You are struggling to start your lawn mower and you just feel like pushing it over the nearest hill…well that is, if you have a hill!
Lawn mowers can be a real pain if everything is not working properly and a hard starting one can be frustrating. So, let’s see if we can take some of that frustration out of it for you.
A hard starting lawn mower can either have a fuel issue, ignition or a mechanical one.
Fuel
You can check if the lawn mower is getting fuel by trying to start the engine and then removing the spark plug after you stop cranking. See if there is any gas on the plug. If not, it could be a fuel delivery problem such as a plugged up carburetor or fuel filter.
Ignition
You can also install a spark tester at this time to see if you have good spark.
Mechanical
A choke that will not fully close is another issue that causes hard starting. Engage the choke fully and make sure that is closes completely.
Improperly adjusted valves is another item that will cause hard starting. Check the valve clearances to ensure they are in specifications.
Low engine compression can also cause this problem. Check for the proper PSI that your engine should have.
These are some simple things that you can check and see if you can resolve your lawn mower problem. Perform these steps and hopefully you will find the problem!