Riding lawn mower start fine but?

Question

i have a 14.4 OHV riding lawn mower that start fine,but when i push the handle to engage the blades to cut ,the engine turn off,same thing if i try to run forward or reverse the engine turns off and some times backfire before going off.....any idea?

thanks

Answer 1

You should check to see if the blades or the engine is messed up or you could just replace the engine or see if their is any wet or dry clippings and remove them manually.

Answer 2

Sounds like one of the safety switches is not working correctly.  The backfire indicates that the ignition is being cut off.

Answer 3

There is a safety switch under the seat. If you aren't sitting on it the engine will quit. There is also a reverse safety switch that will kill the engine if the blades are engaged when backing up. With the engine OFF raise the deck and make sure the blades are free and able to turn all around. The backfire is because it has for whatever reason (safety switches) have quickly grounded  the spark before the gas in carb was burned.

**JD