Lawn Mower DRIVE WHEELS Don't Work - CHECK These Common Problems - Craftsman M260 Self-Propelled

Here are 4 things to check if the Drive Wheels are not working on your self-propelled lawn mower. These principles are the same for virtually every mower.
Get your Drive Belt 954-04260 here (paid link): amzn.to/3QwPuim
Please note the 21" refers to the cutting width of the mower, not the length of the belt. The actual belt dimensions are 3/8" X 35"
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[@dawnhoke3198]

Thank you Buck! I'm now learning how to do all the shit my husband won't bother with! I love it! Knowledge is power!😊😊

[@EstebanLozada-nj3sh]

Just what I needed to watch to troubleshoot my lawnmower. Well explained and easy to understand. Thanks

[@sjguy1099]

EXCELLENT VIDEO! VIDEO & SOUND, CLEARLY EXPLAINED EACH LOGICAL STEP, SHOW RESULTS. THIS IS HOW REPAIR MANUALS SHOULD LOOK! YOU ARE BETTER THAN THE WRITTEN REPAIR MANUALS!!! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK, PUTTING THIS VIDEO TOGETHER!

[@barrystoker9085]

Awsome video! This is the very same mower I have, so I'm ready to go outside to check these fixes. Thank you!

[@estocadatx8172]

EXCELLENT - easy to follow. I can't wait to get outside tomorrow morning and try this out! Thank you.

[@Buckwsr]

Thank you, and good luck.

[@Danny-ju2ip]

Great thorough video. Much appreciated !

[@moneytyl.l.c.8285]

Thank so much Buck!

[@Buckwsr]

Thank you.

[@dennisbrown4966]

excellent video.thank you for the great information on lawn mower repairs. mr. brown

[@OKIEBUD]

Yes sir you taught things to look for my front drives been getting weaker so gona see if I can fix it… good video

[@dywildatheart]

Just wanted to thank you. I followed your advice with the same lawnmower. I did every step and all looked well. I took the plastic shroud off to get to the belt and the belt was off the pulley. So much crud had pushed it off. Put it all back together and runs great. Obviously I subscribed.

[@Buckwsr]

Great job, David, fixing it yourself!

[@williamjones3639]

Excellent tutorial video.

[@Existntlangst]

Thanks! Had an issue with my Craftsman M320 RWD. Same troubleshooting steps and it needed a new belt.

[@andrewmattie9713]

Beautiful vid, thanks for sharing.

[@michaelelliott3516]

Great video thanks

[@mnhiga]

Great video. It’s was a lot of help.

[@MrBobbyfresh]

Helped me, thank you buddy

[@dvdtnnr]

Great video!!!

[@deanow4012]

great instructions .. removing that front belt guide wire can mess you up if you dont pay attention..and i could see it perfectly..and the power wheel hub tip was great.. metal and plastic doesnt mix for long. especially with the torque presented to that plastic.

[@Hiltonhead_70]

Good video. Thanks 👍🏽

[@andrewbrown4952]

I have a 12 year old toro push mower that had the front wheels move but lock up and wont complete a full rotation. This happened after hitting a glass bottle in tall grass. Thank you for the video I will check all this tommorow

[@kenniitran]

Thx for sharing video.

[@littlecajun2241]

Thanks Buck.

[@user-xn9it8df3s]

Good video I’ve got a craftsman RWD with a cable problem but to service it seems a little more difficult than these FWD models it doesn’t seem to have the service lid or door and it’s a newer mower then this one 7.0 Platinum series I believe

[@user-vc4ie9yt2h]

Good explanation

[@fancypelusa2863]

Good advise thanks!

[@johnhurtado440]

good job.

[@Hamp205]

Thank you you just saved me

[@randysnedeker8629]

Very very helpful thank you

[@Buckwsr]

Thanks, Randy!

[@theHook-up]

NICE ...

[@brentdenais7109]

I have a brand new mower that pulls when you push that handle down but don't pull down . Right out the box . Think I'm going to send it back . I checked the video out everything good .

[@rameshpersaud7131]

Great job TK U

[@albertocarrasco7418]

Thank you very much well explained

[@Buckwsr]

Thank you.

[@EdD-ym6le]

Thanks for window switch replacement video on (my) 1998 Pontiac minivan you posted 5 years ago . Mine failed today - AutoZone will have the switch tomorrow and I had the AC serviced a couple months ago so I'm good . I found and changed the cabin filters probably for the first time , really surprised to find all that filter stuffed into that small out of the way hole hahaha .

[@Buckwsr]

Thanks, Ed, and good luck with the van.

[@EdD-ym6le]

@@Buckwsr AutoZone called this evening a day early / same day that they received it and I popped it in a bit ago so all's good 👍 I sub'd to your channel , Good Luck and God Bless you , your family and America .

[@resa33]

Great video, when I engage the lever to make it to forward, it locks up, if I release it, I can push it again, have you encountered that?

[@jamesmills1825]

Very good video

[@Buckwsr]

Thanks

[@713lopezf]

Great video! I replace the front cover and realized wheels stopped turning. I replaced belt but now experiencing the following- wheels do not turn when "belt keeper" is positioned correctly but wheels turn when right side of "belt keeper" is under belt or not inserted correctly. Can mower be used without "belt keeper" wire? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[@rondab6390]

Thanks so much for this. I was trying to save some money so I went in myself and followed all of your steps to do this :) Very detailed and it helped. The engagement bar works, I check the gearbox and that also works, I grabbed my wet vac and vacuumed all the grass out that was under that flap to clear that….. I haven’t checked the wheels yet or the belts but… I’m doing one thing at time :) I grabbed the cable cord and pulled it a little….and when I did so, the wheels finally started turning properly. However, when I let the cable go the wheels stopped turning. It’s almost as if the cord has to be in a certain place. I had to tape the cable down in the right spot so that the wheels would keep spinning and work properly. Any suggestions on how to tighten the cable or how to replace it altogether?

[@user-xn9it8df3s]

Symptoms sounds like you need to adjust the cable up on the handle bar

[@mikemarcus8676]

thank you so much

[@Buckwsr]

Thank you, and good luck with your mower.

[@tylerdibastiani8511]

Thanks for the video! Probably a dumb question but what drill attachment do you use to test the gearbox?

[@TopGunMan]

The little peg that transfers torque in only one direction from the front shaft to the cogs was stuck and rusted in my case.

[@tunahead7275]

Hey Buck, another great video, and perfect timing for me. I'm trying to figure out why my Troy-Bilt mower isn't self-propelling quite right, and your video has helped me understand how the whole system is supposed to work, and where to focus my attention. Quick question... I've seen other KZbinrs suggest that you replace the blade adapter every time you replace the belt, have you ever found that necessary?

[@Buckwsr]

I've never replaced the blade adapter. If the blade adapter includes the pulley on which the belt rides, I could see some value in replacing it if it has worn down over time. Otherwise, I don't see the point in replacing it.

[@tunahead7275]

@@Buckwsr Thanks, that's good to know. My adapter does include the pulley, but it seems fine to me, just needed a little cleaning out with a wire brush. I think my problem is with the cable, because the gear box isn't rotating forward and tightening the belt like it's supposed to.

[@Buckwsr]

@@tunahead7275 okay, sounds like you're making progress. The cable may be adjustable and you could tighten (shorten) it a bit. Make sure there isn't built-up grass obstructing the forward movement of the gear box.

[@tunahead7275]

@@Buckwsr I was able to adjust the cable a small fraction of an inch today, by unthreading the cap at one end, effectively "lengthening" the cable housing and "shortening" the cable itself. It didn't help, the gear box still isn't rotating forward, and the belt still isn't tightening. The clutch lever on top of the transmission does move like I think it's supposed to when I pull the handle, but nothing else happens. I cleaned all the grass from the entire mower earlier. I'm thinking at this point I may need to just replace the cable, or there's something wrong with the transmission. The handle and the wheel assemblies seem fine, the belt is only about a year old and looks good. Any thoughts?

[@asl2mckays]

Curious why you used your impact driver to remove most of the bolts (?) but on the under side you used a hand held handle.

[@aaronjarvis4147]

Awesome video, helped me realize my belt popped off. I do have another question pertaining to this mower. Im a younger guy, and would like to speed things up. This mower adds another 15 minutes to my time compared to my standard push mower. Is there any way to speed this bad boy up a little bit? I dont want to win races, but id really like it to go a smidge faster. Thanks for any help!!

[@Buckwsr]

Possibly increasing the engine speed might help, as long as you don't overdo it. Here's a video I did on that topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXWZkGWXlpapn9k

[@veim2406]

Feels like using an impact driver is over tightening the nuts. But I'm no expert.

[@cheryladelmeyer8172]

My new used mower goes too fast even on slow. Any advice?

[@lindadelagarza9858]

I have a self propelled toro lawnmower with Honda motor and I bought a new belt and it still don't go forward what can be the problem

[@DougSivyer]

Great video Buck. My front wheels turn about half way and the lock up. I can pull the mover backwards and the wheels turn halfway again until they reach the lock up point. This is with the mower engaged or off. Any thoughts? I clean all the grass rope weed from the axel bar that connect to to front wheels so no obstruction that I can see. Any thought would be appreciated. I have a Toro 6.50 Recycler

[@Buckwsr]

Hard to know without seeing it. I wonder if the engagement cable is adjusted properly?

[@y002cjw]

Maybe the cogs are worn on the inside of the wheel.

[@markrobertson8816]

If drive pulley engages when motor running but slips when running with a new belt could the drive pulley be the cause, mower was made in 2009

[@paulmonk7820]

Does it matter which way you tilt the mower? 😮

[@gail6904]

what happens if u accidentally move the GEAR behind sheel? does it have too be in a certain position?

[@randymemphis]

My Toro Recyle 22! The Front Wheels wont stop working! They stay on! I have adjusted the Tension many times but it wont turn off! what am I doing wrong

[@k9under]

Thanks having a problem with my all wheel drive lawnboy sometime it will back up. then sometime the back wheel lock on going back only.

[@jerryhixon6852]

My wheels will spin when I lift the front end off ground but when I set it down it don’t have the power to move it

[@danielfain5845]

Hey Buck what grade oil is in the self propelled gearbox ? 90w?

[@Buckwsr]

Honestly I do not know....Poke around online, you'll find the info, I'm sure.

[@TheMAC0876]

Good video. Why does everyone keep taking off the pulley nut when you can just pull the wire guide off that is on the pulley? That is the easiest way to change the belt on the front pulley. No need to remove the pulley nut.

[@dawnhoke3198]

Exactly

[@gail6904]

what if the belt keeper is missing?

[@Steve0885]

Adjust the cable

[@carlthornton3076]

Very Good!... #47 ✝ {8-12-2023}

[@bobbhobb8393]

Oh when you pull it backwards you have to tip it? No wonder I was worn out today

[@claudenobles779]

excellent...but remove the plug wire before removing the blade

[@Buckwsr]

Well, okay, if you wish. But let's be honest: It is absolutely impossible for this engine to start up "accidentally" while removing the blade....for three reasons. First, with the control cable in the stop position, the flywheel brake is engaged, making it difficult to spin the engine. Second, with the control cable in the stop position, the magneto is grounded out, making it impossible for the ignition system to fire. Finally, breaking loose the blade bolt with a power tool will not get the engine spinning fast enough to start the engine. I simply have never seen an engine start "accidentally."

[@claudenobles779]

@@Buckwsr wiel i got that advice from another lawn mower channel 🤔maybe they were mistaken. Regardless your advice on fixing the front wheel assist worked perfectly. thank you. subbed and belled

[@Buckwsr]

Thank you so much, Claude. I don't want to sound like a know-it-all. It's very possible that in the days prior to all these safety features of the modern era, that removing the lead wire to the spark plug was in fact a necessary precaution. But understanding a little bit of how these machines work, I don't think I was taking too big a risk in my approach. Anyway, I'm glad your machine is back working as it should. And thanks for supporting my channel. Buck

[@sunflowermahea225]

May nit be high end, but they still want a pretty penny for them ...not cheap

[@caydenvlogs-mn1jo]

that engine is actually a briggs and stratton exi

[@chetg2924]

its all Birggs.

[@user-xn9it8df3s]

Briggs are great motors they’re even better for mini bikes