How to Change an Air Filter on your Riding Lawn Mower

There are a variety of different style air filters on a variety of different brands of engines. Always refer to your Operator's Manual or Engine Operator's Manual if you are not sure.

Use: eReplacementParts.com for Finding Compatible MTD Lawn Mower Parts.


Follow these simple steps to successfully change the air filter in your lawn mower.

1. Be sure to replace your filter with one that fits properly. Air filters can be purchased on this site and where mower parts are sold.
2. Make sure you have the proper tools before beginning this project.
3. Under no circumstances should you start or run your mower with the air cleaner assembly or air filter removed. Doing so can pull debris into the engine and damage it.
4. Begin by placing the riding mower on a flat, level surface.
5. Make sure the engine is cool and, open the hood.
6. Begin by disconnecting the spark plug wire.
7. Clean the air filter area of any debris.
8. Remove the air filter cover.
9. Remove the air filter. The air filter is most commonly made of pleated paper.
10. If your engine's air cleaner is equipped with a pre-filter, remove it for cleaning. The pre-filter is most commonly made of foam and can be serviced by washing with liquid detergent and water. If it's excessively dirty, replace it. Allow the pre-filter to dry before installation.
11. Install the cleaned or new pre-filter. Then install the new air filter.
12. Replace the air filter cover.
13. Reconnect the spark plug wire or wires and you're good to go!

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MTD Parts and Lawn Mower Service Tips

Walk-behind mowers and riding mowers have similar systems and parts, and maintenance procedures for both types of mowers are very similar.

That being said, riding mowers generally require a few more service checks and repairs than traditional mowers, if nothing else than because they are larger machines with more parts than their smaller cousins.

Companies like MTD and Murray manufacture lawn mowers of both types, and it's common for professionals and homeowners alike to own both a riding mower and a walk-behind mower for different applications.

To help with your seasonal riding mower and walk-behind mower maintenance, we've decided to list some of the most overlooked mower repair issues, as well as tips for getting the O.E.M. MTD parts and Murray mower parts you need to keep your machines cutting like pros.

Overlooked Safety Procedures:

• Remember to park your mower (of either type) on a flat surface and engage its brake–if it has one–before continuing maintenance.
• Remove the spark plug wire from the spark plug.
• Allow the engine to cool, unless you need it warm for an oil change.

Oil Changes and Fresh Fuel:

• Believe it or not, users often forget to change their mower's oil with seasonal tune-ups and other service.
• Over-filling oil can be just as bad for your mower engine as under-filling.
• Gasoline only keeps for 3 to 6 months. Fuel stored in your mower must be removed at the start of each season.

Siphon pumps are a great way to speed up an oil change or transfer of fuel from a mower to an appropriate container. Also, a pump like the one pictured below makes it possible to change your walk-behind mower's oil without having to remove its fuel and tip it.

Cleaning the Pre-Filter:

• Some mowers have a two filters in their air filtering systems: a main air filter usually made of pleated paper, and a pre-filter made of foam. Foam pre-filters can be cleaned with water and liquid detergent when lightly-to-moderately dirty.
  
• Allow the pre-filter to completely dry after cleaning and before re-installation.
• Replace excessively dirty pre-filters.

O.E.M. Replacement Mower Parts Only:

• After-market mower parts may look similar to manufacturer parts for both kinds of mowers, but after-market parts will be a different nonetheless, and the quality of their manufacture can not compare to that of genuine O.E.M. parts.
• This is especially true for the drive and transmission belts of riding mowers and lawn tractors.

eReplacementParts.com offers only genuine O.E.M. MTD lawn mower parts and Murray lawn mower parts, including engine belts.
Riding Mower and Lawn Tractor Service:

• Among other belts, make sure to give a riding mower's transmission belt an inspection every 25 hours of service or so. A bad transmission belt is also a likely cause of the mower starting but not moving.
• Lawn tractors and riding mowers may have more than one spark plug.
• These larger machines deserve a thorough inspection of their tires at least every season.

Visit our Murray lawn tractor parts page and our MTD lawn tractor parts page here at eReplacementParts.com for riding mower parts you need. Our specialized ordering service and website information are here to help you make sure nothing gets overlooked when it comes to your tools.

MTD Lawn Tractors and Garden Tractors: What's the Difference?

You may have considered indulging yourself with a major upgrade if you're in the market for a new lawn mower. Maybe your head has been turned by the MTD brand of serious lawn and garden equipment

Is my lawn big enough for a riding tractor, or do I just stick to the conventional walk-behind mower?

The general rule of thumb is that if your lawn exceeds 100 ft. sq., then it might be worth it to consider the time saving investment of a riding tractor. A riding mower might be more than you need if your lawn is any smaller, but there's no law against opting for the easy chair if the idea of shaded, derby-style mowing is just too tempting.

MTD riding tractors come in two varieties: "lawn tractors" and "garden tractors," but what's the difference?

The biggest difference between lawn and garden tractors is size:

• Lawn tractors are designed for smaller acreage and lighter-duty mowing needs that don't require extra horsepower or heavy-duty mower construction.
• Garden tractors, on the other hand, are bigger all around, with larger wheels, more horsepower, heavier frames and transmissions, and are made for large acreage jobs and high torque applications.

The more specific differences between MTD lawn tractors and MTD garden tractors have to do with attachment options.

• Lawn tractors can use work attachments that do not engage the soil, like dozer blades, grass catchers, mulch kits, snowblowers, and tow-behind assemblies.

• Garden tractors can use all of the attachments that lawn tractors can, plus attachments that engage the soil. This is because attachments like tillers, plows, harrows, and cultivators need the extra power that garden tractors offer.

So really, the choice between garden tractors and lawn tractors comes down to what kind of work you need the machine to do.

When it comes to attachments though, the varieties that MTD offers do not stop at those we've mentioned here by any means. Other accessories include things like:

• tire chains
• grass collection systems
• ramps
• tow-behind carts
• sunshades
• and more

Some patented MTD riding tractor options actually affect the compatibility of some types of attachments. Many models of MTD tractors include their special AutoDrive™ system that makes driving a tractor much like driving a car.

Attachments for MTD AutoDrive™ models are made for fast installation by virtue of another patented design feature, FastAttach™, which makes attachments changeable without tools.