Riding mower

[dixiedoodle]

We have a craftman riding mower.It,s about 2years old. We mowed and it was fine. Shut it off. Cranked it again,ran fine. No matter what gear you put it in ,it will NOT move.It is like the tired are locked down. The only way we can move it is;pick-up the back-end and push it. Have no idea what the problem is. Around here,can,t find anyome who works on them anymore. Thing of the past.Called one place,thought I had found. They won,t $55.00 an hour.Asked what it could be. Whole rear-end out, or gears gone. I don,t have warrenty now and can,t pay a arm and leg. Do ya think it is fixable!

[OntarioMan]

If the mower did not make any grinding noises when previously working - I'd look for some simpler reason - like a broken or slipping belt.

If the mower is hydrostatic drive, you will not be able to push the mower without lifting the rear end. Some mowers have ways to release the rear - depends on the model.

Where I'm at, there are always dozens of advertisements in the local "saver" papers of folks who fix anything powered by a small engine. Most riding mowers are not that complicated, and anyone familiar with small engines should be able to at least diagnose the problem.

[idahodave]

Parking barke might be stuck on. Try starting up the mower, putting it in neutral, pushing in the clutch, then run the gear up to high and let out the clutch. Then try to drive normally.

My old MTD sometimes stops like yours did and all I have to do is play around with the speeds while in neutral and let the clutch in and out to fix it.

By the way....if its a hydrostatic drive don't pay any attention to the above.

[Old Vet]

It is fixable. No mater what kind of a transmision it has. Getting a corect diagiones is the hard part. See if the clutch is working then go to the transmision then to the rear end. If it is a hydro see that the release is not pulled out and go to the rear end ad see if that is the problem then go to the hydro (that is the hardest to repair.)

Any time I look at a piece of machinery I look at it adn decide if it goes back and forth or round and round. That is the only way any piece of machenrey will go. Once I find out that I looked at it and see if it is going all the way back or forth or round. If it is then I go on to the next piece.

[WayneR]

If it has a clutch/brake pedal-check the linkage that connects to the tranny.
Could have come loose.

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by Old Vet

It is fixable. No mater what kind of a transmision it has. Getting a corect diagiones is the hard part. See if the clutch is working then go to the transmision then to the rear end. If it is a hydro see that the release is not pulled out and go to the rear end ad see if that is the problem then go to the hydro (that is the hardest to repair.)

Any time I look at a piece of machinery I look at it adn decide if it goes back and forth or round and round. That is the only way any piece of machenrey will go. Once I find out that I looked at it and see if it is going all the way back or forth or round. If it is then I go on to the next piece.

there ya go. once you get right down to the basics you can fix about anything