Lawnmower Cupholder

I want to remain hydrated when mowing my lawn. A cupholder on the mower and within easy reach is more useful than setting a drink cup on the ground near to where I am working.

• Scrap plywood disc
• 3/4 x 1 inch solid wood piece
• Zip tie at least 14 inches long
• 2 inch decking screws
• 1 1/2 inch drywall screws
• Screw eye

I have some plywood discs that were scrap from making a cornhole board for grandchildren. They are 5 1/2 inches in diameter (140mm). I cut a flat on one side. Because I used a trammel point attachment on my router to make the holes in the cornhole board, the center of each disc is clearly marked. I used a 3 inch holesaw to cut out the center of the plywood disc.

The handle on my mower came with two unused holes near the kill switch rod mounts. I drilled in from one side to pre-drill for a 2 inch decking screw so the wood will not split, but will still hold with plenty of strength. I drove the screw fully home. Then I repeated the process for the other side.

I applied wood glue and clamped the plywood cupholder to the cross member. I placed it a little to the left of the mower’s center because I am left-handed. In use I can hold the kill switch rod to keep the motor running with my right hand while I use my left hand to get a drink from the cup. The photos show drilling a hole on one side and also inserting a drywall screw on the other side. There are two screws used, one for each side.

I drilled a small hole for a screw eye and installed it. Then I used a zip tie to support the rear end of the cupholder. Do not tighten the zip tie too much.

I made a small kerf with a keyhole saw and removed wood with a chisel to give better clearance to the kill switch cable.

You may need to adjust the size of the opening in the cupholder to fit your drink cup. If needed, support could be added under the bottom of the cup.

At one point I thought I might want to taper the sides of the opening to fit the slope on the side of a drink cup, but quickly discovered that allows the cup to wedge itself into the holder very firmly.

The cup should be high enough that it is easy to grasp while mowing, but low enough that the kill switch rod can easily pass over the cup. The cup remains firmly in place while I am mowing, but is also easily available and easy to lift from the cupholder.