Never fails!

[Captain Spaulding]

I had my day all planned out. A little gardening this morning followed by mowing in order to beat some incoming rain. Then I had an appointment at a lumber yard to get a list of materials for some deck and stair railings figured out.

5 minutes before I finished mowing, the ZTR shut down just as if the key had been turned off. Rain clouds on the horizon. I checked the gas and oil, then pulled the air filter and checked flow from the fuel pump. All good. Shot of ether and it fired right up for a few seconds, so I knew it wasn’t a safety interlock.

Had to get the tractor to lift the mower because you aren’t supposed to tow it to keep from damaging the hydrostats. Except the tractor had a flat tire that had the bead dislocated so it wouldn’t take air. Raised the tractor to get the weight off the tire so it would hold air. Except I didn’t quite get the air hose clear of the loader bucket before I lifted the tractor, so I pinched the crimped on fitting at the end of the hose. Hammer, channel locks, the vise and some duck tape made it work for the time being. Got the tire inflated, but could hear air leaking. Pulled it outside and hit it with soapy water and found a bad valve stem. Started raining on me. Luck shined on me one time when I found a spare tractor valve stem. Got it replaced. Filled the tire again. Got a ******** the mower, picked it up and carried it to the barn. Rain was a downpour. I hit the mower with ether and got it pulled inside.

Three hours and 40 minutes after it shut down, I was wet through, covered in slime that was a mix of dust and rain, the grass still wasn’t finished, I missed my chance to order railing parts until Tuesday and I have a mower to fix. I’m hoping it’s just the fuel shutoff solenoid.

 

[Debcrow]

So you are saying you are just having a normal day?

 

[Captain Spaulding]

So you are saying you are just having a normal day?

100%

 

[alfadan]

Builds character!

 

[jack stand]

Just when you think you're in charge...

 

[OccupantRJ]

Can’t get there from here.

 

[Mike65]

Had to get the tractor to lift the mower because you aren’t supposed to tow it to keep from damaging the hydrostats.

You can tow or push a ZTR mower, you just have to disengage the hydrostatic transmissions before doing so.

 

[gizardlizard]

Beat me to it. All hydros can be unlocked

 

[WillyBoy]

Sometimes the release lever/handle is in an obscure location. The manual should point it out. Good luck with it.

 

[manwithtools]

Beat me to it. All hydros can be unlocked

Not all Hydrostatic transmissions can be unlocked. Kubota ZD series zero turns are one example.

 

[ctandc72]

100%

I have those days all the time - but after some thought - it appears these days show up more often when I've mapped out an entire schedule of things I need to get done. Now I just plan on doing ONE thing. Sure, replacing that part should only take 30 minutes, but if a bolt is stripped, or you can't find the tool you need, or someone interrupts you while your doing it etc....before you know it 30 minutes is 3 hours.

Hell, the 95 Bronco I restored (Then sold when everyone was throwing money around crazy during COVID) that started as water pump replacement on a running engine. Broken / rusted bolts. Ended up building another engine, tearing out the entire interior, going over EVERY wiring harness after finding a wire nut in the under hood harness.

 

[finn]

Makes you think that maybe those people who live in condominiums, or better yet, apartments, are perhaps on to something.

Sometimes we’re a slave to the lifestyle we opted for.

 

[ctandc72]

Makes you think that maybe those people who live in condominiums, or better yer, apartments, are perhaps on to something.

Sometimes we’re a slave to the lifestyle we opted for.

Sure. But on the WORST day at my place, I can sit on the front porch and look around and enjoy the absence of people.

 

[micromind]

The hardest part of any 30 minute job is the first 2 hours........

 

[joel63]

I had my day all planned out. A little gardening this morning followed by mowing in order to beat some incoming rain. Then I had an appointment at a lumber yard to get a list of materials for some deck and stair railings figured out.

5 minutes before I finished mowing, the ZTR shut down just as if the key had been turned off. Rain clouds on the horizon. I checked the gas and oil, then pulled the air filter and checked flow from the fuel pump. All good. Shot of ether and it fired right up for a few seconds, so I knew it wasn’t a safety interlock.

Had to get the tractor to lift the mower because you aren’t supposed to tow it to keep from damaging the hydrostats. Except the tractor had a flat tire that had the bead dislocated so it wouldn’t take air. Raised the tractor to get the weight off the tire so it would hold air. Except I didn’t quite get the air hose clear of the loader bucket before I lifted the tractor, so I pinched the crimped on fitting at the end of the hose. Hammer, channel locks, the vise and some duck tape made it work for the time being. Got the tire inflated, but could hear air leaking. Pulled it outside and hit it with soapy water and found a bad valve stem. Started raining on me. Luck shined on me one time when I found a spare tractor valve stem. Got it replaced. Filled the tire again. Got a ******** the mower, picked it up and carried it to the barn. Rain was a downpour. I hit the mower with ether and got it pulled inside.

Three hours and 40 minutes after it shut down, I was wet through, covered in slime that was a mix of dust and rain, the grass still wasn’t finished, I missed my chance to order railing parts until Tuesday and I have a mower to fix. I’m hoping it’s just the fuel shutoff solenoid.

There's always tomorrow?

 

[Captain Spaulding]

You can tow or push a ZTR mower, you just have to disengage the hydrostatic transmissions before doing so.

On mine, the handle linkage and a hose fitting are in the way of getting a wrench on the bolts that release pressure. The linkage blocks top access, hose fitting blocks inboard and the mower frame blocks outboard. I guess I need to get a crowfoot that fits. 15 minute job to take the linkage apart (not counting 20 minutes looking for the pieces I dropped) , and would have been easier than fixing the tire. But the tire had to be fixed anyway once I knew it was flat.

The good news is I went out this morning and pulled the fuel shut off solenoid, took the plunger out, popped it back in and the mower runs fine. Finished mowing. If I’d just thought to try that yesterday! Sometimes being in a hurry causes you to choose the slowest solution because you don’t take the time to think. Fuel shut off solenoid failing without warning during use just didn‘t occur to me.

But on the bright side, the tractor is fixed and the mower can be fixed with a $13 part when it gets here tomorrow and I’m not under the gun to have it running by next week.

 

[larry_g]

Kinda brings validity to the old saying. Want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Captain Spaulding]

There's always tomorrow?

That’s what I’m afraid of

 

[Uncle murph]

I had my day all planned out. A little gardening this morning followed by mowing in order to beat some incoming rain. Then I had an appointment at a lumber yard to get a list of materials for some deck and stair railings figured out.

5 minutes before I finished mowing, the ZTR shut down just as if the key had been turned off. Rain clouds on the horizon. I checked the gas and oil, then pulled the air filter and checked flow from the fuel pump. All good. Shot of ether and it fired right up for a few seconds, so I knew it wasn’t a safety interlock.

Had to get the tractor to lift the mower because you aren’t supposed to tow it to keep from damaging the hydrostats. Except the tractor had a flat tire that had the bead dislocated so it wouldn’t take air. Raised the tractor to get the weight off the tire so it would hold air. Except I didn’t quite get the air hose clear of the loader bucket before I lifted the tractor, so I pinched the crimped on fitting at the end of the hose. Hammer, channel locks, the vise and some duck tape made it work for the time being. Got the tire inflated, but could hear air leaking. Pulled it outside and hit it with soapy water and found a bad valve stem. Started raining on me. Luck shined on me one time when I found a spare tractor valve stem. Got it replaced. Filled the tire again. Got a ******** the mower, picked it up and carried it to the barn. Rain was a downpour. I hit the mower with ether and got it pulled inside.

Three hours and 40 minutes after it shut down, I was wet through, covered in slime that was a mix of dust and rain, the grass still wasn’t finished, I missed my chance to order railing parts until Tuesday and I have a mower to fix. I’m hoping it’s just the fuel shutoff solenoid.

All first world problems,if that’s the low point of your week,consider yourself blessed.

 

[nadogail]

I am glad that the can pay someone to mow the very small patch of grass in front of my house.

 

[ctandc72]

The hardest part of any 30 minute job is the first 2 hours........

I'm stealing that. In fact I think I've going to make a sign with that for my shop.
Thanks.

 

[ctandc72]

All first world problems,if that’s the low point of your week,consider yourself blessed.

Well to be fair, anyone posting / commenting on this forum is experiencing that in one way or the other.

 

[alfadan]

Well to be fair, anyone posting / commenting on this forum is experiencing that in one way or the other.

No one in First World is allowed to have problems.

 

[Junkman]

I would have pulled out a tarp, thrown it over the mower, and left it until the rain passed.

 

[TOWLC]

I would have pulled out a tarp, thrown it over the mower, and left it until the rain passed.

Or just left it in the rain. Is this some special type of mower that can't be washed?

 

[Lassen Forge]

Sure. But on the WORST day at my place, I can sit on the front porch and look around and enjoy the absence of people.

When I own all 4 walls, the floor and ceiling, I don't have to kiss **** to a landlord or an azzole neighbor when I have friends over or turn the stereo up past 4.... Not particularly fond of someone controlling my hours, my dating habits, or the color I want the walls of my bedroom...

 

[BurtEggley]

Let me guess, last Sunday in church you prayed that the Lord would teach you patience... . Never ever pray for that. Anyone who has will tell you what comes next... .

 

[Skooterj]

Everything I've read says that even with the hydro transmission disengaged, you still need to take caution when towing a zero turn. Go slow(walking speed) and don't go very far. I guess they can still overheat.

At least yours was just the solenoid. I was mowing once and had maybe 20 feet left and blew the main seal out of the back of my horizontal v-twin Kohler and almost immediately lost half the oil. I had to "mow" the final 20 feet with my string trimmer. New horizontal V-Twin Kohler was like $2000 and the mower was 25 years old, so time for a whole new mower.

 

[andyvh1959]

The hardest part of any 30 minute job is the first 2 hours........

Is that like an addendum to Murphys Law? Kind of like the last bolt rule. No matter the quantity of bolts, the last bolt out takes 60 min more than the cumulative time to take out all the other bolts.