My Riding Lawn Mower is Losing Power

There are several things to consider if your riding lawn mower is losing power.

The first is age. If your riding lawn mower is over 10 years old and is moderately used, it could begin to lose some power.

Second is the number of hours. If your riding lawn mower has over 500 hours, it could also begin to lose power.

The two scenarios above are focusing on the mowers engine wearing normally and becoming less efficient. This is part of an engine wearing out and there may not be anything wrong with it.

If neither above is true, then you have an issue that needs some troubleshooting. The first thing to do is to check for ample spark at each cylinder. If you have good spark, it’s time to move onto a compression test. Test each cylinder and you want to see a minimum of 100psi. Preferably you want to see 150psi. On twin cylinder engines, if you see a big difference between the two cylinders, you have a problem.

If you have low cylinder pressure, the second test to do is a leakdown test to determine where the air is leaking out of the engine. It can be the valves, the head gasket or the piston rings. If the leakdown results come back good, you can suspect that the intake and exhaust valves are out of adjustment. The engine could also have overheated and caused a valve guide to move towards the rocker arm and now the arm will not move the full travel and ends up bending push rods. In this case, change the cylinder head.

If air is escaping from the piston rings, then you may have a broken piston ring or they are worn out.

A lack of fuel or air can also cause your riding lawn mower to lose engine power. Check for clogged air and fuel filters or a fuel pump that is going bad. Your carburetor could also be dirty and require cleaning.

These are the main things that cause an engine to lose power and by systematically checking each one, you will be pointed in the right direction to determine the cause of your riding lawn mower losing power.

 

Craftsman Riding Lawn Mower Repair San Diego CA

The Craftsman brand has been around for a lot of years and their reputation is a very strong one in the lawn and garden areas for homeowners. With all different sizes of riding lawn mowers to accommodate different sized lawns, they have one that fits yours.

While their quality is quite good, all lawn mowers need maintenance and will need repaired at some point. Items such as the tune-up is something that must be done each year so that your lawn mower will run strong and perform well all year. Things that are commonly replaced are air, fuel and oil filters. Spark plugs, fuel lines and lawn mower blades are others that will eventually wear out.

By having your lawn mower maintained each year, you will have fewer breakdowns that will cause your lawn mower to end up in the shop. But when you need expert lawn mower repair in San Diego California, just bring your mower to the shop and let us check it out for you.

So when you need expert Craftsman Riding Lawn Mower Repair in San Diego CA, call us or bring it by today!

Troy-Bilt Riding Lawn Mower Repair Riverside CA

Repairing and maintaining lawn mowers is an important part of keeping your lawn and landscaping looking its best. Each year you must have certain things done such as sharpening the blade, changing the oil and filter, changing the air and fuel filter. The deck should be scraped, the chassis greased and an overall inspection of the lawn mower performed to ensure that everything is working as it should.

Is your Troy-Bilt rider nearing the end of it’s life? If so, check out this nice Troy-Bilt 540cc Briggs & Stratton Intek Automatic Riding Lawnmower

If you are having problems with your Troy-Bilt riding lawn mower, our shop can check it out for you and perform the needed repair work to get it back up and running quickly. We repair electrical, fuel, deck, drive, steering and chassis systems and more.

The riding lawn mower of today is a sophisticated machine that requires special tools and training to troubleshoot and maintain. The fuel and electrical systems continue to become more complicated and continuing training helps keep the lawn mower technician up to date.

When you need expert care for your Troy-Bilt riding lawn mower, our shop is here to help.

Call our shop for all your Troy-Bilt Riding Lawn Mower Repair in Riverside CA.

6 Things To Check If Your Riding Lawn Mower Will Not Start

You turn the key and NOTHING. Great…looks like you are not getting much grass mowed today and now you are going to have to haul the mower to the shop or have someone come and get it!

Well….not so fast. Let’s check these 6 things to see if one of them is a simple fix that will get you mowing today.

  1. Is the PTO lever or switch in the engaged position? If so, move it to the disengaged position.
  2. Is the Clutch Pedal depressed all the way in? If not, push it until it stops.
  3. Is the mower in gear? Some riding lawn mowers will not start if they are in gear. Place it in neutral.
  4. Is the battery weak? Use a test light or voltmeter and test across the battery terminals. The test list should glow brightly and the battery should read at least 12.6 volts. Are the battery terminals tight and clean?
  5. Check the main fuse. It could be located under the hood or under the battery in the rear of the riding lawn mower.
  6. If the riding lawn mower turns over, is there fuel in the tank?

By checking those simple things you could be up and running again. Always check the easy things first and in many cases, you will find out what is causing your riding lawn mower to not start.

Toro Riding Lawn Mower Repair Riverside CA

When you are having problems with your Toro riding lawn mower, a professional service shop is the best way to get it back up and running once again. Your mower needs the right tools and parts as well as properly trained technicians to do the work of repairing it. Repairing and then testing the mower is vital to ensure that the repair is working as expected.

Not just any repair shop can work on your Toro. Some shops will not fix it unless they sold it to you. If you bought it from a big box store, you may be out of luck there too. But no worries, our shop is here to help with all your Toro riding lawn mower repair needs.

Today most problems are either fuel, mechanic or electrical related. Aging gasoline, belts that break or safety switches that go bad are all part of normal things that go wrong. You can help avoid some of these problems by having your annual maintenance performed on time. This routine maintenance is so important to the long life of your lawn mower and should be performed at the beginning of each season. If you skip your annual maintenance, you can expect to get half the normal life out of your lawn mower. Mowers today are expensive and you want to get the most out of your mower.

Let our shop carefully inspect your lawn mower and give it the proper diagnosis and then repair it. A test and evaluation will then be needed to ensure that those repairs corrected the issue and the mower can be returned back into service. Just give us a call and let us take expert care of your Toro Riding lawn mower today!

Call us for all your Toro Riding Lawn Mower Repair Needs in Riverside CA.

 

 

John Deere Riding Lawn Mower Repair Riverside CA

Are you in need of a good John Deere riding lawn mower repair shop for a problem you are having? Look no further and let us provide you with expert help with your issue and get your lawn mower back up and running as quickly as possible.

From simple things like a tune-up to more complex issues like electrical, transmission and engine running problems, we can diagnose those as well. Some problems can be resolved easily while others require more time to investigate the nature of the issue.

Once they are sorted out, corrective action can be taken and the parts that are not working or broken will be changed and the mower tested to ensure that the repairs corrected the issue. Sometimes a test needs to be for a long period of time if the mower fails after a certain time period, say 30 minutes. Extensive testing will find those problems and reveal which parts have failed.

Once your lawn mower is repaired and tested, our shop can return it to you so you can get back to managing your lawn and landscape.

Call us for all your  John Deere Riding Lawn Mower Repair in Riverside CA.

Husqvarna Riding Lawn Mower Repair Riverside CA

When your Husqvarna riding lawn mower needs repairs or a tune-up, you just don’t want to take it to any old shop. You need someone who is trained in their repair and knows them well to complete those more difficult problems your mower may experience.

Lawn mowers for the most part have very common problems. Belts break, pulleys go bad, tires go flat or go bald, carburetors gum up and batteries go bad over time. These are all common things that will make your Husqvarna rider not work the way it should or stop it in its tracks.

Are you ready for a new Husqvarna rider? This one may suit your yard perfectly.
Husqvarna YTA24V48 24V Fast Continuously Variable Transmission Pedal Tractor Mower, 48″/Twin

If your rider does develop a problem, our shop would be happy to help get it back running the way it should. Or maybe you just need a tune-up to get your lawn mower back up and running once again. We can do that too as well as work on the electrical, fuel, mechanical, drive and deck systems on your mower. These systems must all work together seamlessly to ensure that your mower cuts and drives well each time you mow the lawn.

Husqvarna Riding Lawn Mower Repair in Riverside CA.

How To Choose The Right Riding Mower For My Yard

With over 50 different riding lawn mower brands to choose from, this makes it pretty confusing to predict which mower will be right for your yard. Let’s break it down to make things a bit less confusing and arm you with the knowledge to make a great buying decision.

Yard Size

Small Yards

Smaller yards are considered to be 1/4 acre to 1 acre – The smallest riding mowers with a 38″- 42″ deck work very well for this size yard. Smaller yards tend to have more obstacles in them and a smaller rider will make it easier to negotiate the yard.

Medium Yards

A medium sized yard would be from 1 to 2 acres – A medium sized yard can be maintained well with a deck size of 42″ to 48″.

Large Yards

For yards that are 3 or more acres, it is best to get a deck in the range of 48″ to 54″ to make your cutting time shorter. A smaller deck size is going to make the job take longer and put more wear on the mower over time.

Yard Terrain

Flat

If your yard is flat or has some gentle slopes to it, all riding mowers will perform the job and a larger mower with more power is not necessary unless of course you have a large yard.

Hilly

For hilly terrain, a wider and more powerful lawn mower should be used. Wheel weights or chains may also be added for traction but you should not install them on a riding lawn mower. Their frames and wheels can crack and break because of the extra force applied to them. Only install wheel weights and chains on garden tractors.

Steep

A garden tractor with a pressurized oil system should be used. Look for an oil filter to tell if it is pressurized or not. Four wheel drive is also preferable. A rule of thumb is that anything over 15 degrees is too steep of an angle for most mowers and is too steep to mow unless you have a mower that is especially designed for that. The chances of a rollover make it very risky to mow at such angles.

Riding Mower or Garden Tractor?

A riding mower is just that, a mower. It is designed as a lightweight machine that only cuts grass.

A garden tractor however is a different kind of machine. It will have a heavier frame or chassis and larger wheels. It is designed to pull a load such as a garden plow and use different attachments such as a snow blade or lawn vacuum. It could also have an external PTO shaft and have wheels that are spaced wider.

Price Range

Today, you can buy a very basic riding lawn mower for $900. You will spend between $1,500 – $2,000 for a better quality rider.  Garden tractors range from  $2,500 – $4,000 or more.

Deck Sizes

38″, 42″, 46″, 48″, 52″, 54″, 60″ and 72″ are all common deck sizes. With the larger, more powerful mowers, they will have a larger deck size.

Engine Sizes

10-19hp for single cylinder engines and 17-27hp are common for twin cylinder engines.

Engine Brands

Today, there are 3 major brand name engines in riding lawn mowers but others are coming into view as the fuel injection systems are coming onboard riding mowers.

Briggs and Stratton, Kohler and Kawasaki are the “big three” if you will for mowers today. MTD has delivered their own engine now for riding lawn mowers and surely others will follow.

Transmissions

CVT or as some call them, “Automatic Transmissions”, can be found on smaller riding lawn mowers. A CVT Transmission is a sealed unit that uses a wide and dense rubber belt to drive the transmission gears. These units claim to never need any maintenance or fluid changed out over their lifetime.

Larger mowers almost always will use a Hydrostatic Transmission. They do however require periodic maintenance and are needed for heavier duty lawn mowers and garden tractors.

Storage and Gates

This is one factor that may dictate what sized mower that you purchase. Say you have a storage shed that only has a 40″ door in it but you really need a 48″ mower to get your yard mowed more quickly. You may have to install a larger door on your shed.

Or your space in the garage will not hold a 72″ mower deck without leaving one of the cars outside. Consider this factor when choosing which mower to purchase or make changes to where it will be stored.

 Reviews

Check ALL the reviews of the different models you are interested in buying and check independent sources for those reviews. Sites like Consumer Reports or Google reviews can be more transparent and less likely to be screened by the manufacturers marketing professionals.

Conclusion

The riding lawn mower manufacturers have taken some of the confusion out of buying a lawn mower by installing the common deck and engine sizes to the chassis.

But in later years they have all seemed to be in a race to put the biggest engines in mowers that don’t require them. Customers want “more power” whether they need it or not and this has driven the manufactures to respond.

When you are shopping for a new riding lawn mower, choose one to fit your yard size, the type of terrain, the amount of power you need, your storage size or gate requirements and the price that fits your budget.

For example, if I had a medium sized flat yard and a 48″ wide yard gate, I would want a 46″ deck, a Briggs and Stratton twin cylinder engine with a Hydrostatic Transmission and is in the price range of $2,500 – $3,000.

By matching the right components to fit your landscaping situation and checking the reviews of the riding lawn mower, you can be assured that you will choose the perfect lawn mower that will last for years and provide great service.

 

 

Cub Cadet Riding Lawn Mower Repair Riverside CA

The Cub Cadet riding lawn mower is a dependable mower and with the right amount of maintenance, it will last for many years to come. Continue to put off that maintenance and that is a different story.

Engine and deck problems are the most common issues that Cub Cadets have and repairing them is a pretty straight forward process. First, a complete inspection should be performed to determine the exact nature of the problem. Then the troubleshooting should begin to home in on exactly which part or system that is having the issue.

Then corrective action can be taken to resolve those problems and get your lawn mower working the way it should. A test of those repairs must be done to ensure that things are working and then the mower can be returned to you.

If you need a tune-up of your Cub Cadet riding lawn mower in Riverside California, our shop can take expert care of that for you as well. We are here to help get your mower back out cutting once again.

When you need Cub Cadet Riding Lawn Mower Repair in Riverside CA, call our shop or bring it by today!

 

Craftsman Riding Lawn Mower Repair Riverside CA

The most common thing that leads to your Craftsman riding lawn mower needing repair work is a lack of or no maintenance. Maintenance is the most important thing that your riding lawn mower needs. If it is neglected, you will not get the life expectancy of your mower that you should.

Mowers do break from time to time from normal wear and tear and when yours does, we are here to help get your lawn mower back in good running condition. From performing a tune-up to a tear down of the engine, we are here to help. A good annual tune-up is something that is very important for your lawn mower and must be done each season. The best time to do it is at the beginning of the year so your mower is protected all season long.

Keep your Craftsman rider running its best and working hard for you all season long by having it professionally maintained each year.

Just bring your lawn mower to our shop or arrange for a pickup and let us take expert care of it for you.

So when you need expert Craftsman Riding Lawn Mower Repair in Riverside CA, call us or bring it by today!