# Lawn mower suddenly stops and begins smoking



## Nick (Aug 6, 2013)

Hey guys, trying to troubleshoot my riding mower, a Cub Cadet LT1050 I bought in 2006. 

Been working fine for a while, starting about a month ago, it would very occasionally (and interestingly, always in the same spot) suddenly stop moving forward, the belt for the mower deck would stop, and then it would begin smoking (can't tell from where). Shutting off the engine, and restarting it, everything worked fine again. 

Until today, where it started doing it in my backyard and every time I restarted it and moved forward it would shut down again. Interestingly, I can drive in reverse just fine. It's almost like when I'm going forward somehow something just disengages. I'm lost on where to start troubleshooting this. 

On a side note, I did recently replace deck pulleys that were frozen in place, but I dont see any reason why this would be related. Oil levels are fine and clean and so is the air filter. No noticeable misfires or anything from the engine either. 

any ideas?


----------



## Hawkshot99 (Aug 6, 2013)

Does it have a Hydro Tranny or gear Drive?

If Hydro, is the smoke from the front of the mower(engine) or back of mower under the driver(transmission)?


----------



## wa-loaf (Aug 6, 2013)

I don't have an answer, but my buddy has one of those. Every time I'm over to his house the thing is busted somehow and his brother-in-law (who's good at this kind of thing) is there trying to fix it.


----------



## JimG. (Aug 6, 2013)

My John Deere just recently did the same thing. The mower deck needs both cylinders to mow correctly. If one isn't engaged when you try to mow, the mower bogs down and stalls. Sometimes mice build nests in bad places and chew stuff to pieces. A mouse may have chewed through one of the wires that tells the deck both cylinders are engaged. Is it smoking through the exhaust?


----------



## ScottySkis (Aug 6, 2013)

JimG. said:


> My John Deere just recently did the same thing. The mower deck needs both cylinders to mow correctly. If one isn't engaged when you try to mow, the mower bogs down and stalls. Sometimes mice build nests in bad places and chew stuff to pieces. A mouse may have chewed through one of the wires that tells the deck both cylinders,  are engaged. Is it smoking through the exhaust?


My cousin / roommate just bought One warranty is awesome how u like yours Jim?


----------



## JimG. (Aug 6, 2013)

Mine is 10 years old. Still runs well and has needed only normal maintenance. 42" deck gets my 2 acre lawn done in about an hour and a half.


----------



## o3jeff (Aug 7, 2013)

Sounds like and electrical problem. Check for shorts and loose wires.


----------



## Nick (Aug 8, 2013)

I'm pretty sure it's a gear drive (not hydro). 

The smoking looks almost like a belt but nothing at the time is spinning, at least not the PTO. 

It's just bizarre. I wish I could let it smoke and then inspect it but the second it starts smoking i turn off the engine. restarting and it works fine, until I move forward, then it suddenly stops and starts smoking again. It certainly has the smell of a belt. 

Ugh! Goign to try and look at it some more today.


----------



## Geoff (Aug 8, 2013)

*Lawn mower suddenly stops and begins smoking 				*

You sure you don't have the "Scotty Edition" that quits at 4:20 to fire up a bone?


----------



## Nick (Aug 8, 2013)

Zing!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AlpineZone mobile app


----------



## ScottySkis (Aug 8, 2013)

Geoff said:


> *Lawn mower suddenly stops and begins smoking *
> 
> You sure you don't have the "Scotty Edition" that quits at 4:20 to fire up a bone?



That the best time if the day.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 8, 2013)

Nick said:


> I'm pretty sure it's a gear drive (not hydro).
> 
> The smoking looks almost like a belt but nothing at the time is spinning, at least not the PTO.
> 
> ...



Obvious solution, don't turn off the engine as soon as it starts smoking... You  gotta figure out where it's coming from.  It sure sounds like a belt to me though...


----------



## wa-loaf (Aug 8, 2013)

bvibert said:


> Obvious solution, don't turn off the engine as soon as it starts smoking... You  gotta figure out where it's coming from.  It sure sounds like a belt to me though...



And if the whole thing does burst into flames take pictures and post them here!


----------



## bvibert (Aug 8, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> And if the whole thing does burst into flames take pictures and post them here!



Yes, that too!


----------



## o3jeff (Aug 8, 2013)

Maybe it's suppose to do that.


----------



## Hawkshot99 (Aug 8, 2013)

There is a belt that runs the deck and is connected to a pulley on the bottom of the engine.  My guess is that something is jaming the deck/deck belt and the pulley on the engine is then spinning on one spot on the belt causing smoke.


----------



## drjeff (Aug 8, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> And if the whole thing does burst into flames take pictures and post them here!




Just make sure that you're wearing your GoPro when you perform this "experiment"!


----------



## spring_mountain_high (Aug 8, 2013)

same thing happened to my troy bilt...turns out i had overfilled the oil...i'm guessing the pressure was too high and it was leaking out of the gasket and burning on the hot block...i looked up the specs, emptied the oil pan and refilled it, carefully measuring to mfr's spec...problem solved


----------



## JimG. (Aug 8, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Maybe it's suppose to do that.



I was expecting Scotty to chime in that maybe it needed to smoke more.


----------



## ScottySkis (Aug 8, 2013)

JimG. said:


> I was expecting Scotty to chime in that maybe it needed to smoke more.



Oh just did oh ya I love Mary Jane and THC.:beer::beer::beer:


----------



## Nick (Aug 12, 2013)

Found another thread on a cub cadet forum with the idential issue. maybe someone there knows  sounds like it's an issue with hydrostatic transmission, the belt is kinda worn . 

http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=25214


----------



## o3jeff (Aug 13, 2013)

I did fix one of my lawn mowers over the weekend, would start and only run for about 10 seconds. Thought the carb needed to be rebuilt due to the shitty gas we have now a days. A friend said it was probably just the jet and told me a quick fix and works perfectly now!


----------



## bvibert (Aug 14, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> I did fix one of my lawn mowers over the weekend, would start and only run for about 10 seconds. Thought the carb needed to be rebuilt due to the shitty gas we have now a days. A friend said it was probably just the jet and told me a quick fix and works perfectly now!



You put a jet engine on your lawn mower? :dunce:


----------



## Nick (Aug 14, 2013)

That would be pretty awesome. I'm going to have to someone come to my house to fix the thing. I'm OK with general stuff but transmission is probably a little beyond me. I always lose bolts and then cut my fingers trying to pull crap off, break soething, and then it never goes back to gether again. Dissasembly of most things for me is a 1-way street.


----------



## o3jeff (Aug 14, 2013)

bvibert said:


> You put a jet engine on your lawn mower? :dunce:



Yes, speeds up cutting the lawn.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 14, 2013)

Nick said:


> That would be pretty awesome. I'm going to have to someone come to my house to fix the thing. I'm OK with general stuff but transmission is probably a little beyond me. I always lose bolts and then cut my fingers trying to pull crap off, break soething, and then it never goes back to gether again. Dissasembly of most things for me is a 1-way street.



Sounds like a good call having someone come look at it then...


----------



## bvibert (Aug 14, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Yes, speeds up cutting the lawn.



Does it leave the grass a little brown after it passes over?


----------



## ScottySkis (Aug 14, 2013)

bvibert said:


> Does it leave the grass a little brown after it passes over?



It probably from Mexico if the grass is Brown.


----------



## bigbog (Aug 15, 2013)

...Decision can sometimes depend on how much you have to mow.....   Sometimes it's not bad to assess the cost of repair and possibility of repeat happenning... vs picking up something new with good maintenance history...


----------



## Hawkshot99 (Aug 15, 2013)

Nick said:


> Found another thread on a cub cadet forum with the idential issue. maybe someone there knows  sounds like it's an issue with hydrostatic transmission, the belt is kinda worn .
> 
> http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/showthread.php?t=25214



I did not read the forum you posted, but if their is a problem with a homeowner lever hydro transmission, you are screwed.  They are not designed to be worked on.  For instance, there is no drain for the hydrolic fluid, or a filter for the fluid.  Once it has problems you basically just replace the transmission.  I have Hydro trannys, in my lawn mowers, but they are much stronger built, and designed to be maintained.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 15, 2013)




----------



## ScottySkis (Aug 15, 2013)

Hopefully I be smoking soon.


----------



## o3jeff (Aug 15, 2013)




----------



## Nick (Aug 16, 2013)

Hawkshot99 said:


> I did not read the forum you posted, but if their is a problem with a homeowner lever hydro transmission, you are screwed.  They are not designed to be worked on.  For instance, there is no drain for the hydrolic fluid, or a filter for the fluid.  Once it has problems you basically just replace the transmission.  I have Hydro trannys, in my lawn mowers, but they are much stronger built, and designed to be maintained.



Yeah, that's what I heard from one of the repair guys. A new tranny is like $900 and the entire mower is like $1700. At that point it's almost better off just doubling up the payment and getting something brand new. Problem is I have a snowthrower attachment and the grass catcher so I'm "invested" into this mower up around $3k. Aggravating! 

Guy is picking up my mower on Monday to review it. I did notice a belt was off a pulley so maybe that had something to do with it.


----------



## Nick (Aug 16, 2013)

bvibert said:


>



I would but my lawn is over 1.5 acre


----------



## bvibert (Aug 16, 2013)

Nick said:


> I would but my lawn is over 1.5 acre



Better get started now!


----------



## o3jeff (Aug 16, 2013)

Nick said:


> I would but my lawn is over 1.5 acre



You'll just finish cutting it in time to start it all over again!


----------



## Nick (Aug 16, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> You'll just finish cutting it in time to start it all over again!




:lol:


----------



## Geoff (Aug 16, 2013)

Nick said:


> I would but my lawn is over 1.5 acre



I smile every time I mow my ginormous 0.22 acre estate with my el cheapo Briggs & Stratton Brute push mower.   ...and the back yard is mostly shaded by trees so I typically only mow it every 2nd or 3rd mow once the foliage fills in at the end of June.   I've used a little more than 1 gallon of gasoline so far this summer.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 16, 2013)

My lawn is even smaller than that, .13 acre.  While I would like to have a bigger yard, I'm certainly not complaining when it comes time to mow the lawn!  I'm currently using a push mower that some dope left on the side of the road for garbage, wheeled it up to the house and it started on the first pull.  The only thing that doesn't work is the self-propel feature, that I don't need anyway.


----------



## Geoff (Aug 16, 2013)

bvibert said:


> My lawn is even smaller than that, .13 acre.



Is that the lawn or the whole house lot?


----------



## bvibert (Aug 16, 2013)

Geoff said:


> Is that the lawn or the whole house lot?



That's the whole lot, actually, so almost no lawn at all.


----------



## o3jeff (Aug 16, 2013)

bvibert said:


> My lawn is even smaller than that, .13 acre.  While I would like to have a bigger yard, I'm certainly not complaining when it comes time to mow the lawn!  I'm currently using a push mower that some dope left on the side of the road for garbage, wheeled it up to the house and it started on the first pull.  The only thing that doesn't work is the self-propel feature, that I don't need anyway.



You sure it was left for garbage? Recently in town people have been leaving their lawnmowers in their yards and people have been stealing them while the person is taking a break or getting more gas.


----------



## from_the_NEK (Aug 16, 2013)

Nick said:


> I did notice a belt was off a pulley so maybe that had something to do with it.


That could definitely lead to smoke and lack of function if when that belt/pulley is engaged it doesn't do it properly and just rubs.


----------



## bvibert (Aug 16, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> You sure it was left for garbage? Recently in town people have been leaving their lawnmowers in their yards and people have been stealing them while the person is taking a break or getting more gas.



There was 2 of them next to each other on the sidewalk...


----------



## skijay (Aug 16, 2013)

I'm in the market for a new lawn mower. If Husqavarna didn't use a plastic covering in the front that acts as part of the deck AND still made the part OR the part was available anywhere, I'd keep the thing.  It sucks when it comes to mulching or using the bagger as the debris flies out of the front of the mower where this plastic "deck" piece was.  Lesson learned, $600 for a lawwmower is never to happen again.  I'm looking at Lowes & HD for the reconditioned units or a clearance WalMart mower. NEVER will I go to specialized store for a mower.


----------



## JimG. (Aug 17, 2013)

o3jeff said:


>



LOL...these stop working eventually too.


----------



## darent (Aug 17, 2013)

fell for that too, bought a Honda and have had it repaired twice. owned a sears mower for 15 years and  never tuned it, just changed the oil and air cleaner , started first pull every time. hit a stump with it and had to buy the three pull Honda.


----------



## ctenidae (Aug 19, 2013)

skijay said:


> I'm in the market for a new lawn mower.



You should go take a walk around bvibert's neighborhood


----------



## Geoff (Aug 19, 2013)

darent said:


> fell for that too, bought a Honda and have had it repaired twice. owned a sears mower for 15 years and  never tuned it, just changed the oil and air cleaner , started first pull every time. hit a stump with it and had to buy the three pull Honda.



That was my philosophy on lawn mowers, too.   When I bought my last mower 4 years ago, I went online and saw a $119.00 special on a bottom-of-the-line Craftsman push mower at the local Sears Outlet.   I showed up at the outlet and they'd never heard of that special and didn't have that crappy mower in stock.   They ended up giving me a Briggs & Stratton Brute-branded mower with large rear wheels and a rear bagger attachment for the same price.   In 4 seasons, all I've done to it is add oil.   I suppose it's time to change the oil and sharpen the blade.


----------



## Cornhead (Aug 19, 2013)

JimG. said:


> LOL...these stop working eventually too.



Sometimes they start smoking too! :wink:


----------



## ScottySkis (Aug 19, 2013)

Cornhead said:


> View attachment 9118
> Sometimes they start smoking too! :wink:



I like to hang out with that sheep.


----------



## Nick (Aug 19, 2013)

JimG. said:


> LOL...these stop working eventually too.



My neighbors up the street run an alpaca farm and they have a crapload of goats too in a drainage culvert. Needless to say,t he animals keep the grass short, so that's a viable technique I suppose!


----------



## mlctvt (Aug 19, 2013)

My father-in-law the farmer says goats are a PITA. They don't eat everything , they leave briars and other weeds they don't like so the meadow looks like crap, plus they sometimes jump on your car hoods and trunks so they could mess up your car or truck too. Get sheep he says;  they eat everything and keep the place nice and trimmed. Just don't turn your back on a ram or you'll be sorry :razz:


----------



## Geoff (Aug 19, 2013)

Scotty said:


> I like to hang out with that sheep.



Famous punchline "The sheep lies"


----------

