As a gardener, mowing is an essential element in landscape maintenance. Nowadays, you can ride your lawn mower, making mowing a walk in the park.
If you’re a fan of Country Clipper lawn mowers such as XLT or Jazee One, you ought to know the problems you may encounter with these mowers.
This article will discuss essential troubleshooting suggestions to aid you with Country Clipper mower problems. Follow the instructions closely and attentively, and you’ll be an expert in no time.
Let’s begin!
10 Country Clipper Mower Issues And Solutions
Shivvers Manufacturing in Corydon, Iowa, is the company that manufactures Country Clipper lawnmowers. A warranty gives you leverage over some time, but after it expires, what next?
Trying to ship your Boulevard mower back to Corydon, hoping someone will fix it, doesn’t sound like a really sound idea. Instead, you can inspect the lawn mower yourself or with the help of a professional. However, don’t attempt to fix your mower without reading the operator’s manual first. Also, don’t repair your mower if its warranty hasn’t expired.
In this section, we’ll discuss typical problems that can affect your lawn mower, their cause, and how to solve them.
1. Joystick Issues
Joystick problems are common for mowers, particularly if you have used them for a few summers. It’s prone to wear and tear and produces annoying sounds whenever you operate it.
Check for parts that are worn out, like a suction cup or the throttle, if you notice your joystick isn’t operating normally. You can change the joystick yourself, but it would be wise to ask a professional to avoid other complications.
Conversely, inspect the internal construction to see if your mower is producing weird sounds along with the joystick problems. These noises are usually a result of dust or debris build-up, which makes everything dry. You need only lubricate the internal construction, and the noise will fade.
However, if the problem persists, seek advice and help from a professional.
2. Mower Engine Not Starting
Several reasons behind your mower engine not starting include an uncharged battery, old gas, gas line obstructions, an empty tank, and dirty carburetors.
These problems can easily be solved by charging the batteries, changing the gas frequently, keeping the fuel tank full, and cleaning the fuel filter, spark plugs, and carburetors often. Nothing more!
Additionally, inspect the wiring and tighten any wires that may be loose. Loose wiring causes a low voltage supply to the engine, reducing the mower’s efficiency.
It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s a much better alternative than buying a new Country Clipper Challenger, Boss XL, or Avenue mower.
For what it’s worth, even Spartan mowers experience all kinds of issues, so knowing how to solve these problems will put you at a much better advantage regardless of the brand you choose.
3. The Mower Engine Not Shutting Down
Sometimes, your Country Clipper mower engine won’t turn off unless you remove the spark plug wire (I know, quite frightening!). This issue generally results from something obstructing the ignition switch or the wiring inside the mower.
Luckily, cleaning the wiring of any dirt, debris, and dust will solve this issue.
However, you might have to get a new switch if this doesn’t work. At the very least, you won’t have to buy a new lawn mower!
4. Issues with Cutting Blades
A weak battery is the most common cause for a lawn mower’s blades not engaging. Therefore, all you need to do is simply charge your battery, and you’ll be good to go.
If recharging your battery doesn’t solve this, however, try replacing the battery with a new one. It’s important to note that emptying your battery reduces its life.
Cutting blades not disengaging, on the other hand, is usually caused by the blades being misaligned, an obstruction, or a solenoid that isn’t working.
Try cleaning the blades and removing the grass clippings, dirt, or anything that obstructs the blade if you encounter such problems.
If the issue is in the solenoid, you can only try to turn it off and on again. You’ll have to get a new one if this doesn’t help.
If nothing obstructs the blades and they’re clean, try to align them manually.
Lastly, if none of the above solutions work, you might need new blades or a motor, so consult a professional.
5. Scam Dealerships
Country Clipper mowers aren’t usually associated with high-quality dealerships and after-sale services. To make things worse, numerous fake dealers are scamming people by selling these mowers without even issuing a warranty.
Ensure you buy your lawn mower from a legit Country Clipper Dealer, and avoid repairing your mower if its warranty is still valid.
6. Hydro Issues
Hydro issues are usually caused by weak connections, lack of oil, bad oil, leakage, cavitation, or inadequate temperatures, resulting in an insufficient or cut-off power supply.
When you notice your ZTR isn’t moving, check for these problems. Cavitation, for example, is pretty common and causes air accumulation in your Country Clipper’s hydraulic system.
Moreover, too cold or hot temperatures affect the oil’s viscosity, making it lose some lubricative properties.
Clear the transmission of your mower before using it to fix this issue of inadequate power supply. Ensure you also check the connections, tighten the weak ones, and stop any leakages that may have occurred.
Furthermore, you should use high-quality oils and refill them regularly. Monitor the temperatures of your oil using an infrared thermometer and change it if you find many differences.
Lastly, frequently inspect the connections and their condition to prevent these issues from occurring in the first place.
7. Deck Belt Coming Off Regularly
There are various reasons that cause the deck belt to come off. The belt keepers could be bent or missing, preventing the mower blades from engaging, or the belt could be stretched out, loose, worn, damaged, or the wrong size.
Constant processing of grass and leaves is usually the leading cause of a stretched or loose belt. The mower deck gets packed, causing the belt to come off frequently.
If your belt is damaged, worn, or stretched, you can only replace it with a new one. Instead of buying cheap replacements that’ll become worn out in no time, opt for a high-quality belt such as OEM and save yourself all the trouble.
Furthermore, pick the right size for your mower to avoid making readjustments after every few feet. Lastly, inspect the belt keepers, straighten the bent ones, and replace the missing ones.
8. Lawn Mower Bouncing
A bouncing lawn mower honestly sounds like a cool machine. It’s one of those things that would go viral if you posted a video of it on TikTok, YouTube, or Twitter; it’s X nowadays, no? Anyway, once you try to mow your lawn, this becomes an issue!
The poor condition of binding pulleys, misaligned blades, and worn-out wheels are the leading causes of this issue.
Steering and directing become pretty difficult, especially if you’re driving on uneven ground.
Aligning the blades or replacing the wheels will take care of this issue, depending on what could be the underlying cause.
If, by any chance, you find out that the binding pulleys are causing your mower to bounce, inspect and replace them if they aren’t in good shape.
When inspecting the pulleys, disconnect the battery (begin with the negative cable). Remove the mower deck and drive belt and examine if the pulleys are concave, have large grooves, or are bent.
9. Clipper Leaves Tracks on Your Lawn
Unbalanced, damaged, or dull blades are the most common cause of this problem. However, the speed at which you mow and overlap plays a crucial role, too.
Ensure you sharpen your cutting blades occasionally since they can get dull or even damaged while you’re mowing.
Before you begin mowing, ensure everything is aligned and tight, and always check if the blades are balanced; otherwise, you’ll have unpleasant-looking tracks all over your lawn.
Lastly, avoid mowing too fast and failing to overlap the rows. This makes the blades unable to cut every grass leaf, leaving you with an unevenly mowed lawn.
10. Plastic Housing is Broken
A cracked or missing plastic housing is an issue that’s common to every mower (it doesn’t pertain to a Country Clipper only). Mowers will always be prone to damage whenever you expose their inner parts. This also becomes very dangerous for you too!
Buy a new one if you find the entire housing is missing. Additionally, replace the whole housing if the cracks are too large to be fixed individually.
However, if the broken parts are relatively small, patch the cracks, and your mower will be ready.
Now that we’ve covered most Country Clipper mower problems, our last advice is: Always consult a professional. They have the knowledge and expertise to determine what’s best for your mower. Plus, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Maintaining A Country Clipper Lawn Mower
via masttire
Preventing the problems discussed in the above section is more essential than handling them after they occur. This section will highlight ways to maintain your mower and prevent most of the abovementioned problems.
Inspect the Blades
Always check if the blades are sharp enough, balanced, and clean before you start mowing.
Replace the blades with new ones if worn out or damaged beyond repair. Also, ensure you install the new blades at a 10° – 15° angle and are balanced.
Remember to change the oil to enable the blades to run smoothly and inspect the blades’ sharpness to avoid uneven mowing.
Inspect the Oil
Oil is a crucial product in your mower’s engine. Low oil levels can cause severe damage to your engine, and you might have to replace it with a new one.
An oil lubricant will go a long way in helping improve your mowing experience. When your mower starts making those weird noises, it usually means there are dry components inside. You can simply solve this by applying some grease to the caster and assembly swivel.
Inspect the Battery
The same way to look after your car battery, never letting it drain and die, should be the same way to care for your mower battery.
Charge the battery if it’s not fully charged, and inspect it occasionally for the best performance. Dead batteries become pretty annoying, and you’ll keep replacing them if you continue neglecting your mower batteries.
A dead battery is also the leading cause of your mower not turning over, so it’s best to avoid it at all costs.
Inspect the Spark Plug Wires
If your mower can start but with some difficulties, the issue may be something other than the battery, even though, most of the time, it actually is.
Inspect the spark plug wires regularly while tightening the loose ones for better clipper performance. However, you’ll have to get new spark plug wires if tightening them doesn’t work.
Cleaning the Mower
Lastly, always clean your mower thoroughly and regularly. This is an essential part of your mower maintenance. Cleaning pertains to removing fuel build-up in the carburetor, plant and debris build-up, and cleaning the air, fuel, and tank filters.
Sticky fuel debris build-up in the carburetor and plant build-up on the underside of the mower block the airflow, resulting in your engine stalling. So, always clean your mower regularly.
Clean the fuel and tank filter regularly, and ensure you fill the tank to the top to avoid any problems. Make sure you clean the tank well if it’s completely empty before filling it with gas.
Wet and dirty filters restrict proper airflow, resulting in the engine overheating, so ensure the air filter is dry and clean every time.
Applying a decalcifying agent to all your mower’s metal parts once a year, including the blades, is also essential to your mower maintenance. Decalcifying agents remove corrosion and lime build-up, keeping your lawn mower pristine.
Commonly Asked Questions
We have looked at the most common questions about Country Clipper mower problems, but we still have to answer a few unanswered questions that are quite as important.
We’ll advise you on buying a new mower, including costs, model, etc., to help you get the most appropriate Country Clipper mower for your lawn!
What is the price of a new Country Clipper mower?
New Country Clipper mowers prices range between $5,700 – 15,000, depending on the model.
Still, you can acquire excellent used mowers for around $3,500. However, always buy from trustworthy dealers and ensure you check how many hours they’ve been used for. You don’t want to spend huge sums of money on a mower that doesn’t even have a warranty.
What is the best Country Clipper lawn mower?
It’s fair to say every Country Clipper mower is a good choice. However, if we had to pick one, we’d choose the Country Clipper XLT series. It allows you to select the cutting width according to your preferences (it comes with 48, 52, and 60 inches).
You also get to pick a Kohler or Kawasaki engine, and so on.
This mower doesn’t have an issue with mowing different grass types and can handle almost any uneven or elevated terrain. It also comes with a practical pop-up deck that comes in hand when you’re cleaning your mower.
What is the difference between a standard and a zero-turn mower?
The main difference between these two mower types is that standard mowers operate on front-wheel drive, while zero-turn mowers use rear-wheel drive.
Zero-turn mowers (ZTR) are known for their maneuverability and speed, and they leave fewer tracks if you drive them at a moderate speed.
ZTR mowers usually don’t have the power to drive uphill and are challenging to control on bumpy terrain. (I don’t suppose you have rough or uneven terrain in your yard, but if you do, don’t drive your Country Clipper on it!).
ZTR mowers can reach up to 10 mph speeds, giving you a clean cut at 5 mph. On the other hand, a lawn tractor has a top speed of 7 mph and gives you a clean cut at 4 mph.
Final Remarks
We have looked at the most common Country Clipper mower issues and some practical solutions for dealing with these problems.
You should never repair your mower if you have a valid warranty. However, if the warranty is expired and you don’t want to go through the trouble of contacting an expert whenever you want to change the oil, you can take the matter into your own hands.
And I don’t mean changing the oil is the only issue; there are other complicated ones, such as a faulty solenoid, damaged blades, or a dead battery. These aren’t easily fixed, and you might need a lending hand.
Maintaining and cleaning your lawn mower regularly is another crucial thing. Inspect it occasionally to prevent issues from arising.
Lastly, we looked at some of the most common questions you had about Country Clipper mowers to help you pick one that’ll suit your needs.
That’s all for today, bye!
