April 19, 2023

Riding mower & lawn tractor symptoms

A riding mower or lawn tractor that won't start, won't move, runs rough or misfires is a frustrating problem to deal with when the grass keeps growing and growing. Use our symptoms and DIY troubleshooting solutions to fix these and other lawn tractor problems. Order the parts you need by entering your riding mower's model number in the search bar at the top of the page. Follow the step-by-step procedures in our riding mower repair guides to install replacement parts and get back to mowing.

riding mowers & tractors

Symptoms common to all riding mowers & tractors

Choose a symptom to see related riding mower and lawn tractor repairs.

Main causes: worn or broken blade belt, broken belt idler pulley, blade clutch cable failure, bad PTO switch, damaged mandrel pulleys
Main causes: damaged cutting blade, worn deck pulley, damaged mandrel pulley, loose fasteners on mower deck components
Main causes: faulty battery, bad alternator
Main causes: unlevel mower deck, dull or damaged cutting blades, worn mandrel pulleys, bent mower deck, engine needs tune up
Main causes: worn or broken ground drive belt, bad seat switch, transaxle freewheel control engaged, transaxle failure, dirty carburetor
Main causes: engine overfilled with oil, leaky head gasket or sump gasket, damaged carburetor seals, cracked fuel pump, broken fuel line
Main causes: shift lever needs adjustment, neutral control needs adjustment
Main causes: damaged tie rods, bent or worn wheel spindle, worn front axle, damaged sector gear assembly
Main causes: punctured tire or inner tube, leaky valve stem, damaged wheel rim
Main causes: clogged carburetor, damaged flywheel key, dirty spark plug, stale fuel, improper valve lash, engine needs a tune up
Main causes: dead battery, stale fuel, bad starter solenoid, ignition system problem, bad ignition interlock switch, clogged carburetor

Repair guides common to all riding mowers & tractors

These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your riding mower or lawn tractor.

How to replace a riding lawn mower rear tire

Your mower can’t run on a damaged rear tire. Here’s how to install a new one.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 60 minutes or less
How to replace a riding lawn mower blade

If a blade on your mower is dull or bent, replace it following the steps in this repair guide.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 30 minutes or less
How to replace a riding lawn mower fuel filter

Help your mower run better by replacing the fuel filter during your riding mower's annual tune-up.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less

Articles and videos common to all riding mowers & tractors

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your riding mower or lawn tractor.

August 06, 2020

How to remove a lawn mower blade using a removal tool

How to remove a lawn mower blade using a removal tool

Learn how a blade removal tool makes replacing the blade easier and safer

April 09, 2019

Riding mower parts and supplies to stock up on video

Riding mower parts and supplies to stock up on video

Keep these 6 things on hand to keep the mower season running smoothly.

March 01, 2016

Charging a battery in a riding lawn mower video

Charging a battery in a riding lawn mower video

Learn how to use a battery charger if your mower battery is dead.