Hi, I’m Jeff Mercer. I keep an acre of grass, a riding mower, a zero-turn and a snowblower running without a dealer on speed dial. GardenTooly is where I answer the questions people type into a search bar while standing next to a machine that won’t behave.
Who’s behind this
Doing my own repairs started as a way to save on dealer labour, which adds up quickly once you own more than one machine with an engine. Somewhere between the first bent blade and the first carburettor I had to clean twice, it turned into the part of yard work I actually enjoy.
I’m not a certified small-engine technician and I don’t sell equipment. What I am is stubborn about getting the answer right, and honest about where it came from. When I’ve done a job on my own machine, I say so. When an answer comes from an owner’s manual, a service bulletin or a mechanic who knows more than me, I say that instead.
What you’ll find here
- Mower troubleshooting. Decks that shake, engines that die when they warm up, bent shafts, uneven cuts, belts that keep jumping off.
- Zero-turns and riding mowers. Transmissions, deck sizes, hydrostatic drives, and what the difference between two models means for your yard.
- Fuel and engines. Stale gas, ethanol, additives, storage over winter, and why a machine that ran fine in October won’t start in April.
- UTVs, ATVs and tractors. The common problems owners report on popular models, and the checks worth doing before you pay for a diagnosis.
- Lawn and garden care. Thatch, cutting heights, when to stop mowing, and the tools that make the job easier.
How I work out an answer
- Cheapest likely cause first. A shaking deck is far more often a bent blade or a worn belt than a ruined spindle, so answers are ordered that way.
- The manual beats the forum. Where a manufacturer publishes a torque figure, a fluid spec or a service interval, that number wins.
- Hands-on says hands-on. If I haven’t done something myself, I don’t write as if I have.
- Safety isn’t hedged. Spark plug wire off before you touch a blade, and a plain “take it to a shop” when that’s the right call.
- Know when to stop. Some jobs cost more to get wrong than to pay for, and a good answer tells you which.
The longer version, including how posts get corrected, is in the editorial policy.
How the site pays for itself
GardenTooly is free to read and paid for by ads. Some posts may also include affiliate links: if you buy through one, the site may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nobody pays to be mentioned, and a commission never decides an answer. The details are on the disclosure page.
Spotted a mistake?
Tell me. Models change, specs get revised, and I would much rather fix a post than defend it. Email [email protected] with the page and what’s wrong, and I’ll check it and update the post.