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An invasive Asian spider called the "Joro" (Trichonephila clavata) has run unchecked in NE Georgia. It's a large garden spider, on par with other varieties. They don't bite humans, but they do make a yellow-orange web material that is 2-3 times stronger than other North American spiders. This...

Sounds like the engine seized. Wrong oil mix, cooling air path blocked, etc.

I've seen people complaining that they can't get the oil drain hose to turn loose of the fan housing when they go to change the oil on a 702 / 708 engine. To tell you the truth, even with a full set of tools I sometimes have trouble. So I sawed off a 1" length of 7/16 dia steel rod and made this...

On my long term personal mower, not a commercial mower that's regularly traded in... ► Once a year (time of the year is personal preference) I do this... • Change the engine oil (and filter) to rid the engine of water... not because the oil is worn out. • Sharpen (or replace) the blade • Check...

Battery cables don't usually come loose. You might want to add that to your maintenance list. I check things in this order... • Check any fuses first • The seat switch gets more 'action' than any other switch, so check that next. • Then check battery and battery connections at BOTH ends of BOTH...

Sounds like a charging issue to me. Either the battery cannot accept a charge (due to poor connections or issues inside the battery), or the battery is not receiving a "charge". • With the engine running at mowing RPM, the battery should measure slightly above 14VDC. If you place an ammeter...

Did you just read the same response I did ? He said "recharge and test".

Water causes corrosion on the switches and connectors within the "safety interlock system". There's a switch on the seat, parking brake and both control handles, and those are interconnected with the PTO switch to control the blades. These switches and connectors aren't well protected (like on...

My BIL who owns that same model had a weld break up inside the deck adjustment mechanism. Made his grass look the same way. You couldn't spot the issue with casual observation, but careful measurements proved it was there. His mower repair guy was able to repair the broken weld.

Facebook.... now there's a trusted source for factual information. :ROFLMAO:

The only way to know is to scan Craigslist and Facebook 'Marketplace' for similar models in your locale.

An intermittent failure of any of the safety switches would do the same.

Not a simple Yes/No question. Lots of things to consider.... 1. I do not run my mower from October to April here in Georgia What I have found is that I do NOT need to maintain my Exmark mower battery... IF I use a battery disconnect device. This because the main discharging path is through the...

Either fuel enters the carb by gravity flow, OR the tank is below the carb and a pump is required. Those are your ONLY 2 options. Most mower fuel pumps work by having the crankcase pressure pulse operate a diaphragm pump. So the engine has to be running to pump any fuel. Therefore priming the...

The hydrogen gas generated during battery charging will explode if exposed to electrical spark or flame. Hydrogen creation is why the caps on older "wet cell" batteries are vented. Hydrogen collection is always a big issue when lead-acid batteries are charged in a confined area. Your battery...

The fuel MAY exit the tank at the top, but in order to deliver fuel the "pickup" MUST be near the bottom of the tank. But the "pickup" point for any syphon MUST be submerged in the liquid. You're letting the "delivery" point confuse you about the "pickup" point.

You are correct about galvanic corrosion. Two opposite metals in close proximity, with an electrolyte. In the case of battery posts, it's usually the difference between the battery post (Lead) and the electrical strap (Brass). Usually most new battery straps AND the clamping fasteners will be...

Of course, there are several after-market carbs you can pick up. Will they help you or be better than what you already have is the question.

Your issue was most likely not the relay itself, but corrosion on the relay terminals. Corrosion on electrical terminals is common if the mower is washed regularly or stored in a enclosed area with high humidity. Application of a professional grade electrical terminal anti-oxidation compound...

I started my ZTM career with a 34" Dash and it was a great mower. It cut wonderfully on the small lawns around my house. My only issue was that it didn't weight enough to keep from sliding on the uneven and bumpy "back 40" of my 5 acre wooded lot. I now own a heavier Exmark, but I still miss...

The tattoo every cat lover needs....

Reasonable causes of running "rich".... • Fuel in the engine oil. (Oil MUST be changed.) • Choke in the ON position. Either stuck there or not responding. • Float level set too high • Float bowl float unable to float. May be filled with liquid from a tiny leak. • Trash in the float bowl needle...

Several notes... • I worked on an older Turf Tiger yesterday and noticed they mounted this relay up-side-down inside the console. These relays are fairly reliable, but they are not waterproof. When mounted with the terminals pointed UP, the cap of the relay Can/Will fill with water, shortening...

Age of and hours on your mower might help.

I would re-assemble with a LocTite red gel gasket maker. They have about 10 versions that can seal different gap thicknesses, mostly in the 500 PN series: 510, 515, 518, etc. It is also sold at Plymouth/Chrysler dealers....

• "Zero Turn" mowers typically don't like to traverse inclines, especially around lakes and other dangers. You'd need to limit your travel to strictly up and down paths. This because ZT's can/will loose traction on the 2 wheels that matter and start to slide. But they can really make a...

They have you cornered, because no other bagger is going to fit without hours and hours of fitting, rigging and multiple trips to the hardware store. Try eBay for a used one. Or cruise FB Marketplace and see if someone will take theirs off a mower they have for sale.

Do you live in an area where the mower isn't cranked during winter months ? And, did you leave fuel in the carb during this period ? Internal combustion engines crank up based on vapors, but the new EPA gas has VERY low vapor content. So your carb insides MUST stay immaculately clean, but...

You're not wrong there. At one time I was a young commission mechanic. My dealership saw that their main brand was dying and took on Honda. On the older brand, most assemblies were rebuildable and that meant labor content on each job. Honda on the other hand only sold complete assemblies...

The safety interlocks typically don't act alone. The seat switch is typically in series with the PTO and blade engagement switch. In this way you can't get off the seat when the blade is engaged. I highly suggest you... • Get a electrical schematic for your machine. • Use an Ohmmeter to test...

So the mower's own charging system is not working. The most likely suspect is the rectifier-regulator because it contains electrical diodes that are easily damaged by electrical accidents or simple age. Since you tell us there have been previous "fried" components, it sounds like the the...

Since it is, by unanimous decision, such a problem for mower owners.... why isn't there a permanently posted article on this board we can point to when members talk about having this issue. It seems that prevention is so much easier than the cure. So why isn't education on this topic a larger...

Actually, we both agree on the main point: the harmful end results for the small engine owner. Over time, ethanol fuels stratify leaving a water/alcohol soup (which cannot be separated OR burned in the engine) in the bottom of the float bowl... which can then lead to varnish and other jet...

See my answer here... https://www.lawnmowerforum.com/threads/cuts-out-on-one-cylinder-after-10-min.74598/

► Choice of engine oil is based on the ambient temperature in the area, with considerations for your cooling system type. • It's been in the 90°F+ range for the last 8 weeks here in Georgia, so I'm running 15W50 in my well broken-in, air-cooled V-twin mower. I'll go back to 10W30 when cooler...

• How do you know the tank vent is OK ? What test did you use ? I ask this because the vacuum within the tank is tiny... infinitesimal... really small. Proabably only 1 or 2 millimeters of Hg. You'd need a laboratory-grade scientific instrument to measure this. If you drilled a 1/32" hole in the...

The water in my photo is obviously from pressure washing by someone who knows zero about engines. That is just one source, and not the source under discussion here. If ethanol fuel is allowed to sit in the tank and float bowl (typically over the winter), the ethanol WILL most definite separate...

Welcome ! 1. Which engine and model did you get ? 2. These professional mowers can deliver a LOT longer service, but that is mainly due to the fact that Exmark makes it possible to change oils/filters and grease important moving parts. Oil and grease are the cheapest insurance you can buy, so it...

Remove the air filter and check your engine's compression. You could have dropped a valve seat. When was the last time you cleaned the clippings from inside the engine cowling ??

Hopefully in the fuel line between the tank and carb.

This is a common issue when any fuel tank is mounted above the carburetor. Gravity can/will force fuel to flow into the engine. (This may assisted by a tiny piece of trash stuck in the carb's float valve.) From there the fuel bypasses the piston rings and dilutes the engine oil in the sump...

Yes, there's water. But there's also a brown varnish which will also be on the jets and other passages. I didn't take the photo, and I wish it was better, but I'm just using what I got.

Could be... • Excessive engine wear due to poor maintenance over long term. • Engine oil over-filled. • Fuel diluting the engine oil making the oil level higher AND the oil thinner. • Parking the mower with one cylinder facing downhill while the oil is hot. • Wrong weight/ type engine oil based...

If you run ethanol fuel, then over long-term (winter) storage, as the fuel separates and/or evaporates, it will leave a varnish-like coating on all the carb jets. This shrinks the effective diameter of all the carb jets... which leans out the fuel mixture. Since the engine's power comes directly...

In the "good old days", the fuel cap breather was just a tiny hole. The new EPA fuel systems have a labyrinth so that liquid gasoline never escapes. The problem is the fuel repeatedly sloshes onto the breather, dries up, and can clog the air path over time. The engine will start, but the fuel...

• Low compression, most likely due to 1) blown head gasket, or 2) tight valves. • Poor quality fuel. Ethanol fuel that has sat for an extended time. • Water in the fuel (Do you pressure wash your mower?) • Is that the cylinder with the sump breather hose connection? A dirty air filter will make...

My Radius has a lever centered just below the front lip of the seat that moves Left-Right. It's spring loaded to the Lock position, just move it in the opposite direction. It's got an orange tip in this photo...

They obviously want you to buy the entire seat !! :ROFLMAO:

Check the type of plug. Tecumseh has been out of business for more than a decade. Back then, all mowers ran a non-resistor type sparkplug. These days... due to advances in ignition design... about the only thing you can buy is plugs with built-in resistors. And that will trip you up, plus make...

Congrats. I had one like it until my wife begged me to give it to my BIL. If you'll empty all the fuel for winter (or other long storage), and change the engine oil once a year... it will last another 20 years.