Riding Lawn Mower Repair: John Deere SRX75

This John Deere SRX75 riding mower has been sitting for quite long enough. It’s time to finally get it repaired.

This was the second riding lawn mower I bought when I was beginning to learn about small engine repair.

For whatever reason, I’ve been drawn to these small rear-engine riding mowers. For no discernable reason, I just like them. So I was super happy to win this machine at an online auction for a mere $27.

And then it sat. For years.

Initial Diagnosis

When I got this SRX75 back home, I checked the basics – fuel, oil, air filter, etc.

I quickly realized why I was able to get it for cheap.

The ignition coil was missing (and I later found out the ignition module as well), the battery was shot, the plastic deck chute was broken, and a plastic shift linkage cover was cracked.

Oh, and the paint was chipped and faded in places, and one of the tires didn’t hold air.

None of these issues were really that troublesome, but I was holding out for years to find one piece – the plastic shift linkage cover.

I simply couldn’t find it. Anywhere. Not a new one, not a used one, and not even an aftermarket one.

I looked for parts machines just to get this one single piece. I did end up purchasing a similar SX95, but it turns out that most of the parts are not compatible.

Repairing the SRX75

Once I bought a bunch of aftermarket parts (ignition coil and ignition module), I was able to replace the parts that were missing or nonfunctional.

I attempted to clean and repair the carburetor, but it was beyond repair – which is a shame. While the aftermarket carburetor works, it’s nowhere near the quality of the original.

The problem was that rust had formed within the carburetor. Surprisingly, this rust turned completely to powder. I simply was not able to remove the main jet and the emulsion tube in order to clean them.

The one part that I could use from the SX95 was the left front tire and wheel hub. Luckily, it fit on the SRX75 and the tire even matched the three others.

Maintenance on the SRX75

After the repairs were complete, I confirmed that the engine would run, and it did.

From here, it was simple routine maintenance to get this machine finished up.

I ran it for a bit to heat up the oil and mix in the sludge. Then, I drained it out and added fresh oil.

I removed the mowing deck from underneath the machine in order to assess the condition of it. I was happy to see that the deck had no rot holes, but there was some surface rust.

More concerning was the fact that all three of the pulleys were seized. The belt was adhered to one of them. That being said, the blade looked pretty good, albeit rusty.

I was able to remove the three pulleys, clean them, and lubricated them the best I could with some penetrating oil. I did the same for the mower engagement arm.

Lastly, I sharpened, balanced, and reinstalled the blade. With everything back together, I got the deck reinstalled under the machine and was ready for a test drive.

End Result

I was happy to see that the machine fired right up. Even more impressive, the deck engaged and cut very well.

That being said, there are a few blemishes that I chose not to address. I did not replace the broken shift linkage cover because I simply could not find one.

Also, I opted not to replace the mowing deck chute. It was roughly $120, and considering the total value of this machine is probably around $350, I didn’t really want to invest 1/3 of the value into one part.

Since we’re relatively close to the end of the riding mower season, if it happens to sit over the winter, then I might reconsider replacing this part. Otherwise, I might just offer it at a bit of a discount in consideration of the broken part.

Recap

I had fun working on this SRX75, and I’ll probably be sad to see it go. My daughter has even started calling it “my lawn mower” (hers) because it is “small like me” (her).

It was kind of a bummer that I couldn’t completely finish it, but at the end of the day, it runs, drives, and cuts. That was the goal, and that was what we accomplished.

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