Does your lawn appear all bushy? Then, it must be that time of the year when you think about giving it a trim. But mowing your lawn might be troublesome if you need the best lawn mower.
If you want to dig deeper, you will come across countless types of lawnmowers. However, the difference lies mainly in the brushed and brushless ones. If the two names sound bizarre, fret not, as we have covered you all.
Brushed lawnmowers and brushless lawnmowers differ in their work, which turns all the tables. Considering the features of lawnmowers, brushless ones always take the lead. But, again, they are not without disadvantages.
If you are all set to buy a lawn mower for your yard and are curious if a brushless lawn mower would be a perfect fit, you are at the right place. Here we have brought you every bit of information on brushless lawnmowers and the wonders they can do for your lawn.
Introduction to Brushless Lawn Mower
You must have come across two types of lawnmowers depending on the engine. The group divides into gas-powered and electric-powered lawnmowers. The electric-powered lawn mowers further divide into brushed and brushless types.
A brushless lawn mower is an electric motor lawn mower that works on a brushless motor and a battery. It receives power from the battery and does not rely on brushes to provide electricity to the motor.
The absence of brushes is an advanced technology, thus making the lawn mower highly efficient, quiet, reliable, and durable. If you are wondering what difference brushes could make in the performance of a lawn mower, you must have a glance at its working principle.
Working Principle of a Brushless Lawn Mower
Brushless lawn mowers differ from brushed lawn mowers not only in terms of brushes but also in the way their motor functions. The motor of a brushless lawn mower is characterized by a permanent magnet with a fixed magnetism and a coil surrounding it.
The permanent magnet forms the spinning part of the motor, which activates the coil surrounding it. The coils receive electricity from an external wiring system and sensors attached to the motor.
It forms an advanced system controlling the motor functionality without requiring brushes to transfer electricity to various parts of the motor. The coils outside the permanent magnet take the form of an electromagnet under the influence of electricity from the external wiring system.
The attractive and repulsive forces between the magnets run the motor. It is attached to a flywheel, which is linked to the lawn mower’s blades. As the motor is powered, the flywheel turns, and the blades rotate to give you an efficient and smooth trim in your lawn.
Differences Between Brushed and Brushless Lawnmowers
A brushed lawn mower works differently compared to a brushless lawn mower. The difference lies in the way their motor functions. The motor of a brushed lawn mower consists of brushes to deliver electricity to the spinning parts. Brushes are forms of a conductor, which are spring-loaded and attached to a commutator.
Here the setup of coils and the permanent magnet is quite the opposite. The coils are surrounded by permanent magnets and form the rotating part of the motor. However, the presence of brushes is disadvantageous to brushed lawnmowers as they tend to wear out due to friction.
Advantages of a Brushless Lawn Mower
Brushless lawn mowers are ahead of brushed lawn mowers in various aspects. The absence of brushes makes the energy loss due to friction negligible. It makes the lawn mower more efficient at mowing thick growth. The increased torque generation due to the brushless motor adds to the performance of these lawnmowers.
These factors make brushless lawnmowers exceptionally advantageous, as discussed below.
- Battery efficiency: Brushless lawnmowers surpass brushed motors with high-power efficiency and long battery life. It is due to the absence of friction between the rotating permanent magnet and the coils surrounding it.
It prevents energy dissipation, and the motor does not consume much battery power. It makes the battery of brushless lawnmowers long-lasting, and you need not change it repeatedly.
- Quiet performance: Lawnmowers are known for making loud noise and disturbing the surroundings. But no such problem arises with brushless lawnmowers as they are quieter than other lawnmowers. The absence of brushes reduces the noise due to friction with the motor, and you get quieter mowing days.
- High power output: Brushless lawnmowers stand as highly powerful beasts. They can handle heavy and tough tasks easily with increased torque. The increase in torque is due to the coils surrounding the rotating motor. You can also increase its size by winding more wire, thus gaining the upper hand with the torque.
- Less heat generation: Brushless lawnmowers do not cause overheating problems. No friction between the brushes and the motor contributes to this feature. But the location of coils outside the magnet also helps cool the motor quickly, thus removing all chances of overheating.
- Low maintenance: the best part about brushless lawnmowers is that they require little to no maintenance. It is mainly used because there are no brushes to be replaced from time to time due to wear and tear.
Disadvantages of a Brushless Lawn Mower
Brushless lawnmowers undoubtedly win the show with many advantages over brushed lawnmowers. But they also have some drawbacks. Here are a few factors keeping brushless lawnmowers a step behind perfection.
- Costly: Brushless lawn mowers are more expensive than brushed lawn mowers. It is due to the increased manufacturing price of brushless lawnmowers’ advanced electronic controller system. It adds to the price of traditional lawnmowers.
- Vibrations: Brushless lawnmowers also cause more vibrations compared to brushed lawnmowers. But it is limited to low speeds and is a result of the highly powerful nature of these lawnmowers. As you speed up, the vibrations no longer remain a problem.
- Complicated: These lawnmowers also come with some complexities. You can find it complicated to handle when connected to other tools. Moreover, its complex nature makes it vulnerable to malfunctions, which may be difficult to fix.
- Resonance: Resonance might also create issues while handling brushless lawnmowers. It happens when the power frequency matches the frequency of the vibrations of various parts of the lawn mower.
Recommendations
Now that you know all about brushless lawnmowers and might be ready to bring home one, here are a few recommendations you can use. You can consider a few factors before buying a brushless lawn mower so that you only settle for the best.
- Brand: brand value matters a lot. No matter how appealing a lawn mower appears, it would help if you always went for the brands with good reviews and years of experience manufacturing lawnmowers. So, it would help if you went for a brand you trust when buying a brushless lawn mower.
- Size: The lawn mower must be apt to the size of your lawn and the space available for storing the mower. Hence, you must do some size analysis and choose the lawn mower that makes a perfect fit. You can also go for brushless lawnmowers with foldable features to make the storage part easy.
- Battery rating: Your lawn mower must have an appropriate battery rating. A long battery life is necessary to have peaceful mowing days without stopping and charging it repeatedly.
- Cost of batteries: the battery cost also adds up to the expenses of the lawn mower. Hence, choose batteries wisely to cut costs. Lithium-ion batteries, mainly used for brushless lawnmowers, are more expensive than lead-acid batteries. So, if you have compatible batteries from an old lawn mower, you can use them instead of buying new ones.
FAQ’s
The absence of brushes in a brushless lawn mower reduces the friction with the motor, and hence less energy is consumed.
The motor of a brushless lawn mower consists of a rotating permanent magnet surrounded by copper coils. An external wiring system powers these.
The high manufacturing cost of brushless lawnmowers due to the implementation of smart electronic systems makes them costly.
Brushless lawnmowers are quieter, more efficient, reliable, and need low maintenance compared to brushed lawnmowers. These features make them preferable.
Yes, brushless lawn mowers have a greater lifespan than brushed lawn mowers due to no overheating, friction, or wear and tear problems.
Also Read:- The Ryobi 40v Brushless Lawn Mower Review
Conclusion
A brushless lawn mower is a new armor against your hectic mowing days. It comes with technological advancement with smart electronic systems to power the motor. This makes it a lawn mower with high efficiency, reliability, and performance. Moreover, brushless lawnmowers save you from disturbing your neighborhood with its quiet nature. You can opt for brushless lawn mowers to have a smooth experience around your lawn, and it would be worth the investment.