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The John Deere LX277 garden tractor is one of John Deere’s powerful garden tractors with innovative features such as a V-twin automatic transmission, a V-twin air-cooled engine, and a strong frame.

The LX277 series is made up of three tractors- John Deere LX277 42”, 48” and AWS 48”.

In this article, we talk about some common John Deere LX277 problems and simple hacks to fix them, so you can get your machine working optimally.

Contents show

6 Common John Deere LX277 Problems and Fixes

1. Engine Stalling Problem

Some customers reported their LX277 garden tractor faced slow-moving or sudden stoppage while mowing their garden. It shows that the engine has stalled but you do not need to worry because it is easy to fix.

You might also notice that it stalls after twenty seconds of mowing after engaging the Power Take Off. This problem occurs as a result of a failing voltage regulator, failing PTO or weak/failing battery.

Fix: The first step to take is to inspect the battery.

You may also need to take the battery or mower to your nearby auto parts store and they will help you check it for free. If the battery has issues, it is best to replace it.

The next thing to do is to inspect the voltage regulator.

It should be around 14V while your tractor’s engine is operating at full throttle. The voltage regulator needs replacement if it reads anything other than 14V.

Lastly, you also need to inspect the PTO coil’s resistance. If it is low, the engine of your garden tractor might stall. Ensure that you replace the coil and the mower will work well.

2. The Motor Surging Issue

Some people also complained about motor surging issues when it is under load or at higher idle.

One of the signs that you may notice is higher speed while your gear is on neutral. Furthermore, motor surging can cause sudden slow-moving of your tractor.

This issue might not be a serious one unless you have young ones playing around your garden while carrying out mowing operations.

The surging issue can happen because of three reasons- air leak, fuel delivery and governor system problem.

Fix: The first thing to do is to check for air leaks. If you discover several leaks, get a new or used vacuum pump. This will make your garden tractor perform better in tackling the issue of surging.

Secondly, check the fuel delivery chamber and monitor the flow out of the pump. If there are irregularities, replace the fuel pump to fix this issue.

Thirdly, check if there is an issue within the governor adjustment. Allow the governor arm to rotate on its shaft by loosening it slightly. After doing this, inspect the carburetor and the linkage of the governor.

After a thorough inspection and you notice that the issues persist, contact the dealer for service. It is not advisable to risk the governor entirely.

3. John Deere LX277 Hard To Start

Some users also reported that the tractor is difficult to start. This is a very common problem with the garden tractor and it can be easily fixed by you. The simple thing to do is to clean the fuel filter.

Fix: The fuel filter gradually stores a small amount of gas as a result of gravity and evaporation. If you can push the gas to the fuel tank again, you wouldn’t have this problem.

Disconnect the cap attached to the fuel line and pull the hose back.

You can later grab the hose by using your hand and pushing air through it.

In this case, you can also make use of a compressor and you will observe that the fuel filter will expand slightly. Maintain the pressure at 50 psi while using the compressor.

4. Deck Belt Popping Off Sometimes

Another issue with the John Deere LX277 garden tractor is the deck belt problem.

The deck belt pops off for unknown reasons and this can be quite dangerous. Although it is a rare case, it is imperative to know more about this issue and its troubleshooting tips.

Fix: You need to remove the deck of your garden tractor before solving this problem. The removal of the mower deck will enable you to put the belt in place.

5. Excessive Fuel Consumption

This is one of the problems of the John Deere garden tractor. Excessive fuel consumption can happen as a result of two causes. It might be that the throttle does not open well or due to an incorrect carburetor adjustment.

Fix: If the throttle does not open well, you can replace the choke cable. You can also check carburetor float adjustment in case the carburetor is not properly adjusted.

6. Engine Overheating

The engine of your garden tractor can overheat because of excessive engine load, too much/little oil, dysfunctional cooling fins, fast idle speed or poor quality oil.

Fix: To fix this problem, you need to reduce the load if you notice that there is an excessive load on the engine. Inspect oil level and change the oil if it is of poor quality.

For malfunctioning cooling fans, you need to clean the dirty components. Lastly, adjust the carburetor idle mixture screw to prevent fast idle speed.

Conclusion

We have outlined six problems of the John Deere LX277 garden tractor and troubleshooting tips to guide you.

We hope our recommendations will help fix the problems. If you have tried the above troubleshooting tips and you notice that the issues persist, then it’s best to seek the help of an expert.