How to Start a Riding Lawn Mower Without a Key

We’ve all been there. You’ve lost that dang key again, and now you’re wondering how to start a riding lawn mower without a key? The good news is that there are three very simple solutions to get your machine back up and running again.

The solution you choose depends on the situation that you’re in.

Table of Contents

Tools Needed (Commissions Earned)

First Option to Start a Riding Lawn Mower Without a Key

If you have a newer riding lawn mower, you can simply opt to purchase a new ignition key. Oddly enough, they’re pretty universal by brand. For instance, my John Deere 2320 tractor and GX325 riding lawn mower use the same key. Go figure.

The good news is that manufacturers must realize that people lose these keys all the time, because they’re pretty inexpensive – around $5-6 at your nearest dealer. So, you could opt to purchase a few of these to have on hand in the event that you lose the key.

You could also purchase aftermarket keys, but given how inexpensive the OEM ones are I don’t know that I would bother.

Second Option

Now, if the machine that you’re trying to start is a bit older and maybe a little more abused, then you could opt for replacing the entire ignition switch. This is still a pretty inexpensive solution, but you might have to purchase the ignition key separately if you opt for OEM.

With aftermarket choices, you can easily find a serviceable ignition switch that comes with a key.

This can be a handy option if you’re trying to start an obsolete machine where OEM parts are hard to come by. Just try to find an aftermarket one that either says it’s a replacement for your machine or one that matches what your switch looks like.

Third Option

The third option is generally used for diagnosis. What you can do is jump the starter motor and bypass the ignition switch altogether. The reason I say diagnosis is because this would get pretty annoying if it’s how you regularly started your machine.

The starter has positive and ground terminals. Also on the positive terminal, you’ll find a small wire that leads to the ignition switch. This is the signal wire that comes from the switch in the crank position.

Since we don’t have a key to turn the ignition switch at all, we need to bypass the ignition switch entirely.

The way to do that is to supply direct power to the starter. This is where one of my favorite tools comes in to play – the portable jumper pack.

Since I typically try to save junk machines from the scrap yard, I’m used to dealing with flat tires, dead or missing batteries, lost keys, and faulty ignition switches. A portable jumper pack with an onboard compressor can supply everything that I need. Plus, it even powers the winch in the back of my truck. That way I can easily load a dead riding mower.

Before trying this next step, if there is a battery in the machine you should go ahead and remove it just for safety’s sake.

With the battery removed, you can attach the ground lead from the jumper pack to the riding mower frame. Then, tap the positive lead to the positive terminal post on the starter.

If the starter is in working condition it should fire right up.