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My search skills must be crap, because I can't believe this hasn't been asked before, but I can't find it. Just watched a video that said that small engines should use high zinc oil. Is this true? That's the first time I've heard that. None of my engine manuals mention zinc. They all say use an...

This is how I do it. My ZTR has a steering wheel, and if the fronts are low, it becomes harder to turn the steering wheel. Mine isn't one of those new fancy ones with power steering. I got a steering wheel model for the slope holding capabilities, and 20 psi in the fronts gives me plenty of...

Next time it does this... loosen the gas cap. Could be a bad vent on the cap. Check the cooling fins. Maybe it's overheating. Disconnect the fuel line at the carb, and see if you get decent fuel flow. It could be that there's a restriction in the tank or fuel line.

Near as I can tell, that Craftsman ZTL 7000 has a 50" deck and a 24HP engine. If: - the engine is running properly - the deck is working properly (no bound up spindles, no caked up dried grass) - the blades are sharp - you're not mowing when the grass is too tall or wet then I think a 24HP...

I have a Kohler Command 17HP (CV490S, spec # 27515) with a Walbro carb that leaks. I found a video from Taryl where he provides the Kohler carb rebuild kit p/n (20 521 04-S), and it's $48. Cheap, made-in-China carbs run around $20 on that jungle site. You guys have any luck with the cheap Walbro...

I don't have a Scag, but I DO have a Kohler EFI engine, and my throttle does something similar. It doesn't affect RPMs until the last half of the lever travel. Dropping this comment so I can follow this.

Not fuel... not mechanical... That leaves electrical. Loose battery terminal or cable?

If everything is clamped down in vises, how do you move the grinder over the blade?

Is there an empty connector, lug, or terminal on the solenoid?

I got too close to a tarp once, and it got sucked into the deck. Stopped things pretty quickly. Pretty quickly... not instantly. Hitting things like ropes and tarps will stop your blade(s) and engine, but it's a fairly gentle stop compared to hitting a stump or a rock. Once I cut the tarp out...

So you have a cheap residential push mower that can't be set up for side discharge because you lost the chute, you want to mow 18"-24" WET grass, your mower won't do it... and you think that a larger engine is the answer? BTW, mowing high WILL make a difference. The lower you go, the thicker...

From this link: Battery-powered vehicles account for a small share of car fires, but controlling EV fires is difficult. Typically, an EV fire burns at roughly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius), while a gasoline-powered vehicle on fire burns at 1,500 F (815 C). It takes about 2,000...

I wouldn't be making this argument. There may be more fires with gas mowers than battery, but there are still WAY more gas mowers out there. And gas fires can be put out. Battery fires cannot. Batteries contain fuel and an oxidizer, so if they catch fire, they are burning until the fuel is gone...

You're welcome! Glad I could help.

Bad or unplugged seat switch.

I recently moved away from N AL, which routinely gets sever thunderstorms and tornadoes. I don't miss it.

What happened before this? Did it run great for the previous 4 times it's been used this year? Or is this the first time it's been cranked this year? Is the fuel fresh?

Sounds like you want something with more power AND run time than the cheap B&D you had. Battery trimmers can have enough power, but they don't have the run time of a good gas trimmer. Echo SRM225s are around $200. That's what I'd recommend if you want more than 30 minutes of run time. Echo...

Even riding mowers. I don't know of a single mower with a vertical shaft engine. I'm sure they're out there, but I'm not aware of them. Every gas powered riding mower at every big box store will have a vertical shaft engine. Now watch someone prove me wrong.

Somehow I missed this. Cheapo lawn tractors tend to mow better than cheapo push mowers. I used to have a riding mower with a 36" or 38" deck (it's been a long time) and 12HP engine. It mowed better than my Toro Recycler. It was almost useless on the hills in my yard, so I got rid of it, but it...

On the small subdivision yards I've had, I've always used push mowers. But... I can't say I wasn't tempted to get a rider. They are faster and often have headlights, which would allow me to get the mowing done starting at 6:00 in Sept, where I wouldn't have time to get done before dark with a...

You mentioned the bag chute, which, I assumed, you wouldn't be using or even mentioning if you were side discharging. Sucks to always have wet grass. Years ago, I had a 20" Murray mower with a Briggs engine rated at 3.5HP. This may be what's on your Craftsman. It was side discharge only, and...

So you want to be able to mow super-tall wet grass, and bag it? With a Craftsman 21" push mower? Now I'm thinking this is a troll. This job is in the territory of $10000 stand-on mowers. How long would it take to fill a bag while mowing super-tall wet grass? I'm thinking about a minute. So you'd...

I have an automotive dual-post lift that I'd like to use, but so far, I haven't figured out how to, other than hooking a chain to it, and lifting with the chain. I use a floor jack and jack stands, or car ramps, depending on the job. I use car ramps unless they would be in the way for the job I...

If it's stupid, but it works, it ain't stupid.

For OPE, it really doesn't matter. Both are measures of the ability to cut grass. More HP = better ability to cut. More torque = better ability to cut. The problem comes when you try to compare engines rated in HP vs those rated in torque. Torque is probably a better measure, as it's easier to...

Simple. Don't let your grass get that tall. Mow often with a properly working mower. The rule-of-thumb is to cut no more than 1/3 the length of the grass. So if you want your grass at 2", mow when it gets to 3". In the growing season, that's usually around once a week. Make sure the deck is not...

I'll just leave this here. Don’t trust the “Experts” Grease your mower deck sealed spindle bearings Common sense maintenance.

Sounds like he's run through the easier options.

Good thing it didn't get lost. That could have been bad.

Unfortunately, that's probably exactly what it needs now.

Get a HF hand pump. They're $7.49.

Mower: Cub Cadet Pro Z 100S Engine: Kohler EZT750. ~385 hrs. I noticed on my last mow, that when I shut off the engine, it stops more quickly than it did last season. Or even two weeks ago (when I previously mowed). Should I be concerned? Oil is fresh, and level is good. One change from last...

The octane rating for your engine is a minimum. You can go higher with no problem, except for expense. The high octane (especially ethanol-free) will be more expensive.

This. It DEFINITELY sounds like you have a fuel flow problem.

Nice hijack. So the OP can use an electric mower as a pressure washer?

I DID say, "most", didn't I?

This recommendation just cost me $129.99 plus tax. 😅 I have several gas jugs taking up lots of floor space. Some of them are missing the cap. I can get rid of them all now. Except the 2 gal one, which I'll use to carry fuel out to the machine that just ran out. Now I just need to rig up...

My problem with 2-blade mowers is that most of them have single cylinder engines. The twins from Briggs, Kaw, and Kohler are all better than their singles, and run smoother with less vibration.

Maintenance records? If someone showed me maintenance records of a mower, I'd be in shock.

Unless you took it apart, the vent could still be plugged. Next time it does it, remove the fuel cap, and see if that fixes it.

I 2nd this. Any time I have starting problems, new fuel is my first go-to.

True, but.... I'm fairly mechanical, and I've had no-start problems with gas equipment in the past, too, until I learned not to ignore the maintenance schedule. One problem, if you want to call it that, is that many OPE engines will tolerate being neglected. To a point. If someone buys a new gas...

I guess what I should really be impressed with is the ATV. It tows and drags stuff around with no problem, except for it wanting to overheat. Thanks for the info.

Yes.

Does it run with the air filter removed? When you tilted it over, did you tilt it away from the air filter? If you tilted it toward the air filter, oil could make its way to the filter, and will ruin it. It will also prevent the engine from running. You should be able to check this by just...

If $300 bumps you up to a fabricated deck, I'd go that route. Upgrading the deck would be cost prohibitive. Like others have said, you still have to maintain either one. If you ever have some brush that, even though you know you shouldn't, you decide to mow it anyway, you'll be glad for the...

300 lbs is probably good enough for what I need to do. I'm not planning on moving a 5th wheel around. Just drag small trees, and tow a small utility trailer, which probably weighs around 100 lbs. Do the ZT-3400's do anything for me? They are supposedly commercial, and are serviceable. I would...

Then stop giving the wrong advice when it's clearly wrong for the application. I acknowledge that battery equipment CAN be the right answer sometimes. You suggest that battery equipment is always the answer. That sounds like agenda, not opinion.

Hmmm. Sounds like my best bet would be to find a beat up lawn tractor with a gear transmission and a rusted out deck for cheap. If I burned up something like that, it wouldn't bother me. Does this apply to tractors? I'm looking for a compact or subcompact tractor, too. I'm finding that the...