Alright, don’t panic, there's a simple solution even if it means going out and buying a new lawn mower. There could be a few reasons why your mower won’t start that can be fixed by you. Problems could range from poor maintenance, to grade of fuel to the age of your mower. Poor maintenance should speak for itself, and low grade fuel can make starting your mower a chore. You have to make sure your fuel filters are clean and more importantly, there has to be gas in the tank for the mower to work. If you own a larger mower oil levels are just as important as gasoline levels.

But say all of that is fine and your mower still won’t start. Think back to last time, did you run over anything that could’ve been picked up by the mower and sucked into the internal components? If so, you killed your mower. Just kidding, what you really did was give yourself the ultimatum of purchasing a new mower, or like an old car, paying to have the major parts replaced. If your mower is older than 15 years maybe its time to get a new one.

Recoil Starters

If your mower has a recoil starter or a pull cord, check the starter mechanism or clutch, they could be broken. If the cord is broken, you can usually pick up a new one at the store and replace it yourself. If the other two are broken, it would be best to speak with a professional or have a diagnostics test done to determine if your mower is fixable.

Electric Starters

These mowers usually have a button or key mechanism to start it up. If the engine cranks but doesn’t catch, or if there's no response from the button or key it could be because of the following reasons: bad connection, dead or weak battery, outlet could be dead or the clutch and gear could be broke. That usually happens when the motor spins but doesn’t start up the engine.

Finally, make sure you didn’t forget to engage the “dead man’s bar”. Thats the safety interlock that enables the ignition system and releases the blade brakes. Did you read your manual? If not, maybe its time.