Top 5 Reasons Lawn Tractor Won't Run After Winter Storage!

[@donyboy73]

Watch my video on why a riding mower only ran 5 minutes then died here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIOZgYirf715Y7s Watch my video on how to adjust the mowing deck belt tension on a lawn tractor here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2GsZmBrZtN7iLM

[@bobmcl2406]

Great list. This will help the majority of owners. This is the time of year when I get neighbours desperately asking me to help them get their mowers running, and most of the problems I find were covered in this video. Thank you Dony. (Oh, one small point: use premium fuel that also is ethanol free)

[@jimamccracken5783]

I do honestly believe. Even though we have never done business together you are as honest as the day is long. I just wish were closer I live in West Virginia USA. Thanks for all the great videos. 😄

[@dennisjoiner3717]

Great tips as usual Don! Here in Missouri our biggest enemy is the Ethanal fuel. It seems to still go bad over the Winter even with stabilizer added. Of the 7 gas stations we have in our small community only 1 sells Ethanal free fuel. I always suggest folks use that. It's all I use and I don't have fuel issues anymore. I do run my equipment dry if I can.

[@robertsimonofsky3959]

Thanks for mentioning about filter. I’m going to try that on my generator first. It will only work on choke. Than I’ll check to see if carb is clogged. Great informative video again.

[@mishellgagnon5771]

What a good piece of advice. You really care about us consumers to post those kind of tips.

[@PatHiggins-Mayo]

Great tips i always drain all my small engines just at the beginning of winter. Then i have no problems in the spring....

[@SDMev1982]

“The quality might be cheaper” aka they’re junk! Love ya Don.

[@doncook3584]

Great info. Just realized I completely flunked my riding mower storage. Warm weather this weekend will check it out 🤞

[@seanmcgillicuddy956]

All good points ! Thanks again .. Ground to the frame is another ..

[@CFProton]

I have the exact same John Deere D130. I like your installing a fuel shutoff that allows the carburetor to run out of gas before my winter storage. I bought your K100 fuel treatment but haven’t used it yet. Thanks for another great v lesson in small engines!!!!

[@MrGattor33]

Great video. I had similar situation on the clogged fuel line however it wasn't the filter it was actually pieces of the gas cap seal that had broke apart after several years of use and clogged up the line from the tank which I had to empty out and vacuum it out with a shop vac not to mention having to replace a portion of the fuel and putting in a shut off in line!

[@jonf943]

No fuel making it to the fuel filter. Taking a deep breath and blowing into the fuel tank worked great and a lot easier than lifting and working under the tractor. Thanks!

[@markb8954]

I JUST did that as well. Worked fine when I pulled it into our garage & topped the gas. THEN, it wouldnt start. Now it’s April…..ive looked/checked battery, the starter & solenoid. All good. I’m looking at the fuel filter…..looks dry. Hoses off, no gas coming out of the line. Back to the tank & one big blow got fuel flowing & fuel filter is full. BUT, tge goofy plastic starter cog wheels look stripped & now not engaging with the fly wheel. We’ve replaced this 3 times now. Anyone else have these starter issues? Cheapo plastic cogs.?

[@liljoeii6091]

THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO

[@richardstrada212]

Thanks for the tips. Since I don't have a riding mower, I will apply them to my push mower.

[@donyboy73]

yes it's same pinciples

[@dalefinkbeiner260]

Love your videos. Very educational and have helped me out several times. Thanks for posting.

[@gordbaker896]

Good info Don. I have found on JD tractors that the multi wire connector at the Ignition switch can become corroded and not allow the Fuel Shutoff valve in the bottom of the Carb to open. I spray the connector with Battery Connector spray and reconnect. You should be able to hear that valve click when you turn the key to ON.

[@donyboy73]

yes absolutely!

[@andrewsteele7663]

Thanks Don, just working our way towards winter down here in the Land of Oz. Good tips and I need to practice them more. I do run a solar cell to the battery of my shed mower. We don't get snow and usually 8-10 hours of sunlight and that keeps the battery going. The fuel issue has bitten me a few times, so I am going to add the shut off valve as you suggested, cheers

[@horacesawyer2487]

Pretty good stuff! Now to try AGAIN to figure out why me LX279, and LX277 will not start. 2 machines dead, one ran out of gas in the backyard, still there. The backup mower, not sure how long it's sat, but I'm getting a feeling fuel has gone bad, etc. I'm not a carb man.

[@williamporter9604]

Hey Dony Boy, I bought a used Bolen. And one day the mower wouldn't start. Called guy I bought it from , he said lower the PTO arm and bring it back up slow. It actually worked. For a while anyway. Now I get nothing. Battery is new. Finished cutting the lawn turned it off now nothing works. Why would lowering and raising the PTO work in the first place. Thanks, Bill

[@vetterfellow]

Good morning DB73 all excellent points of diagnostics 🛠. Stay healthy My Friend !!. Cheers !!***.

[@robertdouglas3456]

Super video Dony! 💥💥

[@rooster3019]

Don, what is your opinion regarding programmed battery maintainers? I keep my equipment batteries on them when not in frequent use. I have good luck with AGM type batteries and I think one of their major advantages is resistance to vibration damage. I warn DIY people to always disconnect ground cables first and install them last. Thank you for the great content!

[@canamrider7195]

Scented drier sheets. Good tip.

[@rickyoung360]

Battery maintainers greatly increase the life of your battery. Case in point, this winter (2022) I went to move my 1974 John Deere 112 and found the battery was dead. I was upset because I had just moved it about a month earlier and I've always kept the battery on a maintainer when not in use. When I looked at the battery I realized that the date on the battery was Nov. of 07!!

[@blackmountain1878]

Thank you sir, good information. My current battery is from 2015! Granted, I live in North Carolina so winter's are usually fairly mild compared to our northern neighbors for sure. Subbed.

[@rapunzeleh546]

i just got to the point in my fall/spring mtce, the things going in to storage have the oil and filters changed, gas drained, engine fogged etc, and the batteries come out and get stored in the basement. also put a block of wood under the chassis so the wheels don't have the weight on them for months. it's just easier to spend half an hour 'putting it to bed' than spending hours and dollars to fix/replace stuff - even if you do yourself!

[@canoetipper019]

Hi Donny, I bought one of those solar trickle chargers from a certain Canadian store that sells more than tires, and have it setup so I can keep the battery on my Craftsman ride on charging when it's not being used. I also use it all year because I have a Berco snowblower mounted on it in the winter. I've had a battery last about 4 years and figure I was lucky to get that long out of it. I hink the trickle charger may have had something to do with that. Cheers from NB

[@browngreen933]

I've been using solar trickle chargers on my car, motorcycle and tractor batteries for years and they definitely make them last much longer.

[@Mudcat597]

Good too know. Love your videos! Thanks for sharing.👍👍

[@mr1pearl]

Really good one Dony this one would be a good one to save people !

[@jimbohnenkamp5082]

I can testify to the veracity of your first two points. I dealt with bad batteries for several years when they lasted three years at the most. I started using a Duracell several years ago, and those have lasted up toward 5 years. About the mice: about 7 years ago, a farm within 2 miles of our house was sold to a developer. They built about 90 houses on the farm and disturbed all the mice which repopulated in my neighborhood, and a handful came into my house and the shed where my lawn tractor was stored. I put some mouse poison inside the shed, and they have been neutralized ever since.

[@barrynamendorf7549]

It seems like all new equipment manuals recommend draining fuel before storage. ONLY fuel stabilizer company’s recommend fuel stabilizer

[@jefflary5457]

Hi Don I look forward to your videos every week, you do a great job. Jeff in Maine

[@donyboy73]

thanks Jeff, have a good weekend!

[@darwindropmazda]

Good information Donny!

[@aTitan4Life]

Thanks for your video. Help me to fix my la115 john deere mower.

[@johncampbell1453]

Thank you! Great channel.

[@keithkilps8250]

Thanks Don good tips as always

[@adnacraigo6590]

Thank you for the great info.

[@mph5896]

I have a lawn tractor with a 2011 sticker on the battery. My other tractor, 2018 interstate battery and its junk this year. I pull both out in the winter time and charge monthly.

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

good demo

[@woodenbeast9337]

great stuff as always

[@munklikescheese9507]

I've got a craftsman YTS4000 ride lawn tractor. Original belts - hardly can back up this year due to slipping belt. Forward is good. Friction belts with a foot clutch style drive. Can you tension these belts or do you have to replace these belts??

[@Ranchhand323]

thank you

[@barrypettit3668]

Excellent video Don. Keep them coming.

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank you!!

[@kenbrown2808]

the first thing to check is to make sure you didn't forget to turn the fuel back on.

[@SheikShak]

Thanks for the info…

[@jamesbizzle3227]

Love your videos. Is it hard to change the fuel pump?

[@donyboy73]

It's not hard at all

[@marcelcanuck]

if you take your batterie out of the tractor and bring it in it will last a few years longer , you should also give it a charge a couple of times during storage , batterie maintainers are cheap and will give it a few extra years of life

[@poochie49]

Yes. I bring my batteries inside for the winter and use a trickle charger. Seems to maintain the batteries pretty well.

[@scottwilliams4444]

I have to put my hand over air intake to crank. Any idea. Thanks

[@ericdetente5839]

hello, iam hoping u can give me some advice, i have a craftsman tractor just changed my battery and all im getting is the clicking sound, any ideas ?

[@bd-xj2rc]

can you explain what the the yellow fluid plug is on craftsman yt3000. not the oil one. Ive checked owners manual and googles-no mention of it. Ive looked in it, dont see fluid, so im concerned. Thank you!

[@henerker]

Another great video from Don to help us save money. Great tips! I agree with the mothball tip but found (I live in New York, USA) that I need to use almost a whole bag in order to repel them, so much so that the whole 10’ x 10’ shed has the mothball aroma. That’s ok as I’d rather not have the mice 🐭.

[@FreedomRock44]

Don am tuning up my mowers after winter storage...I have a Briggs 12H802-1752-E1 on my JD ja62 push mower. I replaced the head gasket on it last year and it is fine but it tightened the head bolts with the old by feel arm torque wrench. Do you know the proper torque in ft LBS??????

[@jkbrown5496]

I've had very good luck with switching to 100% gasoline in the fall so any gas left in the tank doesn't have ethanol in it. Fuel stabilizer as well, but I don't use that as regularly. The only time I've had a no start in the Spring is when I didn't change over to 100% gasoline. Once I realized and drained the carburetor, fired up after a long crank. The ethanol and water will separate in the carb with the water at the bottom where the intake is.

[@franklaskus2395]

Also keep the battery clean. Dirt buildup especially on top helps self discharge

[@franckjitsu1235]

Hey man, realt enjoy tour videos, i have a question tho, I have a tecumseh and there is only spark when I disconnect the wire from the ignition coil, when doing that the engine runs just fine (it won’t shut off unless I choke it) when I put the wire back on the ignition coil then there is no spark, does that make sense and do u might have a solution? Best regards

[@johnw6389]

Reason lawn tractors won't run after winter storage... Because I lost the key... 🤣

[@abramloko48]

Lmao

[@ianbutler1983]

Thanks Dony. I have not had much luck with dryer sheets or mothballs. I buy a bag of those D-con green poison blocks. I don't have pets or kids so I don't worry about them getting into them. I throw about 6 of them in the shed every few months. It seems to work well.

[@JohnnyLodge2]

Mine started right up after winter. Mowed probably 3/4 of yard. Shut it off and came back 30 minutes later and nothing. Not even clicks. Thoughts?

[@garymorris1856]

Is it a good idea to start a mower about once a month during the winter?

[@stevemoore8599]

Just had one the governor was broken. Couldn’t get it shut off fast enough. Lack of information on the work order. Make sure your counter help is asking questions as to if there’s any known problems.

[@appleztooranges]

Can you do a video on spark plugs? How to test them with a multimeter, how to tighten them in the hole (proper torque Vs over tighten), and what happens when you overtightne or under tighten!

[@waltpartymiller6802]

Dony, why should one not use old car engine oil to lubricate a chain saw bar, instead of bar oil? Is it because the viscosity is too light/thin?

[@Drottninggatan2017]

The cheapest gas out there! Where can we find some of that?

[@christienelson1437]

Sea foam helps you out with gasoline problems.

[@ralphs007]

Donny could you tell me what size socket I need to remove the blade on a John Deere D120 ? A Google search said series D100's use a 15/16. Just wanna make sure my D120 also uses a 15/16, before I go out and buy one. P.S. Thanks for making these videos!

[@gordbaker896]

Buy a complete set of 6 point 1/2" drive and a Breaker Bar.

[@alvaroaldana3704]

Great information Thankyou for sharing Al.

[@KitaKillerz]

Useful video thanks Donny! Do you know where I could find a carburetor for my White YardBoss 1650?

[@donyboy73]

try amazon

[@snoopysrc]

Sea foam is good for storing your ⛽

[@cottydry]

Instead of looking just at the price of gas, I'd be looking for Non Ethanol Premium. Here in the US you can find it but not sure about Canada. Storage over the winter should not be an issue but I like to keep the tank full to minimize any condensation. As you pointed out, spike it with a fuel stabilizer for added protection from getting stale. It costs more then typical gas but if that's an issue use it for storage and switch to ordinary gas during mowing season "prime time" but then switch back for storage. Also, rodents like small dark spaces. If practical leave the hood open and they'll tend to avoid nesting in that area.

[@darcyirvine9444]

Thanks for the hood tip. It worked for me last winter!

[@MegaVortex]

I like to take my battery out and bring it inside and put a Battery Tender on it. It has been working pretty well. Any comments on that?

[@donyboy73]

that's a good idea

[@MegaVortex]

@@donyboy73 Thanks! Have you seen this improve battery life at all in your experience? I figure that keeping it out of the extreme cold here in Michigan can't hurt. All of my batteries for anything come inside for the winter. Drill batteries, lawn mower, etc...

[@carmenlamanna5391]

@@MegaVortex That works for me. I have battery going on 5 years now. Bring inside and put battery tender on it.

[@MegaVortex]

@@carmenlamanna5391 Heck yea! It's been working well for my dad too! Matter of fact, I need to go get my battery out of the lawnmower for the season. She's already in the shed. lol

[@xmanb8193]

I put moth balls in a nylon stocking under the hood for storage no critter issues👍👍👍👍😀

[@johnmilner7603]

I always remove my batteries from my Deere and summer car and put on a Battery Tender on it in my basement. I alternate every week between the 2 batteries. I did have to top up the Deere battery with demineralized water which I had extra for my car which I mix 50/50 with full strength Prestone from Canadian Tire. I’ve got probably 5 yrs in the Deere battery. I always use Shell Premium fuel with 0% ethanol in all my yard gas machines. I use stabil in the Deere but in the snow blower I always run it until all the fuel is used up. I never use stabil in my winter stored cars cause the one year I did, both of my cars would not want to start in the spring. They also use nothing but non ethanol fuel. Another maintenance item you should do per manufacture hrs on a riding mower, is to check the valve lash. Mine was extremely large compared to the JD X300 specs. Some machines won’t start if the valve lash is large.

[@richardwernst]

Any particular brand/model, etc. fuel filter you recommend? Otherwise, not sure how to tell a good one from bad as they all seem to look alike. Also, is there any fuel filter you can use for gravity fed engines? My understanding is if you put a fuel filter into such a system, the added resistence to flow will make the engine run poorly. Thanks.

[@donyboy73]

I'll make a video Richard

[@warryckscown5620]

my stx46 has gravity feed fuel, with a filter, it the same as the one on this vid. having a shut off valve makes it easier to change.. with the price of fuel going through the moon,and the price difference is small, i started using 98, im sure it runs better, and uses less..

[@chrisnorden8043]

I'm lucky enough to have a fuel distributor near me that sells non-ethanol gas to the general public.

[@SheikShak]

Have question for u….it’s irrelevant to today’s video….I have a feather Lite trimmer SST 25. .it only works very good when the low speed jet is completely all the way in……could u explain why….thank u

[@David-yy7lb]

I just replaced my battery on my tractor last year however the original battery lasted me 8 years...I really believe why batteries don't last long because tractors nowadays have lights that stay on with the tractor and when the tractor is at full throttle most of the amperage goes towards keeping the lights bright instead of keeping the battery at full charge, so just disconnect the lights

[@donyboy73]

also batteries are cheaply made now

[@chicagobears9817]

when i do battle with mice, I always use DeCON and moth balls. Those two are a sure winner.

[@dannyhenderson5337]

Live in sc I crank all my fuel realted engines all year around

[@donyboy73]

it gets super cold here so we don't use them for about 6 months!

[@dannyhenderson5337]

Don't no but understand keep making great videos

[@hphillips7425]

I use fuel treatment, start once a month and charge once a month

[@kjell-richardlvdal373]

👍👍

[@mph5896]

Using premium fuel is a myth. If it has ethanyl in it, its not going to store well. I have access to ethanol free fuel. Even so, fall storage for me consists of dropping the bowl and coating the inside with some kind of spray lubricant and reinstall.

[@donyboy73]

yes always make sure fuel is ethanol free!

[@davidcampbell1306]

Ethanol fuels are a much bigger problem the "cheaper" lower octane fuels.

[@BlueberryStinkFinger62]

John deere makes horrible lawn/garden tractors..I just took my 2021 turn tight craftsman T240 out of storage for the 2022 cutting season and had to do nothing started right up after sitting over 5 months

[@almclean4835]

Mice have a lot to answer for.

[@steveboyer4137]

Unfortunately premium fuel now is no longer the answer...Our government has mandated all fuels to have alcohol in them...What I've found that works every time is to run teh machine completely out of fuel and add a cup or two of Aspen in it run it a few minutes and then shut it down. I did it to a snowblower that sat for over two years and the carb was perfectly clean.

[@robertasleson5856]

Aspen fuel is good. Taryl Fixes All did a burn test on fuels. Aspen was the best along with Stihl Motomix.

[@kirriksanders5494]

I found out that my battery was dead and my gas had clogged up my carburetor which caused my engine not to start.

[@tomstepanowicz6191]

Even before I watch, one reason is mice chewed up the wiring.

[@clausderisma6493]

You don’t need to put the most expensive fuel for any type of lawn machine that’s a myth.

[@kjell-richardlvdal373]

My advice, get two BIG HUNGRY CATS, and they ciil all mice

[@BlueberryStinkFinger62]

I can give you just one excellent reason why that lawn tractor won't Run its called a John Deere

[@swingbelly]

MAJOR QUESTION, DONY. LAWN TRACTORS. Should one of the spindle shaft bearing covers be removed to allow for greasing of each bearing? What is the purpose of adding grease to the spindle shaft through the zerk fitting?