Category: Push and Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Repair

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

Why a Honda Lawn Mower is Better Mower?

When you buy practically anything with the Honda name on it, you are getting a quality product. Whether it is a lawn mower or a car, Honda just puts the engineering and the quality into everything they make. Yes, you are going to pay a little more for Honda products, but as the old saying goes “You get what you pay for” still rings true.

The Honda lawn mower engine is very dependable and with routine care, it will last for a long time. Parts are readily available for new and older Honda mowers, so you can keep them going long after that other brand wears out.

The drivetrain is built solid to take a beating. Sometimes drive axles can be a problem with freezing up, but this is a problem that can be resolved without much expense.

The decks are made of good steel and are not thinly made. If they are kept free of wet grass, they will last a long time.

The controls are fairly easy to navigate and are user friendly. Some are quite different than what you are used to on a self-propelled lawn mower, but you get used to them pretty quickly.

I am a Small Engine Mechanic by trade and if I were to need another lawn mower, it would certainly be a Honda.

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

Push Lawn Mower Blade Hitting Deck and Making Noise

Occasionally you will hit something hard enough to bend the deck or the blade. With such thin metal decks today, they are easily bent. If your deck is rusting, parts can come loose and hit the blade as well. Some decks have guards inside of them that are spot welded together and when those welds come loose, the guard will hit the mower blade and you will hear quite the racket!

To inspect this area, pull the spark plug boot off the spark plug and then raise the mower deck from the front. It is not a good idea to lean the mower over side to side as this can cause the oil to leak out of the carburetor through the air cleaner.

Look for anything that is loose or for the blade that is bent. Slowly rotate the blade to see if it hits anything and you will likely find the cause of this problem pretty quick. Either the blade will need to be replaced or the deck metal repaired. You should also check to see if the crankshaft is bent while you are slowly turning the blade as this can cause the problem as well.

If you need a lawn mower repair shop to check out this problem for you, visit our Locations page for help finding a small engine shop in your area.

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

Troy-Bilt Self Propelled Lawn Mower Takes Many Pulls to Start

Are you pulling and pulling and then FINALLY your lawn mower decides it wants to start?

This is a pretty common problem with a Troy-Bilt lawn mower with a Briggs and Stratton Overhead valve engine. After a while the valve lash will become tight and not allow the valves to open far enough to let fuel in and exhaust out. If not enough fuel comes into the combustion chamber, then it will not ignite and burn properly.

If you are mechanical by nature, remove the valve cover and set the engine at Top Dead Center and check the valve clearance. One these small engines, the intake is set at .004 and the exhaust at .006 to have them run at their best performance.

Adjust the valves if they are not in specifications and reinstall the valve cover with some Triple Bond sealant. Let it dry for a few hours before you test run the engine to see if you have solved the problem.

If after your repair it still is hard to start, check the fuel and choke system to be sure that they are working as they should.

If you need a Troy-Bilt small engine mechanic to help with your lawn mower, visit our Locationspage to find a shop near you.

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

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Pulls Slowly

Has your self-propelled lawn mower begun to slow down and not pull as good as it once did? Over time that happens because things begin to wear out. The transmission will wear, the drive gears in the wheels will wear and the drive belt wears as well. The drive pulleys can wear out too.

In most cases, the drive belt is the one item that will cause the self-propelled lawn mower to slow down over the course of a season. The belt will begin to wear on the sides and not get enough grip to pull the drive pulleys. It could also slip and glaze on the sides and cause the belt to slip as well.

Drive belts also stretch over time and then they fit loosely in their pulleys.

Check your drive belt for a correct fit and looseness when the drive system in engaged. The belt should fit all the way down into the pulley and be even with the outside edge of the pulley. If it is sunken down into the pulley, it is worn out and the drive pulley itself could be worn out.

Check your other system drive components for wear to ensure that your drive system is working as it should. If you need a self-propelled lawn mower repair shop, visit our Locations page for a shop near you.

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

Push Lawn Mower Bogs Down Under Load

Is your push lawn mower bogging down when you get into thick grass or when you mow a little faster?

If so, it could be an engine problem or you could be mowing more than you should. Waiting to mow tall grass is not good for a lawn mower with a small engine and will bog it down.

But if your grass is relatively short, your mower should power right through it and not bog down. If it does, you could have a problem with the engine or your deck could be clogged with grass and have a dull lawn mower blade.

The first thing to check would be the lawn mower blade and deck. Make sure your deck is clean and you blade is fairly sharp.

If everything is fine in that area, your carburetor or fuel system may be causing you the problem with low power. The governor may also set incorrectly. These are problems  that you can check out yourself or if you need a professional lawn mower repair mechanic, visit our Locations page for a small engine repair shop near you.

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

Push Lawn Mower Engine is Moving on Deck

Occasionally we see this problem on a push mower and over time the engine bolts can loosen up to the point that the engine starts to move. The bolts can actually fall out as well. There are normally 4 bolts that hold the engine secure to the mower deck.

Loose bolts can also cause the engine to torque in the deck and that action can crack the engine sump cover. The sump cover is the lower part of the crankcase and their bolt holes that hold the engine to the deck are located in it. You can also over tighten these engine bolts and crack the sump cover, so be care of how much torque you apply to it.

The problem with finding loose engine bolts is that the deck is covered in grass and you cannot see them. Scrape the deck and find the engine bolts and check them for the proper torque. The lawn mower manufacturer should be able to provide the torque specs for them.

A loose lawn mower engine is a safety issue and needs to be corrected to keep your lawn mower working in a safe manner.

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

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Clogs Grass Easily

Depending on where you live, your lawn mower may clog up or it may not. There are different factors that affect whether your lawn mower clogs up or not.

Are you mowing when there is still dew on the grass?

Are you mowing when the grass is wet after a rain?

Are you mowing when the grass is too high?

Are you mowing thick grass?

Do you regularly clean your mower deck?

All of these things will contribute to your mower clogging up quickly. So determine which one that is causing the problem and create a strategy to eliminate this problem.

You never want to mow when the grass is wet. It will wear out your lawn mower blade quicker and clog the deck as well. Regular cleaning is important to keep your lawn mower deck free of rust as well as that wet grass continues to keep moisture on the deck metal.

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

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Safety Bail Cable Froze Up

If you live in a humid environment, the moisture will attach itself to the cable and work its way down inside of the sheath. Rust begins to develop inside the sheath and then the cable will become stuck.

You can try to put some WD-40 or cable lube into the cable sheath and let it soak for a while. This may loosen up the cable slowly. If it is still stuck, it will need to be replaced.

A good small engine repair shop will lubricate all the cables on your self-propelled lawn mower during your spring tune-up. This important item will save money on maintenance and not having to buy new cables. The safety bail cable is not that expensive, but the drive cable and installation is normally much higher depending on where the cable is located.

As with anything, prevention is the key to making your lawn mower work well each time that you need it. Your lawn mower works in a very dusty, dirty and humid environment each time you use it and taking proper care of it is key to not fighting an ill running machine.

If you need help with replacing your Self-Propelled lawn mower safety bail cable, visit our Locations page for help.

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

Push Lawn Mower Will Not Start

It depends on the time of year that this is happening as to whether or not it can be a fuel or mechanical issue.

If it is the first time you try to start the push mower for the season, then it most likely is a fuel problem. If it is during the season, then it could be a fuel problem or a mechanical one.

Always check the fuel first to see if it is good or may have some water in it. If the fuel is good, then check for spark and to see if you are getting fuel into the cylinder. The spark plug will have a slight wet appearance if fuel is getting into the engine.

By narrowing these items down, you are troubleshooting them one by one to find out the cause of the problem. Once you have narrowed it down to the component that is causing the problem, change it out or adjust it and retest to see if it resolved the problem.

If you need help with your push mower not starting, visit our Locations page for a lawn mower repair shop near you.

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

Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Vibrates Excessively

When you start your self-propelled lawn mower, you usually start it in the concrete or asphalt driveway. While you start it up and it is running at top speed, you seem to notice that it is vibrating more than usual. Did you hit something such as a rock, root or concrete?

Excessive vibration is a sign of a bent crankshaft, loose engine mounts or a bent lawn mower blade. You could also have a cracked mower deck that is causing the problem.

These items should be inspected by a competent lawn mower repair shop to find out which of these is causing the problem. It will not get any better if the crankshaft is bent and will begin to loosen bolts and nuts with the vibration.

It is not recommended that a bent crankshaft be straightened. Straightening it can weaken the shaft.

A diagnostic will need to be performed to determine why it the self-propelled lawn mower shakes more than usual. Consult with a local self-propelled lawn mower mechanic by visiting our Locations page.