To cut in reverse: START mower. Put in NEUTRAL. TURN key to YELLOW center position. PUSH triangle button. RED light will come on. Mower will now cut when in reverse. NOTE: These steps must be repeated every time the mower is started.
I just bought mine yesterday. I'm expecting delivery on Tuesday. I have never owned a riding mower before and I had many questions about it. Thank you for the video. It was very informative and I feel more comfortable now. I'm sure I will revisit this video a few more times. Thanks again.
I took delivery of this machine about 3 weeks ago and LOVE IT. It should help me fight sweaty, sopping wet clothing come summer. One thing though, you don’t have to disengage the PTO to mow in reverse. Just turn the key to the yellow reverse quadrant, press the orange triangle button until the red led lights up and as long as you are on the seat it’ll mow in reverse.
Yeah man, something was weird when I got off the mower... no sweat! LOL. I'll have to check that reverse thing out next time I mow. I know they have 3 different models. When I tried to cut when in reverse it shut down.
ya he needs to test out the beer holder in his next video. that mower is red so a 24 ounce can of Budweiser should be most appropriate. However if there's any question on what beer is most appropriate for that mower, he should go to Steves Small Engine Saloon on youtube and ask for advice.
Have one about four seasons now. bought new. best little mower ever. needed help along the way but not much. Front tires are coming apart at the moment but still hold air. Never changed oil plugs or filters, and it starts up and runs everytime,with origonal battery. bought a new blade for it last year, easy to replace.
Home Depot Canada delivered my Columbia Lawn tractor yesterday($750.00 usd) Exactly like the Troy bilt. Yardworks, Craftsman, and Cub Cadet sells the same mower different badgeing.
Caution! this mower doesn't like hills or slopes almost tips over when mowing around trees even when you shift your weight. It is a good mower once you get used to it.
I was on 2 wheels myself. Can't drive across the slopes, gotta drive up and down the slopes. There's a diagram on the back of the manual in regard to slope.
I bought a new $3500 Troy Bilt riding mower. After 25 uses, the motor self-destructed. Turns out Troy Bilt is using Chinese-made engines. Taking it to their nearest "approved" warranty repair facility is 7-hours of driving.
It’s a MTD. Cub Cadet makes one identical with a hydro transmission for the same price. I think they were made all in TN but metals from China. They ride excellent but watch about tipping and pay attn to the oil dipstick tube seal. It will break and blow oil everywhere in a year or two.
Great Video. Everything has its place in outdoor equipment. I am not trying to insult you on your purchase, but for $1300.00 you could purchase an extremely nice used lawn tractor with numerous attachments like a dethatcher, aerator, plow, bag collector and a trailer A lawn tractor is much more versatile.
@@stevekonbass I can understand where you are coming from. Small engines can be very frustrating. They seem not to run when you need them most. May I suggest, when you store your Troybilt for the Winter do the following. Put a battery tender on it. You can get one a Harbor Freight. Drain the gas out of your gas tank or run it until it is dry. After the tank is emptied, drain any remaining gas from the carburetor by taking out the drain bolt from the carburetor. It is the bolt that is off center on your carburetor bowl. If your Troybilt does not have a fuel shut off, you should consider installing one at this point. It will make your life alot easier in the future. So in the Spring all you have to do is change the oil, oil filter, fuel filter air filter and check the spark plug. You should be good to go for another season
I didn't realize manual mowers were that complex. I have the exact mower but a Cub Cadet ( those are all the same ) but in the automatic. One pedal i can go forward and instant reverse with the blade engaged.
It's not a Briggs. It is labeled a Troy Bilt engine but guys that are more up on that stuff say that the engine is made by a Chinese company with just the Troy Bilt name stamped on it.
Yeah man. It works really well and made my job easier. This is the 2nd season I'm using it so I can't comment on longevity, but hopefully it will last.
Yeah,I thought it was in the bag with the manual,side chute and crappy oil diverter,but it wasn't I know better should have checked.but Home Depot Got me a Cub Cadet key same one Troy Bilt used and it works great.
We have one and its a good mower had it for 5 years now And i have a question Its about the park brake/clutch pedal Its down halfwsy and it doesn't spring back to its position What could it be ans very hard to push down too
Quick? If anyone can answer How is the turning radius is it tighter than your larger traditional lawn tractor for instance complete circle around tree base.
Juat my opinion but I wouldn't have car keys on the same keyring as the mower key. I work in a ford dealership and had a guy come in who dropped and mowed over his car keys. Cost him $300 for 1 new one.
I'll end up losin' it if I don't have it on the ring. I should probably just leave it in the mower ignition. But then again, if I dropped 'em I couldn't mow over them cause I couldn't run the mower if the key is on the ring.
My Troy Bilt 30" just arrived today from Home Depot, South Riding, VA. The manual wants me to write down the Model Number and Engine Serial Number but I can't find them. There is even a little drawing to show where to look but the drawing makes no sense to me. If you can find these numbers, tell me where they are!
Tilt the seat forward toward the steering wheel so that you can look under the seat. There is a sticker on the underside of the seat with the Model # and Serial # of your mower. (Not of the engine?) Another useful sticker there identifies replacement part numbers.
Is the deck self-leveling? Mine is cutting unevenly and the tire pressure is consistent and I'm trying to figure out how to fix this. The blade is new also...
@@stevekonbass Thank you so much for reply. It’s not a consistent noise. What I meant was the loud sound that comes when I engage blades. Is that normal ? I am sorry for not framing the question better.
It won't allow you to change speeds without pushing the clutch,An easy way to test this out is even when the engine is not running you can sit on the mower and don't press the clutch brake pedal and then try to move the 6 spd lever, You will notice it wont move but then press the clutch and hold it down and then you can use your finger to move the 6 spd at will
i just took delivery of the mower. hooked up the battery. turned the ignition but it doesnt wanna start up. the engine doesnt even turn. any ideas whats wrong?
My battery was hooked up when delivered. Just a check list... make sure power to the deck isn't engaged when starting (PTO needs to be off), make sure parking brake is on, make sure the throttle is all the way up in FAST position. If none of that works make sure gas is good, and make sure the oil is at the proper level.
Speaking in regards to this mower model. Has anyone experienced the mower's brake clutch preventing the mower from traveling faster? I have the mower on either 3, 4, 5 or 6 speed, set to Forward, I release the brake clutch and "occasionally" the travel goes to a crawl.
@@stevekonbass Thanks for your reply. I got a reply from someone else and the problem can be resolved by: Replacing 2 belts that are used to transfer power from the motor to the transmission. They both get replaced at the same time. Thanks!
never owned a riding mower. a lot of my lawn is a slope very close to the 21% steepness grade limit for this mower, but just under. would love to use a riding mower, but would this mower be a good fit seeing as my lawn is mostly a slope just under the steepness limit??
I have quite a bit of slope myself. Each time I mowed it became a "feel thing" on how to attack it. But, there were times I thought I'd tip, never did though.
Actually, you can keep it engaged if you want. There are 2 different selections you can have it in. The one I was in you have to disengage the blade when in reverse, which is more of a safety feature. There's a button you can push that'll allow you to keep the blade going in reverse if you want.
Looks like it actually came down from last year. If you look further down in the comments someone wrote the price was $2099 in June 2022. Glad I bought it when I did. On a side note, I already had to mow twice this year so it's still working good.
I'm expecting delivery today. Meh, but it's been raining for almost 2 weeks straight. Am hoping this will reduce the amount of time it takes to mow the yard. But.....then there's always weed eating......grunt.
0:27 troy bilt doesn't manufacture engines. If that's not a briggs and stratton engine, then it's most likely a chinese honda clone (look up "define chonda" on youtube hahahaha) with the troy bilt name slapped on it. see if there's a white tag on the engine that identifies the manufacturer. MTD often buys Zongshen engines.
I dunno brother. For engine make it says Troy-Bilt. I'll look for that tag next time I'm out there. I tell ya what though, I had a Troy-Bilt push mower with a Honda on it and that thing was awesome. Started up every time with one pull. I gave it to the guy that bought my old house. Hope this ride on is as good as that was.
@@stevekonbass I don't think you have anything to worry about. Zongshen makes good engines now and I've never heard of any problems with that model mower yet. But it's good to know what engine you have in case you need to order parts for it later on. If you have the model TB30R mower, then it probably has the Zongshen engine. I see Troy Bilt just came out with the TB30B model now, same mower but it now has a Briggs and Stratton engine. So if you have the TB30R model, try to persuade a neighbor of yours to buy a TB30B model so then you can compare them and see which one you like better. I think the Zongshen engine has slightly higher horsepower.
Maybe the sticker was made in the U.S. lol. Well... I hope the engine holds up over the years. I had a Troy Bilt with a Honda and that thing started every time. Hope I have the same luck with this one.
Thanks! Ours came WITHOUT an operator’s manual, so your video was invaluable. I appreciate your slow, clear delivery and clear visuals.
Glad it helped!
@@stevekonbass
But would you buy it again?
Right now, yes. But I've only had it a few months. Time will tell if I get longevity out of it.
To cut in reverse: START mower. Put in NEUTRAL. TURN key to YELLOW center position. PUSH triangle button. RED light will come on. Mower will now cut when in reverse. NOTE: These steps must be repeated every time the mower is started.
I just bought mine yesterday. I'm expecting delivery on Tuesday. I have never owned a riding mower before and I had many questions about it. Thank you for the video. It was very informative and I feel more comfortable now. I'm sure I will revisit this video a few more times. Thanks again.
Glad it was a help. Hope the new mower makes your job of mowing a little easier.
Update?
I took delivery of this machine about 3 weeks ago and LOVE IT. It should help me fight sweaty, sopping wet clothing come summer.
One thing though, you don’t have to disengage the PTO to mow in reverse. Just turn the key to the yellow reverse quadrant, press the orange triangle button until the red led lights up and as long as you are on the seat it’ll mow in reverse.
Yeah man, something was weird when I got off the mower... no sweat! LOL. I'll have to check that reverse thing out next time I mow. I know they have 3 different models. When I tried to cut when in reverse it shut down.
ya he needs to test out the beer holder in his next video. that mower is red so a 24 ounce can of Budweiser should be most appropriate. However if there's any question on what beer is most appropriate for that mower, he should go to Steves Small Engine Saloon on youtube and ask for advice.
I was always a vodka and orange juice guy. Don't give me any ideas, I'll end up mowing the whole neighborhood. lol
Have one about four seasons now. bought new. best little mower ever. needed help along the way but not much. Front tires are coming apart at the moment but still hold air. Never changed oil plugs or filters, and it starts up and runs everytime,with origonal battery. bought a new blade for it last year, easy to replace.
Good to hear. There have been moments where I thought I was too hard on it with slopes and rough spots in the lawn, but so far so good.
I had a Snapper push mower that was 21 years old and I never changed the plug, just wire brushed it, re-gapped it and changed the oil. Ran like a top.
These were always selling out at HD I waited a couple weeks and they went from $1999 to $2099. June 2022. Very helpful video. 👍
If ya bought it and need to see how to do an oil change, I did a video on it: ua-cam.com/video/x7VwYBrgoUo/v-deo.html
That will lighten the work load. Good price for a solid mower. Thanks.
Just think of the music gear I could've bought though! lol
Home Depot Canada delivered my Columbia Lawn tractor yesterday($750.00 usd) Exactly like the Troy bilt. Yardworks, Craftsman, and Cub Cadet sells the same mower different badgeing.
Thanks for sharing.
Nice video, thank you! I believe if you put the key in a different position after starting you can put it in reverse without disengaging the blade.
Thanks. I believe you are right. I'll try it next time I cut the lawn.
Have to turn key to left a little and push in the button by the key and u can stay engaged for reverse
Thanks for sharing. Just bought one myself and it's arriving Tuesday.
Hope it makes your job of mowing a little easier brother.
Mine is coming Friday. Had a honda before hit something in the yard the other day and bent the crankshaft.
Caution! this mower doesn't like hills or slopes almost tips over when mowing around trees even when you shift your weight. It is a good mower once you get used to it.
I was on 2 wheels myself. Can't drive across the slopes, gotta drive up and down the slopes. There's a diagram on the back of the manual in regard to slope.
The mower is described as "For relatively flat and small terrain".
I like it how all mower videos don't have grass to move
I bought a new $3500 Troy Bilt riding mower. After 25 uses, the motor self-destructed. Turns out Troy Bilt is using Chinese-made engines. Taking it to their nearest "approved" warranty repair facility is 7-hours of driving.
It’s a MTD. Cub Cadet makes one identical with a hydro transmission for the same price. I think they were made all in TN but metals from China. They ride excellent but watch about tipping and pay attn to the oil dipstick tube seal. It will break and blow oil everywhere in a year or two.
Great Video. Everything has its place in outdoor equipment. I am not trying to insult you on your purchase, but for $1300.00 you could purchase an extremely nice used lawn tractor with numerous attachments like a dethatcher, aerator, plow, bag collector and a trailer A lawn tractor is much more versatile.
Maybe, but you don't know what you're getting when you buy used and there's no warranty.
@@stevekonbass I can understand where you are coming from. Small engines can be very frustrating. They seem not to run when you need them most. May I suggest, when you store your Troybilt for the Winter do the following. Put a battery tender on it. You can get one a Harbor Freight. Drain the gas out of your gas tank or run it until it is dry. After the tank is emptied, drain any remaining gas from the carburetor by taking out the drain bolt from the carburetor. It is the bolt that is off center on your carburetor bowl. If your Troybilt does not have a fuel shut off, you should consider installing one at this point. It will make your life alot easier in the future. So in the Spring all you have to do is change the oil, oil filter, fuel filter air filter and check the spark plug. You should be good to go for another season
I didn't realize manual mowers were that complex. I have the exact mower but a Cub Cadet ( those are all the same ) but in the automatic. One pedal i can go forward and instant reverse with the blade engaged.
Would you say the automatic is worth the extra 400$?
Where did you buy the Cadet?
This mower was worth it when it was $1k. Now it's just shy of double that.
Wow!
$2399 at Canadian Tire this year. Didn't realize when I bought it, it's been out for over 6 years exactly as is. What a rip.
These were always selling out at HD I waited a couple weeks and they went from $1999 to $2099. June 2022.
I liked this video. You said the engine is built by Troy Bilt, but if I'm correct, the engine is built by Briggs and Stratton. Am I correct or wrong?
It's not a Briggs. It is labeled a Troy Bilt engine but guys that are more up on that stuff say that the engine is made by a Chinese company with just the Troy Bilt name stamped on it.
Because they are all made by same company, MTD, so just get cheapest one at the time.
Thanks for the updates, how many hours do you have on it now?
I've used it 3 full cutting seasons. I'd guesstimate about 145 hours on it.
@@stevekonbass that’s pretty impressive for one of these little residential machines. Thanks for letting me know.
Why are yard machines front tires slanted ?
Is this normal or is something wrong with them?
Gotta say brother, I haven't noticed them being slanted, but I'll take notice next time I mow.
Thank you.
You're welcome!
How do you unlock the brake pedal? Mine is stuck all the way and i dont know how to release it
Never had that problem. Are you sure the parking brake isn't engaged? Check to make sure the speed control isn't on P.
Press the pedal in and move your gear selector up
Getting ready to get one in July
Good luck with it Rick. I'm happy with mine so far.
Got mine today!
Hey Steve. Are you still happy with that mower just checking in with you?
Yeah man. It works really well and made my job easier. This is the 2nd season I'm using it so I can't comment on longevity, but hopefully it will last.
@@stevekonbass that’s awesome. I want one just like it. I know it was a stretch to get it cost wise, but well worth it!!
Yeah,I thought it was in the bag with the manual,side chute and crappy oil diverter,but it wasn't I know better should have checked.but Home Depot Got me a Cub Cadet key same one Troy Bilt used and it works great.
We have one and its a good mower had it for 5 years now
And i have a question
Its about the park brake/clutch pedal
Its down halfwsy and it doesn't spring back to its position
What could it be ans very hard to push down too
Hmm... take a look down by the brake/clutch and see if there's anything lodged in there.
Quick? If anyone can answer How is the turning radius is it tighter than your larger traditional lawn tractor for instance complete circle around tree base.
What's the between the 30... 30B and the 30R... Or is it generational series?
Juat my opinion but I wouldn't have car keys on the same keyring as the mower key. I work in a ford dealership and had a guy come in who dropped and mowed over his car keys. Cost him $300 for 1 new one.
I'll end up losin' it if I don't have it on the ring. I should probably just leave it in the mower ignition. But then again, if I dropped 'em I couldn't mow over them cause I couldn't run the mower if the key is on the ring.
How do I move it without cranking it ??? I try to push it and wheels are locked.
Take it out of park and put it in neutral.
My Troy Bilt 30" just arrived today from Home Depot, South Riding, VA. The manual wants me to write down the Model Number and Engine Serial Number but I can't find them. There is even a little drawing to show where to look but the drawing makes no sense to me. If you can find these numbers, tell me where they are!
Tilt the seat forward toward the steering wheel so that you can look under the seat. There is a sticker on the underside of the seat with the Model # and Serial # of your mower.
(Not of the engine?) Another useful sticker there identifies replacement part numbers.
It is not a Troy-Bilt. This mower is under a lot of names like Craftsman and Murray and Troy-Bilt
Is the deck self-leveling? Mine is cutting unevenly and the tire pressure is consistent and I'm trying to figure out how to fix this. The blade is new also...
I haven't had any problem with uneven cuts.
@@stevekonbass OK thanks for the response.
What about ,how to clean grass from under the mowing deck ?
It’s has a water hose connection on the newer ones . If not it easy to tilt enough to spray under the bottom
Hello, I just got this yesterday. I have a question if you can answer. When I engage PTO lever it makes noise at that time. Is it normal ?
Well, when you engage the PTO lever that gets the blade spinning, so it gets louder, but I don't know if that's the noise you refer to.
@@stevekonbass Thank you so much for reply. It’s not a consistent noise. What I meant was the loud sound that comes when I engage blades. Is that normal ? I am sorry for not framing the question better.
No problem. Like I said, it gets louder, but it's consistent.
Do you have to push in the clutch if you want to change speeds or can you just move the gear selector say from 3 to 4?
Yes, you have to push in the clutch.
It won't allow you to change speeds without pushing the clutch,An easy way to test this out is even when the engine is not running you can sit on the mower and don't press the clutch brake pedal and then try to move the 6 spd lever, You will notice it wont move but then press the clutch and hold it down and then you can use your finger to move the 6 spd at will
i just took delivery of the mower. hooked up the battery. turned the ignition but it doesnt wanna start up. the engine doesnt even turn. any ideas whats wrong?
My battery was hooked up when delivered. Just a check list... make sure power to the deck isn't engaged when starting (PTO needs to be off), make sure parking brake is on, make sure the throttle is all the way up in FAST position. If none of that works make sure gas is good, and make sure the oil is at the proper level.
I just got mine today. It starts, blade comes on but it doesnt go. In reverse or forward. They said there was a pin to pull but i dont think so.
Make sure you don't have the parking brake on, 1:27 of the video.
Speaking in regards to this mower model. Has anyone experienced the mower's brake clutch preventing the mower from traveling faster? I have the mower on either 3, 4, 5 or 6 speed, set to Forward, I release the brake clutch and "occasionally" the travel goes to a crawl.
Nope, haven't had that problem.
@@stevekonbass Thanks for your reply. I got a reply from someone else and the problem can be resolved by: Replacing 2 belts that are used to transfer power from the motor to the transmission. They both get replaced at the same time. Thanks!
How’s the turning radius? Pretty nimble between the obstacles?
It's okay. Buzzing around trees is fine.
never owned a riding mower. a lot of my lawn is a slope very close to the 21% steepness grade limit for this mower, but just under. would love to use a riding mower, but would this mower be a good fit seeing as my lawn is mostly a slope just under the steepness limit??
I have quite a bit of slope myself. Each time I mowed it became a "feel thing" on how to attack it. But, there were times I thought I'd tip, never did though.
Why do you have to disengage the blade when going in reverse?
Actually, you can keep it engaged if you want. There are 2 different selections you can have it in. The one I was in you have to disengage the blade when in reverse, which is more of a safety feature. There's a button you can push that'll allow you to keep the blade going in reverse if you want.
@@stevekonbass I see. Thank you Steve
Wow, $1300.00 two years ago and now on April 01, 2023 it’s $1899.00 at HD.
Looks like it actually came down from last year. If you look further down in the comments someone wrote the price was $2099 in June 2022. Glad I bought it when I did. On a side note, I already had to mow twice this year so it's still working good.
ADDED FEATURE: REMOVE THE CUTTING DECK AND YOU HAVE A MOBILITY SCOOTER
Hello where is the spark plug
Het Annie- Look for the rubber spark plug boot to the left of the plate that's labeled OHV.
I'm expecting delivery today. Meh, but it's been raining for almost 2 weeks straight. Am hoping this will reduce the amount of time it takes to mow the yard. But.....then there's always weed eating......grunt.
I hear ya Kent. Next house I get is gonna be in the woods with no grass.
@@stevekonbass Oh, I forgot to say thank you for the video. I've read that d*mned manual twice.....I now understand the brake, clutch deal. }:o)
No problem brother. Hope it makes your mowing easier.
How does it work on y’all grass??
Cuts it
$1800 now :(
Anybody have any issues with it not wanting to go up small hills? Can a drive belt be tightened?
I haven't.
I have and it sucks not a good investment it's brand new
How does it work on tall grass
How tall? LOL. I haven't tried it on a really overgrown lawn, but 4" or so it's fine.
Is this a tb or tbr?
TB
Good luck bought 1 6 months ago there steering is garbage and had to fix two different tires worst machine I ever owned.
Same problem locks when I turn hard left
Where do you put oil in at?
Down the dipstick tube. Make sure ya don't overfill it.
I just did a video on changing the oil and oil filter, might help ya: ua-cam.com/video/x7VwYBrgoUo/v-deo.html
that same mower is now $2099 at home depot.
Inflation or companies taking advantage? You decide.
@@stevekonbass or it could be a deliberate agenda to force people into choosing electric mowers which are not seeing the same huge increase in price.
I found one for $75
30 inch what
Cutting deck.
Blade
00:07
I’m sorry…. a 30 inch what? 😶😶
Cutting deck.
Mine came with two keys. The look nothing alike? Anyone else?
Not me. I just got 1 key.
Bought one several years ago.
Didn't last 3 seasons👎👎
0:27 troy bilt doesn't manufacture engines. If that's not a briggs and stratton engine, then it's most likely a chinese honda clone (look up "define chonda" on youtube hahahaha) with the troy bilt name slapped on it. see if there's a white tag on the engine that identifies the manufacturer. MTD often buys Zongshen engines.
I dunno brother. For engine make it says Troy-Bilt. I'll look for that tag next time I'm out there. I tell ya what though, I had a Troy-Bilt push mower with a Honda on it and that thing was awesome. Started up every time with one pull. I gave it to the guy that bought my old house. Hope this ride on is as good as that was.
@@stevekonbass I don't think you have anything to worry about. Zongshen makes good engines now and I've never heard of any problems with that model mower yet. But it's good to know what engine you have in case you need to order parts for it later on. If you have the model TB30R mower, then it probably has the Zongshen engine. I see Troy Bilt just came out with the TB30B model now, same mower but it now has a Briggs and Stratton engine. So if you have the TB30R model, try to persuade a neighbor of yours to buy a TB30B model so then you can compare them and see which one you like better. I think the Zongshen engine has slightly higher horsepower.
@@stevekonbass yes it does say it has a Troy Bilt branded engine but it is a Chinese engine with a Troy bilt sticker on it
Maybe the sticker was made in the U.S. lol. Well... I hope the engine holds up over the years. I had a Troy Bilt with a Honda and that thing started every time. Hope I have the same luck with this one.
@@stevekonbass yes just treat it right and it will take care of you
Be prepared for frequent repairs to the worst steering design ever produced.
Troy-Bilt by MTD
Machines (Mowers)That Die
Making Terrible Devices
Meet The Devil