6 Simple Steps to Start a Zero Turn Mower 2024

Zero turn mowers are quite a comfortable option if you have a huge lawn to trim or you want to revamp your backyard for holidays. It is necessary to check that all the safety options of the mower are in their perfect place for knowing how to start a zero turn mower. These include the driver’s seat, your tires in place, and the engine.

You should know how to start and stop the zero turn mower for Acres as it’ll help you avoid any sort of dangers to you or any other things on your lawn. Although the features and control are quite simple to learn, techniques that many fail to excel in repel many people to buy one.

Starting the zero turn mower itself requires many steps so you must practice the mechanics before taking it to a test drive. In this blog, we’ll be taking zero turn mowers up a notch with correct steps for starting it. Also check out how to drive a zero turn in law mower.

6 Easy Steps to Start the Zero Turn Lawn Mower 

Every zero turn mower starts in a similar manner, however, the only difference could be the controls as it depends on the brand, manufacturing, model, and prices. If you carefully follow it then you can not go wrong with starting or stopping the mower.

Even for beginners, the control buttons and switches are labeled for easy tracking.

1. Turn on the Fuel Selector

After checking that every safety feature is enabled, you have to turn on the fuel selector valve taking it from the middle to either the right side or the left. It’ll start or ignite the gasoline supply within the mower.

This fuel selector can be in two places, in some mowers it’s located at the back of your seat while others have it near the gasoline tank.

2. Lift the Parking Brake

Now you’ll only find one lever that’s the longest on the mower that’s the parking brake, at either side of your driver’s seat. You can just lift the lever upward, which is supposed to hold your vehicle in parking.

3. Push Power Take Off Switch

You’ll find a switch that can be pushed or pulled, it is the PTO switch. You only have to push it inward to disconnect the rotating blades. It is round in shape at the control panel or the dashboard of your vehicle. PTO is responsible for taking engine power to control the mower.

4. Neutral Traction Levers

There are two traction levers in your zero turn lawn mower. One is used for steering and the other is used for movement, both of which are found on either side of your dashboard and you have to turn both of them to a neutral position. You can verify if those levers are in the neutral slot by checking the rotation.

5. Upward Push Throttle

Moreover, you have to give a slight upward push to the throttle lever increasing its pace. In this throttle lever, you’ll find the top side with the rabbit photo and the bottom with the turtle.

A little side notes if your mower wasn’t in use or starting for the first time is pulling the choke switch outward for engaging the power in the cold engine. You don’t have to perform this step if you use the mower often.

6. Start Mower with Ignition Key

Finally, it’s time to put in the ignition key and turn it to the right for starting your zero turn lawn mower’s engine. If you’ve engaged the choke in the previous step then you can slowly push it inward.

All you have to do is release your parking brake and pull the power take-off button for rolling the blades. To move your mower, you can just pull it horizontally.

How to Stop Zero Turn Lawn Mower

If you want to stop your lawn mower just pull the PTO switch and turn your throttle lever from rabbit to turtle. After then you can switch off your key, place your parking brake back to neutral and take the keys out.

Failures to Face while Starting Zero Turn Mowers

There are many reasons behind failures you can face while starting the zero turn lawn mower. Before even starting, you can test through an interlock system and if any of it fails then it means the vehicle might automatically start or operate. This increases the risk of handling the mower as the mower could accelerate the pace or turn left or right by itself. For situations when your mower is functioning like that, it is important to get it fixed professionally. Moreover, you should completely avoid starting it as it is a huge risk for you and your property.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ways to check if a zero turn mower is good to start?

You can check it from the safety interlocking system having buttons that can give you a thumbs up to start. It includes engaging blades, single steering, and a seat locking system for the driver. All these measures are to make sure that the mower won’t start from itself.

Can I carry a passenger in the zero turn mower?

It is recommended not to take any passenger along with the operator as it can result in collapse due to an imbalanced load. Such a collapse can cause serious injuries or damage to your lawn.

Where is the ignition key located?

Although all the controls are labeled, you can find the ignition key on one of the sides of the steering wheel.

Does starting lawn mowers is the same for all models?

Yes, despite whatever model of zero turn mower you’re using, the starting procedure is always the same.