A Budget-Friendly Fix For Your Broken Lawn Mower Handle

Nothing is worse for a landscaping enthusiast than broken grass-cutting equipment. There are certainly ways to tell it's time for a new lawn mower, but a deteriorating lower handle doesn't have to be one of them. The issue with this bottom portion is that, unlike the upper hand bar, it needs to be a specific shape to insert into the machine. This makes it tricky to repair without ordering the right component, and that means spending around $50 to get a factory handle, universal fit T-bone kit, and the bolts and knobs to assemble it. Fortunately, if you've got a clamp, a saw, and a hammer, you can rework a metal pipe into a perfect dupe for significantly less money.

Use a galvanized pole, at a cost of around $5, to replace the part of your lawn mower handle that has rusted or deteriorated to the point that it has come away from the mower. These metal poles are sturdy enough to make great replacement handles while being malleable enough to be molded into the correct shape. Overall, the project stands to save you around $45 if you've already got the tools for the job. There's more than one thing to check on your lawn mower before your first mow of the year, and the handle ranks up there. With this affordable fix, you can skip spending $200 to $400 on a new machine and fix your old one for cheap instead.

The first thing you need to grab for this project is metal conduit, like the Wheatland Tube Electrical Piping. You'll also need a clamp, a drill, a pipe cutter or angle grinder, a tape measure, and a mallet. This job does require you to choose the perfect hammer for the job. An eight-pound sledge is best, but a standard claw will work in a pinch. Once you've assembled everything and have your protective eyewear on, you're ready to work.

Saw the broken end off of your lawn mower handle, slide the conduit inside, and cut it so it extends just past where the bolt connects the lower and upper handle. Measure the other end to fit into the machine. Stick that section into the clamp, and rotate the handle until it is as flat as you can get it. Use the hammer to thin it further. Finally, fit it inside the handlebar, and use the hole on the outside as a guide to drill into the conduit. Now, reconnect it all. If you're not one for DIYs, skip this project and try scouting out free mowers from online marketplaces or yard sales. Even if it doesn't run, you can take the handle to replace your own with less work. Either way, you'll be able to push the machine across the grass again without a big price tag to fix it.