Whether you’ve missed your weekly maintenance or using the mower after a long-dormant winter, it can be a hassle to start a lawn mower without any help.
Although most types of lawn mowers start on their own with a little push, some may also require extra effort to start a cold lawn mower engine.
For example, starting a push mower with a choke is easy while riding mowers may be a hassle to activate the engine before it gets to work.
Depending on your type of lawn mower, chances are that you’ll have to look for the best way to operate any mower like a pro.
In this guide, our experts have compiled 6 easy-peasy ways to help start a lawn mower without juggling with the machine for hours.
How to Start a Push Lawn Mower?
1. To start a push mower with choke, bring the lawn mower on a flat surface like a wooden slab or the garage.
2. Usually, most push mowers work on two emissions – oil and gas, to power the 4-stroke engine.
3. Therefore, it’s best to check the oil or gas tank by dipping a stick in the tank 3-4 times. If the dipping stick comes out dry, refill the oil or gas to start a lawnmower with ease.
4. Next, check the spark plug if it’s clean and fixed, and attach it to the back or side of the mower. For ease, check the user manual to see if you’ve done it the right way.
5. To clean the stale gasoline at the bottom, apply a reliable winterizer before starting the lawnmower. Next, push the carburetor button at least 3-4 times to flow the gasoline into lines. Try to be gentle while pushing the button to start a push mower with a choke.
6. Open the throttle and bring it to a mid to high position to start the lawn mower right away. Also, set the choke to know when the engine heats up.
7. If your push mower has a starter cord, pull it upward in a straight direction and have a firm grip on the handle. Keep pulling the cord several times until you hear an unbreakable noise that jump-starts a lawnmower after winter.
How To Start a Gas Powered Lawn Mower?
1. To start a gas lawn mower, fill fresh, clean, and unleaded gasoline that contains 87% octane and less than 105% ethanol.
2. Next, push the red-colored prime button on the side of the mower to activate the engine. Keep pressing it until you hear the engine sputtering sound from the lawn mower.
3. Pull the lever present somewhere around the handle or the power cord you bring it to the starting position.
4. Lastly, identify the pull cord at the base of the lawnmower and grasp it tightly to pull it in the upward direction. Avoid jerking or yanking the cord as it may break it, causing more problems for you.
How To Start a Riding Lawn Mower?
1. Riding lawn mowers are a bit heavy so try to be careful when you start a cold lawn mower engine. Before you start a riding lawn mower, fill the tank with fresh gasoline or oil to avoid interruptions in between.
2. Next, set the throttle as per your limit, and control the amount of air entering the engine.
3. Most riding mowers have a primer button present in them that supplies the gasoline in the engine pipes. Next, push the primer button 5-6 times so that you do not face any lawn mower problems later.
4. If you want to easy start a lawn mower, pull the cord to turn on the mower in a straight outward and upward direction. Continue pulling the cord until the riding mower starts at a continuous speed.
How To Start a Gas-Powered Lawn Mower?
1. First, check if the mower’s brake is engaged with the handle properly.
2. Change the current position of the throttle and pull the lever to bring the engine to function.
3. Once done, close the choke and pull the starting cord to start the engine. As soon as the engine starts, close the choke and bring the cord to its previous position.
4. Check the gasoline’s condition if you are all set to start a lawn mower after winter. If there is stale gasoline, empty the gas from the gas tank or replace it with fresh unleaded gasoline.
5. Lastly, pull the lever again and attach the spark plug to bring the mower to work.
How To Start an Electric Lawn Mower?
1. Push the prime button to start the electric lawnmowers and gently pull the lever.
2. Next, check if the wires are well connected with the positive and negative terminal of the battery.
3. Once done, pull the lever on the mower and start the electric lawnmower easily.
How To Start a Corded Electric Mower?
1. First, plug in the cord of a corded electric lawnmower in the electric source. After that, check the indicator if it lights up or not and ensure a secure electricity connection with the lawnmower.
2. Next, rotate the key of a lawnmower, push the start button and pull the starting cord in order to start the lawnmower.
3. Lastly, check the power outlet a few times and make sure that the cord is well connected to the outlet for the safe side.
How To Start a Self-Propelled Lawnmower?
1. Whether your self-propelled mechanism runs on gas, electricity, or hydrostatic power, make sure to check the oil and gas before you sit to start the mower.
2. For gas-powered lawn mowers, change the fuel if it has been there for very long or has caught dust/moisture in it.
3. Next, identify the prime knob on either side of the engine and press it 3-4 times till the engine starts.
4. Now, push the lever on the mower and tightly hold the handle to start the lawn mower. Next, pull the starting cord in a full-paced straight direction to activate the lawn mower and start mowing.
Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips To Start A Mower Easily
Long story short, the good news is that lawnmowers are easy to start with a little bit of practice and effort. Whether you want to start a push mower with choke or solve lawn mower troubleshooting, follow this guide and you’ll be good to get your mower to work.
If the above-mentioned methods to start a mower don’t help, check these few lawn mower troubleshooting tips to easy-start a lawn mower.
1. Check the oil
2. Pulling the rope,
3. Clean the fuel tank
4. Clean The Battery
5. Check battery connections (positive and negative)
If your lawnmower has been in hibernation for a very long time and caught up with a few issues, read our article on solving common lawn mower problems.
FAQs To Start A Lawn Mower With A Choke
How To Start a Lawnmower After It Has Been Inactive For A Long Period?
After storing a lawn mower for months, chances are that you’ll have to spend a few minutes bringing your mower back into shape. Due to moisture particles in the environment, the gas in the mower may have mixed contents that sit at the bottom of the fuel tank.
As a result, this makes the gas dirty and unusable and may cause spark formation in the carburetor.
4 Simple Steps To Start A Lawn Mower After Winter
1. Filter the gas or replace it completely with new and fresh gas free from moisture.
2. Clean up the dust particles from the spark plug and tighten it to start the mower without any issues.
3. Once you’ve checked the power source (Oil/ Gas), the next step is to monitor every part if it has been exposed to rust or corrosion.
4. If you see any rust or corroded element, rub a solution of alcoholic liquid mixed with water or replace the worn-out parts with new ones.
How To Start a Lawn Mower In One Pull?
On average, it takes multiple pulls to start any type of mower. Most push lawn mowers require you to pull the mower while electric lawn mowers start by pressing buttons on the battery. Whichever lawn mower you have, make sure to put the lawn mower from a proper distance to start it with ease.
How Do You Start a Lawn Mower That Has Been Sitting For Too Long?
If you’re trying to start a lawnmower that has been sitting for so long, a small share of homework can help you start the machine with ease.
- Maintain the lawn mower battery and charge it to the full
- Fill fresh and unleaded gasoline in the fuel tank
- Drain the fuel tank and attach a clean carburetor
- Check the spark plug and use an undamaged spark plug for your mower.
- Check the oil and fill it to the top.
Why Did a Lawn Mower Start?
If you’re wondering why a lawn mower didn’t start, there can be multiple answers to this question. Sometimes it’s the stale or expired fuel, while other times dirt or damage is often the culprit for why your mower won’t start. Here are a few more reasons why a lawn mower won’t start.
- Loose Spark plug
- Dirty Air Filter
- Clogged Carburetor
- Fuel not reaching the engine
- Uncharged battery
- Old gasoline
- Black lawn mower smoke
- Lawn mower engine problems
- Dead spark plug
How Many Amps Are in a Lawn Mower?
The count of amps in the battery differs from mower to mower. Most battery-powered lawn mowers come with more or less 12 amp engines, while the other push or self-propelled lawn mowers come with less amps. Depending on the amps of your lawn mower, you might have to find smart ways to start a mower easily.
Can You Run a Lawn Mower Without An Air Filter?
Yes, you can start a lawnmower without an air filter but beware of the consequences it may have. As a good rule of thumb, you can easily run a lawn mower without an air filter for a single mowing unless you manage to get a new air filter for your lawn mower.
Why Would a Lawn Mower Start And Then Stop?
If your lawn mower starts and then stops, the problem may be with the spark plug or carburetor. Check these tips to get rid of the problem ”lawn mower start and then stop” problem.
- Use a clean carburetor
- Fix the damaged air filter
- Clean the spark plug
- Refill the gasoline
Tips to Start a Lawnmower Troubleshooting
- Don’t forget to turn on the choke of the engine after you’re done mowing the lawn.
- For electric lawn mowers, always check the battery connection before and after use. Also, regularly maintain the battery and go for proper battery maintenance
- service every once or twice a month.
- Use a throttle system to adjust the throttle one or two times to decide the amount of air you want to get in the engine. After mowing, make sure to bring the throttle to its original position.
- Also, make sure to check if the air filter is clean and free from dust.
- Make a habit of thoroughly cleaning the grass blades after mowing to maintain their efficiency for many more years to come.
Conclusion
Is there anything we have left? Hopefully not.
From how to start different types of lawnmowers to solving lawn mower troubleshooting problems, we got a grasp on everything. Now that you’ve got all the answers to start a lawnmower, it’s time to plan your next mowing right away.
Lastly, don’t be lazy to maintain your lawnmower well and read our article on How To Maintain A Lawnmower to save money on weekly lawn maintenance.
