John Deere mower dies when engaging blades gives you a huge inconvenience. Although today’s lawnmower is much improved, it may have some problems when operating.
Imagine how annoyed you are in the case that the lawnmower works unevenly. If you don’t have the maintenance regularly, the engine can suddenly stall when you cut the grass.
No need to hastily bring it to repair services. Let’s go through the article and find out the reasons why the engine dies. Moreover, we will show you how to fix it.
Related Post:
- Husqvarna mower dies when blades engaged: Reasons and remedy for each case
- Why lawnmower dies when choke off? How to fix this issue?
- Why my lawn mower loses power when the blades are engaged?
- Why lawn mower bogs down when blades are engaged?
The reason why John Deere mower dies when engaging blades
#1: The gasoline is stale
Let’s try to remember how long the fuel exists in the fuel tank. If it’s over 30 days, the low-quality fuel can affect the engine.
The manufacturer recommended that you should drain the gas out before parking it in the garage for a long time. After a long time staying in the tank, the gasoline will distribute some debris. The bad fuel can clog the carburetor. At the time, the mower dies because the carburetor can’t burn fuel and transfer it into power.
#2: The airflow isn’t stable
When the mower goes through thick and tall grass, the engine may die. This is because there isn’t enough oxygen for the burning. The cut grass or debris can tick into the fuel filter. Then it is clogged.
For the best, you should clean the air filter after every time. To prevent the mower from stopping suddenly, you need to ensure no clippings or debris on the filter.
#3: The carburetor fail
The carburetor is responsible for burning fuel. You should adjust the carburetor after moving a few times. Let’s read the maintenance book and learn how to do it. In general, you need to rotate the screws that are on the carburetor.
Related post: Simple steps to clean carburetor on Troy Bilt lawn mower
#4: You have failure safety switches
The safety switches help prevent dramatic accidents when you run the mower. Most of them are the preparation for the case your mower has a roll-over. Thanks to the safety mechanism, the blades can’t injure you.
Check the PTO switch to ensure that everything is alright. You can find it under the seat. If the switch’s connection isn’t good, try to reconnect the wires. If the switch is broken, it’s time to have a replacement. Check the model of the old switch to buy a new one.
If you can’t solve the problem after repairing the switches, the battery and the clutch may have problems.
#5: The pulleys don’t work right
The spindle rotates thanks to the moving belt. If the pulleys have some issues, they won’t spin correctly. Therefore, the mower dies suddenly.
Now, open the housing of the deck to reach the pulleys. If it has some debris on the pulleys, you should clean them. And so, the pulley can rotate thoroughly. If the pulley is broken, you can enhance the lawnmower’s performance by replacing the pulleys.
#6: The belts don’t move in their route
In this case, you need to do the rerouting to get rid of the problem. Read the maintenance book and learn what to do in the case John Deere mower dies when engaging blades.
#7: Engine is overworked
If you mow in an overgrown garden, the mower can die because of the workload. This interrupting protects the John Deere mower from breaking its mechanisms.
To reduce the workload, let’s adjust the mower deck to a high level. You can mow two or three times. Before getting to the new mowing, adjust the mower deck to the next lower level.
Read more: How to adjust mower deck on Husqvarna zero turn mower?
#8: Wet grass increases the workload
The wet grass seems sticky. When you cut the grass, there will be more debris stuck on the blades and in the mower deck. The best remedy, in this case, is to wait until the grass is dried.
#9: The fuel line is a leak
If the fuel line is leaking, your mower won’t work stably because the carburetor doesn’t receive enough fuel. To investigate the problem, you need some professional tools. If you think that it is a fuel line problem, you should take it to the repair service.
How to deal with a John Deere mower dies when engaging blades
Various causes lead to the John Deere mower dying. You yourself can fix some problems at home. However, there are some complicated problems. To these, you should have the repair shop troubleshooting them.
To don’t damage the mechanisms, if you catch the below issues, you should bring the mower to the repair shop
- The mower produces more moss.
- The vibrations are more than usual.
- The engine produces strange and loud noises.
- You can find that the oil leaked out of the engine.
- The oil fumes are black.
- The engine consumes more fuel than usual.
The problems that you yourself can deal with at home
This is the issue that is related to maintenance. They are:
- The air filter is clogged.
- The blades are stuck.
- The oil is lower than the proper level.
- The gasoline is stale.
Fix the clogged air filter
- Extract the housing. Then extract the air filter.
- If it is a paper filter, you should have a replacement. The paper filter is vulnerable. It’s easy to get damages. Replacement is the best remedy.
- If it is the foam filter, let’s use a vacuum cleaner to clean it.
- Use the dishwashing liquid to remove the dirt.
- Reinstall the air filter and the housing.
Fix the stuck blade
- Extract the stuck bolt.
- Use leverage to remove the debris out of the blade.
- Check the blades to make sure that they can work freely.
- Reinstall all the parts.
Add some oil to the tank
- Search on the internet to find out which types of oil are suitable for your mower.
- Drain the old oil out.
- Add new oil to the tank.
Drain the gasoline out
- Prepare the suitable oil.
- Start the engine in a few minutes to heat the engine.
- Switch off the mower.
- Disconnect the spark plug. Then disengage the moving parts.
- Use a towel to clean the old fuel.
- Remove the debris in the bottom of the tank.
- Use the tool to drain the fuel out.
- Pour new oil into the tank. Add some stabilizers, if any.
- Twist the fuel tank cap to tighten it.
Final thought
John Deere’s mower dies when engaging blades is unexpected. However, if you are in a situation, keeping calm is the first thing you should do. Let’s go through the article and find out step by step. The reasons are arranged in order. Therefore, going from the first to the last is the quickest way to find the problems. Then consider our suggested remedies to find the best solution.