Around here we call all the annoying things that go wrong with your machine when you try to use it first time out the “Wintertime Blues”. Why does it not work when it worked fine when we put it away? We don’t know, sorry. But we fix all kinds of machinery here at our shop and answer lots of questions about it. Here are a few:

Q: Jim, I have not used my tractor in about 6 months. I tried starting it but the tractor backfires during a higher speed and eventually will stop. I already replaced the gas filter, cleaned the air filter, and replaced the spark plug. What could it be?

A: Make sure your valves are not sticking in the valve quires from sitting too long.

Q: I have a question regarding my John Deere 316 garden tractor and a problem with the hydraulic blade sticking in position. The blade functionally is not the problem. we have switched the hoses around to verify that it is not the blade, also the handle linkage is not stuck. One of the four hookups does not allow the blade to return. We can make the blade go up, but cannot return it back down (also we can do the same with left to right if we switch our hook ups around). We have been putting the blade down and lifting the tractor off the ground and having the stuck hookup be the return that would lift the blade. We leave the handle in the down position and over about a 3 hour period, it will slowly release and set the tractor back on the ground. Any thoughts on how to release this sticking? The fluid used is the transmission fluid of the tractor, would a transmission cleaner additive work?

A: It sounds to me like you will need to replace the double hydraulic control valve and see if that takes care of your problem.

Q: Jim my problem with my John Deere 425 garden tractor is driving me nuts, The dealer says the switch is good, but seat switch was bad. Now it dies when you take the brake off, The PTO still does not work. Got any good ideas on this problem?

A: Check your fuses, make sure the seat switch is okay, then remove the rear fenders and check out the wiring going from the seat up to under the dash.