I have an older John Deere hydro 185. I am a woman so I admit up front that I know nothing about small engines. However, I am a do it yourselfer and will try to fix things if I can do so. Recently it would not start, I was told that it needed a new starter and battery and I changed these out myself.
Now the mower deck pulleys and belt are very slow to turn so it won't mow. They will start out turning fine when I flip the PTO switch on, but then they slow down and eventually stop so I can't mow anything at all. Someone told me that it was the PTO switch, so I replaced it. It wasn't the switch apparently, because it still does the same thing. I start it up, turn on the switch, I can see the pulleys and belt turning but then they slow down and stop altogether.
I am desperate to get my yard mowed. It is knee high now. I can't afford the high landscaping prices around here and I would rather use that money towards getting my mower repaired. I am unemployed so money is tight.
Any ideas on what it could be? Someone said it was the mower deck pulleys but there are quite a few of them on the mower deck, so how would I determine which one is not working right? I am not that great a fan of taking the mower deck off the mower and putting it back on. As a woman, it is too heavy for me to handle on my own.
Now the mower deck pulleys and belt are very slow to turn so it won't mow. They will start out turning fine when I flip the PTO switch on, but then they slow down and eventually stop so I can't mow anything at all. Someone told me that it was the PTO switch, so I replaced it. It wasn't the switch apparently, because it still does the same thing. I start it up, turn on the switch, I can see the pulleys and belt turning but then they slow down and stop altogether.
I am desperate to get my yard mowed. It is knee high now. I can't afford the high landscaping prices around here and I would rather use that money towards getting my mower repaired. I am unemployed so money is tight.
Any ideas on what it could be? Someone said it was the mower deck pulleys but there are quite a few of them on the mower deck, so how would I determine which one is not working right? I am not that great a fan of taking the mower deck off the mower and putting it back on. As a woman, it is too heavy for me to handle on my own.