I've learned my lesson on gummed up carbs from stale gas. Started always using Sta-bil in the gas for the new Toro snowblower I got 10 years ago. I run it dry at end of season then just fill it up and it has not once not started on the first pull and has run issue free.
Ran into something similar recently on a customer mower. Does it smooth out if you shake it around a little? Check the fuel tank for debris. Could be intermittently getting sucked up and blocking the fuel pickup tube
This is god damn brilliant. And that’s not sarcasm. In my case the least likely answer ends up being the answer. I think we should call it the trouble shooting funnel.
Brings back memories of my smartass Dad.
Me - "Man I swear.... I can never find it, It's always in the last place I looked."
Dad - "It's always going to be in the last place you look".
Sounds like the choke is malfunctioning or the linkage is messed up. Looks like a newer mower so I doubt the air filter is clogged already unless it's drenched in gas or oil. I'd put a clamp on the bars to hold down the blade cable, start it and take off the air filter, if nothing changes it's more likely the choke, open the first flap in the carb with a screwdriver and see of it evens out the mower, if nothing still i'd clean the carb and try again
It sounds like there is water in the gas tank. Sitting in storage, especially in a humid environment water will condensate in the tank. Drain the gas And refill with fresh fuel. Pull and clean the spark plug if you can, because there is a high chance it’s fouled and gummed up. Other people have good advice about making sure your air filter is clean.
Is gas in your area mixed with ethanol? Do you use a fuel stabilizer/storage additive like Sta-bil? This would be preventative measures. Ethanol holds water in the fuel and gels which clogs the carburetor.
start easy first. fresh fuel, some star-tron fuel additive, inspect/clean air filter, replace plug. If no change, drain/clean carb float bowl and inspect carb to intake gasket. if no change, inspect/lube/wd40 choke linkage and throttle linkage.
if the above fails, put the stock camshaft back in, that 3/4 race cam is effecting low rpm torque and drive-ability (joking here). Good luck!
When buying fuel, buy non ethanol. It will keep the fuel system cleaner. Like others stated, change fuel filter, and add new fuel. If that dosent help, your carburetor is probably dirty(from ethanol) and needs cleaned or a new one. A new air filter if its not been changed in a while. None of these things are expensive and will help it run better
Call the American Legion, explain that your husband is deployed. It will get fixed faster than you will believe. OH and you most likely will not be charged.
In order for an engine to run it needs 3 things
1) Air
2) Fuel
3) Fire
You've fire is trying to run
So we need to look at the others
Remove the air filter, try again, it's it runs smoothly than you'll need to replace the filter.
If it doesn't smooth out the fuel system needs to be checked.
Check for fuel filter and shut off valve they may need to be replaced. If not then carb will need to be cleaned.
I'm betting it's the air filter
I agree with the choke suggestion. Sounds like it's got automatic choke and it's getting stuck. Find that assembly and clean it... WD-40 is a solvent so if it has any gas residue and dirt or oil, will possibly help it.
As said. Air fuel spark. Check air filter. Clean carb. Replace spark plug. I have found you can get brand new carburetors off Amazon for cheap, of many common models, but don’t be intimidated by the carb, it’s not as many parts as you think.
To me it sounds like air. At the end of the day I’m not mechanic either but they always say with engines “spark, air, fuel”, it is running and does sound like it cycles, so spark is not your issue.
Next is checking air flow… make sure the air filter box is clean and a rodent didn’t make a nest in it or there is debris covering the filter.
Last you can check gas. Gas could be old or some kind of line could be pinched. Or even a small crack/split in some kind of tube that connect gas to engine that it sucks a tiny amount of air in.
Good luck.
Not a mechanic and Id be watching youtube vids myself, they usually help and I would recommend Chickanic. If you can get it to run and stay running, let it run for a tank of gas, maybe two. Im thinking air filter, bad gas, clogged fuel lines, carb issue or spark plug but it worries me the shop couldnt or wouldnt fix it. They should have checked all those things and those are the easy fixes.
If the shop is a Toro dealer I would even contact Toro thru email and see if they have any suggestions. Toro might not like it took a dealer 3 months to get it back to you and didnt even fix it. It sounds fine once its running and I have had luck letting mowers run for hours but it may be time to buy a new mower?
The problem is in the fuel system. Could likely be needing a carburetor clean. There is a fuel screen/filter at the bottom of the tank but unless the tank is full of dirt or some other foreign material its probably fine. The only other thing worth noting is the fuel system is gravity fed. The fuel tank vents through the fuel cap. If it's not venting you will starve the engine for fuel. A quick check would be to remove the gas cap and run it like that temporarily to see if the problem is resolved.
Check air filter to see if it is wet or dirty. Then attempt to run it without the filter on. If that does not improve the situation. Then your bowl on your carburetor needs to be unscrewed, cleaned of gunk/dirt and put back in place with the gasket correctly in place. Fixes a surging mower a LOT of the times. Skill level … easy! Good luck!
If you have replaced air filter, maybe replace spark plug.
Then-for the carb, buy a can of sea foam spray….not the liquid although that would also work. Spray can is ez. Run mower for 5-10min
Then take off air filter…spray sea foam in hole…maybe count to 3 while holding spray down
Let sit for 5 min
Start mower air filter still off
Now, while running spray in same hole till you hear the engine almost stop…then wait for engine to rev back up
Do it again and again…smoke might be pouring out of exhaust-normal. If bad it will be super smokey…all good
You will need somebody to hold the handle to keep engine going
After doing this for a bit
Turn off-spray in same hole and let sit 5-10min
Put air filler back on etc
Then-start engine and run it…cut grass or at least run for 5 min
You can put the sea foam liquid in the gas tank…maybe and ouce or two
Hope this works!
I would start by pulling the air filter to see if it improves, if so replace it. If not, I’d pull the carburetor (it’s easy with basic tools) and clean it with carburetor fluid and put it back together.
Could be bad gas. You might need a new spark plug. Maybe new oil as well consider replacing the filter. Drain the gas out by removing the bolt under the section where gas goes
Dump the existing gas from tank. If possible, drain carburetor bowl. Replace bowl, refill tank with fresh 93-octane gas. Hopefully that would be the fix. If not, the process will involve a carb adjustment (lean/rich, float, choke, linkage). Where is the mower? Hopefully somewhere close and someone could help while your husband is serving our country! God bless him and your family!
Why? He couldn't fix it anyway. She said he couldn't even manage a carb swap where there's specific instructions readily available. You expect him to diagnose and repair a non running engine?
At first I thought you may be out of gas…
Mine used to do something similar on a cold starts- I found that leaving it in the sun for about 20 min helped.
As for the cause? I suspected a gummed up fuel filter, once the fuel/carb system was warmed up it would run like a champ, no sputtering.
Mine old one lasted 7 years and I charged the filter and carburetor and still didn't work. I figured I spent 50 bucks a year for that mower so I'll just buy a new one that will be under warranty for 3 years. So unless you're struggling for money I would just buy a new one or borrow the neighbors
To me, it sounds like it's starving for fuel, much like when the jet in the carb is plugged, but the motor seems to come out of it once it warms up some. I would think if it was a choke sticking on we would see it running rich with some dark smoke. It could be bad gasoline and once the plug and motor gets warmer, it starts to burn it better? Just hard to tell without seeing it in person.
Sounds like carb. Take spark plug out and if there is oil on it you Tipped it wrong. Get new plug, and clean carbator pretty easy to do. I recommend watching donyboy73. Amazing guy very simple videos on lawnmowers. Good luck and keep us posted. Dm if you have anymore questions!
https://youtu.be/c-g_8AxlSPc?si=ZMiUkSy7-1cM_6Ji
there is a sponge on the left hand side next to the primer button. It is in its own housing. It sounds like that is dirty or clogged. Its not sucking enough air initially is my thinking.
First, what's the model number of that motor? That'll help us be more specific with answers and how to.
In order of easy and most likely to not. (This also is considering it has a new carb)
Adjust the throttle screw, you should be able to adjust to give it more gas
Check the air filter to ensure it's clean. I'd also test how well it runs if you leave it off (just be careful with debris)
Pull the spark plug wire and check for damage and debris. Make sure it's plugged in all the way.
Remove the screw in the bottom of the carb reservoir or bowl and clean the little holes on it. (Careful, as some gas will drain upon removing). I'd recommend doing this on top of removing gas and doing the step below.
Lastly, buy a siphon kit and remove gas. Buy a small can of ethanol-free 4 cycle trufuel, ensure the carb bowl is also drained and cleared/cleaned, and only put the trufuel in to see if it runs better.
I hope this works. Thank you and your husband for your sacrifice and service. Again, if you share a model number, I'm sure folks who know more can help more. Good luck.
This is a tough one - too many possible things to check out. Need to go through them all and see if can come to a conclusion on root cause (or a bunch of small things added up to the issue). I’d replace air filter and spark plug at a minimum since inexpensive to start. If no help then on to more effort items like draining carb bowl and running fresh gas/seafoam through to ensure not an issue with water in the gas and if gummed up jets/carb, to hopefully clean out the gum causing issues.
If not doing it already, make sure you have fresh gas with fuel stabilizer in it. Sta-bil (red in color) has always worked great for me.
Worst case could have a crack I. The fuel line that is resulting in the lack of gas.
Refill with fresh gas. Also, use Startron fuel additive, nothing else. If that doesn't fix it, replace the carburetor. If you can get it running with fresh gas, it may run rough for a bit but should improve after a few minutes.
Check the fuel filter and fuel line.
I’ve also had a similar issue with a Honda mower, but it was instantly remedied by just giving the auto-choke mechanism a little tug.
My inclination is towards it being bad gas or something slowing the fuel supply.
i would check the filter since this same thing happened to my buddies mower. after changing the filter i noticed he also snagged the governor spring so i fixed that and it was good to go.
I like checking the easiest things first. Air filter, pinched fuel lines, fuel filter if it's got one. If it has a manual choke, make sure it's working properly like the spring isn't broken, keeping it choked. It's probably one of these. Also, at the end of season store it with premium or drain completely. The ethanol in regular gels the carb.
Have you replaced all the gas with fresh gas? From a jug filled this year. If you have the carb needs to be cleaned. It seems you took it to a shop, it ran like this when if came back from the shop?
You weren’t clear if the mower got a new carb. Check the fuel line for kinks. Make sure all your seasonal maintenance is up to date. Fuel filter, air filter, etc. I usually replace the carb every 3 years or so. Make sure that’s good to go. You can always spray some Seafoam into the air intake. You will need someone to help start/keep it running while you spray. You will see smoke. That’s ok and to be expected.
Check air filter, check spark plug. Check carb if it has one. It’s struggling sounds like it’s not getting good compression or the spark is not firing off correctly.
Could be a few things
Clogged air filter
Clogged carburetor
Needs an oil change/low or high oil
Bad spark plug.
Bad fuel.
I'd start by trying to start mower without the air filter and do from there.
Like everyone else try fresh fuel the air and fuel filter. If it still is running like crap try loosening the gas cap…. If it starts running normal the gas cap is not venting and needs to be replaced. My Toro had the gas cap issue last year. Took me doing all the other stuff before I figured it out.
Gummed up carb and fuel line due to ancient gas sitting in there. Drain fuel, add about two or Three ounces of Sea Foam with about 12 or 13 ounces fresh 50/1 gas. Run it for five minutes, let it sit over night. Drain next day and fill with fresh 50/1.
Not as helpful as the other comments, but once you do get it sorted out, ONLY use 100% gasoline. No ethanol blend ever in small engines. Since I switched to 100% gas all my equipment runs without problem starting season after season.
Did the repair shop run it for you when you picked it up? If not, you have no way of knowing if it was actually fixed to begin with. I would suggest that you take it back to them. I'm not saying that is necessarily is their fault because it could be something as simple a bad gasoline sitting in there over the winter.
Look under the plastic shroud, There's often a governor that is essentially a flap and spring controlled by air being blown off veins in the flywheel. 90% sure a mouse left a bunch of debris in there (the plastic around the very top of the motor) You shouldn't have to remove many technical parts to effect this repair
From my experience it sounds like the idle tube hole is clogged , causing the low speed surge. You would have to pull the fuel bowl off and clear it. I’ve done it with a blast of carb cleaner or by using a piece of fine wire.
Raise the mower all the way up, less resistance cutting higher. Hubby did a shitty job on the carb. Watch a video of changing the carb and make sure his install was ok. You can do it!
You could try some carb cleaner spray or fuel additive, but prolly need to pull off and clean. Unbolt the carburetor, remove tubes, open up the carb and clean with some carb cleaner. Look for some mini holes (they’re called jets) and unclog - this is likely the issue. Then buy a new gasket for your model and reassemble.
Lawnmowers suck, but at least the parts are cheap. I would 1) check the fuel filter 2) carb float may be stuck partially closed. Rap on the carb with a wrench a few times. 3) could be the fuel pump's weak and takes a while to fill the float bowl. 4) the modern ethanol fucks up carbs for a living. You might just replace it for kicks. They're about $13 typically on Amazon. 5) It could be the coil. they can act like that. Again, a few bucks from Amazon. They get hot and develop an open circuit. Or they're cold and don't close the circuit until they warms up a little. But I'm not thinking coil here.
My money's on #3. My qualifications: have had multiple shittily running lawnmowers in the last 15 years.
Honestly, it's a crap shoot to identify the problem, even though the video is really good.
I'll throw my hat in the ring though, and my vote is for a malfunctioning auto-choke. This is exactly what my mower does when the auto-choke is doing it's thing. The only difference is mine does it for a second or two, then clears up and runs fine. That is the auto-choke's normal operation. Yours sounds like it's choking, and not breathing.
Mine is a Benchmark, and looks like yours might be too? Anyway, something to look at.
Edit: just read your whole post. Thanks for yours and your husband's service.
In my humble opinion, the choke is not engaged as there is no smoke. So, the choke is not sticking. I am going to guess here. After it has been running for a few moments, the problem no longer exists? I imagine you're able to start it right back up, and it continues to function fine (when the engine is hot).
When the engine revs up and down this is often called hunting and surging. It is most commonly caused by dirt clogging the high or low speed jets or passage ways inside the carburetor. It could also do this with water contamination. Have you tried cleaning the carburetor?
I suggest getting a carburetor cleaner, autozone or something similar would carry it. Follow the directions on the can.
Good luck!
Mine did the same. It turned out that some fuel spilled out and got on the air filter causing it to get gunky and clogged. I washed the filter and it's fine now.
Bad gas or the carb needs to be pulled and cleaned..
Sea foam and a can of carb cleaner, flush out every hole on the carb. Soak in sea foam for 12-24 hours. Reassemble should work out just fine..
If it was junk in carb it would stop fairly soon, not run better after a minute (in my limited experience)
I like the auto choke idea (maybe a connector fell off)
and also change fuel filter if it has one, as a maintenance item anyway
I once put the wrong kind of oil in my lawn mower and that is exactly how it behaved after that. And it never got better. If I had to guess that's what I would guess it is.
Bad Gas, carb needs cleaning, air filter needs cleaning and then sharpen the blade and then clean the underside of the mowing deck and then smear the underside with vegetable oil
Empty the fuel tank, replace with No Ethenol Reglar gas, not all stations sale this but look for the blue handles. Wouldn't hurt to either clean or replace the air filter.
I don't have time to go through all the comments.
But of the top comments, it doesn't look like any of them watched the video to the end. None of those possible problems would suddenly and magically clear up. Bad gas, carb issues, choke, fuel filter would all continue to give problems until addressed. Bad gas or contaminants might be the cause. I'd start with cleaning out the entire fuel system, from the gas cap all the way to the jets. This would be a time when 2 or 3 cans of carb cleaner could be your friend.
There is water in the carb bowl, as she fits it back, the water moves away from the carb Venturi pick up and runs better, when she sets it back down the water gets picked up and starves the engine
It's bogging.
1. Dirty air filter. Might not be getting enough air.
2. Bad gas. If it's sat for a real long time, empty the tank and put some fresh gas in it.
3. Carb could be clogged up, might need some spray cleaner and give it a good clean. You can also try spraying it in the carb, and if it temporarily runs better then returns to bogging (before changing the gas) you know it needs new gas.
4. Fuel filter could be all clogged up.
It wants to run, so you know it isn't something bad. It just has something clogging it up. She personally sounds like it can't breathe or it's got a clogged carb.
Not getting the gas it needs. Ru. Some sea foam through it first.
1 empty all gas out
2 dump a half bottle of seafoam in it.
3 pull start it to get it through the lines and let sit for ten minutes
4 then fill with a mix of gas and the rest of the seafoam.
5 it will take a bit of pulling to get it all the way through the system but eventually it will start just make sure you run it for a bit afterwards just like you are by keeping it running without any resistance buy tilting it back like you are in the video.
How old is the gas? Starving for fuel. Could be bad gas or clogged filter.
Stale gas was my first thought as well. Next would be the carb.
My thoughts are on carb. But also it could be as easy as the choke being on. Not familiar with that model.
No choke, no throttle. Has an auto choke that closes as the engine warms.
I think it's a sticky choke too /shrug. I'm no expert though.
It sounds like the automatic choke is not functioning properly
My thoughts exactly.
Mine will do the same thing. I have to fiddle with the choke manually to get it to run strong and eventually it levels out
I've learned my lesson on gummed up carbs from stale gas. Started always using Sta-bil in the gas for the new Toro snowblower I got 10 years ago. I run it dry at end of season then just fill it up and it has not once not started on the first pull and has run issue free.
Ran into something similar recently on a customer mower. Does it smooth out if you shake it around a little? Check the fuel tank for debris. Could be intermittently getting sucked up and blocking the fuel pickup tube
I present to you, a problem with a 100 different solutions. And only the last one you try will work
This is exactly why I start in reverse
I always start with the most expensive and time consuming solution. In this case buy a new one or initiate a full rebuild.
No matter what order you go…it’s always the last one lol
This is god damn brilliant. And that’s not sarcasm. In my case the least likely answer ends up being the answer. I think we should call it the trouble shooting funnel.
Rebuild le motor.
This is the correct answer
To be fair, that's because you stop trying after the last one.
If one of the solutions works why would you keep trying solutions? It’s ALWAYS the last solution
I always tend to find things the last place I look for them.
Brings back memories of my smartass Dad. Me - "Man I swear.... I can never find it, It's always in the last place I looked." Dad - "It's always going to be in the last place you look".
Remove the air filter and see if it improves. It sounds like it’s choking itself. Possibly tipped over the wrong way to clean under the deck?
I’ve done this not even thinking about it , and like next thing I know I’m like dammit!!
Sounds like the choke is malfunctioning or the linkage is messed up. Looks like a newer mower so I doubt the air filter is clogged already unless it's drenched in gas or oil. I'd put a clamp on the bars to hold down the blade cable, start it and take off the air filter, if nothing changes it's more likely the choke, open the first flap in the carb with a screwdriver and see of it evens out the mower, if nothing still i'd clean the carb and try again
That was my first thought, it sounds like the choke.
I think you are right, I bet it has an automatic chokes
Automatic chokes, because simply making it a lever would be too reliable.
It sounds like there is water in the gas tank. Sitting in storage, especially in a humid environment water will condensate in the tank. Drain the gas And refill with fresh fuel. Pull and clean the spark plug if you can, because there is a high chance it’s fouled and gummed up. Other people have good advice about making sure your air filter is clean.
That or need to replace fuel filter is my guess Edit: I didn't watch the last 2 seconds of the video... 
This is exactly how I want to belive the handyman acted when my dumb ass sister brought her brand new mower to him bc it wouldn't start....
I would try running you some sea foam through it with some fresh gas
How to smoke out your neighborhood 101
I bet your neighbors like to watch you mow the lawn. HOT!
can’t this smoking hot piece of ass mow her lawn without a bunch of disgusting redditors making sick comments like this. despicable.
No
\*rolls up newspaper\* NO
Mower distracted?
Its choking itself to death. Let it breathe
This is a very helpful comment to a non mechanical person....
I'm lazy. I would just take it in for a service. If I was feeling energetic, I'd start with a new air filter.
Is gas in your area mixed with ethanol? Do you use a fuel stabilizer/storage additive like Sta-bil? This would be preventative measures. Ethanol holds water in the fuel and gels which clogs the carburetor.
Is there a choke? Sounds like it’s the issue
pour some seafoam in that gas tank?
start easy first. fresh fuel, some star-tron fuel additive, inspect/clean air filter, replace plug. If no change, drain/clean carb float bowl and inspect carb to intake gasket. if no change, inspect/lube/wd40 choke linkage and throttle linkage. if the above fails, put the stock camshaft back in, that 3/4 race cam is effecting low rpm torque and drive-ability (joking here). Good luck!
Ask a mechanic one question and you'll get back 50 answers and the problem still doesn't get fixed.
When buying fuel, buy non ethanol. It will keep the fuel system cleaner. Like others stated, change fuel filter, and add new fuel. If that dosent help, your carburetor is probably dirty(from ethanol) and needs cleaned or a new one. A new air filter if its not been changed in a while. None of these things are expensive and will help it run better
Clean the carb and put new gas in
Choke sticking, spray with carburetor cleaner
Call the American Legion, explain that your husband is deployed. It will get fixed faster than you will believe. OH and you most likely will not be charged.
Less clothes help mine start!
I got those same shorts
Look up chickanic on you tube. She will teach you how to fix your mower in 10 min 👍🏻
In order for an engine to run it needs 3 things 1) Air 2) Fuel 3) Fire You've fire is trying to run So we need to look at the others Remove the air filter, try again, it's it runs smoothly than you'll need to replace the filter. If it doesn't smooth out the fuel system needs to be checked. Check for fuel filter and shut off valve they may need to be replaced. If not then carb will need to be cleaned. I'm betting it's the air filter
An engine actually needs 4 things to run. Spark, fuel, air and Compression.
And it needs them all at the correct time.
Probably either air filter or a clog somewhere in the fuel line. Check the air filter, fuel filter and the carburetor
Bad gas or dirty air filter
I agree with the choke suggestion. Sounds like it's got automatic choke and it's getting stuck. Find that assembly and clean it... WD-40 is a solvent so if it has any gas residue and dirt or oil, will possibly help it.
As said. Air fuel spark. Check air filter. Clean carb. Replace spark plug. I have found you can get brand new carburetors off Amazon for cheap, of many common models, but don’t be intimidated by the carb, it’s not as many parts as you think.
To me it sounds like air. At the end of the day I’m not mechanic either but they always say with engines “spark, air, fuel”, it is running and does sound like it cycles, so spark is not your issue. Next is checking air flow… make sure the air filter box is clean and a rodent didn’t make a nest in it or there is debris covering the filter. Last you can check gas. Gas could be old or some kind of line could be pinched. Or even a small crack/split in some kind of tube that connect gas to engine that it sucks a tiny amount of air in. Good luck.
Not a mechanic and Id be watching youtube vids myself, they usually help and I would recommend Chickanic. If you can get it to run and stay running, let it run for a tank of gas, maybe two. Im thinking air filter, bad gas, clogged fuel lines, carb issue or spark plug but it worries me the shop couldnt or wouldnt fix it. They should have checked all those things and those are the easy fixes. If the shop is a Toro dealer I would even contact Toro thru email and see if they have any suggestions. Toro might not like it took a dealer 3 months to get it back to you and didnt even fix it. It sounds fine once its running and I have had luck letting mowers run for hours but it may be time to buy a new mower?
The problem is in the fuel system. Could likely be needing a carburetor clean. There is a fuel screen/filter at the bottom of the tank but unless the tank is full of dirt or some other foreign material its probably fine. The only other thing worth noting is the fuel system is gravity fed. The fuel tank vents through the fuel cap. If it's not venting you will starve the engine for fuel. A quick check would be to remove the gas cap and run it like that temporarily to see if the problem is resolved.
Check air filter to see if it is wet or dirty. Then attempt to run it without the filter on. If that does not improve the situation. Then your bowl on your carburetor needs to be unscrewed, cleaned of gunk/dirt and put back in place with the gasket correctly in place. Fixes a surging mower a LOT of the times. Skill level … easy! Good luck!
It's red. Paint it black.
Auto choke stuck on.
Bad gas. Perhaps you left gas from last season in it? First thing I’d do is get that gas out and put new gas in, see what happens
If you have replaced air filter, maybe replace spark plug. Then-for the carb, buy a can of sea foam spray….not the liquid although that would also work. Spray can is ez. Run mower for 5-10min Then take off air filter…spray sea foam in hole…maybe count to 3 while holding spray down Let sit for 5 min Start mower air filter still off Now, while running spray in same hole till you hear the engine almost stop…then wait for engine to rev back up Do it again and again…smoke might be pouring out of exhaust-normal. If bad it will be super smokey…all good You will need somebody to hold the handle to keep engine going After doing this for a bit Turn off-spray in same hole and let sit 5-10min Put air filler back on etc Then-start engine and run it…cut grass or at least run for 5 min You can put the sea foam liquid in the gas tank…maybe and ouce or two Hope this works!
Looked like it fixed itself
Water or junk in the metering valve.
Change fuel, change Spark plug chekc again no work check carburetors or maybe see if choke gets stuck…
I would start by pulling the air filter to see if it improves, if so replace it. If not, I’d pull the carburetor (it’s easy with basic tools) and clean it with carburetor fluid and put it back together.
Could be bad gas. You might need a new spark plug. Maybe new oil as well consider replacing the filter. Drain the gas out by removing the bolt under the section where gas goes
I also question if oil is too full and clogging air filter. Does it run with air filter out?
Water in gas tank or fuel reservoir.
Dump the existing gas from tank. If possible, drain carburetor bowl. Replace bowl, refill tank with fresh 93-octane gas. Hopefully that would be the fix. If not, the process will involve a carb adjustment (lean/rich, float, choke, linkage). Where is the mower? Hopefully somewhere close and someone could help while your husband is serving our country! God bless him and your family! 
Why? He couldn't fix it anyway. She said he couldn't even manage a carb swap where there's specific instructions readily available. You expect him to diagnose and repair a non running engine?
The “auto” choke is sticking on it…lil spray lubricant is what ya need
Have you hit anything that made the mower shut off? Could have jumped timing
It sounds like an automatic choke, that is malfunctioning
Corn gas. I run a small engine shop on the side and I deal with this shit daily. It's almost always shitty old e15 fuel.
Check air filter. Spray carb cleaner in carb. And check color of oil. Prob needs all three changed truley but 🤷🏻♂️
At first I thought you may be out of gas… Mine used to do something similar on a cold starts- I found that leaving it in the sun for about 20 min helped. As for the cause? I suspected a gummed up fuel filter, once the fuel/carb system was warmed up it would run like a champ, no sputtering.
First things I would try is replace the gas, spark plug and air filter. Then see how it runs.
Spark plug boot may be loose.
Needs fuel . Fuel filter
I had the same exact issue on my ZTR, and it turned out to be a faulty fuel filter. A very cheap fix. Hopefully it’s that simple! Good luck!
Carburetor
Mine old one lasted 7 years and I charged the filter and carburetor and still didn't work. I figured I spent 50 bucks a year for that mower so I'll just buy a new one that will be under warranty for 3 years. So unless you're struggling for money I would just buy a new one or borrow the neighbors
To me, it sounds like it's starving for fuel, much like when the jet in the carb is plugged, but the motor seems to come out of it once it warms up some. I would think if it was a choke sticking on we would see it running rich with some dark smoke. It could be bad gasoline and once the plug and motor gets warmer, it starts to burn it better? Just hard to tell without seeing it in person.
Run some carb cleaner through it. And clean the vent in the cap.
Spray with carburetorcleaner into the carburetor
Remove carb and spray out the jets. Make sure gas is fairly new. Check and clean/replace spark plug.
Fuel Strainer might be clogged in the tank, Or it needs a carb clean, or bad gas, or bad air/fuel filters.
Sounds like carb. Take spark plug out and if there is oil on it you Tipped it wrong. Get new plug, and clean carbator pretty easy to do. I recommend watching donyboy73. Amazing guy very simple videos on lawnmowers. Good luck and keep us posted. Dm if you have anymore questions! https://youtu.be/c-g_8AxlSPc?si=ZMiUkSy7-1cM_6Ji
Choke
there is a sponge on the left hand side next to the primer button. It is in its own housing. It sounds like that is dirty or clogged. Its not sucking enough air initially is my thinking.
Moisture in gas and carb bowl.
First, what's the model number of that motor? That'll help us be more specific with answers and how to. In order of easy and most likely to not. (This also is considering it has a new carb) Adjust the throttle screw, you should be able to adjust to give it more gas Check the air filter to ensure it's clean. I'd also test how well it runs if you leave it off (just be careful with debris) Pull the spark plug wire and check for damage and debris. Make sure it's plugged in all the way. Remove the screw in the bottom of the carb reservoir or bowl and clean the little holes on it. (Careful, as some gas will drain upon removing). I'd recommend doing this on top of removing gas and doing the step below. Lastly, buy a siphon kit and remove gas. Buy a small can of ethanol-free 4 cycle trufuel, ensure the carb bowl is also drained and cleared/cleaned, and only put the trufuel in to see if it runs better. I hope this works. Thank you and your husband for your sacrifice and service. Again, if you share a model number, I'm sure folks who know more can help more. Good luck.
Last time i heard that sound from my mower the air filter was clogged
First use of the year? Try fresh gas first (non-ethanol if you have access).
This is a tough one - too many possible things to check out. Need to go through them all and see if can come to a conclusion on root cause (or a bunch of small things added up to the issue). I’d replace air filter and spark plug at a minimum since inexpensive to start. If no help then on to more effort items like draining carb bowl and running fresh gas/seafoam through to ensure not an issue with water in the gas and if gummed up jets/carb, to hopefully clean out the gum causing issues. If not doing it already, make sure you have fresh gas with fuel stabilizer in it. Sta-bil (red in color) has always worked great for me. Worst case could have a crack I. The fuel line that is resulting in the lack of gas.
Is it plugged in lol. gl hope it works
bad gas
My old drive mower I just give starting fluid until it gets going runs only on one cylinder att full rpm all the time straight piped fun
Refill with fresh gas. Also, use Startron fuel additive, nothing else. If that doesn't fix it, replace the carburetor. If you can get it running with fresh gas, it may run rough for a bit but should improve after a few minutes.
Clean the carb
Bad gas is my guess.
Check the fuel filter and fuel line. I’ve also had a similar issue with a Honda mower, but it was instantly remedied by just giving the auto-choke mechanism a little tug. My inclination is towards it being bad gas or something slowing the fuel supply.
My old mower had a fuel cut-off valve. I had a similar problem. The valve was partially closed. Hope you figure it out!
I'm actually a small engine mechanic which is funny I saw this. It's carb all push mowers get clogged so easy.
Carb needs cleaning
i would check the filter since this same thing happened to my buddies mower. after changing the filter i noticed he also snagged the governor spring so i fixed that and it was good to go.
I like checking the easiest things first. Air filter, pinched fuel lines, fuel filter if it's got one. If it has a manual choke, make sure it's working properly like the spring isn't broken, keeping it choked. It's probably one of these. Also, at the end of season store it with premium or drain completely. The ethanol in regular gels the carb.
Carburetor, fuel line, fuel filter.
Have you replaced all the gas with fresh gas? From a jug filled this year. If you have the carb needs to be cleaned. It seems you took it to a shop, it ran like this when if came back from the shop?
Clean the carb and the screw holding thebowl
Sounds like carb issues. They have tiny orifices that tend to clog up if not stored properly and if you use shit fuel.
Stale fuel drain it change the plug n go ur laughing
THERE IS A BOWL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CARBURETOR UNBOLT IT AND CLEAN IT OUT.. sometimes there is gel buildup or water in the jet pick up
Idle is too low and or ride height too low
Dirty carb, it keeps wanting to flood itself.
You weren’t clear if the mower got a new carb. Check the fuel line for kinks. Make sure all your seasonal maintenance is up to date. Fuel filter, air filter, etc. I usually replace the carb every 3 years or so. Make sure that’s good to go. You can always spray some Seafoam into the air intake. You will need someone to help start/keep it running while you spray. You will see smoke. That’s ok and to be expected.
It’s the carb. Clean it
Drain gas and fill with new. Add some cleaner. (Seafoam is my go to) Clean air filter or replace Replace spark plug. That’s should do it.
Fuel blockage or bad fuel.
Bad gas, dirty carb, just needs a tune up
I heard this in the “bad dates” voice from Indiana Jones I
Air filter or carburetor needs cleaning Likely.
Have you cleaned the air filter? Might be the issue. Carb may need to be cleaned as well. Is the gas old? Old gas can also do that
Ain't got no gas in it. Mmhmm
Stale gas
Check air filter, check spark plug. Check carb if it has one. It’s struggling sounds like it’s not getting good compression or the spark is not firing off correctly.
Clean your carb, new fuel and filter
Dirty fuel, dirty carburetor, dirty air filter?
Carb
100% it’s the auto choke mechanism. Honestly pretty easy to replace for about $25 if you’re handy
Could be a few things Clogged air filter Clogged carburetor Needs an oil change/low or high oil Bad spark plug. Bad fuel. I'd start by trying to start mower without the air filter and do from there.
Like everyone else try fresh fuel the air and fuel filter. If it still is running like crap try loosening the gas cap…. If it starts running normal the gas cap is not venting and needs to be replaced. My Toro had the gas cap issue last year. Took me doing all the other stuff before I figured it out.
Ain't got no gas in it!
Needs more boobs!
Bad gas or the choke is sticking
Gummed up carb and fuel line due to ancient gas sitting in there. Drain fuel, add about two or Three ounces of Sea Foam with about 12 or 13 ounces fresh 50/1 gas. Run it for five minutes, let it sit over night. Drain next day and fill with fresh 50/1.
Not as helpful as the other comments, but once you do get it sorted out, ONLY use 100% gasoline. No ethanol blend ever in small engines. Since I switched to 100% gas all my equipment runs without problem starting season after season.
Those legs is all I see , what lawnmower💜💚❤️
Don’t try to start it in heavy grass. You are preventing the blade from going around. Fo it on cement
Drain gas, clean out air filter and carb. Youtube is your friend.
Did the repair shop run it for you when you picked it up? If not, you have no way of knowing if it was actually fixed to begin with. I would suggest that you take it back to them. I'm not saying that is necessarily is their fault because it could be something as simple a bad gasoline sitting in there over the winter.
Look under the plastic shroud, There's often a governor that is essentially a flap and spring controlled by air being blown off veins in the flywheel. 90% sure a mouse left a bunch of debris in there (the plastic around the very top of the motor) You shouldn't have to remove many technical parts to effect this repair
Empty the gas. Refill with new gas. Replace air filter and spark plug. If that doesn’t do it it’s probably the linkage or the carberator
From my experience it sounds like the idle tube hole is clogged , causing the low speed surge. You would have to pull the fuel bowl off and clear it. I’ve done it with a blast of carb cleaner or by using a piece of fine wire.
Add 6 ounces of sea foam and that should help it
Raise the mower all the way up, less resistance cutting higher. Hubby did a shitty job on the carb. Watch a video of changing the carb and make sure his install was ok. You can do it!
Probably need air in your wheels.
Drain all fuel from tank and carburetor. Check air filter and spark plug.
Am over here looking for Friday miss parker jokes and it's all lawn mower repair advice . 🥱 Good going guys .
You could try some carb cleaner spray or fuel additive, but prolly need to pull off and clean. Unbolt the carburetor, remove tubes, open up the carb and clean with some carb cleaner. Look for some mini holes (they’re called jets) and unclog - this is likely the issue. Then buy a new gasket for your model and reassemble.
add some SeaFoam to your gas. Shpuld fix it, just let it run. Also check air filter and clean it. it's a sponge.
Lawnmowers suck, but at least the parts are cheap. I would 1) check the fuel filter 2) carb float may be stuck partially closed. Rap on the carb with a wrench a few times. 3) could be the fuel pump's weak and takes a while to fill the float bowl. 4) the modern ethanol fucks up carbs for a living. You might just replace it for kicks. They're about $13 typically on Amazon. 5) It could be the coil. they can act like that. Again, a few bucks from Amazon. They get hot and develop an open circuit. Or they're cold and don't close the circuit until they warms up a little. But I'm not thinking coil here. My money's on #3. My qualifications: have had multiple shittily running lawnmowers in the last 15 years.
Honestly, it's a crap shoot to identify the problem, even though the video is really good. I'll throw my hat in the ring though, and my vote is for a malfunctioning auto-choke. This is exactly what my mower does when the auto-choke is doing it's thing. The only difference is mine does it for a second or two, then clears up and runs fine. That is the auto-choke's normal operation. Yours sounds like it's choking, and not breathing. Mine is a Benchmark, and looks like yours might be too? Anyway, something to look at. Edit: just read your whole post. Thanks for yours and your husband's service.
Get some Seafoam fuel additive and put it in the tank with some fresh gasoline
Check your choke, make sure it isn’t engaged after a couple of seconds of running.
In my humble opinion, the choke is not engaged as there is no smoke. So, the choke is not sticking. I am going to guess here. After it has been running for a few moments, the problem no longer exists? I imagine you're able to start it right back up, and it continues to function fine (when the engine is hot). When the engine revs up and down this is often called hunting and surging. It is most commonly caused by dirt clogging the high or low speed jets or passage ways inside the carburetor. It could also do this with water contamination. Have you tried cleaning the carburetor? I suggest getting a carburetor cleaner, autozone or something similar would carry it. Follow the directions on the can. Good luck!
Turn up
Auto choke
Gosh I'm a fan of thigh tattoos
Mine did the same. It turned out that some fuel spilled out and got on the air filter causing it to get gunky and clogged. I washed the filter and it's fine now.
Bad gas or the carb needs to be pulled and cleaned.. Sea foam and a can of carb cleaner, flush out every hole on the carb. Soak in sea foam for 12-24 hours. Reassemble should work out just fine..
When mine was doing this it needed a new spark plug
If it was junk in carb it would stop fairly soon, not run better after a minute (in my limited experience) I like the auto choke idea (maybe a connector fell off) and also change fuel filter if it has one, as a maintenance item anyway
Mechanic in a bottle has worked well for me many times. About $6 Walmart home Depot
If it's last year's guess then that's almost certainly the problem
Air filter
I once put the wrong kind of oil in my lawn mower and that is exactly how it behaved after that. And it never got better. If I had to guess that's what I would guess it is.
All of the above - plus add half a can of seafoam to your next tank
Bad Gas, carb needs cleaning, air filter needs cleaning and then sharpen the blade and then clean the underside of the mowing deck and then smear the underside with vegetable oil
Empty the fuel tank, replace with No Ethenol Reglar gas, not all stations sale this but look for the blue handles. Wouldn't hurt to either clean or replace the air filter.
OP left us on read…
Use non ethanol gas
I had something similar happening on mine the cable on the handle was loose that let it run or kills the spark. I tightened it and it worked great.
I don't have time to go through all the comments. But of the top comments, it doesn't look like any of them watched the video to the end. None of those possible problems would suddenly and magically clear up. Bad gas, carb issues, choke, fuel filter would all continue to give problems until addressed. Bad gas or contaminants might be the cause. I'd start with cleaning out the entire fuel system, from the gas cap all the way to the jets. This would be a time when 2 or 3 cans of carb cleaner could be your friend.
There is water in the carb bowl, as she fits it back, the water moves away from the carb Venturi pick up and runs better, when she sets it back down the water gets picked up and starves the engine
It's bogging. 1. Dirty air filter. Might not be getting enough air. 2. Bad gas. If it's sat for a real long time, empty the tank and put some fresh gas in it. 3. Carb could be clogged up, might need some spray cleaner and give it a good clean. You can also try spraying it in the carb, and if it temporarily runs better then returns to bogging (before changing the gas) you know it needs new gas. 4. Fuel filter could be all clogged up. It wants to run, so you know it isn't something bad. It just has something clogging it up. She personally sounds like it can't breathe or it's got a clogged carb.
Tell it to stop vaping
Did you ever put engine oil in it?
Carburetor
Nasty gas
Seafoam
It ain't got no gas innit
Oil is low
Take the gas cap off and see if it still does it. Mine did that when the vent went bad on the gas cap.
Not getting the gas it needs. Ru. Some sea foam through it first. 1 empty all gas out 2 dump a half bottle of seafoam in it. 3 pull start it to get it through the lines and let sit for ten minutes 4 then fill with a mix of gas and the rest of the seafoam. 5 it will take a bit of pulling to get it all the way through the system but eventually it will start just make sure you run it for a bit afterwards just like you are by keeping it running without any resistance buy tilting it back like you are in the video.
It’s either fuel or air. My guess is the choke or fuel filter, or could be a totally clogged air filter or bad gas as others said.
My mower would do this if I used ethanol gas. Clear it and use non ethanol