Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Electric Lawn Mower Brush Replacement, corrent, few more minutes

Question
Hello,

I have what appears to a problem of worn out brushes on my electric lawn mower. The machine will run for 5 minutes and then die. With some vigorous shaking I somtimes squeeze a few more minutes out of it. My neighbor suggested the brushes on the electric motor are either dirty or worn out. Does this explanation sound corrent? If so, can I repair this or should I face the music and buy a new mower?

Thanks!

Answer
The brushes would have to be extremely worn or the springs in the brush holders are broken / fatigued.  It should be fairly easy to inspect them and determine.  Most often, the problem is related to the switch being bad or a bad connection.  If you can find parts for this, you may find the cost prohibitive and might want to consider replacement rather than repair.  Hope this helps.