April 19, 2023

Riding mower & lawn tractor symptoms

A riding mower or lawn tractor that won't start, won't move, runs rough or misfires is a frustrating problem to deal with when the grass keeps growing and growing. Use our symptoms and DIY troubleshooting solutions to fix these and other lawn tractor problems. Order the parts you need by entering your riding mower's model number in the search bar at the top of the page. Follow the step-by-step procedures in our riding mower repair guides to install replacement parts and get back to mowing.

riding mowers & tractors

Symptoms common to all riding mowers & tractors

Choose a symptom to see related riding mower and lawn tractor repairs.

April 19, 2023

Main causes: unlevel mower deck, dull or damaged cutting blades, worn mandrel pulleys, bent mower deck, engine needs tun…

January 10, 2024

Main causes: dead battery, stale fuel, bad starter solenoid, ignition system problem, bad ignition interlock switch, clo…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: damaged tie rods, bent or worn wheel spindle, worn front axle, damaged sector gear assembly…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: punctured tire or inner tube, leaky valve stem, damaged wheel rim…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: worn or broken blade belt, broken belt idler pulley, blade clutch cable failure, bad PTO switch, damaged ma…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: faulty battery, bad alternator…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: damaged cutting blade, worn deck pulley, damaged mandrel pulley, loose fasteners on mower deck components…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: shift lever needs adjustment, neutral control needs adjustment…

April 19, 2023

Main causes: worn or broken ground drive belt, bad seat switch, transaxle freewheel control engaged, transaxle failure, …

April 19, 2023

Main causes: engine overfilled with oil, leaky head gasket or sump gasket, damaged carburetor seals, cracked fuel pump, …

April 19, 2023

Main causes: clogged carburetor, damaged flywheel key, dirty spark plug, stale fuel, improper valve lash, engine needs a…

Most common repair guides to help fix your riding mowers & tractors

These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your riding mower or lawn tractor.

How to replace the starter motor on a riding lawn mower

How to replace the starter motor on a riding lawn mower

If you hear the solenoid click but don’t hear the starter motor spin when you turn the key, follow these steps to replac…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 30 minutes or less
How to rebuild a riding lawn mower carburetor

How to rebuild a riding lawn mower carburetor

Get your sputtering carburetor running smoothly in 60 minutes.…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 60 minutes or less
How to replace a riding lawn mower rear tire

How to replace a riding lawn mower rear tire

Your mower can’t run on a damaged rear tire. Here’s how to install a new one.…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 60 minutes or less

Effective articles & videos to help repair your riding mowers & tractors

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your riding mower or lawn tractor.

Top questions about Sears and Sears PartsDirect

Top questions about Sears and Sears PartsDirect

Get answers to frequently asked questions about Sears and Sears PartsDirect.…

Riding lawn mower engine clicks but doesn't turn over video

Riding lawn mower engine clicks but doesn't turn over video

Check the starter solenoid, starter motor, wiring, battery and engine.…

Riding mower and tractor common questions

Riding mower and tractor common questions

You might find the answers to your questions about your riding mower or lawn tractor in this list of frequently asked qu…