Fiskars Lawn MowerUpdated: April 8th, 2019
Created: May 2nd, 2018Malformed Cutting Height Adjuster
The plate that holds the adjusting knob has limits to it's travel by coming into contact with the main plate with the settings teeth.
Initially I could not get the adjuster to the lowest setting, that for the 2.5cm height, the lowest. However once I had realised the problem, with a bit of effort I could just about make it align. The lowest is about 1cm and the second 2.5cm. Page 10 will detail the problem and possible fixes.
The first images below shows the deformation in the high (10cm) position.
This second shows it on 2nd Aug 2018 after heating and reshaping
This is a comparison to the one on the second machine
The deformity allows the lever to go beyond the 10cm tooth and puts considerable force on the cover, which given the bashing it must have received on route from China at the bottom of the box and maybe at the bottom of a pile of boxes could have cracked the plastic. Any sudden release of the level may well then shatter the end of the cover it comes into contact.
The next image illustrates the problem if the cover is put on, you can see the repair to the cover. The lever edged orange goes beyond the cover stop (green). So if the lever is let go the force would hit the green edge. Note how the cover will not seat with the lever in this max position, all caused by the deformation which doesn't stop the lever before it hits the cover.
Now for the 2.5cm positioning
The effect of the malformed part has the effect of stopping the movement before it reaches the lowest setting. I did manage to force it into position but it's a very tight.
This deformity at the other extreme meant it was unable to move easily into position for the lower setting of 2.5cm.
The metal of the adjuster arm came into contact with the framework (red block) before the arm could comfortably reach the low position indicated by the head of the red arrow.
A further problem with the adjuster arm
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You can see in the first image below that the adjuster arm is not parallel with the body and the nut comes into contact with the arm, to the degree that without force it will not move past the nut from the higher settings a couple down from the 10cm one.
Compare this to the second mower which has none of the problems with the adjuster and cover.
7 comments
Email 1 to Fiskars about packaging
Subject: FAO Sam Taylor Fiskar Lawn Mower Packaging
Date: Fri, 4 May 2018 23:23:36 +0100
From: roger
To: ukconsumercare@fiskars.com
CC: sales@gardenessential.co.uk, colin.turnbull@brundel.comHi Again I can see this going to be a bit of an ongoing issue.
I have glued the parts of the cover together but will not be reattaching it given the mechanism is not aligned properly and the cover is likely to break again, especially as it held together with supper glue.
As I said on the phone, this plastic cover takes the weight of the machine, some 23.5 kg as it is at the bottom of the box if stood with the pictures vertical as would be usual.
The three following images are just about the box, so you may like to pass this on to the packaging dept.
If the mower had been placed the other way around, with the metal plate at the bottom instead of the plastic parts then this breakage is less likely to occur. On further consideration, the out of aligned metal plate behind the adjustment mechanism could have been bent by the same force that broke the cover, if indeed any such pressure was great enough to do so. But both issues occur in the same place and at the bottom of the box, so it couldn't be ruled out.
The images are:
1. The imprint inside the box where the damaged part rested, at the bottom of the box
2. Showing the imprint at the bottom ~ as the box is vertical
3. Showing the scrape marks on the bottom, where the plastic cover is located.
Not that I'm sure the damage was singularly caused by the handling but it may have paid a part in stressing it along with the poor alignment of the mechanism, which I will detail either in another email or direct you to the comments and images I am putting on my website.
Copied to the vendor Garden Essentials, Edinburgh
P.S. Link to my website showing broken part. https://calstock.org.uk/elf.php/2018/05/02/fiskars-lawn-mower?page=2
P.P.S. Have received the second mower and all is fine, but I inspected the box more thoroughly, having destroyed the first one, and have concluded the box was put together with errors resulting in the plastic being on the bottom rather than the top. I will send another email with images showing the problem that occurred in assembling the box.
In the next email I will also explain another problem with the box that entails opening it from the side etc and that the blades should be better covered and immobilised.
Thank you
Roger Lovejoy
Email 2 to Fiskars about Packaging Layout
Subject: FAO Sam Taylor RE Fiskar Mower Packaging
Date: Sun, 6 May 2018 23:39:08 +0100
From: roger
To: ukconsumercare@fiskars.com
CC: colin.turnbull@brundel.com, sales@gardenessentials.co.ukHi Sam
You can see from the image that the the two vertical pieces of cardboard are different distances from the box wall. The one on the left being farther so that the side with the (chain/guard and adjuster/cover) can fit. However this is the bottom side of the box. So it should be laid out so that the (chain/guard and adjuster/cover) are on the other side, which would then be the top. The box opens from the side. The wheel axles also do not fit into the cut-outs this way ???