lawn mower troubleshooting (Page 2)

Yard Machine has a governor instead of a manual throttle.  So, as you plow into the grass, it automatically opens the throttle to maintain engine speed.  There is a bit of delay in the response so you can hear the engine slow and speed up.  So that would be normal.

If your mower is slowing down and speeding up just setting still, then there is a problem.  Since it is brand new, the advice above about plugged gas cap or fuel filter is not likely to apply.   If it is missing and backfiring, it is could be a loose spark plug connector.  You can fix that by just pushing the connect down on the plug.   If that isn't that, I would take it back to Home Depot and exchange it.  Other possible causes are manufacturing debris in the carburetor, bad governor, air in the lines that has not yet flushed out by usage.

TW

Originally posted by ell-in-or

madcap95 - 2010-09-15 7:56 AM

ell-in-or - 2010-09-13 5:43 PM You could set it up like this. Fewer engine problems that way.

My next door neighbor has one of these, and is happy to tout the environmental impact he's making by using it.  Too bad that you have to mow twice as often with it to keep up with the lawn.  He doesn't.  So guess whose carbon-spewing gas mower he borrows to mow when its too long for the rotary mower....

HAHAHAHA! That's funny!!!!! I hope you're giving him heck and charging him $20! I just like mine because it is simple, always works and I can use it whenever I manage to remember to mow. While I will train endlessly for a triathlon, I am too lazy to fiddle with oil, fuel, etc for the mower. It's a weird kind of lazy.
 
I have only myself to blame when the grass is long. I call the solution the Landscaping Two Step. Two steps forward, one back. Takes a while to get the lawn mowed, but since my mower runs on margaritas or gin&tonics, I burn lots of calories doing it.

Since the original picture isn't showing up on my computer, I'm assuming it's a push-powered reel mower.  I've used one off and on over the years.  Over the past year, I had to hire the mowing out to someone with a gas-powered mower twice when I wasn't home enough to keep up mowing.  

Nowdays, the mower sits in the storage shed because I've moved to a place with no grass to mow.