Riding Mowers

[TXGunNut]

Must admit I have a love/hate relationship with my riding mower. My big Cub Cadet cuts a 54" swath with boring precision and does it at a pretty good clip....it the grass isn't too thick or tall.
Yesterday I realized that the flood waters had receded and I should be spending some quality time with my riding mower.....or not.8-)
I had the forethought to charge the battery as it hadn't been started since it started raining about five weeks ago so I knew it would start right up.....but it didn't. :x
Nothing happened when I turned the switch, absolutely nothing. I knew I had an electrical problem; I hate electrical problems. :x I pretty much suck at them.
Started at the front (wrong!) end of the little tractor with my test light and multimeter and pulled switches, plugs and unwrapped loom here and there. By the time I got to the back (right!) end on my little pride & joy it was getting dark. I pulled the battery and found a fuseholder taped up nearly out of sight and it was blown! Cool! I actually had one stashed with my shooting trophies (don't ask) and replaced it. Put the battery tray, battery and cables back in place and...nothing. It was getting dark and the mosquitoes thought I was supper so I gathered up my tools and quit for the night.
Spent some quality time with some schematics on the Cub Cadet site this morning and realized the starter relay was secreted somewhere under the seat of my little tormentor. I know relays dislike moisture and I figured this one had had plenty. Since all the wiring looked good I figured I had a likely suspect. Made a copy of the wiring diagram and a picture (and part number) of the starter relay and headed over to a Tractor Supply near work. They had one so I hurried home to see if I'd guessed right.
Didn't take long to locate the relay that I'd somehow missed last night, finally got it replaced and put the back end back together. When I tested the ignition switch connector I had power! I quickly put the front end back together and was rewarded with lights and numbers on the dash!:D
Old girl fired right up and I even took her for a victory lap before I put my tools up.
The reason I invested the keystrokes? We're all DIY'ers so I thought you'd understand. I hate working on stuff like this but it helped a bit to watch a few neighbors drive by hauling their riding mowers home from the shop. Spent $20 on the relay, 50 cents on the fuse. Costs almost that much to fire up the pickup and hook up the trailer. Wasn't looking forward to loading a dead mower and certainly wasn't looking forward to paying someone to chase down an electrical problem; that can get expen$ive.

Once again, life is good on my little spot on the (soggy) prairie.

[Artful]

Good for you, it always feels good to beat the problem. I just hope I'm as lucky when I go to work on my wife's next sewing machine (yeah, serger fixed now the old kenmore needs work -argh)

[MaryB]

Hate electrical gremlins on lawn mowers. I had the seat safety switch go bad and I had to finish mowing. Checked it with an ohm meter, and couldn't figure out if it should be closed or open with my butt on the seat. Shorted it, nope that didn't work, tried just unplugging it, nope that didn't work... like you the mosquitoes were appearing full force and I did not feel like donating 2 pints of blood so I drove it back to the shed to work on the next day. No wiring diagram available anywhere so I finally gave in and ordered a new switch. Turns out it opens one circuit and closes another at the same time...

[waksupi]

The PTO stopped on mine yesterday, so I guess I'm going to have to learn a bit about (trying) fixing it.

[CastingFool]

I can relate to that. Our old vacuum cleaner (the one I use in my project room, and sundry projects) stopped running. After spending some guality time with my multimeter, I found the culprit. It turned out to be a blown fuse. Searspartsdirect called it some kind of connector link, and wanted $13 plus shipping. I simply bought a fuse holder and found the correct fuse at Menards. For about $6 I fixed the vacuum cleaner, and if the fuse blows again, it's easy to replace.

[RogerDat]

You are encouraging me to forgo more smelting and casting and replace the leaking head gasket on my lawn tractor. Place where they are known for being too little gasket surface for too much pressure. Oil galley blows through and it starts taking 3 gallons of fuel and 1 quart of oil to mow the lawn. No mosquitoes however since the thing acts as its own smudge pot.

Whew glad that feeling passed! Now where is that plain lead I was going to smelt?

[hoosierlogger]

I too hate electrical problems. But I have a funny story about a mower to share. My neighbor had a white mower that "ran fine and all of the sudden wouldn't start". Her brother came over numerous times working on it over the course of a year trying to get it going again. In the mean time you have to picture a morbidly obese woman mowing a yard with a push mower while a riding mower sits there non operational. Her brother replaced the key switch, solenoid, relays, safety sensors, and several other electrical components before giving up. She spent 2,000 on a new mower and told me I could have the old one if I wanted it for scrap since it "could not be fixed". I said sure, hooked my Allis Chalmers to it and drug it across the road to my house. It sat in the back yard a few days before I went out to drain the gas and oil so I could take it to the scrap yard. I pulled the oil plug and hardly any oil came out. I put the plug back, dumped the oil back in along with another quart. Hit the key and it fired right up. The engine had a low oil level sensor that prevented the engine from running if low on oil. Now at this point I start to feel bad. I called her and told her what it was and she said keep it I already got a new one. I fixed a few other minor things and parked it by the road with a for sale sign on it. Lol

[blademasterii]

I had a pressure washer fight with that oil level switch. Gas drained down into the oil pan and overfilled it, took me a while to figure out what happend. Bought a new engine for my dads tiller, started right up first pull and worked great. My mom called me a few weeks later and said she was going to order a new tiller. I was a bit perplexed because I had just fixed the old one. He said it kept stalling and wouldn't run right when tilling in the garden and he didn't want to bother me again. Went out and started playing with it. On low depth setting it was fine with plenty of power, but when you set it deep it would stall and sputter. Hmmmmm. Disconected the oil level sensor switch, problem solved. Bumped the idle up a bit and it works great now. The angle created when it tilled deep pulled all the oil to the end of the pan and triggered the low oil shutoff.

[Mumblypeg]

Yeah I once had a female friend (now ex-friend) who thought she knew everything.... wanted me to look at her lawn mower and see if I could find out why it would not start... the fuel tank was empty..... turned out to be mean and bi-polar.....

[10x]

Must admit I have a love/hate relationship with my riding mower. My big Cub Cadet cuts a 54" swath with boring precision and does it at a pretty good clip....it the grass isn't too thick or tall.
Yesterday I realized that the flood waters had receded and I should be spending some quality time with my riding mower.....or not.8-)
I had the forethought to charge the battery as it hadn't been started since it started raining about five weeks ago so I knew it would start right up.....but it didn't. :x
Nothing happened when I turned the switch, absolutely nothing. I knew I had an electrical problem; I hate electrical problems. :x I pretty much suck at them.
Started at the front (wrong!) end of the little tractor with my test light and multimeter and pulled switches, plugs and unwrapped loom here and there. By the time I got to the back (right!) end on my little pride & joy it was getting dark. I pulled the battery and found a fuseholder taped up nearly out of sight and it was blown! Cool! I actually had one stashed with my shooting trophies (don't ask) and replaced it. Put the battery tray, battery and cables back in place and...nothing. It was getting dark and the mosquitoes thought I was supper so I gathered up my tools and quit for the night.
Spent some quality time with some schematics on the Cub Cadet site this morning and realized the starter relay was secreted somewhere under the seat of my little tormentor. I know relays dislike moisture and I figured this one had had plenty. Since all the wiring looked good I figured I had a likely suspect. Made a copy of the wiring diagram and a picture (and part number) of the starter relay and headed over to a Tractor Supply near work. They had one so I hurried home to see if I'd guessed right.
Didn't take long to locate the relay that I'd somehow missed last night, finally got it replaced and put the back end back together. When I tested the ignition switch connector I had power! I quickly put the front end back together and was rewarded with lights and numbers on the dash!:D
Old girl fired right up and I even took her for a victory lap before I put my tools up.
The reason I invested the keystrokes? We're all DIY'ers so I thought you'd understand. I hate working on stuff like this but it helped a bit to watch a few neighbors drive by hauling their riding mowers home from the shop. Spent $20 on the relay, 50 cents on the fuse. Costs almost that much to fire up the pickup and hook up the trailer. Wasn't looking forward to loading a dead mower and certainly wasn't looking forward to paying someone to chase down an electrical problem; that can get expen$ive.

Once again, life is good on my little spot on the (soggy) prairie.

You know you could have borrowed your neighbors mower after they got it fixed....|
That is what my neighbors do....

[farmerjim]

First thing to do on any mower: Remove all safety shutdown switches. You can start most ridding mowers in need it now situations with a jumper cable directly from the battery to the starter

[TheDoctor]

Got to replace the start relay on mine. It's a known problem, just haven't gotten around to doing it. Turn the key, and you would hear it engage, but I assume the main contacts inside are corroded. You could jiggle the key several times, and it would finally turn over. Went out yesterday to mow, and nope, wasn't happening. Couldn't even hear the click. Time to replace it (and check the fuse). I know all the safety switches are working, I can here them do their switch click/solenoid clunk when I engage them one by one.

[ascast]

I am really glad I am not the only person who is sees the world this way. I guess the parts stores should have been a clue. After another coffee, I'll be off to the parts store for plugs, coil, etc. I plan to get 5-6 more years out of the 1970 John Deere.

[fast ronnie]

Yeah I once had a female friend (now ex-friend) who thought she knew everything.... wanted me to look at her lawn mower and see if I could find out why it would not start... the fuel tank was empty..... turned out to be mean and bi-polar.....

Don't understand??? Which is bi-polar? The riding mower or????????????????? We know lawn mower problems are mean!!!!!!

[country gent]

My Grasshopper started loosing power and stalling last fall , Ccleaned hte tank out and changed out fuel filter not any better. Noticed fuel filter wasnt staying full when running. Replaced the electric fuel pump and all is well. Had a landscapper tell me the impellers fins break off in those pumps with age and cant keep up with the motor.

[Handloader109]

Ha! We all have stories.... Bought current house in 2010, still had my old home, left mower there die to more grass to cut down south...bought the prior owner's push mower, smallish yard and I needed exercise. He asked me if I wanted him to haul off The old snapper that wasn't running. I told him to leave it. After first season of pushing that little mower, I took look at the snapper, was leaking oil at base, pulled engines replaced the pan gasket, and a couple of other items, maybe $30 in parts, new battery and its make it over three years and still fires up......free is good

[Mk42gunner]

Lawn mower electrical problems aren't much fun to fix. My new to me last year, twenty eight year old Yanmar has some sort of problem with the electric PTO switch. A previous owner somehow reworked it so it actuates with the headlight switch. Makes no sense, but it does work so I am not going to get in a big hurry to fix it.

I can forsee starting to fix this one simple problem and ending up having to make a whole new wiring harness. That is not going to happen willingly.

Robert

[TXGunNut]

You know you could have borrowed your neighbors mower after they got it fixed....|
That is what my neighbors do....


Thought about it, that's the funny part. Neighbor S of me is in bad health and I generally mow his yard. I guess I took too long to get to it so someone else mowed it for them. He has a pretty nice John Deere but I know it hasn't been maintained so isn't likely to start & run.

Four guys pull up to a 4-way stop at exactly the same time: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, a mailman and a guy with a good used riding mower for sale. Who has the right-of-way?


The mailman, the other three are all fictional characters. Guy who used to fix my mowers told me that one.

[buckwheatpaul]

Dont forget trailer light issues as well as boat electrical issues.........

[10x]

Dont forget trailer light issues as well as boat electrical issues.........

Nature abhors working trailer lights.
I carry a can of electrical contact cleaner for the plug and recess. And spare bulbs for all lights.
Electric trailer breaks with a "dead man" pull switch are also interesting.
The first thing I check on wonky trailer lights is the ground to the vehicle. Second the plug...., then bulbs.

[MaryB]

My first riding mower came from my dad in the late 80's. He had a 4 year old Sears rider that he put the brake on and left it running to go in and use the bathroom. Popped out of gear and drove itself through the garage door... ripped the right front wheel welds so it was bent back almost 90 degrees. He didn't want it and went and got a new mower(told mom it couldn't be repaired). I brought it home, took it to the welding shop and we bent everything back into place, welded it up, I paid him with 2 slabs of BBQ ribs. Used that mower until 2011 when it was using to much oil to mow anymore(2 quarts to an acre). Sold it for $200 and bought another Sears mower.

[DLCTEX]

LED trailer lights help with the bulb issue. Worth the cost.

[fiberoptik]

Motorcycle wiring issues! Bike used to blow main fuse once a week just to mess with me. Evil *****.

[Frank46]

Put a new battery in my mower after the old one died. Starter would run but the gear would not rise up to connect with the flywheel. Called sears as it was under warantee and they sent me another. Half hour later up and running. Frank

[dakotashooter2]

Dont forget trailer light issues as well as boat electrical issues.........


Sigh............. yup ...How can one park a trailer for the winter with perfectly working lights only to have 1/2 of them not work when you dig it out in the spring??????????????

[dakotashooter2]

LED trailer lights help with the bulb issue. Worth the cost.


Yup I am slowly converting all my trailers.

[TXGunNut]

Dont forget trailer light issues as well as boat electrical issues.........

No boats (yet) but I broke a trailer light-hit it while mowing, lol-and it finally quit so I had to replace it in a hurry to haul something one night. Bolted it on, wired it up, didn't work. Thought "Oh, well, guess I'll just load it up and take my chances." By the time I got it loaded up it was working. Seems my truck has a computer that monitors trailer stuff and it just had to decide that the light really WAS working. Hmmm.
Still bothers me that both the starter relay and the fuse failed at the same time but I'll try not to let that bother me, lol.

[Petrol & Powder]

I had a pressure washer fight with that oil level switch. Gas drained down into the oil pan and overfilled it, took me a while to figure out what happend. Bought a new engine for my dads tiller, started right up first pull and worked great. My mom called me a few weeks later and said she was going to order a new tiller. I was a bit perplexed because I had just fixed the old one. He said it kept stalling and wouldn't run right when tilling in the garden and he didn't want to bother me again. Went out and started playing with it. On low depth setting it was fine with plenty of power, but when you set it deep it would stall and sputter. Hmmmmm. Disconected the oil level sensor switch, problem solved. Bumped the idle up a bit and it works great now. The angle created when it tilled deep pulled all the oil to the end of the pan and triggered the low oil shutoff.

I prefer the old style "low oil sensor", you know the one that would throw the rod through the side of the block to signal that you're a dumb a** for not checking the oil.

[oldfart1956]

Motorcycle wiring issues! Bike used to blow main fuse once a week just to mess with me. Evil *****. HAW!HAW!HAW! I rode a Norton...for many years. Need I say more? The entire electrical system was designed by Lucas...they called him..The Prince Of Darkness. Headlights would blow at the most inopertune time. Tailights either blew or fell off...or the bulbs vibrated to destruction. Wires melted..frequently. Batteries cooked, or didn't charge. Had the same effect either way. They put the ignition switch on the right (if I recall) side panel. So your leg would hit it and shut the bike off. Usually at night, in a turn, going way too fast. And the key would fall out once in the off position. Always a pleasure. Control switches seldom worked. Switching the headlight from high beam to low beam was just as likely to shut the bike down as dim the headlight. It had a kill switch on the right handlebar control....HAW!HAW!HAW! Now there was a piece of un-needed redundant equipment! And mind ye, all this was long before electric starters. As a side note, they put the electric starter (if memory serves) on the rear of the engine directly below the Amal carbs. No choke. Starting a cold engine meant pushing the "ticklers" down on the carbs. That made the floats drop and overflow the bowls to basically flood the engine. Excess gasoline drooled down..right where they put the new electric starter. That hadda be interesting. Ahhh memories. Audie..the Oldfart..

[TXGunNut]

I hear that's why folks in England often enjoy their beer warm; because Lucas (Prince of Darkness) makes their refrigerators.
Finally finished mowing my little two acres tonight, took two passes (about 8 hrs!) and a couple of hours with my Echo trimmer but it finally looks nice again. Never seen the grass so thick and green here on my spot on the prairie.

[375supermag]

Yeah I once had a female friend (now ex-friend) who thought she knew everything.... wanted me to look at her lawn mower and see if I could find out why it would not start... the fuel tank was empty..... turned out to be mean and bi-polar.....

"female...mean and bi-polar"...
You, sir, are redundant...

[castalott]

A little thread drift.... My ancient Craftsman air compressor would blow a head gasket about every year. The head was warped bad. Then remembered a trick dad used. I got a piece of perfectly flat 1x12 and some dry sand. Coated the board with sand and 'machined' the head flat as a flitter in no time just using circular motion. Used that compressor another 15 years and still going...

The old timers were pretty sharp...

[Mal Paso]

Too funny. Just came in from fixing the lights on the flatbed trailer and turned on the computer to look for LEDs and you know, just a quick look at Cast Boolits first. 2 bad grounds, 2lights out and 1 plug loose.

I was going 7+ miles an hour when the Seat Switch on my tractor malfunctioned and the hydraulic drive instantly locked up. If not for the safety bar I would have launched. I deemed it Unsafe and bypassed it.

I've also had 2 cases of BMC and Knew the Prince of Darkness well.

[Rufus Krile]

Wasn't Lucas the father of using a positive ground? I'm thinking early Jags and Healys...