I know I have read something like this before but can't find it under a search. All of a sudden my x320 is causing the grass to go brown anywhere I let it idle. I have to move a trampoline when mowing and noticed a brown spot where I got off of it (while running) for a moment. I also noticed the same where I let it idle a few minutes before shutting it off. It hasn't been that hot here in Northern Indiana so i am thinking I have a gas leak. However, I don't see anything on the concrete in the shed where it is stored. Anybody else experience this? I have had this mower two seasons and this is the first time it has happened.
Tractor causing brown spots on lawn.
1 reading
Grasshopper67
21 - 40 of 48 Posts
Joined
·
812 Posts
I did take the blades off for the first time at the beginning of the season and when I put them back on, I was unsure of how much torque was required to put them back on. I just tightened the bolts as tight as I could with my ratchet. Are you saying that I may not have them on tight enough? Does anybody know how much torque they require? I can get a torque wrench.Re. "Spindle Heat", if a spindle IS getting that hot and no bearings are screaming, check the torque on the blade bolts. But I'm still betting on exhaust heat. When the deck is in different positions it changes the air flow. I can't wait for the conclusion!
My GX's exhaust blew out right at the front right tire (and me when steering) so I added a chrome scarfed pipe just 3" long. No more tears!
The only reason I don't think it is exhaust heat is because it didn't do this last year. This is really starting to bother me because i am afraid something is wrong. Either a spindle is overheating or the blades aren't on right. I am taking the mower deck off today and checking the main belt for signs of premature wear and regreasing. I only have 50 hours on the mower.
Joined
·
1,214 Posts
My LA140 does the same thing. If it sits anywhere for any length of time while it's running, there will be a brown spot in the grass. It's not spindles (it happens just pulling the cart around, not mowing) and I know it's not a leak. It could be exhaust, but I think it's the air moving down through the engine in the process of cooling the engine.
surprising.
Ive never seen or heard of such a thing. Hard to believe with todays technology(and lawsuit tendnecy) that would happen. I'd be concerned a bout a fire if my tractor did that.
Scorching grass from 4-6" away is a lot of heat. Surley would not expect that.
Ive never seen or heard of such a thing. Hard to believe with todays technology(and lawsuit tendnecy) that would happen. I'd be concerned a bout a fire if my tractor did that.
Scorching grass from 4-6" away is a lot of heat. Surley would not expect that.
Joined
·
12,406 Posts
Well, that makes the cheese a bit more binding.
Hotter exhaust this year COULD be something that affected the carb adjustment (leaning out the engine) and made the exhaust gasses hotter... We gotta figger this out before any engine problems appear more vigorously.My GX345 will kill the grass if you get let it idle in one spot. There is no way it would be from spindle bearings on the deck.. If they got that hot you would notice alot more than dead grass. I thought for safety sakes we are suppose to shut tractor off before dismounting.. We have to be careful with this or JOHN DEERE will want to put more useless safety switches on the mower such as the Reverse Safety Switch.
Joined
·
26,641 Posts
Okay, I just assumed it was spindle heat, and I was WRONG in my case. Just mowed and the spindles were warm but not overly hot. My exhaust is facing horizontal so it doesn't blow straight down to the ground, but, I parked on the drive and was feeling the spindles and noticed I had all the air from cooling the Engine blowing straight down and it was pretty hot. So now I am thinking, in my case anyways, it is hot air from the Engine and a little radiant from the exhaust, that is causing my brown spots. Mulched today so I didn't have any need to stop when mowing, but the next time I Bag I will pay closer attention and see. :trink39:
Joined
·
26,641 Posts
True, but, I can at least, dismount when Engine is running, with the Brake set, if the Brake isn't set it kills it. but when the Engine and the Deck is Engaged, it kills it, Brake set or not, so you cannot get off with the Blades turning. :trink40:
Joined
·
812 Posts
I can't imagine what would be making it run leaner this year. I have done nothing different than last year. My grass is even healthier this year. When I dismount the mower, I have to engage the parking brake. I turn the idle all the way down for those moments I am off it. Could that make a difference? I also let it idle for about 2 -3 minutes before shutting off even though the manual calls for "several seconds" I believe is what is says. I will be mowing again tomorrow so if anybody has any idea on how to test what it may be, I am all ears.
Joined
·
4,582 Posts
The concensus on this forum a year ago was that the airflow off the engine going straight down off the engine cylinders caused a square dead spot in the grass. If you put your hand in the airstream it is quite hot. This is what my X324 did.
J.D. even makes and sells an air deflector for this. The people who have bought this gave it poor reviews.
J.D. even makes and sells an air deflector for this. The people who have bought this gave it poor reviews.
Joined
·
12,406 Posts
"...airflow off the engine going straight down off the engine cylinders caused a square dead spot in the grass."
Isn't a GX345 liquid cooled? Where does the airflow from the radiator go? Since the spindles are no longer the suspect, it looks like the only way to find the heat is to reach around under there with the tractor idling. Heat that would brown out grass should be readily apparent to a human hand.
Isn't a GX345 liquid cooled? Where does the airflow from the radiator go? Since the spindles are no longer the suspect, it looks like the only way to find the heat is to reach around under there with the tractor idling. Heat that would brown out grass should be readily apparent to a human hand.
Joined
·
489 Posts
Holy Crap!!!! I have been getting brown spots in my yard too!!! I thought I was getting grubs or is was the dog, but now that I saw this I realized that it is at spots where I let me tractor sit while it was running...... man, talk about an epiphany.....
Joined
·
739 Posts
I can't believe your GX345 does that mine, doesn't I get off mine all the time with it running never turned the grass brown. I'v had 3 of this series tractors I have let mine sit up to 15 minutes running in the same spot while shoveling bark out of my trailer. My RIO and seat switches seem to brake when the tractors come home for the first time everytime.
Your tractor has a heat shield covering the muffler
It's happened to me a few times. Especially if I have been mowing for a while and its good and hot. I stop by porch to drink a glass of lemonade and the next day I have a dead spot. It really doesn't take a lot of heat to cause this. I paint with a HVLP sprayer and setting it on the ground and running it for as few as 2 minutes will kill the grass in a perfect match to the footprint of the sprayer. Of course I have mainly bermuda and it recovers within a couple of weeks, can't say that would happen in my fescue areas.
Joined
·
489 Posts
LOL the only stress my yard has is gasping for air while treading water.... Been getting TONS of rain this year... I actually noticed it a bit last year too, but again, I thought it was grubs or something. I usually don't stop and idle it on the grass, its usually stopped in an area that is dirt or asphalt.
Joined
·
1,112 Posts
Common problem that I remember reading about ALL the time a couple years back before buying the X500. It is indeed the way the exhuast deflects straight down on the grass. Idle the tractor at the lowest throttle even and just put your hand under the engine area - VERY hot exhaust that blows straight down. Does it suck? Yea, greatly. But it's the only place they can throw the heat to prevent the plastic hoods from melting. Never leave your tractor running for long with the hood up on your select series or you'll be in for a real treat from what I've read in the past!
And yes John Deere did make a product to supposedly help alleviate the issue which from what I gather was a failure. Many people here a few years back thought it was very thoughtful of John Deere to offer to SELL something to customers to fix THEIR engineering mistake.
And yes John Deere did make a product to supposedly help alleviate the issue which from what I gather was a failure. Many people here a few years back thought it was very thoughtful of John Deere to offer to SELL something to customers to fix THEIR engineering mistake.
That may be one of the causes but for me one of the worst cases I had of this was turning the tractor off and leaving it parked on lawn to go inside to take a phone call and I had a area of dead grass about the size of the engine area from the heat of the engine sitting there for 20 min. or better.
Joined
·
1,190 Posts
Hello. In my stable of riders I have an ancient Western Auto Wizard 38" with a B&S 12hp single cyl. The previous owner had a new shortblock installed. I have been getting the same type of brown spots in the grass in front of the storage shed and the gates by the chainlink fence. Never thought of the hot exhaust gas being the problem. The exhaust on this mower does point down at an angle. I have noticed the muffler glowing cherry red when I have to get off of it to move limbs & such when the light is at low light level dusk. That is the reason I let it idle down in front of the storage shed so it will cool off some before it is put away. Never have this problem with the SNAPPER RER. it's exhaust points away from the grass. The spots around the gates is when I get off to open & shut them with the mower running. Thanks for the info on brown spotting. Now I can save some $$$$ on the grub control cost. I may have come up with some sort of deflector to thwart this exhaust problem.
later
later
21 - 40 of 48 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
