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Lawn Mower Repair Tips

When I Turn on The Lawn Mower Blades Nothing Happens

On a riding lawn mower, you normally either pull on a knob to engage the blades or you pull or push a lever to get them to operate.

Let’s start with the knob type first. It is a PTO switch and its function is to engage the lawn mower blades and then disengage them. It is wired into several safety switches to prevent it from operating unless the conditions of those switches is met. You can test the switch in most cases by sitting in the seat, turning the key to the on position and pulling up on the knob. you should hear a metallic clicking sound indicating the PTO clutch is working. Check the belt as well to be sure it is in working order.

If you do not hear this, one of the safety switches could be bad or the associated wiring, a blown fuse or the PTO switch or PTO clutch is bad.

If you have a lever type blade engagement, make sure that it is not binding, the cable is not broken or the belt is not off the pulley or broken.

Those are pretty common problems with lawn mower blades not working. If you need a lawn mower repair professional in your area, visit our locations page.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Lawn Mower Won’t Run

Today’s lawn mowers are pretty sophisticated machines. They have smart electronics and fuel systems and if things are not right, they can malfunction easily.

The first thing to do as always is check your fuel quantity. Then check your fuel quality. Is it stale or have water in it? Fuel problems are the number 1 issue when it comes to your lawn mower not running.

If the fuel seems to be OK, make sure that the spark plug wire has not become disconnected, the on switch is on and the choke is on as well. These simple things can trip us up if it has been a long time since we operated the mower.

Also check to see that it is not in gear, in neutral, your foot is depressed on the clutch or brake pedal and you are seated in the seat on a riding lawn mower.

If those checks do not result in your lawn mower not running, then it is time to seek professional guidance and have it properly diagnosed.

Visit our locations page for a lawn mower repair service near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

The Pull Cord on My Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Won’t Move

It does happen on occasion when your pull cord doesn’t move and it seems locked up. The pull starter could be bad or the engine carburetor could be leaking fuel down into the cylinder and hydro locking it up.

You can try to remove the spark plug and gently pull on the starter rope to see if it clears the fuel from the cylinder. Make sure to place a rag over the cylinder head to catch any gas that may spill out of it.

Also check to be sure that something is not interfering with the lawn mower blade that would keep it from spinning such as a tree branch or rock.

Check the oil. If it is very low, it is possible that the engine has locked up due to low engine oil and it could be ruined. If you don’t see any oil on the dipstick, that could mean the end of that lawn mower.

Now would be a good time to take your Self-Propelled lawn mower to a lawn mower mechanic to have it professionally checked out. You can find one on our locations page.

Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

My Push Lawn Mower Leaks Oil

 

An oil leak can be a serious problem for your push lawn mower. If too much oil leaks from the engine, it could damage the crankshaft and connecting rod. To avoid that damage, let’s look at a few areas to see if we can determine where the leak is coming from.

If the oil is on the deck in the front of the engine, chances are it is coming from a valve cover gasket or the head gasket. It could also be seeping from the crankcase gasket.

If the oil is coming from the side of the engine, it could be the crankcase breather is leaking or the crankcase gasket is seeping.

If the oil is leaking down from the top of the engine, the seal or bearing surface is worn out at the top of the crankshaft.

If the oil is leaking from the bottom of the engine, the seal or bearing surface is worn out at the bottom of the crankshaft.

In each of these cases, the leak can usually be repaired. If the leak is on the top of the engine, it might not be possible to repair it if the crankcase is worn and oil is leaking by it.

On older Tecumseh engines, the crankcase breather is on the top of the engine and that can be replaced to stop the leak.

Visit our locations page to find a push mower mechanic in your area.

Finding and stopping the oil leak on your push mower is the only way to save your valuable engine.

 

 

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Lawn Mower Surges up and Down

A surging lawn mower is one that will drive you crazy! It revs up and then revs down and does this repeatedly and won’t stop. No matter what you try it still keeps on surging.

There is one main reason all this surging is going on. It is caused by a lack of fuel and in some more rare cases, too much fuel. Surging is more common in the springtime after the mower has sat for a while. The fuel phase separates and solidifies in the jets and ports and starves out the engine.

Water in the fuel can also cause this surging. It also causes a popping sound when the fuel and water are ignited.

They key to resolving this issue is to have a really clean carburetor and fuel system. The fuel tank, the fuel lines and the carburetor must be cleaned thoroughly to ensure that the problem is resolved.

If the system cleaning does not resolve the problem, check around the carburetor where it attaches to the engine for air leaks. Check for a torn or missing intake gasket and make sure the bolts are tight that hold the carburetor on.

If you still have problems with your lawn mower surging, visit our locations page for a lawn mower repair service near you.

Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

My Self Propelled Lawn Mower Won’t Move

Are you pushing the bar in or pulling on it and the mower will either not move at all or will move very slowly?

This problem happens when the drive belt breaks, it is worn out or the transmission has broken or the wheels or their drive gears are worn out or broke. Each of these can be systematically troubleshot to determine what the problem may be.

One of the first things to try is to start the mower and raise the drive wheels off the ground and engage the drive handle. If the wheels turn, you know that the drive system is working but not well enough to pull the lawn mower. This is normally a worn out belt or the belt has come off of the pulley.

If the wheels do not move, then the transmission could be bad, the drive wheel gear slots could be worn out or the drive gears could be broken. This will require pulling the wheels off to inspect the gears on both the wheels and gears.

If they appear to be fine, then it will be time to call a Self Propelled lawn mower repair professional. Visit our locations page for an office near you.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Riding Lawn Mower Won’t Crank

When we say “won’t crank”, let’s define what that means. It normally means that the lawn mower engine will not turn over or the starter is not engaging and rotating the engine to make it start.

So if your riding lawn mower engine will not crank, it could be a number of things that cause this.

First, check out your main fuse to see if it has blown. It should be located under the hood or under the body at the back of the mower. If the fuse checks out good, then you will want to ensure the battery is fully charged and that is has enough cranking amps to turn the starter. Test the battery or take it to an auto parts store and let them check it for you.

If the battery is good and the connections are clean, this is a good time to call in a professional riding lawn mower mechanic and let them inspect, diagnose and troubleshoot your mower starting problem. Visit our locations page for a riding lawn mower mechanic near you.

Riding lawn mowers are sophisticated machines today and it takes the right skill and training to properly diagnose a starting issue. You want to be sure that your lawn mower is repaired correctly and that you can put it back to use cutting the lawn.

 

Lawn Mower Repair Tips, Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair, Riding Lawn Mower Repair, Zero Turn Lawn Mower Repair

Lawn Mower Shop Near Me

Are you looking for a lawn mower repair shop in your area that can provide a tune-up, service your lawn mower annually or just repair something that is not working?

Well, you are in luck. Our website is filled with locations that can help repair your lawn mower and get it back cutting again. It is getting harder to find someone that can repair or fix your lawn mower because the skills to repair them are not being taught in many places.

Thankfully you have found a website that can let you find a professional lawn mower repair mechanic as well as give you some tips to use to help you repair simple things yourself.

Lawn mower need a tune-up each year and the machine thoroughly checked out each season. The blades will need sharpening or replaced, the drive and electrical system will need to be checked out as well as the steering and tires.

A good lawn mower repair technician near me will be able to do those things and much more. Lawn mowers can develop many problems over the season and you want to address those as soon as they arise.

To find a lawn mower repair shop near me, just visit our locations page for help.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Push Mower Hit Something And Now Won’t Run

Were you mowing along and then “bam”! It happens and when it does it is the push mower blade contacting something that doesn’t move much or move at all.

This is called a blade strike in the industry and blade strikes can do a few things. They will most certainly bend the lawn mower blade. They can bend the crankshaft in the engine and they can shear the flywheel key. Your best hope is that you only have a sheared flywheel key.

If the flywheel key is only partially sheared, the engine will be out of time. When this occurs, the spark will occur at the wrong time and the pull cord will be whipped out of your hand and an injury can occur. If this is happening, DO NOT try to start the mower again. Take it to a shop on our locations page for help.

If the blade is bent and you want to change it yourself, you can do this but you also want to make sure that the crankshaft is not bent. I would recommend that you take your push mower to a lawn mower mechanic to ensure that it did not get bent during the blade strike.

Hopefully this will help with my push mower hit something and now won’t run issue.

Lawn Mower Repair Tips

My Push Mower Won’t Stay Running

 

It is frustrating dealing with a push mower that won’t stay running. You need to get your yard cut and looking great but it just doesn’t want to run right or run at all.

Well, of course the first thing you want to do is make sure there is gas in it. This obvious thing can cause a lot of push mowers from staying running. You would be surprised at how many people overlook this one.

The quality of the gas could also be another problem. It could be old and stale gas or it could have water in it. Both of these will cause your lawn mower to run rough or not at all. Someone could also have put the wrong kind of fuel in your push lawn mower. I have seen them come in with kerosene, diesel and 2-cycle mix.

Check your air filter to ensure that it is not plugged with grass. If it is, replace it with a new one.

You could also have an ignition coil going bad or your carburetor needs cleaned and those items will need to be checked out by a push mower mechanic.

To find one in your area, visit our locations page.