I was trying to cut my wet thick grass yesterday with a craftsman riding mower. The blades stopped turning..I thought I popped the belt off again. Today I checked the belt, it is tight and where its supposed to be, cleaned all the old grass and stuff from the deck and the blade still will not turn...(note: they the do turn when I move them by hand). Anybody have any suggestions other than trash the mower?? Thanks
On some models, there is a type of locking key that enables the blades to be propelled. When this key is broken off due to excessive torque of the blades against the shaft, the key (softer metal than the shaft that holds it in) breaks, allowing the shaft to turn freely, which then means the blades do not. This prevents expensive engine damage related to shaft torque, although the cost to replace the locking key isn't cheap. Replacing those keys is cheaper than replacing the engine. Suggestions: 1. Once you get it repaired, mow dry grass. Wet grass is heavier and harder to move, and causes more strain on the engine. 2. Ensure your blades are sharp. Dull blades pull and break grass, sharp ones cut it with less effort. 3. If the grass is really tall/thick, cut at the highest level, and redo at a lower one, especially if the grass is quite high (if I haven't mowed in a week due to vacation, I have to do this.) 4. In tall, thick grass, don't try to use all 42 inches of cut of a 42 inch mower. I cut no more than 3/4's of the capacity, to allow the blade to work less. 5. Change the oil in your mower regularly. The oil removes most of the heat from an air cooled engine, especially in the summer temps. If you change it every 25 hours, it should never fail due to oil related issues. On my Craftsmen, it takes about 1.5 quarts for an oil change. I'd much rather spend 5 bucks, than take a chance. When you change the oil, make sure you recycle it. 6. clean the grass from under the mower deck, when finished. make sure the mower is off, and the key is removed from the ignition. SAFETY counts!! Good luck...
I do all this but the oil change, I do that at the start of the season. Well I don't do it, my dad does. My mower is the devil I tell ya, but hey it's almost 15 years old.
