc=1


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

DFWLawnNut said:


> How big does the slot need to be for the gear on that hinge? Ive been debating doing this too, especially since the new ego version has something similar.
> 
> Is this what you used?
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZD4LF24/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AYZI7SD4348VU&psc=1


The way i did it was to mark the metal frame where the plastic sits when bolted down then that gave me the start staring point to get the depth. Then next i loosened the bolts and slid the cover off half way off and used the top and bottom edges of the cutout in the metal to mark the opening on the plastic housing. Then from the mark on the metal you can get the depth then i was able to mark where i needed to cut the plastic. i hope this makes sense...

here is the ones i used, i also purchased the tape separately.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078G826QG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

thanks
James


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Wow, the front roller is EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE!!!

I'm not familiar with the lathe you're talking about; I'm also curious if you put it on a new metal rod or re-used the existing, or really how you got it spinning nice & freely. Frankly, how many kegs of beer would it take to have you make me one? =D. lol. I don't need it anodized, or even shiny -- just smooth-rolling, straight-tracking, and grooved!! =D

The hinge is amazing too; I actually bought some [bigger] magnets and was going to try making the entire thing magnetic similar to the Swardman's setup, but the hinge idea is WAY better without a doubt -- wish I had thought of it. I basically have been keeping a drill with the hex bit in it full time & I have it sitting on my Liberty 43 at all times. I've replaced the screws holding the cartridge in [the ones that go into the metal, not the cover] a few times already, too.

I'm going to go ahead & buy what you linked and do the same thing right away.

FWIW, my mods are lame in comparison, but...

I've added a beer-holder -- it's relatively effective, and pitiful in comparison to your mods. =D

I also played around with adding some 12V LED lights, via a 40V converter, but wasn't overly thrilled with any of the mounting positions I came up with. For testing it I just mounted the LEDs to a thin piece of wood and tried clamping it on in various different ways. I may circle back to adding lights this summer, when it gets too hot to mow during the evenings, we'll see.

I did use "too hot/night mowing" as an excuse to add quite a bit of lighting around the yard, though what I really wanted was pseudo- "stadium" lighting -- but I quickly realized that it'd either require mounting LEDs to poles (ie elevation) around the perimeter (to prevent light bleed + shadows + pissed neighbors), otherwise lots of lower-brightness lights at more realistic heights. I did hang a few high in some trees, mostly for playground lighting, but my "ideal world" goal would probably be poles on my perimeter brick wall at ~15ft for more even & mostly top-down light coverage.

Anyways, love it, great stuff. Definitely would appreciate any details on the roller construction too; or, if you're ever in the Vegas area & up for collaborative effort on one, I'd be *more than* happy to supply the beer! =D


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

@ADanto6840 The lathe i purchased was a cheap 8x16 Chinese metal lathe off ebay, I took it completely apart and cleaned and adjusted it to learn. I guess got lucky compared to some reviews and it was not too bad. since my lathe would not turn anything longer than 10" with the chuck and tailstock i decided to break the roller down into 3 pieces also because of drilling and tapping them but they turned out great. there is no rod on these just some end fittings that fit in the bearing and bolt down to the frame on each side.

i have used it about 3 times now and it defiantly tracks better for me compared to the solid roller which floated around when cutting the grass.

if you want i put some versions of the roller in the market place that work fine just had color matching issues.

i did try the cheap solar lights from amazon and they were great for a month then they all died, my next light project is to run low voltage lighting but it is much more cost :x


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

I'm joining the modder club today -- two times over, actually, since I'm expecting one of your rollers to arrive soon today too!

With no shame, I copied your cartridge "door" nearly verbatim; mine looks a little _worse_ than yours, but it ought to be equally as functional, so doesn't bother me too much. And I'm *really* excited to not be taking the cover on/off 40++ times this season! =D







Tyvm for both the concept & the implementation details!! =D


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

ADanto6840 said:


> I'm joining the modder club today -- two times over, actually, since I'm expecting one of your rollers to arrive soon today too!
> 
> With no shame, I copied your cartridge "door" nearly verbatim; mine looks a little _worse_ than yours, but it ought to be equally as functional, so doesn't bother me too much. And I'm *really* excited to not be taking the cover on/off 40++ times this season! =D
> 
> ...


nothing wrong with that, mine is not the prettiest either but as long as it works that is all that really matters :mrgreen:


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

I have had a few instances in my limited use of the mower in that it was cutting a little lower on the left side especially on taller grass and was thinking about it might be a balance issue with the motor and build weight being mostly on the left side. So looking at the new version I see that the motor is now centered so i was thinking about a new mod just by adding a weight and balancing the mower. The weight is a 15lb ruck sack weight i cut down to make it lighter.

So in my case it seemed the physical center point looks to be about 1/2" to the left of the split drum (looking at the rear) so i just sit the mower on my table saw then took a pipe and laid it in the miter slot to make it stable then sit the mower on it centering it as close as i could. then i put a level on the mower and kept adding weights till it did not dive to one side or another. i know this is not the most accurate but it should get me close enough :mrgreen: .

here is the final weight on the mower, it is attached with some 80lb magnets with a countersunk hole i screwed into the weight. since the amount of strength to pull it off is so much i decided to put the fuzzy velcro side on the feet to lessen the strength of the magnets and allow me to slide it off instead of trying to actually pull it up.


here is the bottom and my final weight at about 12lbs.


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## DFWLawnNut (Jul 7, 2020)

KeeWay said:


> I have had a few instances in my limited use of the mower in that it was cutting a little lower on the left side especially on taller grass and was thinking about it might be a balance issue with the motor and build weight being mostly on the left side. So looking at the new version I see that the motor is now centered so i was thinking about a new mod just by adding a weight and balancing the mower. The weight is a 15lb ruck sack weight i cut down to make it lighter.
> 
> So in my case it seemed the physical center point looks to be about 1/2" to the left of the split drum (looking at the rear) so i just sit the mower on my table saw then took a pipe and laid it in the miter slot to make it stable then sit the mower on it centering it as close as i could. then i put a level on the mower and kept adding weights till it did not dive to one side or another. i know this is not the most accurate but it should get me close enough :mrgreen: .
> 
> ...


You have me watching a bunch of German youtube videos now lol. I like the round weights he used inside the drum, but that requires taking it apart quite a bit. Im definitely going to weigh mine left to right later when I get home lol. I emailed you about the last grooved roller btw.


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## monsonman (Dec 9, 2020)

Wow @KeeWay , fantastic job. I can't believe i missed the rollers in the classifieds. If for some reason you make another batch i would love to have one.

Did you notice an improvement on the cut after balancing the mower out? Mine started doing the same thing at the end of last season.


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

monsonman said:


> Wow @KeeWay , fantastic job. I can't believe i missed the rollers in the classifieds. If for some reason you make another batch i would love to have one.
> 
> Did you notice an improvement on the cut after balancing the mower out? Mine started doing the same thing at the end of last season.


thanks, i will keep you in mind if i do try some more later..

sorry my grass is not growing much right now but i do believe it will make a difference and i should know hopefully in a few weeks.


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## passionfruit23 (10 mo ago)

@KeeWay I am interested in a grooves roller also, if you make another batch!


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Few pics of my Allett with KeeWay's front roller added + recently-added "traction" grip for the rear roller (3M safety tread stuff), which has really been a solid improvement.





BTW, I scalped last night (photos in my journal thread) -- and I may have burned through (yet another) drive belt. I'm not *positive*, but I did hear the "scratchy-whirr" sound a few times while scalping, so wouldn't shock me if I've lost at least a few 'teeth' on the belt, grrrr. I think I'm down to ~2 spare drive belts now, so I'll probably need to get a few more to get through the season without 'belt anxiety'.


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## crice8 (Jun 7, 2021)

I would also be interested in a grooved roller for my Liberty 43! Yours looks absolutely fantastic! Please let me know if you make any more to sell


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

Ok here is another mod I am working on because I am getting tired of stripping belts and waiting on replacements and the high cost . The belts look to be under normal standards with teeth pitch around 4.7mm so finding belts is quite tough. I just stripped 2 belts last week so I am out of commission for the most part so I contacted Allett for a replacement drive gear/shaft (Drive Shaft F016A75060) and belt so that when I make my modifications I will still have the original setup to fall back on in case it does not work out.

So from what I am thinking the original motor drive gear is 9 tooth which may be too small to handle the torque from the motor and maybe why the belts are stripping and both my belts stripped the same way with it losing 2 teeth. The main gear is 50 teeth which puts the drive ratio at roughly 5.15:1. With my mods I am making it so that it will use either 4.16:1 or 5:1 gear ratios for testing to see which one I like. i am using a 12 tooth pinion and either a 50 or 60 tooth gear mounted to the modified shaft.

I have a few more tweaks to make on the main gear where it will mount to the shaft but I hope to test it out this weekend.

Here is the stripped belt:


the original pulley/belt setup:


New Mods :mrgreen: 





Thanks
James


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## DFWLawnNut (Jul 7, 2020)

Going the german guys route? I think this is almost a necessary mod for the mower. Ive stripped two of those belts as well. Id really be interested in a chain setup so you never have to touch it again.


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## jaxmatt (7 mo ago)

Were you successful with a new setup?


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

Latest update, I believe I am at a point where I can live with the changes. I abandoned keeping the original pinion gear because it was starting to loosen more and there is no way to tighten it up. I have found that there is epoxy on each side of the pinion you can easily drill out and to gain access to a pin holding it on the shaft, you can see my pin was bending and was probably the cause of the looseness.

With the old pinion gear removed it is left with a shaft that is 8mm where the hole is and 6mm forwards. you can see the new XL10 pulley with an 8mm bore I filled the open portion between the shaft and pulley with a little epoxy to give it a little more strength to not wobble under any load. Once I got the old pinion off taking apart the motor housing was pretty simple so i decided to upgrade the bearings with some leftover ceramic bearings i had from another project. the bearings were 608-2RS and 6000-2RS.

Here is a quick vid of the new mod, I let the grass grow pretty thick to test the load and while it seemed to bog down a little it was not too bad. I was running a 5:1 ratio while the original was 5.15:1. I also have a 6:1 ratio setup to give it a little more torque for when I am scalping or verticutting :mrgreen:.
https://youtube.com/shorts/1dcUHBRTP8Q









Thanks
James


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## crice8 (Jun 7, 2021)

Can you please post a parts list for the gear drive and belt upgrade!?!! This has been one of the aspects that has frustrated me the most about my Liberty 43 over the past year. I keep spare belts on hand, but I'd prefer to mod it with something more solid!


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

Well the belt mod worked fine and have not had any belts stripping under high load but now I am finding that the motor is just not capable and from what I can see it uses speed rather than torque  . I tried scalping from 1/2" to 3/8"" then to 1/4" and the motor just kept overheating or stopping and further investigating the motor is spinning around 10k rpm so pretty much looks like no real torque. using a rpm tach I was seeing over 10k at the motor and 2k at the main shaft/gear that drives all the others.

So another mod in the works (2000w Brushless Scooter Motor) :mrgreen:

So here goes my own version of a BLDC motor with chain drive. Here you can see what I have so far and now waiting on some final pieces for the conversion of the throttle with hall effect sensors to use a potentiometer for speed control. So far bench testing using the EGO 56v battery is working fine and the motor is quite a bit heavier and seems like a beast compared to the original.

Still working out the gearing and waiting on more sprockets to arrive. I am shooting for around 3:1 ratio which I estimate the shaft/gear should be around 1800-2000 so it will be close enough I believe.

Here is the motor:


The motor mounting plate I made:


Here you can see the guts removed from a spare EGO charger and misc plastic tabs with the wiring of the power from the battery to the controller.


Here is the BLDC controller positioned inside the case.


Here the motor/plate is test lined up.


The front and rear of the motor and battery set in place for the final mounting.



Now just got to work on the final electrical wiring over the next couple weeks once i get my parts.

Thanks
James


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Wow @KeeWay -- you really have a seriously great level of workmanship. It all happened so rapidly too, relatively speaking, at least! You went from semi-basic mods early this year, and quickly accelerated to the end of that spectrum all the way through to "rebuild it ground-up, to have the full capability you want"!

Looks like the new motor & controller are only around $140-ish too, eh? Kind of crazy how cheap it is; though I'd guess the battery itself probably runs around 2X that or more, hah.

Pretty damn impressive - looking forward to seeing how it performs when you're finished!!


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

@ADanto6840 thanks, I already had a few EGO tools and batteries so the conversion was not too bad :mrgreen:. also getting very frustrated trying to semi scalp using the mower showed me the motor was pretty weak and poorly designed cooling wise . i did find that if i removed the gray covering on the shaft side it did not overheat as much but staled a lot.

I was able to get the speed pot to work for the most part the only problem I ran into was that the controller needs the pot to be turned all the way down to start back up but all in all it is liveable until i can figure out how to start it up without turning the pot down then back up again. I also wired up the safety switch lever. The controller has 3 speeds so i wired up a switch which you can see on the side of the charger housing in the video, not sure if it will be usable but maybe at lower speeds the torque will be better just have to test.

She is alive :banana: 
https://youtube.com/shorts/I05VuNi3lSA

a few more pics.




Thanks
James


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

got the first mow in and what a difference, the motor is a beast :mrgreen:. i double cut my front yard which is 1600sqft and the motor got hot to where i can put my hand on it but not hold it for very long so i found a heat sink on ebay so i ordered it to help in the heat dissipation. the 5ah battery only was half used which also seems to be using less compared to my 6ah greenworks battery which was fully depleted after a double cut of the front yard. it is so nice not worrying about the motor belt any longer so i put the cover back on because with the chain it will not need to be changed very often which is great.

here i was cutting down the back yard from about 1-1.5" down to 1/2" using probably 1/2-3/4 throttle and it did not have any issues. you can see the only problem is that i have to turn the speed pot to minimum then up to start the motor but once i got used to it the process was not really that bad.





thanks
James


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## crice8 (Jun 7, 2021)

James, can you post links for the motor and other parts you used for this latest swap? I'd love to convert my liberty 43 over to chain drive and higher rate of cut! I keep stripping out main drive belts. I think the 100+ degree heat also makes the drive belts strip easier.


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

crice8 said:


> James, can you post links for the motor and other parts you used for this latest swap? I'd love to convert my liberty 43 over to chain drive and higher rate of cut! I keep stripping out main drive belts. I think the 100+ degree heat also makes the drive belts strip easier.


Sure the parts are below that I used but keep in mind that you will need to fabricate your motor mounting plate and turn on a metal lathe your sprocket bore and allett drive shaft to accept the 27t sprocket. you will also need some various electrical connectors for the wiring or just splice them. I did also have to change the position of the motor hall sensors and reverse a couple motor wires to reverse the direction of the motor to spin in the correct direction.

Motor and controller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0857HSF2P?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Drive sprocket (27t): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YCRBM8F?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
motor sprocket (9t): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VQ38DQR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
25H chain: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NKHWWDZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
10k potentiometer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DHG5XJR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1/4" aluminium plates for motor: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098976NNZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
optional motor heatsink: https://www.ebay.com/itm/234397439789
wire to go between the handle switch and motor controller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y32RQ2Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
EGO Charger CH2100: you can probably get these cheap on ebay or some other sites, it does not actually need to work as you will be removing the board. the hardest part is removing the security torx screws 

i also had to use a 2k ohm resistor to limit the voltage on the wiper/center terminal on the pot to the speed controller to simulate the throttle hall sensor voltage that controls the speed.

the only major drawback so far is everytime you want to start the mower you will need to turn the pot all the way down then up to the speed you need. this is probably the scooter safety programming in the controller so that when you turn it on it does not immediately start taking off :mrgreen:.

thanks
James


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## JerseyGreens (Aug 30, 2019)

You basically made your own Stirling for a 1/3 of the cost. Very impressive.


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## DFWLawnNut (Jul 7, 2020)

Dang, I may have to give this a go. I have a spare ego charger laying around like that too lol. Hows the weight distribution feel with the ego battery being farther over? Shame we have to mod a $2k mower like this, but that seems like a much better solution than the wimpy motor they put on it.


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

DFWLawnNut said:


> Dang, I may have to give this a go. I have a spare ego charger laying around like that too lol. Hows the weight distribution feel with the ego battery being farther over? Shame we have to mod a $2k mower like this, but that seems like a much better solution than the wimpy motor they put on it.


The weight distribution is a lot better, I no longer have to have a 12lb weight but now I have a 2lb weight and that is almost not needed. Now that I have a stronger motor I am contemplating on adding more weight to try and help some of the floating on thick grass I seen in the past.

it is a shame that we have to do this but the way I look at it it gives me excuses to get more tools and hop up the mower like in my old RC days :mrgreen:.

Thanks
James


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## DFWLawnNut (Jul 7, 2020)

My only issue I have is going to be milling that gear for the shaft. I already have too many tools and not enough room lol. I guess I can just dremel it.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

KeeWay said:


> got the first mow in and what a difference, the motor is a beast :mrgreen:. i double cut my front yard which is 1600sqft and the motor got hot to where i can put my hand on it but not hold it for very long so i found a heat sink on ebay so i ordered it to help in the heat dissipation. the 5ah battery only was half used which also seems to be using less compared to my 6ah greenworks battery which was fully depleted after a double cut of the front yard. it is so nice not worrying about the motor belt any longer so i put the cover back on because with the chain it will not need to be changed very often which is great.
> 
> here i was cutting down the back yard from about 1-1.5" down to 1/2" using probably 1/2-3/4 throttle and it did not have any issues. you can see the only problem is that i have to turn the speed pot to minimum then up to start the motor but once i got used to it the process was not really that bad.
> 
> ...


Impressive work!!! :thumbup:


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## briansemerick (Apr 11, 2021)

probably going to do a weight mod soon....


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

W00t! I am _extremely_ happy to announce that I was lucky enough to be granted entry into the fully-upgraded Liberty 43 club as of this weekend! I'm now running the upgraded motor setup, and my HOC (front assembly "slop") has been entirely resolved too, it no longer has tons of "play" & is now stiff so that the selected HOC is actually what you can expect to get while mowing.







It's honestly a night-and-day difference. The machine no longer bogs down *at all* regardless of speed or grass density. Drive speed is fully recovered/fixed (more on that below), and thus far I'm really topping out at ~80% throttle -- it's *much* more powerful now. Grass-box fill is MUCH improved, likely due to higher angle/velocity from the reel; previously I'd have to stop and "push" the grass back in the box 3-4 times before emptying the clippings, and now I can fill it relatively full without stopping because the clippings are deposited further back in the box. The added weight is a positive, too.

Overall, it's like having a brand-new mower, and really it's what I would have liked (and to some degree, what I expected) to have had when I received the machine originally, from the factory.

That said, I'm *absolutely thrilled* with it now -- mowing is legitimately fun again. No more obnoxious noises, no more bogging down on thick/dense areas, no more manually pushing it (to avoid bogging down & the awful noise). Mowing is *much* faster now (about 50% faster) and I still have plenty of "headroom" on drive speed, too.

It's just fun again and I'm happy to say that I'm actively looking forward to mowing more again -- am even going to start feeding some N again, which I had slowed/stopped doing the last month or so to avoid mowing as much.

*Absolutely MASSIVE thank you to @KeeWay* -- there is _zero_ chance I'd have been able to do this myself. Realistically, had it not been for him, there's a good chance I'd have abandoned the Liberty platform entirely, and possibly even reel mowing altogether. I'm extremely happy & grateful for that to not be the case!

Pics of actual results from mowing with it are going up on my lawn journal momentarily! 

Two things I wanted to mention that may be helpful for others who are having issues -- specifically, two semi-related but still potentially separate issues that we uncovered while doing this mod, and that may be the underlying cause for some issues I've seen mentioned in various threads here at least a few times. Hopefully, my description is decent (and correct-ish), but if I got anything wrong then I'm sure @KeeWay can step in and point us in the right direction & correct me! Some pictures w/ arrows below, too. =D

*Bogging Down Accompanied by Loud Noise(s)*
Two of the main pulleys were found to have their 'flats' substantially missing & ground down, and the drive shaft itself was also getting chewed up and increasingly becoming "fully rounded" / losing the flats. I think this was probably (at least one of the) the cause of the ruckus, though my main drive belt (on the 'motor side'/the one we all strip) was also more chewed up than I realized. I had checked it, recently eve, and I had still felt "grooves" so I thought it was OK -- but I did not check it very closely. It was actually chewed up enough that it needed to be replaced, despite it still being mostly functional/not *completely* stripped yet, the teeth were basically delaminated even if they were somewhat still on the belt.

*Overly Slow Drive Speed*
Prior to this motor upgrade mod, my machine had been going MUCH slower. Earlier in the season, it was a little slow, so I tightened the drive cable and regained quite a bit of speed. At some point though, seemingly "overnight" (sudden onset), the self-propel drive speed again dropped massively. I think that the culprit for this may be because a nut on the "top"/main pulley (or guide?) may be able to get loose over time, which allows that belt to 'fall' down into the now-widened crack for the (two-piece) pulley -- causing substantial slack on that belt.


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

Since my grass has slowed down it gave me a little time to make some more mods 😁. 

Here is a simple one that I have been waiting to do for awhile. I been having problems with the drive system when i let go of the bale bar and pulling the mower backwards and the mower fights you a little bit. It seems that the pivot point of the drive tensioner bracket does not release sometimes so i just removed the plastic spacer and used some thrust washers and it is quite a bit of difference now 😁.

Here you can see the existing way it is mounted in the video you can see the limited movement .

Drive Bracket Before


















here is the after mod. I put on a shorter bolt but you can still use the original one without the spring. the thrust washers are a little bigger ID wise (6mm Thrust Washer) but they worked just fine. 

Drive Bracket After










the hardest part was getting to the nut and putting it back on, here is what i did.

taking it off i used a screw driver and kept pressure against the mower to keep the nut from spinning then unscrewed the bolt.









putting it back on was harder unfortunately and i had to use some long needle nose pliers then angled the bolt a little to get it on.









Thanks
James


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

Here is another mod that was asked for some time ago just took more time to track down the actual part but I finally found something that seems to work. This mod also gave me a chance to pick up a new toy (MIG welder) and learn something new.

New Light Weight Grass Catcher 😁 

I just finished this tonight and had no time to actually test it out but I will get it tested maybe this weekend.

The grass catcher I found was at Lee Valley (Grass Catcher)

Testing fitment

You can see I welded a bracket on the frame, there is one on the other end as well.









here you can see the fitment to the mower.


















Thanks
James


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## KeeWay (Oct 27, 2021)

Another update 😁 . 

The new bldc motor has been great and works like a champ... Now with this downtime of the grass being somewhat dormant I finally figured out the new motor start problem where you had to turn the speed pot down then back up again (this was bugging me for some time ). Some research and learning some basic electronics and pcb making I have the final piece to the motor and while I am no electronics expert it seems to be working fine with a soft start as a bonus. Hopefully this coming spring I should be able to really put the board through its paces to make sure it will hold up but I don't see why it would not.

Here you can see the prototype board and new professional made board.

















Here is the prototype board mounted in the handle switch assembly. The new board will be a direct fit.









Here is the schematic


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