lawnmower mystery

GeorgeC

GeorgeC

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GeorgeC
So I've been mowing my tiedown. Mower has a lever to engage front wheel drive. Apparently mowers don't have a throttle with a rabbit and a turtle like they used to. Presumably there is a governor of some sort.

Anyway, I try to mow with the fwd engaged and it bogs down and stalls every few feet. The grass is not very high and the deck is at its uppermost setting. I wonder if the drive is robbing too much power, so I disengage the drive and push it by hand, and it still stalls. Drag it backwards through the grass, though, and it runs like a champ. Doesn't matter if the chute is open or if it's closed for mulching, same behavior.

Why does it only run without stalling when I drag it backwards?
 
Check the gas tank cap vent; is there a pinhole open all the way through the gas cap to vent?

I know, not specific to direction of mower travel, but that's all I got.
 
Is there some sort of a cold start lever that might be at the wrong setting?

Mowers usually stall when the clippings get backed up under the deck. Also, has the blade been removed recently? It may have been installed backwards.
 
Did you look under the deck to see if it's clogged up?

Also, I found that my mower cut a lot better with the blades installed to cut with the sharp edge rather than the blunt edge.:rolleyes:

No, I bought it that way. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

The previous owner thought it worked fine. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
FormerHangie said:
Is there some sort of a cold start lever that might be at the wrong setting?

Mowers usually stall when the clippings get backed up under the deck. Also, has the blade been removed recently? It may have been installed backwards.
Click to expand...
Beat me to it!
 
If there is no throttle, in the classical sense, you need an electronic tachometer. The engine should be running about 3,100 rpm, but check your owners manual to be sure.
If it's not running fast enough, you won't make enough horsepower to spin all the do-hickies.
 
Clean the carb out, can of carb cleaner, blow out the jets with it, put it back together. Drain out the old gas.
 
Check to see how much grass is packed into the drive mechanism for the FWD. It may surprise you.
 
GeorgeC said:
...the deck is at its uppermost setting.
Click to expand...
This might be the problem; only the front wheels have height adjustments. I wonder if the deck angle is too high...
 
So sick of cleaning the jet on my mower that I bought a electric one.
 
GeorgeC said:
This might be the problem; only the front wheels have height adjustments. I wonder if the deck angle is too high...
Click to expand...


I've never seen a push mower that only had height adjustments for the front wheels. That completely defeats the purpose of the deck adjustments.

Step 1: Make sure deck is clear of clippings/debris/obstructions
Step 2: Make sure blade is sharpened and installed correctly for rotation of engine
Step 3: Make sure the drive belt and engagement mechanism are working properly and rotate freely
Step 4: Replace fuel, air filter, fuel filter (if installed), and spark plug.
Step 5: Clean carb thoroughly
 
Paulie said:
So sick of cleaning the jet on my mower that I bought a electric one.
Click to expand...

What kind of crap fuel were you running through it?! I haven't had to clean the jets on any of my carburetor-equipped equipment, other than once or twice on a decade-old 2-stroke line trimmer.
 
I suspect it has a fueling problem that is causing it to stall. The reason it probably does it going forward versus reverse is that the flap in the back is probably flattening the grass enough to not bog the mower down compared to pushing it forward.
 
SoonerAviator said:
What kind of crap fuel were you running through it?! I haven't had to clean the jets on any of my carburetor-equipped equipment, other than once or twice on a decade-old 2-stroke line trimmer.
Click to expand...
The crap gas from the gas stations in Naples fl. Always use fresh and have to clean the jet on mower, pressure washer and everything else.
 
Paulie said:
So sick of cleaning the jet on my mower that I bought a electric one.
Click to expand...

When we moved to the city I sold all of my power lawn equipment, a simple reel mower and electric trimmer are all I need. Works great, no gas, no noise, and I get a workout!

1309296507-30245_full.jpg
 
Bill Jennings said:
When we moved to the city I sold all of my power lawn equipment, a simple reel mower and electric trimmer are all I need. Works great, no gas, no noise, and I get a workout!

1309296507-30245_full.jpg
Click to expand...
I’ve got 2 acres to mow. Growing up my dad refused to buy a powered mower, I know the pictured type well.
Knowing you’re a bmw rider, I just bought a 2000 k1200rs with 3k miles for 3k. Still prefer my r1200s though.
 
Nothing wrong with the engine or blade. The deck is probably all clogged up so that cut grass from the back (as you back up) is able to clear better than grass from the front (as you go forward).

Talk about overthinking a problem, you guys. If the engine had no jam it wouldn't cut going backward or forward.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Nothing wrong with the engine or blade. The deck is probably all clogged up so that cut grass from the back (as you back up) is able to clear better than grass from the front (as you go forward).

Talk about overthinking a problem, you guys. If the engine had no jam it wouldn't cut going backward or forward.
Click to expand...
o_O Last I checked the blade traveled in a circular path, why would it care if it was going backwards or forwards?
 
There's an even easier solution. Do as we did when we re-landscaped the place a decade or so ago. What little lawn we had is gone. I don't own a lawnmower. I'd say it saves a bunch of time, but now I spend more time pulling weeds.
 
What is this grass everyone speaks of.??

All I have is weeds. I mean knarly weeds..... some of the weeds frighten me....especially the Godzilla weeds....

A brief summer storm will bring up the mean scary looking ones.

At least the rocks don't grow...
 
Grum.Man said:
o_O Last I checked the blade traveled in a circular path, why would it care if it was going backwards or forwards?
Click to expand...
The grass tends to pile up on one side of the deck. It gets pulped some and rather sticky, and can accumulate to the point that there is very little clearance between the blade and the accumulated junk. On a side-discharge it will pile up just ahead of the discharge and along the front, and the stuff being cut starts jamming the blade. Going backwards, the cut is at the back where there's lots of clearance and the grass will either blow out under the left side of the deck or just fall into the remaining grass.

Cheapest way to start is to clean the deck. Besides, what other factor could cause the thing to bog down going forward but not backward????
 
Funny true story!
mu uncle had a couple of acres when I was young and a riding mower. Even with the throttle on rabbit it had a governor. You could push the throttle on the carb and it would rev WAY UP!
He tied a piece of kite string to the throttle on the carb. Whenever he got in thick grass he would pull the string and open her up :) LOL!
 
SoonerAviator said:
I've never seen a push mower that only had height adjustments for the front wheels.
Click to expand...

Turns out there was one for the rear wheels after all. I cranked it up all the way too. Bogs down less now, but still clogs up easily. I don't think it's a fuel/carb/ignition/etc issue, the mower was just purchased this year. We'll tear it down for mx soon, mowing season is almost over.
 
Mystery solved. It was all about the deck angle. I adjusted the front to be a notch or two lower than the rear and now it's fine.
Scan10113.jpg
 
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GeorgeC said:
Mystery solved. It was all about the deck angle. I adjusted the front to be a notch or two lower than the rear and now it's fine.
Click to expand...

If that was the fix, I think the symptom is elsewhere, like a carburetor float. The deck height settings should be set on the same notches for front and rear.
 
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