Why Your Lawn Mower Keeps Shutting Off While Mowing And How To Fix It

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It often starts the same way. You're halfway through the yard, the mower's humming along, and then out of nowhere, the engine sputters, chokes, and dies. You check the gas, jiggle the cord, mutter in frustration, and restart it, only for it to shut off a few feet later. It's not uncommon for lawn mowers to call it quits mid-mow, and more often than not, the reason is annoyingly fixable. A clogged air filter, stale fuel from last season, a damaged blade straining the engine, or a fuel line that's more gunk than gas are the usual suspects.

Thankfully, most of these issues don't require a mechanic or a replacement mower. You just need to know where to look and how to fix it to keep your lawn mower in tip-top shape. The key here is not to treat the symptom but to trace the trigger. Once you do that, your mower stops acting up and starts acting right.

Common reasons your lawn mower keeps shutting off mid-mow

If your air filter is packed with dust and debris, airflow to the engine gets cut off, and the mower simply can't breathe. That leads straight to a shutdown. Then there's stale fuel. Leftover gas from last season turns gummy over time. This may clog the system and choke performance. Even if it starts fine, old fuel can quickly bring things to a halt once the engine warms up and tries to draw steady power.

Further, a bent or damaged blade can throw off balance and add extra strain on the engine, forcing it to work harder than it should. That strain can cause the engine to overheat and shut off unexpectedly. Similarly, a dirty fuel line restricts the steady flow of gas and starves the engine just enough to kill it mid-run. Faulty spark plugs are another silent culprit. When they misfire or fail to ignite the fuel properly, the engine loses power and stalls out. And if all of that checks out, the problem might lie in the carburetor. When it's dirty, the fuel-air mixture goes haywire, and your mower responds by shutting down in protest. Each of these lawn mower issues is small on its own, but any one of them can cause your mower to give up halfway through.

How to fix a lawn mower that keeps stalling while mowing

Start with the air filter. If it looks dusty, remove it and either clean it or replace it altogether. Most filters are inexpensive, like the HEYZLASS Air Filter, and take minutes to swap. Next, drain out any old fuel and refill with fresh gasoline. If the mower's been sitting idle for a while, stale fuel is almost always part of the problem. You can also use a fuel stabilizer as a preventive step.

Then, move on to the blade. Turn the mower off completely and check for damage. If it's dull or wobbly, replace it. A balanced, sharp blade reduces strain on the engine and helps keep everything running smoothly. After that, inspect the fuel line. If it feels sticky or looks discolored, chances are there's a clog. Detach it carefully and flush it clean. You can also replace it if the residue has rendered it unusable. For faulty spark plugs, you'll need to unscrew them to check for carbon buildup or wear, and replace them if needed. It costs pocket change but can solve a lot. Finally, there's the carburetor. If your mower still stalls, clean it using a carburetor cleaner, like the STA-BIL Fast Fix. A few short bursts can often clear out gunk that's throwing off the air-fuel balance. Last but not least, make sure you clean your lawn mower from top to bottom at least twice a year to keep it up and running. A general cleanup is recommended after every use, though.

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