TB30B Rider will not go into gear.

[Junior916]

I originally bought a new Troy-Bilt TB30R rider years ago and I had good luck with but it was time to replace. I bought a new Troy-Bilt TB30B rider from the same Rural King Store that the other rider was bought from, the new TB30B was bought back on April 14, 2023. The TB30R and TB30B are the same style rider and look the same other than the lettering TB30R and the TB30R has an engine oil filter, the TB30B does not have an engine oil filter that's the only difference in them. I used the new rider about 6 times. The next time I went out to use the rider it would not go into forward or reverse. I returned the rider to the Rural King for warranty work they had it for 4 weeks only to call me up with the story that they started the rider and drove it around for about 45 minutes and couldn't find anything wrong with it. I was told that sometimes I may have to double clutch the rider in order for it to catch and go into gear. The other day I went out to mow the lawn only to find out that even after double clutching the rider, I couldn't get it into eighter forward or reverse. After several times of doing the double clutching, it did go into forward and I was able to mow the lawn. I'm going to return the rider again today and complain that I just don't buy the double clutching story, but it sure would be nice to know and had a general idea of what the problem may be. Does anyone have any sugestions or ideas ?

 

[hlw49]

This is mower has a variator drive. If you were to shut the mower off with the speed selector in a higher position the mower in neutral and let the clutch out before you turn the mower off in would leave the speed selector in the higher speed. Then if you start the mower and push the cluth in and set the speed selector in a lower speed than where it was set when the mower was turned off it would cause the to happen. If this is the case you would have to start the mower put the speed selector in the highest position let the clutch out until the speed slector goes to the hightes position then slowly push the clutch in and allow the variator to return to the slowest speed. Now when the mower was started and put in gear and release the clutch with speed selector set in the speed you wanted to go it would drive. Hope I explained this where it is understandable.

 

[Junior916]

Thanks for your reply. I think I understand your explanation, but I always leave the speed selector in the same place; I think it's in the #3 position. After I finish mowing the lawn I put the mower in neutral and turn the engine off, I then push it back into the garage. When I want to mow the lawn, I push the mower out and it's in neutral, I push in the clutch and start the engine outside the garage. I took the mower back to Rural King today and spoke with the Manager about this problem. I told him he had 3 options, fix the mower if they can, if they can't get someone that can fix it, or they need to get me a new mower. He agreed with my solution to the problem, but I personally think the problem is something is out of adjustment. please let me know, if you think how I'm going about starting of the mower is the problem. It would be of great help to both Rural King and me.