What Is A Brushless Lawn Mower? Is It Better Than Brushed Mowers?

Over the years, the DC motor has become the ideal choice for many applications where it’s needed. This is because a DC or brushless motor provides distinct features such as reliability, low maintenance, less noise, speed control, and is surprisingly low cost. As we can assume already by its name, a brushless lawn mower is a type of electric mower with no brushes. Brushes are the sliding devices that allow the electricity to flow into the copper coil of the engine. 

Electric motors are the backbone of modern automation. Motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, and the resulting motion and torque drive a load. In order to make mowing more reliable, efficient, and less noisy, the recent trend has been to use a brushless mower.

These mowers are comparatively lighter compared to the brushed mowers but have the same power output. Brushes in the conventional gas lawn mowers wear out over time and may cause sparking. Thus, the brushed lawnmower should never be used for operations that demand long life and reliability.

Let’s dig into the article and learn “what is a brushless lawnmower”. This article will guide you through the key differences between a brushed and brushless lawn mower and eventually help you choose the better option.

What is a Brushles Lawn Mower?

A brushless lawn mower is a type of electric lawn mower, it uses a brushless motor to power the cutting blades of the mower. Traditional brushed motors relies on carbon brushes to transfer electrical energy to the motor’s rotor, but brushless motors use a more efficient electronic circuit to control the motor’s speed and torque.

This technology used by brushless motors decreases the heat and friction generated during motor’s operation, thus, resulting in a more efficient and durable motors. Brushless lawn mowers are generally quieter and require less maintenance compared to their brushed counterparts.

Because brushless lawn mowers don’t use brushes, they tend to be more environmentally friendly, they produce fewer carbon emissions and reduce the need for oil change and maintenance tasks. Brushless lawn mowers are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, lithium-ion batteries offer a longer runtime, and faster charging times compared to tradional lead-acid batteries.

How Does A Brushless Lawn Mower Work?

The brushless motor in a brushless lawn mower is composed of a rotor, which rotates around a stator. The stator contains copper wire coils that are arranged in a specific pattern to create a magnetic field when electricity flows through them. The rotor, which contains permanent magnets, spins within this magnetic field, causing it to rotate and power the brushless mower.

The brushless lawn mowers use a lithium-ion battery, which supplies the electricity to the lawn mower motor, which powers the lawn mower blades that cut the grass efficiently. The electricity provided by the lithium-ion battery is maintained by an electronic circuit, the electric circuit adjusts the current flow based on the lawn mower’s load. Therefore, ensuring that the brushless mower operates at maximum efficiency and does not waste energy.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Brushless Lawn Mower

Now that you know the answer to “what is a brushless lawnmower”, let us look at the advantages ad disadvantages of a brushless lawn mower. 

1. Advantages 

• Mowers powered by a brushless DC motor have a longer lifespan as there are no brushes present to wear out. 
• Have a mechanically simple design than a brushed motor as it eliminates the complication of transferring power from outside the engine to the spinning rotor
• There is less maintenance required as there are no brushes to replace
• Brushless mowers are more efficient than brushed mowers, typically featuring 85-90% efficiency 
• More efficiency ultimately means more of the total power being used by the motor being converted into rotational force  rather than being lost as heat
• There is less heat generation, and they are entirely eco-friendly and noise-free because of the absence of brushes
• The brushless motor has batteries designed in a manner such that they immediately adapt to the power required for the task ( slower for thin grass and faster for thick)
• With suitable batteries, a brushless mower can mow large yards to an acre at a rapid rate without overheating or producing excessive friction between the stator and the rotor. 
• Despite there being no brushes, a brushless mower provides you with extensive power and a long-lasting alternative. 

2. Disadvantages

• Brushless mowers carry a higher initial cost since they require a commutating device (encoder) and a drive/controller.
• As compared to a brushed motor, a brushless motor has complicated wiring and cannot be connected directly to DC power.  That’s because of the crisis of power control and its link to all the electromagnets.
• More prone to vibrations when operated at lesser speeds
• Complicated motor speed controllers

If you are interested in these electrical lawnmowers, have a look at the Husqvarna 450 X, Greenworks 25022 or the Ryobi lawnmowers.

Brushless vs Brushed Mowers Comparison

Feature	Brushless Lawn Mower	Brushed Lawn Mower
Motor	Uses a brushless motor	Uses a brushed motor
Efficiency	More efficient due to reduced friction and heat generation	Less efficient due to more friction and heat generation
Noise Level	Produces less noise than brushed lawn mowers	Produces more noise than brushless lawn mowers
Durability	More durable due to fewer moving parts and less wear and tear	Less durable due to more moving parts and more wear and tear
Maintenance	Requires less maintenance due to fewer parts and less wear and tear	Requires more maintenance due to more parts and more wear and tear
Price	Generally more expensive than brushed lawn mowers	Generally less expensive than brushless lawn mowers
Power	Provides more power and torque for cutting through thick grass and weeds	Provides less power and torque for cutting through thick grass and weeds
Battery Life	Has a longer battery life due to reduced energy consumption	Has a shorter battery life due to more energy consumption
Weight	Usually lighter in weight due to fewer parts	Usually heavier in weight due to more parts
Environmental Impact	Produces less carbon emissions and is more eco-friendly	Produces more carbon emissions and is less eco-friendly

As we have mentioned above, a brushed motor consists of a commutator, permanent magnet, wound armature, and brushes. A brushless mower guarantees an efficiency of almost 80%, whereas a brushed motor is built around 70-75%. More efficiency ultimately means a higher conversion rate of fuel power being turned into rotational energy. 

One of the key differences between a brushed and brushless mower is that brushless mowers use magnets to generate power instead of carbon, thus making it noise-free and eco-friendly. With the suitable batteries, a brushless mower can mow large yards to an acre at a fast rate without overheating or producing excessive friction between the stator and the rotor. 

A brushless mower requires comparatively less maintenance compared to a brushed mower. Brushless tools are better adapted, and there is no need to replace worn brushes. Brushless mowers have a higher heat dissipation ratio, which completely eliminates the problem of overheating. 

Brushed mowers have a simple design and wiring, making them easier to fix in case of energy. Unfortunately, a brushless mower has a complicated wiring system, and it cannot be connected directly to DC power. 

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The Bottom Line 

We hope our article was able to gain a deeper insight and help understand the difference between a brushed and brushless lawnmower. Brushless lawnmowers guarantee efficiency and are easy and comfortable to use. If you have a small yard/lawn, then you will benefit significantly if you go with a brushless lawnmower. Its battery is excellent for expert gardeners or for those who have tiny spaces to mow. If you need a reliable tool that generates more power and has a longer life, then this type might be for you.

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