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The cub cadet lawn mowers play a significant role in the garden tractor industry, and like several other lawn mowers, the cub cadet doesn’t come without problems. After some time, even the best mowers would develop certain issues, which are not different from the cadet brand.
Some of the most common cub cadet zero turn mower problems include failure to start, losing power fast and then dying, smoking, inability to drive and steer correctly, vibrating, and not moving.
This article will explain these problems, discussing ways to troubleshot and fix them for good.
Cub Cadet Zero Turn Mower Problems
You can fix most of the problems we will be listing with simple solutions, which is why we will provide you with quick solutions. In cases where you try doing this with the solutions provided, and it doesn’t work, you should call on a professional.
Some of the problems include:
See Also: Problems With Kubota L3301
1. Inability Of the Mower to Start
Sometimes, your cub cadet mowers refuse to start due to the inability of the fuel to get to the engine or bad engine oil; sometimes, it might even be due to a bad spark plug. You have to troubleshoot this issue to know the specific reason why this is happening.
Some reasons a cub cadet won’t start are; a loose spark plug connection, lousy battery, corrosion, faulty charging system or a dirty carburetor.
If your cub cadet isn’t starting due to the low amount of gas in the tank, you should fill the tank with fresh oil with an octane rating of 87-grade or even higher and also ensure that the ethanol level of the gas is not greater than 10%.
In cases with rancid oil, ensure that you change it; it is not advisable to use the gas used in the previous season for the current season. And if your cub cadet is faulty at a point, then you should call on a professional to fix this issue.
Some other issues include:
Reasons Your Cub Cadet Won’t Start | Solutions |
Clogged air filter due to the presence of grasses and dirt | Remove your air filter and clean it properly; if it is too bad, replace it with a new one. |
A bad fuel pump that no longer creates enough pressure to pump the fuel so your mower can work | Replace the fuel pump |
Clogged and bad carburetor due to lousy fuel and ethanol that prevents the fuel from flowing | Clean up the components of the carburetor and replace the fuel; replace the carburetor if necessary. |
Dead and dirty batteries due to losing cables, old batteries or spoilt terminals | Change your batteries and replace them if they won’t hold a charge. |
2. Mower Loses Power and Dies
There are many reasons your cub cadet mowers lose power and die faster than they should. Some of the reasons why this happens are due to affected air or fuel system.
These problems can be due to a bad air filter, lousy carburetor, clogged fuel lines, and wrong or old fuel. Some reasons why your cub cadet dies while mowing and its solutions include;
- Wrong fuel due to the frequent breakage in usage over time. You can fix this fuel issue by draining the fuel tank and replacing it with new fuel
- Causes of a plugged air filter are usually dirt, grasses or even mud. You can fix this issue by removing your air filter and adequately cleaning it; if it has damages you can’t repair, you should replace it
- A dirty or plugged carburetor can contribute to this issue; you can fix this by cleaning the carburetor
3. Smokes From the Lawn Mower
Smoking from your cub cadet is a result of a lot of reasons. Some reasons your cub cadet emits smoke include burning due to the insufficient amount of oil deposited and engine failures.
When your cub cadet lawn mower emits smoke because of excessive oil that causes pressure buildup, you can remedy this by draining the right amount of oil so your mower can typically perform again.
Low engine oil can also lead to smoking. When this happens, ensure that you switch off the cub cadet mower and let it cool off for a while. After that, you can now replace the engine oil with more.
4. Weak Hydrostatic Transitions
Cadet lawn mowers that use the hydrostatic transitions properly can experience a weak transition when the hydraulic is of low capacity or even old. This issue can even pop off when the drive belt or the tensioner pulley is worn out.
Reasons For Weak Transitions | Solutions |
Bad belt drive causing your pump to work inefficiently | Replace your worn-out belt drive |
When your tensioner pully has an issue, it wouldn’t be able to keep the tension on the drive belt. | Replace the pulley and grease the tensioner arm |
Making use of old or even low hydraulic oil to lubricate the hydraulic system can do more harm than good also | Ensure that you change your hydraulic oil regularly |
5. Inability Of Mowers to Drive Correctly
There are a lot of reasons that affect how your cub cadet mowers drive. This is a result of either a lousy damper, tires with incorrect pressure or worn-out steering components. If your tire pressure is unequal, ensure that you correct them as soon as possible and fill them up to the manufacturer’s spec.
Bad dampers can also cause your mowers to jerk to one side and not move in a straight line like it is supposed to; in this case, it should be replaced with a new damper, ad if your steering component is loose or worn out, inspect and replace the parts with a new one.
See Also: Problems with John Deere 125 Tractors
6. Cub Cadet Mower Won’t Move
A cub cadet mower doesn’t move for various reasons like a missing or lousy belt drive and sometimes due to the tensioner pulley and an idler spring. Another reason the cub cadet mower may also not move is the wrong position in which the bypass rod and the drive release were placed.
When the drive release isn’t placed in the correct position, the drive release will let the hydrostatic mower move freely on its own. This problem can be remedied by setting your drive release lever in the operating position.
Another reason your lawn mower won’t move because the drive pump belt is worn out or fallen off. You can fix this by replacing the worn-out or cracked belt and ensuring it is secured around the pulleys.
Another problem with your cub cadet mower is vibration and providing an uneven cut. Vibration usually results from a loose component like the bearing clutch or pulley and spindle and damaged or unbalanced blades. If necessary, you can fix these issues by securing the engines and replacing the worn-out clutch.
When your cub cadet mower mows poorly or unevenly, it is usually due to a damaged or worn-out blade, unleveled mower deck and a plugged mower deck. These faults can be remedied by sharpening the mower blades before operating, and if the blade spindle is bent, the brake spindle is damaged and needs to be replaced.
You can be able to avoid most of these issues if you maintain your cub cadet mower properly and ensure that it gets checked and serviced by a professional regularly.