The rear wheel on my electric mower fell off. The mower is getting on but otherwise is still in working order - even the batteries take a usable charge. Each of the rear wheels has two ball bearings pressed into a 1.25" hole in the wheel which rolls on a 0.5" shaft. The inner bearing (lower right) was still intact but also failing. The outer bearing failed completely, probably because the outside of the bearing (top right) was made of soft metal which deformed causing the balls to escape between it and the inner bearing race (middle right).
The manufacturer used to sell replacement wheels for CAD$10 but no longer has stock, there are no plans to make more, and they had no suggestions for an equivalent wheel. Finding replacement bearings or even a wheel that was close proved to be a frustrating experience - repair centres typically order parts when needed to avoid inventory costs. A local bearing supplier found a flanged bronze bushing that would fit in the wheel and a bronze sleeve that reduces the internal diameter to fit the 0.5" shaft - I will know next week whether this combination works.
There has been a lot of talk about "right to repair", often focusing on Apple and Deere products. Expanding the number of repair shops is a worthwhile goal, but we also need to make it easier for people to do their own repairs - simple things like making service manuals accessible and maintaining a stock of parts. Unfortunately, the need to differentiate products often leads to unique parts, even within a particular manufacturer's product line. Ultimately, repairability needs to be designed in, like Open-Source Your Blender to Fight Electronic Waste, but manufacturers can take steps now to build a reputation for products that last.
Blog comments