Bugger, that didn't go to plan...
Mower started first time, so filled up with fuel and off I went. Did all the bits around the house, then went out to do some stuff further out. The steering starts to feel sloppy and then suddenly, the steering wheel turns, but the front wheels don't. Whoops.
Classic catastrophic fatigue failure of the steering linkage around a stress raiser. Would be a perfect picture for a Strength of Materials textbook...
Fortunately managed to use the car to tow the mower out of the garden and then shove it back in the garage. The steering is repairable, it's just a matter of swapping out the broken part. The only thing I'm not sure is whether it bolts in or whether it's welded in. The former is straightforward, the latter less so, because even though I can weld (MIG) well enough, I don't have the kit.
Anyways, sat here with a nice
and a flat pack easter egg.