OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Bushranger cylinder mower

Hi OK community - I'm a newbie.

I have a bushranger 500CM - dual clutch on the handle - one for reel and one for roller drive. The roller has been slipping, and won't actually propel the mower. It appears that the drum pawl disc is slipping in the overall roller drum. There are small plastic lugs in the pawl disc that slot into recesses in the outer roller drum. Have you come across this issue with the bushranger plastic drums before.

Based on it slipping I was considering just gluing this pawl disc to fix it against the roller drum. Any thoughts from anyone experiencing a similar problem??

Hi Clacker,

Below is an image of the rear roller assembly which is from a Superswift model which appears to be the same as the bushranger (just rebadged I think).

Have a look at the file to see if it is the same and I will confirm later if it is a rebadged mower.

Hi Clacker and Bruce,

I see there is a manual here https://bwmachinery.com.au/wp-conte...linder-mowers-400CM-500CM.pdf?utm_source



Back roller pawl disc / Pawl PE-back roller V2

What that pawl disc is actually doing

On the Bushranger roller drive, that pawl disc + plastic lugs act as a torque-limiting / engagement system:

The plastic lugs engage the outer drum to drive the roller

Under overload (wet grass, hill, sudden stop), the lugs can slip or deform slightly instead of:

stripping gears

snapping shafts

wrecking the clutch or belt

If it’s slipping now, that usually means:

The plastic lugs are worn/rounded

The recesses in the drum are worn

Or the roller clutch/belt isn’t fully engaging, so the pawl is being asked to transmit more torque than designed

Why gluing it is a bad idea

Even with a strong adhesive (epoxy, JB Weld, etc.):

Plastic + metal + shock load = glue failure

Roller drives see repeated shock loads

The glue will eventually shear

You remove the designed slip

If it does hold, the next weak link will fail

That’s usually more expensive than a pawl disc

Heat + moisture

Rollers get hot

Wet grass + washing = adhesives degrade fast

Best case: temporary fix
Worst case: broken roller shaft, stripped gearbox, or clutch damage

Better fixes
1. Inspect the whole drive system first

Before replacing parts:

Check roller drive belt tension and condition

Make sure the roller clutch cable is fully engaging (they stretch over time)

Confirm the clutch arm is actually moving to full travel

A partially engaged clutch will destroy pawls.

2. Replace the pawl disc (most common fix)

If the plastic lugs are rounded:

Replace the pawl disc

If available, replace the outer drum as well if the recesses are chewed

This is the correct, long-term solution.

3. Temporary “get-me-through-the-week” hack (if you must)

If parts aren’t immediately available and you need it running:

Shim the lugs very lightly (thin brass shim, aluminium tape, or even a single wrap of fiberglass tape)

This increases engagement without locking it solid

Expect it to be temporary

I’d still avoid glue—even as a stopgap.






My recommendation

If this were my mower:

Adjust/check clutch cable travel

Inspect belt and idler

Replace the pawl disc (and drum if worn)

Do not glue it

Cheers
Max.

Thanks Max.

Unfortunately I bought this Type of bushranger. A couple of cylinder mower specialist shops have advised me that the whole plastic system is crap and even replacing parts will continue the same old problem. Thier fix - get rid of it and buy one of the new Bushrangers aka Supaswift that is the proper old style scott bonnar system. My Bushranger version was made in NZ and Bushranger has now deleted this mower out of its lineup. I will try the shimming method.

Regards
Clacker