Cub Cadet sputters under load / dies

Doc

Doc

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A friend has a cub cadet riding mower. First mow of season.
He has to jump it to start as the battery is shot.
Starts and runs okay. Fires up the mower deck, runs okay for a bit and then sputters and dies. Shuts down mower deck mower runs fine, no issues.

He takes off the deck, greases spindles checks belts all appear okay. Puts it back on has to jump mower again ....but once running he has the exact same result.

Any ideas on what might be the issue?
 
Whenever this happens to me, it's almost always a fuel issue. Bad gas, clogged fuel filter or gummed up carb.

I'd suggest changing the gas, inspect or replace fuel filter and using either additive in the fuel or gumout into the carb, try to get that cleaned up some.

While looking at the fuel system, also check the fuel lines for any cracks or rot that may be letting air get in. Air being pulled in changes the mix and it sucks more air than fuel giving similar results.
 
bczoom said:
Whenever this happens to me, it's almost always a fuel issue. Bad gas, clogged fuel filter or gummed up carb.

I'd suggest changing the gas, inspect or replace fuel filter and using either additive in the fuel or gumout into the carb, try to get that cleaned up some.

While looking at the fuel system, also check the fuel lines for any cracks or rot that may be letting air get in. Air being pulled in changes the mix and it sucks more air than fuel giving similar results.
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I agree.
 
Thanks guys. I thought maybe the battery was causing it. I think he is going to replace the battery first since he has to do that no matter the issue and then tackle the fuel issues if a battery does not solve things.
 
Doc said:
Fires up the mower deck, runs okay for a bit and then sputters and dies. Shuts down mower deck mower runs fine, no issues.
Click to expand...
If it were electrical, what I put in bold wouldn't occur. If you have an electrical issue and the mower didn't like it, it quits immediately.

It's really sounds like it's starving for fuel. ;)

Just went through something similar with a friend. He got a 1971 Deere garden tractor. Ran "just OK" until it got a load on it then it struggled. Put Seafoam in the gas, gumout through the carb then ran it hard. It sputtered for about 5 minutes but then started running better. After 20-30 minutes of run time, it now sounds like new.
 
Bad fuel is most likely.

Barely-adequate ignition is a less likely possibility, if it cuts out under load. Burned points, bad coil, dirty plugs, bad plug wires. My Subaru sounded like that at 110 k miles / 14 years; new coil and wires made it like new again.
 
bczoom said:
If it were electrical, what I put in bold wouldn't occur. If you have an electrical issue and the mower didn't like it, it quits immediately.

It's really sounds like it's starving for fuel. ;)

Just went through something similar with a friend. He got a 1971 Deere garden tractor. Ran "just OK" until it got a load on it then it struggled. Put Seafoam in the gas, gumout through the carb then ran it hard. It sputtered for about 5 minutes but then started running better. After 20-30 minutes of run time, it now sounds like new.
Click to expand...

SEAFOAM is GREAT!
 
Well he got a new battery and mowed for 45 minutes with no issues. He is going to run some seafoam through his tank also, but has not done that yet.
Thanks for the thoughts / ideas on this issue.
 
Seafoam IS Great!! Every year at the beginning of the season I put it in the gas tanks of every machine. The motorcycle loves it. But I never thought about the tractor. What to put in a diesel engine?
 
fla45fan said:
Seafoam IS Great!! Every year at the beginning of the season I put it in the gas tanks of every machine. The motorcycle loves it. But I never thought about the tractor. What to put in a diesel engine?
Click to expand...
I just fired up my tractor the other day, and I put sea foam in before starting. It is a diesel engine and had the normal knocks for a cold diesel engine. The engine was the quietest and smoothest it had ever been. I'm properly impressed.

The same Seafoam that goes in your gas engine can go in your diesel engine. I bought a few more cans yesterday as I have a car I am bringing out of storage and I'm guessing it would be a good think for my daily driver that has 188k on it.
 
Well, I'll be darned. I am just going to have to try it out. I just got back home last week and I have to get the tractor, car, and the motorcycle all out of storage.
 
I just had exactly same issue, and the fix was replacing the battery. I thought the same in the beginning that it shouldn't be the battery issue. But this is what I learned (maybe exclusive to cub cadet):

The engine does not need a good battery to stay running except for the fuel solenoid. If the battery is not FULLY CHARGED, then the fuel solenoid on the carburetor will not operate and it will shut off the flow of fuel to the engine.
 
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