Posted on 03/29/2016 1:41:46 PM PDT by tumblindice
Nothing? I just thought of something while scrubbing taters. Check the wires from your starter switch to the starter and the battery wires for shiny copper. Lift them up and carefully examine them with a flashlight if you need it. It may be a bare wire making contact with metal, an electrical short. Maybe you’ve got mice.
Back to din-din.
“Stick the plug in your shirt pocket. “
I was going good till I got to this point.
Loved your thread. My husband and my sons (all engineers) know all this stuff, but I printed it off anyway. Not sure about my daughters — they both do the lawn mowing for their families. As for myself — we share the duties, and I have a ride on Hustler Zero Turn monster. It’s more complicated, especially changing the blades.
But, I saved it and printed just because your instructions are just so d-—ed funny! Kudos.
“I have been mowing my lawn for over a month now. “
We mow all year around here.
Prestone starter spray. Get it. It’ll start anything.
Faster too. In addition to not having a fixed (slow) forward speed, you can drag it backwards saving the time to turn it around all the time.
It also helps around the garage. No mowers to trip over.
I don’t understand. At the end of a row I have to turn it around and go back just like someone would with a power mower.
ah, Un-powered push mower. Reel mowers don’t like rocks and bricks too much....
The ignition switches are not very durable if left in the weather. Often see the leads on the plug on the back corroded.
Do you need a safe room? :-D
Did you purchase the new battery and solenoid because it would not crank? Rather than shotgunning replacing parts it it usually cheaper to take it to someone with knowledge of mower repairs. A no crank issue is sometimes very simple to remedy. Many times no part replacement is necessary
Start by making sure it will crank by jumping the large posts on top of the solenoid. You can do this with a screwdriver, make sure that it is out of gear and brake is on. If it cranks when jumped it means the starter, battery, battery connections, are ok and the motor is not seized up. If it does not crank start by checking the battery connections to make sure they are clean. Check engine to see if it turns, using palm of hand on the screen on top of single cylinder motors. If it does crank then there are many things it could be. Make sure the blades are not engaged, a safety switch will prevent it from cranking if they are. Make sure you are sitting on the seat. If not the safety switch under the seat will not allow the mower to crank. Did you leave the mower out in the elements over the winter? If so it is common for the the ignition switch to be bad, moisture ruins them. Good luck at getting it going, hope it is something simple.
I always had problems with kill switches on riding mowers. There was one under the seat that shut the mower off if you got off while it was running. Check that. Make sure the blade is not engaged,up or down etc....
I live in Florida, stop mowing in November, start again in April.
I have a ten-year-old Black & Decker Lawn Hog, and a hundred-foot extension cord. In the fall, I slip the handle out of its insert in the platform, hang the mower base up by its back wheels on the wall, and put the handle on a hook by the base..
In the spring I take it down, insert the handle back into the base, plug in the cord, and - Voila! - instant start.
Just be careful not to mow over the cord.
Maintenance - replaced the blade once, replaced the on-off switch, replaced the wheels (hubs on those plastic wheels wore out). Oh, and replaced two cords.
Cost of oil changes - zero.
Cost of gasoline - zero.
I got a push mower, then found I don’t have the stamina for that anymore. Not wanting the headaches of maintaining a gasoline powered mower or hauling around electrical cord while mowing, I opted for lithium ion battery power ... a cordless electric mower.
Amazingly quiet and light weight, the mower doesn’t have the torque of a motorized unit, but excels in everything else. I think I’ll stay with it.
I have tall fescue out front but the back is a mix of Bermuda and fecus and St Augustine plus various weeds.
Be sure your blades are not engaged and be sure your parking brake is on..
Big bird population in your area?
I actually use less energy than most Greenie hypocrites. And I wash my own car.
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