It’s easy to start a push-mower. It’s easy to start a push mower. Simply turn it ON and hold on to the bail lever. Next, pull the cord. It’s that simple. A riding lawnmower, however, is a different animal. They look more like a car rather than a lawnmower. So, before you start pressing buttons and pulling levers, let’s take a look at the correct starting procedure for how to start a riding lawn mower.
How to Start Your Riding Lawn Mower
Before you start your riding mower’s ignition, there are some things you need to do first. Here’s what you want to check.
Check the Gas Tank
A riding lawnmower can give you a bigger yard. The last thing you want to do is get far away from where you store your gas and realize that you’re running low. You can check the gas tank by removing the gas cap. Before I go out to mow, my tank must be full.
Examine the oil
If you are unsure where the oil is located on your ride-on mower, then it’s well worth finding out where it is. It’s super important that you check the oil every time before you use your ride-on mower. It is crucial to make sure that your engine has sufficient oil. Running a ride-on mower that’s low on oil can result in some major damage to the engine.
Inspect the tires
The pneumatic tires can be used to power ride-on lawnmowers. Maintaining the correct pressure will result in a neat, level cut. If you don’t already have a pressure gauge, it would be a good idea to get yourself one. I always check the pressure in my ride-on mower prior to cutting, and I avoid the old tire kick test.
Check out the Belts
On a ride-on lawnmower, two belts are more common. One belt goes to deck, and the other goes to the drive. Before you leave, make sure to check both belts.
First, make sure both the mower deck belts as well as the belts are correctly positioned. Next, make sure that they are in good order. This means that they are not missing any pieces or have frayed edges. If you notice any damage or anything that looks out of place, then it’s best to stop and investigate what could be the cause.
Take a look at the deck
Next, you’ll need to take a look under the cutting deck. I like to raise the cutting deck so I have a better view. Once you can see under the cutting deck, check that there isn’t anything under there that shouldn’t be there. You’d be surprised what a lawn mower can pick up under the deck. Also, inspect the blades underneath the deck. If they aren’t sharp or are damaged, it’s a good time for them to be taken off and given a sharpening or replaced.
The Bagger is here
Depending on your lawnmower model, you may have a bagging device. Before you go out, make certain that everything is in order and the system is secure. Baggers may become unsecure or lose during and after cuts. Don’t wait for the bagger to become unsecure or loose and cause danger. Double-check everything.
Lift the Roll Bar
The more dangerous the mower is, the higher the risk. If your ride-on lawn mower has a roll bar, then you want to make sure that you always use it and that it’s always secured in its upright position. Some roll bars have an electrical cut-off feature that stops the engine from running. So, if you don’t have it secured correctly, then the mower won’t start.
Double-check the yard
Although they can cut through larger branches or garden hoses, ride-on mowers aren’t as durable and strong as traditional lawn mowers. So, before you jump on your mower, double-check the area that you are going to mow and remove anything that you don’t want to drive the mower over. You can also buy pet toys and palm fronds.
Check out the Parking Area
You will need inspection of the ride-on mower. Many lawn mowers are stored in sheds or garages that are stuffed full of many things. You want to ensure that nothing is in your way when you are driving. You don’t want to knock a ladder onto your car.
Grab Your Safety Equipment
Grab your safety equipment. I wear glasses, a pair of ear protections, and sometimes sunglasses. Ride-on lawnmowers can pick up more dirt and clippings than smaller push mowers. They are also louder than smaller push mowers. To keep mowing fun and safe, you should use ear defenders and protect your eyes.
Step-by-step instructions on how to start your riding lawnmower
Now that all the checks are done, it’s on to how to start a riding lawn mower. Although the steps to start a riding lawn mower look simple, they must be followed precisely. If you skip steps or get the order wrong, then you probably won’t get the mower started, or it will end up switching itself off. So, here’s the order you need to do things.
How to start your riding lawnmower
- Sit in the Driver’s Seat
- Engage the Parking brake
- Get the throttle set to go
- Engage the Foot Brake
- The Blade Engager is available.
- Turn the ignition key and let go
- Throttle Increase
- Release the Parking Brake
- Forward Acceleration
Sit in the Driver’s Seat
The first step is to sit in the driver’s seat. This is important for two reasons. One, it’s extremely dangerous to try to start a ride-on mower while not sitting in the seat. The safety switch beneath the seat cuts off the engine. Get a seat.
Engage the Parking brake
If you park your mower in a garage or a shed, then you probably don’t always use a parking brake. But, again, there is usually a safety switch on the brake that prevents the engine from running unless it’s engaged. So, once you’re sitting in the seat, make sure the parking brake is engaged and set to ON.
To get into the starting position, press the throttle
Next, move the throttle back to the starting position. The throttle should be in its starting position. This is usually at a low speed.
These days, ride-on lawnmowers don’t have manual chokes and rely only on the throttle and auto chokes. So, it’s always important to have the throttle in the right position to get the engine running and to do it safely without causing damage to the engine.
Now it’s on to the foot brake. Place your foot on the foot brake and make sure it’s firmly pressed all the way down. There will be a safety switch underneath it that allows lawnmowers to know you aren’t pressing the forward/reverse button. Keep your foot on brake until the engine starts to turn. Then, drive.
Check out the Blade Engager
Next, make sure the blades are removed. If the blades remain engaged, the lawnmower won’t start. Another safety switch.
Turn ignition key on and release
Everything is set, and you’re comfortably seated in the driver’s seat. Now it’s time to crank up the engine. Simply turn the key. Turn the key for a few seconds until the engine starts. Once everything is in order it should take just a few seconds for the engine to start. You can then release the key.
If you turn your key and nothing happens, then it’s probably down to a step being missed. Safety switches prevent ride-on lawnmowers being started in an unsafe or incorrect order. You can stop the mower and go over the steps again if it is having problems.
Throttle increase
After it is started, let the engine warm up. This allows the engine heat up slowly and lubricants can start to move. This is a great opportunity to listen to the engine and check for unusual sounds. Once the engine is warm you can increase the throttle to maximum.
Parking Brake Release
Once the engine has started, it is safe to release the parking brake. Just be sure that you checked the area around the mower as you’re nearly ready to get moving.
Forward Acceleration
The last step is applying pressure on the accelerator to move to the lawn. The accelerators of ride on lawnmowers can be a little jumpy. The more gentle you can be, the better.
What Some People Struggle with at First
You wouldn’t be the first to sit on a riding mower, turn the key, and nothing happens. I’ve done it quite a few times myself. These steps will help you to start a riding mower. But just remember that if the mower doesn’t start, then it’s probably protecting you and itself.
