John Deere 212 lawn tractor lurching!

[mmmcnary]

I bought a JD 212 3 weeks ago. The guy couldn't get it started and said it lurched when he was mowing so he just bought him a new one. I replaced the condenser and it started just fine and mowed perfectly the first time I mowed, and it did lurch 4 or 5 times, but I didn't investigate. When I mowed yesterday, it was quite a bit warmer, in the 80's, and it bucked and lurched something awful. I've looked underneath and felt belt tension, but am at a loss what to do. I am mechanically inclined, but can't diagnose this. Can someone steer me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.

Mike

 

[ChuckinNH]

Try to isolate the condition, is it a transmission lurch, or an engine lurch. Does it do it with the mower disengaged? Once you figure those things out, see if it's repeatable, and you will be well on your way to discovering the root cause. If it's an engine lurch it could be govenor, or fuel related. Check the air cleaner, see if the fuel lines run too close to the engine, and check the fuel filter. If it cuts out, and restarts, check the safety interlock switches, especially the one on the seat, though other ones will cause the same issue on rough ground. Check the hydro fluid level in the transmission........ well, you get the idea.