Common Problems With Troy-Bilt Lawn Mowers (According To Users)

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Whether you look forward to the chore of mowing the lawn or not, experiencing problems with your lawn mower when you've set aside time to mow is frustrating. While users rate Troy-Bilt as the best lawn mower brand at Home Depot, the brand still has some common problems.

The lowest-rated Troy-Bilt lawn mower at Home Depot is the 46-inch Mustang powered by a 22-horsepower Kohler V-twin. It has a 4.6-star rating with 408 reviews. Njjh reports their new Troy-Bilt Mustang mower started fine the day it was delivered, but wouldn't start the first day they tried to mow. Several other reviewers report similar problems with this and other Troy-Bilt mowers.

"Lawn mower won't start" sits at the top of Home Depot's "Troy-Bilt Lawn Mower Troubleshooting & Repair Help" list. The list, powered by Repair Clinic, also contains several other conditions related to engine performance (or lack of) that are potential precursors to the engine failing to start altogether.

Problems with belts and pulleys are another common problem with Troy-Bilt lawn mowers. Users report symptoms like their Troy-Bilt lawn mower won't propel itself, riding mower blades won't engage, and unusual noises or smoke when engaging blades or driving.

Redditor MJ918 says after replacing the drive belt on their Troy-Bilt Super Bronco, it's too loose and suspects a bent tensioner pulley or broken spring is to blame. Another Redditor, Reverse_Entropy_, reports "recurring belt issues" with their Troy-Bilt Pony 42-inch riding mower. After replacing the belt and mowing a few times, the new belt came off once and twisted in the pulleys. Upon further review, they found "the idler pulley bracket plate, hole and spacers are extremely worn out."

If your Troy-Bilt lawn mower has an electric starter that doesn't do anything, no lights, clicks, or other signs of life, when turning the key, it could mean your battery is dead. You can try using a 12-volt battery charger or battery booster (this $54.99 NexPow Jump Starter is highly rated on Amazon, like the one you'd use on a car to get it going. However, if the battery is more than a few years old, is showing signs of damage (bulging, cracking, or leaking), or can't be recharged, it's probably time to replace the battery.

If it's a pull-start model, or the engine cranks when turning the key but still won't start, it's either not getting spark or the correct air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. First, make sure the mower's gas tank is sufficiently filled with the proper fuel for your model. If that didn't work, remove, inspect, and clean or replace the spark plug.

Storing a lawn mower with gas in the carburetor can leave a residue inside that prevents proper operation. Try spraying carburetor cleaner into the intake port behind the air filter. If that doesn't work, or if there is gas dripping from the bottom of the carburetor, you can rebuild or replace the carburetor.

While these are common culprits of a no-start condition, other factors, like safety switches, fuel pumps, battery cables, starter motors, pull-rope assemblies, flywheel shear-keys, ignition coils, fuel filters, etc., can also be to blame. In many cases, finding these issues simply requires looking closely at the mower for any damage or loose wires. Other times, it'll require some expertise and test equipment.

Keeping up with lawn mower maintenance not only helps to keep your Troy-Bilt mower running like new, but it can also increase the lifespan of your belts and pulleys. Among the tenets of proper lawn mower maintenance that apply are properly storing your lawn mower out of the weather, ensuring all accessible nuts and bolts are tight, lubricating moving parts, cleaning the mower deck after use, keeping blades sharp and free from damage, and inspecting the belts for signs of wear before they snap.

If your Troy-Bilt riding mower won't move or engage the blades, and all the safety switches are engaged, it's likely that a belt or pulley is already broken or out of place. Your first course of action should be to ensure the mower cannot roll by blocking the tires. Then you can inspect the drive system for any signs of damage. Sometimes a belt can come out of its track around the system's pulleys, and it can be slipped into place, being careful not to pinch your fingers. It's a good idea to disconnect the battery or pull the spark plug wire(s) to prevent accidentally starting the mower. Any belts, pulleys, or tensioners that are worn or broken should be replaced.

Other causes preventing the mower from propelling itself could include stripped transmission gears, or, hopefully, the driveline is just disconnected to make the mower easier to push. Besides belts and pulleys, many Troy-Bilt lawn mowers use a PTO switch to engage the blades. While these switches could be damaged or faulty, it's most likely that a wire has come loose in that system, preventing it from engaging.

To research the most common problems with Troy-Bilt lawn mowers, we scoured online reviews left by users at retailers like Home Depot, Tractor Supply, and Walmart, as well as review sites like Reddit and LawnSite. To diagnose leading causes for the problems, we turned to Home Depot's troubleshooting guide, user-reported solutions, and the author's 40+ years of keeping their personal lawn mowers running and cutting grass.