My Craftsman push mower stopped mid yard and now it won't cut the grass. I tried some basic maintenance to get it going again. I topped off the oil and gas, cleaned the air filter, cleaned the under carriage, and raised the wheels. I checked the blade and it looks fine. I can't think of what to do next! The mower starts and idles fine but as soon as it touches uncut grass it studders and shuts off. It will restart right away but doesn't like grass anymore. Any ideas?

Is the engine reving properly? Does it sound different. Try running with no air filter for diagnostic purposes.
Don

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Originally Posted by 72deeds

My Craftsman push mower stopped mid yard and now it won't cut the grass. I tried some basic maintenance to get it going again. I topped off the oil and gas, cleaned the air filter, cleaned the under carriage, and raised the wheels. I checked the blade and it looks fine. I can't think of what to do next! The mower starts and idles fine but as soon as it touches uncut grass it studders and shuts off. It will restart right away but doesn't like grass anymore. Any ideas?

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Think I'm dealing with the same problem. My guess is a dirty carburator. The mower is burning the fuel you use to prime the engine with then runs out of gas. Mine would run for about three minutes, so every time I got to the same part of the lawn it died too. Weird but I think it's It's just coincidence that it happens when you get to the grass. Estimates I got were between $40 and $65 to fix it including labor. If you're handy, you could try disassembling the carb and cleaning it out. If not, take it to an expert. Still cheaper than getting a new mower.

I had a similar problem with my Toro. A friend told me that he pours a small capful
(1/2 tablespoon) of automotive carburetor cleaner directly into his mower tank with each tank of gas.
I had good results when I tried it.