Dumb question.. My ex said that riding a riding lawn mower over an hour will burn it up? Is this true?

Question

My grandson rode it last time I took them for a visit ( the first time for him) and now he doesn't want him to ride it and would not let me bring him down and blamed it on that.. He didn't hot dog it. just went real slow around the little town. about every 15 minutes he would come back to the house and turn it off..

Answer 1

Coming from a shadetree mechanic, your ex is an idiot if he thinks riding a mower for over an hour will burn it up.  Sure, if there's no oil in it then yes.  I cut over 2 acres and it takes me over an hour and a half to do so.  In the past 4 years, I am yet to burn one up.

Answer 2

As long as the crankcase is full of oil and the spindles have been lubricated, a riding lawn mower should be able to go all day.  Lift the hood and make sure there is no build up of debris on the cooling fins and that the air intake screen is clean. -- Our local Agricultural Society hires a student to mow  the town bullevards  and park areas and he runs a little John Deere mower all day 5 days per week, usually at "full bore" it seems.  That machine is now 4 years old and just gets routine maintenance.

That said, if a child is going to be allowed to ride a mower unsupervised, I would certainly disconnect the wire to the switch that turns on the blade.  Kids do the darnedest things sometimes and you certainly don't need the kind of tragedy that happens when child encounters spinning mower blade.

Answer 3

i take my time and half the time my riding mower is on for like 6 hours

and it still runs great

so no don't think it could burn it up

Answer 4

No, not possible.  He just doesn't want your grandson on it.

Answer 5

Most riding lawn mowers have air cooled engines, so long as they are moving they will be fine.  Your ex has some other issue, but she is using this as an excuse.

Answer 6

That's crazy talk. I mow for a couple hours at a time and sometimes through some pretty tall stuff in the pasture that really bogs down the engine. No problems.

Maybe it's a cheapo mower?

Answer 7

While I don't just ride my mower around town, I do frequently mow for several hours at a time.  I've never burned one up.  Unless there is something wrong with your ex's mower that causes it to get excessively hot or something, I think he just doesn't want the kid to ride it around town and and is using that for an excuse.

Answer 8

I have had mine for several years now. I beat the c**p out of it everytime I use it and never had a problem yet.

Answer 9

No. I can mow for over an hour, and it is fine.  

Answer 10

no hes full of bs you can run some lawn tractors up to 10 hours straight as long as u have clean oil and lots of gas

Answer 11

As long as the oil and filters are maintained it is good to go.  I don't even turn mine off re-gasing (I know bad idea).  Have rode it for up to 6 hours reved to max.  He just doesn't want to share.

Answer 12

Don't listen to your ex