The Turf & Trail Blog
Straight talk about small engines from the shop floor in Richmond, KY. Seasonal maintenance schedules, no-start troubleshooting, and practical tips for mowers, zero turns, ATVs, and everything else that runs on gas.
Small Engine Tips, From Our Shop
Real advice for Madison County equipment owners — the same things we tell customers every day at the bench.
Small Engine Troubleshooting: The Complete Guide
Our complete guide: won't start, dies, surges, smokes, pulls hard or loses power - a master symptom table, the order we check things on the bench, and notes for every machine.
Read the Guide ATVs & UTVsATV Battery Keeps Dying or Not Charging
Charged it, rode it, dead again a week later. A second battery is usually the wrong move - here is what to read before you buy one.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepLog Splitter Won't Split? What to Check
The ram moves and the wedge stops halfway. Slow and weak are two different faults, and knowing which one you have saves most of the guessing.
Read the Post Lawn MowersRiding Mower Battery Keeps Dying? What to Check
It starts fine and it is flat again next weekend. One meter reading tells you whether the charging system has quit or something is draining it in the shed.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepLeaf Blower Runs But Won't Blow? What to Do
It starts, it revs clean, and it will barely shift a dry leaf. That is an airflow fault, not an engine one: the intake screen, the tubes, the impeller and the arrestor screen.
Read the Post Shop ServicesString Trimmer Line Won't Feed? What to Do
You tap the head and get nothing, or two inches and then nothing. The line, the wind, the eyelets, the feed spring and a head that is not reaching speed.
Read the Post Shop ServicesGolf Cart Won't Move? What to Check
Silence when you press the pedal, or an engine that revs and goes nowhere. The tow switch, the pack under load, the solenoid, the belt and a seized brake.
Read the Post ATVs & UTVsATV Runs But Won't Move? What to Check
Revs clean and goes nowhere. Push it in neutral first, then the brake, the linkage, the belt, the clutch faces and the final drive.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepChainsaw Won't Cut? Crooked Cuts and Sawdust
Dust instead of chips, a cut that curves, a hot bar. An engine that runs has cleared half the list - the rest is chain, gauges, bar and oiler.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepGenerator Runs but No Power at the Outlets
An engine that runs and holds speed has cleared half the list. The breakers, the GFCI, the cord, then the alternator - in the order we check them.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepSnow Blower Won't Throw Snow? What to Check
The engine and the auger are two systems joined by belts. The packed chute, the auger belt, the shear pins and the cable - in the order we check them.
Read the Post ATVs & UTVsUTV Won't Start? Side-by-Side Fixes
A side-by-side has more between the key and the starter than a quad does. The selector, the seat belt, the main fuse, then fuel and spark.
Read the Post Zero TurnsRiding Mower Won't Move? Hydrostatic Fixes
The engine runs and the machine sits still. The bypass lever, the hydrostatic oil, the drive belt and the linkage, in the order we check them at the shop.
Read the Post MaintenancePressure Washer Won't Start? What to Check
On this machine the pump can stop the engine turning, so the first thing to check is not the engine. Then the fuel valve, last season's gas and the plug.
Read the Post ATVs & UTVsATV Won't Start? What to Check First
A quad that will not start is usually a safety switch, a battery terminal or last season's fuel long before it is an engine fault. The order we work through it.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepChainsaw Won't Start? What to Check
A saw that cut firewood last winter and will not fire now is almost never worn out. Controls, last season's mix fuel, the fuel path, flooding, then spark.
Read the Post Lawn MowersLawn Mower Loses Power When Cutting
A mower that idles fine and bogs down in the grass is short of air, short of fuel, or being asked to do more work than the blade and deck can handle. What to check, in order.
Read the Post Lawn MowersRiding Mower Won't Start? Click or Nothing
On a riding mower the key has to get through a battery, a chain of safety switches and a solenoid before the engine turns. What one click means, what silence means, and what to check in which order.
Read the Post Lawn MowersLawn Mower Won't Start? Where to Look First
The safety controls that account for more no-starts than anything mechanical, last year's fuel, the engine you have flooded with the primer, and what the spark plug shows when you pull it.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepGenerator Won't Start? Where to Look First
The fuel valve, the low-oil shutdown that stops it firing at all, a year-old tank of gas, and what it means when it runs but the outlets stay dead.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepLeaf Blower Won't Start? What to Check
Ten months in a shed is the whole problem. Stale mix fuel, a hardened pickup line, a split primer bulb and the arrestor screen nobody checks.
Read the Post Lawn MowersLawn Mower Vibrates or Shakes? What to Check
A mower that shakes has something bent, loose or out of balance. One test splits a blade problem from a crankshaft problem before it turns expensive.
Read the Post Lawn MowersLawn Mower Blades Won't Engage? What to Do
An engine that runs and blades that sit still are two different machines. Belts and idler pulleys, engagement cables, electric PTO clutches, and the safety switches that cut the deck on purpose.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepSnow Blower Won't Start? What to Check First
Nine months of sitting is what breaks a snow blower, not nine hours of work. Fuel valves and varnished jets, the priming sequence, spark, and electric start after a summer off.
Read the Post Fuel & StorageLawn Mower Leaking Gas or Oil? What to Check
What the fluid is and where it sits names the fault - a bowl gasket, a float needle held open, an overfilled crankcase, or a crankshaft seal pushed out by a plugged breather.
Read the Post Lawn MowersLawn Mower Starts Then Dies: Causes & Fixes
How long it runs before it quits tells you where to look - fuel supply, a blocked cap vent, a varnished main jet, or an ignition coil breaking down with heat.
Read the Post Lawn MowersSelf-Propelled Mower Won't Move? Drive Fixes
The engine runs and the wheels will not pull - how the drive cable, belt, wheel gears and transmission each fail, and which checks are worth doing in the driveway.
Read the Post Lawn MowersLawn Mower Smoking? What the Color Means
White, blue or black smoke each point somewhere different - what the color means, which smoke clears on its own after a spill, and when to shut the engine off.
Read the Post MaintenanceSmall Engine Valve Lash: The Adjustment Nobody Checks
Valve clearance tightens as an engine wears, and tight valves bleed off compression - why a hard-starting engine with good spark and fresh fuel often needs a lash check.
Read the Post MaintenanceWhy Your Small Engine Surges and Hunts
An engine that revs up and down on its own is the governor reacting to a fuel problem - what the governor does, where to look first, and why you never adjust it for power.
Read the Post Lawn MowersMower Deck Service: Leveling, Spindles and Rust
A ragged, stepped or scalped cut usually starts at the deck rather than the blade - how to level it, what a failing spindle sounds like, and what buildup does to the finish.
Read the Post MaintenancePull Cord Problems: Recoil Starter Repair
A stiff pull, a rope that will not retract and a cord that spins free are three different faults - how to read which one you have before taking the housing off.
Read the Post ATVs & UTVsUTV & Side-by-Side Service for Farm Work
Why a work machine wears by the hour, not the mile - CVT drive belts and clutches, packed radiator screens, load limits, brakes, grease points and accessory wiring.
Read the Post MaintenanceGolf Cart Maintenance, Batteries & Repair
Battery watering and terminals, charger faults that look like dead batteries, gas-cart fuel and clutch service, brakes and tires, and winter storage.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepTiller & Rototiller Maintenance & Repair
Fuel and carburetor issues, tine wear and bends, gearbox and drive service, belts and clutch engagement, and off-season storage before fall garden bed prep.
Read the Post MaintenanceLog Splitter Maintenance & Repair
Hydraulic fluid and filters, what a slow or weak cycle is telling you, cylinder and hose leaks, the engine half of the machine, and towing checks before firewood season.
Read the Post Fuel & StorageSmall Engine Carburetor Cleaning & Repair
Why ethanol fuel turns into varnish, what the symptoms tell you, what a cleaning fixes, when it needs a rebuild kit instead — and the failures that are not the carburetor at all.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepSnow Blower Service Before Kentucky Winter
Last winter's fuel, a tired belt, a sheared pin and a worn scraper bar — the pre-season service that gets a snow blower running before the first forecast instead of after it.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepFall Tune-Up for Your Leaf Blower & Trimmer
Stale mix, a plugged air filter, a carbon-blocked spark arrestor and a trimmer head that will not feed — the fall service that keeps handheld equipment starting through leaf season.
Read the Post MaintenancePressure Washer Maintenance and Repair Tips
Ethanol fuel, pump oil and pump saver, worn nozzles, the unloader valve, and the water-supply problems behind most low-pressure complaints — plus how to store it before the first freeze.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepChainsaw Maintenance for Firewood Season
Chain sharpening and depth gauges, bar and oiler care, two-stroke fuel mix, filters, and the safety checks that matter — get the saw ready before the woodpile shows up.
Read the Post Fuel & StorageEthanol Gas & Small Engines in Kentucky
Phase separation, gummed-up carburetors, and the April no-start — what ethanol does inside a small engine, and how to store fuel so it doesn’t cost you a carb.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepWhole-Home Generator Maintenance Checklist for Kentucky
Monthly load runs, oil and spark service, battery care, fuel stabilizer, and carbon-monoxide safety — keep your generator ready for the next Kentucky power outage.
Read the Post Shop ServicesWhat Is Same-Day Small Engine Repair?
Drop it off by 10 AM, pick it up ready by close — what qualifies for same-day repair in Richmond KY, what doesn't, and when it's the smart move.
Read the Post Seasonal PrepHow to Winterize Your ATV or Mower
Fuel stabilizer, oil, battery, and storage — the full winterization routine that keeps your mower and ATV starting easy in the spring.
Read the Post Lawn MowersLawn Mower Blade Sharpening: When & Why
A dull blade rips grass instead of cutting it. Signs of wear, when to sharpen, and how to do it right — or let the shop handle it.
Read the Post Lawn MowersWhen to Service Your Lawn Mower: Maintenance Schedule
A seasonal schedule for push, riding, and zero-turn mowers — spring service, oil changes, blades, belts, and the winter storage routine that prevents spring no-starts.
Read the Post Zero TurnsZero-Turn Mower Won't Start? Common Causes & Fixes
A shop-proven diagnostic order — safety switches, battery, old fuel, carburetor, and spark — so you fix the real cause instead of throwing parts at the problem.
Read the Post ATVs & UTVsATV Maintenance Tips for Kentucky Riders
Oil, air filters, chains, tires, brakes, and battery care for machines that earn their keep on Kentucky trails, farms, and creek crossings.
Read the PostWhat Do You Want to Fix?
New posts are on the way — here's what we're covering now.
Have a question you'd like us to answer on the blog? Call (859) 661-8877 — if it's a small engine problem, we've probably fixed it.
Reading Is Good. Fixed Is Better.
Turf & Trail Small Engine Repair · Richmond, KY — serving Berea, Waco, Kirksville & Madison County. Pickup & delivery available.
Call (859) 661-8877