I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't get
it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on okay),
checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at the back,
pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm assuming it's just
moving that round lever up to engage the park brake...the directions
aren't clear on that), push up the throttle and choke to max, made
sure the yellow engagement button was down, added a gallon of fresh
gas and checked the oil then turned the key.

And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot today
who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

wrote in message
...
I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't get
it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on okay),
checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at the back,
pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm assuming it's just
moving that round lever up to engage the park brake...the directions
aren't clear on that), push up the throttle and choke to max, made
sure the yellow engagement button was down, added a gallon of fresh
gas and checked the oil then turned the key.

And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot today
who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

Off the top - sounds like a "safety switch". Are you sitting on the seat
and does the seat lower enough to flip the switch ? What's the "yellow
engagement button" ? You want to start the engine with the blades
DISengaged.

Srgnt Billko wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't get
it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on okay),
checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at the back,
pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm assuming it's just
moving that round lever up to engage the park brake...the directions
aren't clear on that), push up the throttle and choke to max, made
sure the yellow engagement button was down, added a gallon of fresh
gas and checked the oil then turned the key.

And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot today
who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

Off the top - sounds like a "safety switch". Are you sitting on the
seat and does the seat lower enough to flip the switch ? What's the
"yellow engagement button" ? You want to start the engine with the
blades DISengaged.

Maybe he does not weigh enough to activate the seat safety switch, I would
suggest he place a cinder block on his lap as he sits in the seat, whilst
starting and mowing.. ;-)
Clark...
--
Don't you have Google in your part of the world?

"Clark..." wrote in message
...
Srgnt Billko wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't get
it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on okay),
checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at the back,
pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm assuming it's just
moving that round lever up to engage the park brake...the directions
aren't clear on that), push up the throttle and choke to max, made
sure the yellow engagement button was down, added a gallon of fresh
gas and checked the oil then turned the key.

And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot today
who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

Off the top - sounds like a "safety switch". Are you sitting on the
seat and does the seat lower enough to flip the switch ? What's the
"yellow engagement button" ? You want to start the engine with the
blades DISengaged.

Maybe he does not weigh enough to activate the seat safety switch, I would
suggest he place a cinder block on his lap as he sits in the seat, whilst
starting and mowing.. ;-)
Clark...
--

It's not "Walk softly and carry a big BLOCK" - it's "Walk softly and carry a
big STICK". You should know that chuckle

Srgnt Billko wrote:
"Clark..." wrote in message
...
Srgnt Billko wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't
get it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on
okay), checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at
the back, pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm
assuming it's just moving that round lever up to engage the park
brake...the directions aren't clear on that), push up the throttle
and choke to max, made sure the yellow engagement button was down,
added a gallon of fresh gas and checked the oil then turned the
key. And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot
today who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

Off the top - sounds like a "safety switch". Are you sitting on the
seat and does the seat lower enough to flip the switch ? What's the
"yellow engagement button" ? You want to start the engine with the
blades DISengaged.

Maybe he does not weigh enough to activate the seat safety switch, I
would suggest he place a cinder block on his lap as he sits in the
seat, whilst starting and mowing.. ;-)
Clark...
--

It's not "Walk softly and carry a big BLOCK" - it's "Walk softly and
carry a big STICK". You should know that chuckle

Oh, will the
_____/ /_(_)____/ /__
/ ___/ __/ / ___/ //_/
(__ ) /_/ / /__/ ,
/____/\__/_/\___/_/|_| jokes ever end???:-)Clark...
--
Don't you have Google in your part of the world?

Srgnt Billko wrote:
"Clark..." wrote in message
...
Srgnt Billko wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't
get it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on
okay), checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at
the back, pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm
assuming it's just moving that round lever up to engage the park
brake...the directions aren't clear on that), push up the throttle
and choke to max, made sure the yellow engagement button was down,
added a gallon of fresh gas and checked the oil then turned the
key. And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot
today who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

Off the top - sounds like a "safety switch". Are you sitting on the
seat and does the seat lower enough to flip the switch ? What's the
"yellow engagement button" ? You want to start the engine with the
blades DISengaged.

Maybe he does not weigh enough to activate the seat safety switch, I
would suggest he place a cinder block on his lap as he sits in the
seat, whilst starting and mowing.. ;-)
Clark...
--

It's not "Walk softly and carry a big BLOCK" - it's "Walk softly and
carry a big STICK". You should know that chuckle

As I recall the stick looked like this...

/\

,-+' /:
,-++++
++/ ;
,-----+++_.++++--++-'
X\ ,----+_.-+--+''-'
( `---++----------+++++ ,-''---+-'
`. ++----+-----+++++-'--'

Clark...
--
Don't you have Google in your part of the world?

does it crank and not start, or does it do nothing... ie no cranking?

"Srgnt Billko" wrote in message
news:k7JWj.15068$6D1.4396@trndny02...

"Clark..." wrote in message
...
Srgnt Billko wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't get
it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on okay),
checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at the back,
pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm assuming it's just
moving that round lever up to engage the park brake...the directions
aren't clear on that), push up the throttle and choke to max, made
sure the yellow engagement button was down, added a gallon of fresh
gas and checked the oil then turned the key.

And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot today
who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

Off the top - sounds like a "safety switch". Are you sitting on the
seat and does the seat lower enough to flip the switch ? What's the
"yellow engagement button" ? You want to start the engine with the
blades DISengaged.

Maybe he does not weigh enough to activate the seat safety switch, I
would suggest he place a cinder block on his lap as he sits in the seat,
whilst starting and mowing.. ;-)
Clark...
--

It's not "Walk softly and carry a big BLOCK" - it's "Walk softly and carry
a big STICK". You should know that chuckle

On May 14, 8:48 pm, "G" wrote:
does it crank and not start, or does it do nothing... ie no cranking?

"Srgnt Billko" wrote in message

news:k7JWj.15068$6D1.4396@trndny02...



"Clark..." wrote in message
...
Srgnt Billko wrote:
wrote in message
...
I just bought a new John Deere Ride on mower (24 hp) and I can't get
it started. I attached the battery cables (light turns on okay),
checked the charge (greater than 80%), pushed in the rod at the back,
pushed the park brake up into locked position (I'm assuming it's just
moving that round lever up to engage the park brake...the directions
aren't clear on that), push up the throttle and choke to max, made
sure the yellow engagement button was down, added a gallon of fresh
gas and checked the oil then turned the key.

And nothing.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot today
who knows how to operate one....grrr).

Thanks!

Off the top - sounds like a "safety switch". Are you sitting on the
seat and does the seat lower enough to flip the switch ? What's the
"yellow engagement button" ? You want to start the engine with the
blades DISengaged.

Maybe he does not weigh enough to activate the seat safety switch, I
would suggest he place a cinder block on his lap as he sits in the seat,
whilst starting and mowing.. ;-)
Clark...
--

It's not "Walk softly and carry a big BLOCK" - it's "Walk softly and carry
a big STICK". You should know that chuckle



lol.

I just got it to start (I'm guessing my foot wasn't pressing the brake
hard enough) but now it won't keep going. It putters out after about
five seconds. A bit of white smoke/exhaust from the front but I
imagine that's normal. I play with the choke when it does start, but
it doesn't want to keep going.

Any idea?

Thanks!

I have never found anyone at Home Depot that knows anything. If you
don't know what you need don't bother going there.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley





http://community.webtv.net/MelKelly/TheKids

On May 15, 6:04 pm, (Mel M Kelly) wrote:
I have never found anyone at Home Depot that knows anything. If you
don't know what you need don't bother going there.

From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

http://community.webtv.net/MelKelly/TheKids


What I actually needed from them was the name of the local shop that
does the warranty repairs. I spoke to them and they said they did a
PDI. I asked if that meant starting it up and he said yes.

I told him that was impossible. Neither battery cable was attached and
one of them needed to be manipulated (from a straight position to a
pretty tight U position) to meet the terminal. If it had been hooked
up, the cable would have had a bend in it. Also the two screws had no
tool marks on them and the gas tank smell of plastic, not gas when I
stuck my nose over the opening to see if there was any fuel in it.

I ended up calling Home Depot back and told them I wanted to exchange
it for another one - that I didn't want to take a chance on a machine
that hasn't worked from minute one.

I'm still waiting to hear back from them.

wrote in message
...
..

I ended up calling Home Depot back and told them I wanted to exchange
it for another one - that I didn't want to take a chance on a machine
that hasn't worked from minute one.

I'm still waiting to hear back from them.



While it is too late now, you should have went to a John Deere dealer to get
one. They do their own servicing and you do not have to fight with them.
You may ask for your money back and then go to a Deere dealer.

About 4 years ago I bought one and had it delivered. About a week later I
decided to mow the grass and my mower ran for about 100 feet and would stop.
It would start back up and die about another 100 feet later. I stopped in
the Deere place and asked about it as if I might be doing something wrong.
They could not tell me anything, but came out and picked it up. It was a
week before I could get off work and meet them at home, they brought it back
and said they replaced the seat. Sofar , no problems with it for 4 years.

On May 16, 5:10 pm, "Ralph Mowery" wrote:
wrote in message

...
.



I ended up calling Home Depot back and told them I wanted to exchange
it for another one - that I didn't want to take a chance on a machine
that hasn't worked from minute one.

I'm still waiting to hear back from them.



While it is too late now, you should have went to a John Deere dealer to get
one. They do their own servicing and you do not have to fight with them.
You may ask for your money back and then go to a Deere dealer.

About 4 years ago I bought one and had it delivered. About a week later I
decided to mow the grass and my mower ran for about 100 feet and would stop.
It would start back up and die about another 100 feet later. I stopped in
the Deere place and asked about it as if I might be doing something wrong.
They could not tell me anything, but came out and picked it up. It was a
week before I could get off work and meet them at home, they brought it back
and said they replaced the seat. Sofar , no problems with it for 4 years.

We don't have a John Deere dealer local except Home Depot. The
authorized warranty repair shop won't do anything for the first 30
days and if a repair is needed, Home Depot has to pick it up and bring
it back. Exchanging it means they do that much less driving and save
$50+ in gas since they only need to make one trip.

And I don't think I should have to wait for a repair on a machine
that's 3 days old. With my luck, I'll be up to my knees in grass
before it gets back...

When you go to Home Depot or Wal-Mart or any of those big box stores you
know you are going to get screwed before you get there. But that is all
we have any more. The big ones ran all the good small businesses out. I
will not go in a Wal-Mart. I don't like the way they do business. Look
what they did to Rubbermaid Co.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley





http://community.webtv.net/MelKelly/TheKids

"Mel M Kelly" wrote in message
...
When you go to Home Depot or Wal-Mart or any of those big box stores you
know you are going to get screwed before you get there. But that is all
we have any more. The big ones ran all the good small businesses out. I
will not go in a Wal-Mart. I don't like the way they do business. Look
what they did to Rubbermaid Co.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley


If you know what you're doing you can get the best bargains ever at Home
Depot and Lowes. I bought 2 slightly damaged landscape trailers for the
price of one - fixed one in the parking lot with a piece from the other -
and got the 2nd fixed at no cost with a replacement part from the
manufacturer. - I bought a returned and fixed Troybilt tiller for 1/5 the
original price - and a trailer load of broken bags of potting soil / manure,
etc for $20 - and a whole box of asparagus plants for the price of one. -
plus I have a never ending supply of pallets for kindling, compost bins, and
firewood racks. I have to look out for #1 - and I couldn't make out like
that at a "small business".

Any idea what I'm doing wrong? (Can't get anyone at Home Depot today
who knows how to operate one....grrr).

If you bought it from a John Deere dealer, the answer is just a phone call
away. Sounds like (engagement knob?) you are turning on the blades before
starting. JD have a disconnect that only allows you to do this when the
engine is running, probably prevents the engine from starting -- never tried
it this way on mine.