How to Start a Riding Lawn Mower
Anyone who owns a traditional lawn care tool knows that there is no fun in using it. The traditional lawn mowers frequently suffer from carburetor damage, high levels of engine noise, have high fuel consumption rates, and cause extreme fatigue to the operator who has to drag them through the lawn. Hence, there was a need for a lawn mower that could cut down the user’s fatigue, was easy to start, and did not have high running costs.
These needs were kept in mind when manufacturers decided to launch the riding lawn mower models. Riding lawn mowers are still new for most people. Therefore, in this article, we shall tell you the features of riding lawn mowers and teach you how to start a riding lawn mower.
Why Riding Lawn Mowers Are Better
Riding mowers are the new age lawn mowers specifically designed for people who have a large lawn. Riding lawn mowers are popular these days, and that’s why their accessories and spare parts are readily available in the market. Moreover, riding lawn mowers offer additional benefits in comparison to the traditional lawn mower.
These lawn mowers have larger fuel storage capacity and also have mulching capabilities. Riding lawn mowers have an electric startup that eliminates the possibility of a major problem that existed with old lawn mowers.
Old lawn mowers, that were not in regular use, would start and die out frequently. However, with an electric start, the old carburetor issues causing this problem are resolved.
Additionally, the riding lawn mowers can catch grass clippings while moving, and come with cutting decks that make them easy to handle. Overall, riding lawn mowers cater to all different types of mowing needs.
Things To Check Before Riding
1. Battery And Starter Switch
As stated before, riding lawn mowers come with an electric start system where you either need to press a button or move a key to start the lawn mower. It is quite easy to start in comparison to the traditional lawn mowers, where you had to crank the machine by pulling a cord forcefully. However, the electric start-up can give some troubles occasionally.
Therefore, we will first teach you how to check and resolve the electric start issues before we move on to starting and using the lawn mower completely.
Before using the riding lawn mower, you should check the battery of the mower. Most issues related to the electric start and ignition are because of a dead battery. In this case, you have two options. You can either call a technician to see if the battery is still viable or not. Otherwise, you can simply replace the battery of your lawn mower.
Things become complex when a dead battery is not the cause behind these problems with the electric start. The lawn mower has two additional components related to the electric start and ignition system. These are the starter and the solenoid switches. If the solenoid switch has some problem, the starter switch will not work, and you cannot switch on the riding lawn mower. Call a mechanic for getting the switches repaired. These parts are readily available, and you can replace them as well. Do not try to repair it yourself if you have not done it before.
2. Check Fuel And Safety Switch
While it is a routine task, most users forget to check the fuel level before starting the lawn mower. When you use the lawn mower with a low amount of fuel, it puts a heavy load on the battery, making it weak.
Another feature of riding lawn mowers that makes them better than the traditional mowers, is the presence of a safety switch. When the user is not seated firmly on the riding lawn mower, the switch automatically turns off the battery and switches the lawnmower off. Therefore, to maintain safety, you should always check whether the safety switch is working or not before you use the lawn mower.
How To Start Craftsman Riding Lawn Mower
Most people prefer using riding lawn mowers because they help in clearing large lawn spaces in shorter durations. However, working principles do not change with time. Just like traditional lawn mowers, the riding lawn mowers also take some time to start if the engine is cold, or the mower is out of use.
Fortunately, they do not stop mid-way neither does the battery drain out frequently. To make sure that you have a smooth ride, after pressing the starter switch, let the battery circulate power for about 15 seconds before you operate the mower.
Follow these steps to start the mower:
- Sit on the riding lawn mower and use your left foot to press the clutch or the brake lever. Change the direction of the parking brake to the right side of the lawn mower.
- While pressing the clutch lever, shift the gear shifting lever of the riding lawn mower to neutral.
- Now it’s time to adjust the throttle. Most of the riding lawn mower models use the symbol of a turtle and a rabbit to indicate slow and fast speed, respectively. Put the throttle of the riding lawn mower between both these symbols, so that the mower attains slight acceleration when it starts.
- Now insert the ignition key of the lawn mower into the ignition switch. Turn it towards the right and press the starter switch. Let the starter switch warm the engine for 15 seconds.
- If the lawn mower does not start immediately, either turn the key or crank the starter switch a few more times.
- Every riding lawn mower has a choke knob. At this stage, you need to push this choke knob posteriorly, towards your right. Move the throttle to the ‘fast’ position. Once you feel the engine has warmed up sufficiently, you can add the mowing attachments, and start riding the lawn mower.
Conclusion
Therefore, once you learn how to start a riding lawn mower and start trimming and cutting the grass in your lawn, you will realize that it is one of the most fun things to use. Riding lawn mowers have been successful in cutting down the time needed for mowing.
Moreover, they do not require much cleaning and maintenance that brings down the cost of handling. In all, these are the most efficient lawn mowers, after the robotic lawn mowers launched recently.