Fixing a Kobalt 80v Lawn Mower Wheel

Kobalt 80v Lawn Mower

I bought a Kobalt 80v electric lawn mower in February 2019 when Lowe’s had a great deal on one. While it might not be quite as powerful as a typical gas mower, it has run great and it is awesome not having to worry about filling a gas can or changing the oil.

I get 20-25 minutes per battery charge depending on the length of the grass. The quick charger charges a battery in about 30 minutes, so I can just about cycle them indefinitely. My ~1/3 acre yard typically takes 2-3 batteries to finish in about an hour.

I did have one of the batteries fail within the 3-year warranty period, and Kobalt support sent me a new one without any issues.

Wobbly Wheel Problems

As I prepared to mow my lawn last weekend, I noticed one of the rear wheels was very wobbly.

No problem, I thought, something just needs to be tightened. Turns out, this model does not have any nuts/bolts to tighten, just two bearings in each wheel. One of the bearing was completely destroyed, and the other one was rapidly failing.

The Solution

While neither Lowe’s nor Kobalt support sells bearings, replacement ones can be found on Amazon or Ebay. I purchased a set of four from Amazon.

The wheel can be removed by popping off the plastic cover in the center, removing the cotter pin, and sliding the wheel off the bolt. There are two bearings on each wheel. Pry the bad bearing(s) from either side of the center of the wheel and pop in the new one(s).

After replacing them, my wheel had no wobble at all, and I still have two extra bearings in case any of them fail again in the future.

Bonus Points

If you purchased your Kobalt lawn mower in the last five years and have the receipt, the bearings should be covered under warranty. It is likely worth calling Kobalt customer service or going to the Lowe’s customer service desk to see what warranty options are available.

I was pleasantly surprised by mine!