This is why i do not cut the grass

An electric mower, with cables etc. in good condition, used on a power outlet that is properly wired (ie. tripswitch etc) won't be a life threatening thing in it self.

I mowed my dad's lawn since the age of about 7 with electrics, and only a couple of times did I "feel" some AC, ie, I didn't get shocked but I could feel a tingle.

Both of these times the wire was wet and it was where the insulation started to crack.

Twice we had our "domestic gardening executive" cut the wire with the mower, result was a popped tripswitch and dead mower.

With regards to the article and what it described... Was the poor kid who got killed wearing shoes? Was the grass wet or damp? The article is too sketchy to figure out what exactly happened. Ok, he had a burn mark on his hand so that is where the live current entered, but where/how did it get grounded?

Bottom line, yeah, any electrical appliance is dangerous. It should be treated with caution and respect and proper safety precautions should be taken....

And yeah Alanf85, weedeaters make great window breakers... Doesn't matter if they are petrol or electric.....
 
Either a badly wired mower or the earth leakage unit in the house wasn't working.

I used to use a 2.2 kW, 3 phase 380V home made mower with 150 meters of heavy duty flex (4 core) for about 10 years and didn't have any problems. I would cut about 1 acre of lawn with it on weekends which took about 10 hours flat out.
A 2.2kW electric motor is potent compared to a petrol one of the same rating. I even cut knee high eragrostis (hay grass) with it.
 
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Slightly of topic.

I have a Welder, mine is earthed and works great.

A m8 of mine has 1 that is not earthed thru the plug. HOLY CRAP! have you ever been electricuted by a Welder :eek:

I took his plug appart and fixed it. He couldn't believe that all this time he got shocked just because the earth wire was lose. Guys if you get shocked by your Welder, make sure the earth wire is in place and secure ;)
 
Could these sort of accidents be avoided by requiring fused plugs similar to the UK ones?
 
Pitbull said:
Slightly of topic.

I have a Welder, mine is earthed and works great.

A m8 of mine has 1 that is not earthed thru the plug. HOLY CRAP! have you ever been electricuted by a Welder :eek:

I took his plug appart and fixed it. He couldn't believe that all this time he got shocked just because the earth wire was lose. Guys if you get shocked by your Welder, make sure the earth wire is in place and secure ;)
Click to expand...

You need one of these maybe? -
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=1123
 
He must've been barefoot ... if he had been wearing shoes chances are he would've survived the shock ... or felt nothing more than a tingle ...

Wet grass, barefoot, electric appliance ... you're asking for trouble. I'm not saying the boy was stupid or anything ... I used to mow barefoot as well when I was younger ... *shudder*
 
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