John Deere is widely considered one of the best lawnmower and garden equipment brands out there. And when you look at their history and all the amazing mowers and lawn tractors that they brought to the market, it’s not really surprising why many professionals hold the brand in such high esteem.

But it’s not only the professionals who favor the brand. Even a casual homeowner who mows his front lawn once a week or so will find this brand worth a look. They have a huge catalog of mowers at many price ranges, and you might just find one that ticks all the right boxes.

For example, the John Deere Z930M is a popular choice among homeowners with its moderate pricing and fantastic value for the price. It’s a part of their Z900 series and offers excellent performance regardless of the size of the lawn you use it on. Even professional landscapers consider it an amazing investment.

With that said, there are a couple of issues with this lawnmower that you should know about before you buy it. Truth be told, the same can be said for any lawnmower if you don’t take care of it. Regardless, due to poor maintenance, you will notice occasional engine troubles or leaky transmission in this vehicle.

In this article, I will talk about the common problems in the John Deere Z930M lawnmower and help you figure out what you can do to fix those issues. So without further ado, let’s get started.

5 Common Issues with the John Deere Z930M and How to Fix them

Poor maintenance is often the root cause of most of the problems in the John Deere Z930M lawnmower. If you don’t service your mower regularly, here are some of the issues that you might have to deal with.

1. Sputtering Engine

Let’s start with an issue that’s common with pretty much any lawnmower out there – engine spitting or sputtering. For those that don’t know, engine sputtering refers to a weird noise coming out of the engine when you are running your lawnmower. You will also notice a major decline in power and performance.

Now, in most cases, the problem is related to a bad PTO. Try cutting the power to the blades immediately the next time you hear the noise come up and see if it changes anything.

Alternatively, to see if the problem is being caused by the vent, open the gas cap in your mower when the engine starts sputtering. If that fixes the problem, then you might need to clean, repair or replace the vent.

But in most cases, as I said, the problem lies with the PTO switch. You need to use a multimeter to check if the switch is functional. There are plenty of guides online to help you out if you don’t know how. Besides, your instruction manual should also offer some insight into how you can check if the switch is faulty.

In addition, you need to check the pulley belts and look for signs of damage or wearing. When the PTO is turned off, the pulley should rotate freely. If it doesn’t, then there’s a blockage in the pulley motor that you need to clean out.

You also need to check the quality and level of the fuel. Make sure the fuel is fresh, and the fuel level is perfect. If all else fails, then the problem is related to the air filter. Cleaning out the air filter or replacing it should fix the sputtering engine issue.

2. Blockage in the Fuel Filter

The Fuel filter is an essential part of your lawnmower, but unfortunately, it doesn’t get as much attention as the rest of the components. A blocked fuel filter can lead to a host of troubles, including a noticeable lack of performance, engine shutdown, or engine stalling.

So, if your lawnmower is showing any of these symptoms, then there’s a chance that the fuel filter in your lawnmower is clogged up. You see, the main purpose of the fuel filter is to prevent contaminants like dirt or debris from getting into the engine while enabling fresh fuel to pass through.

But over the years, with regular use, dirt or leaves can accumulate on the fuel filter blocking off fuel flow to the engine. And once that happens, your engine gets starved for fuel and starts performing below expectations.

The fix is pretty simple – just access the fuel filter and remove the blockage. However, if the filter is damaged or blocked off completely, it might be a better idea to replace it altogether. A new fuel filter is not that expensive and can enhance the performance of your mower by a pretty large margin.

3. Blades not Engaging

If the blades in your John Deere Z930M won’t spin or stop spinning after a couple of minutes, then it can be pretty frustrating. You won’t be able to mow your lawn until you fix this issue. Thankfully, it is fixable, but there are a couple of things that could be going wrong here.

It might be a PTO issue, and you need to inspect the switch using a multimeter. If the PTO is the culprit, then replacing it should allow the blades to spin again. The problem might also be related to the pulley belt. So, check if the belt is seated properly, and if it slipped off, reseat it and tighten the tension.

However, the most likely culprit here is the safety switch under the operator’s seat. The purpose of this safety design is that whenever the operator gets off of the seat, the blades disengage automatically, minimizing any risk of accidents. But if the switch fails, it can prevent the blades from starting up.

So, you need to check the wirings around the switch and restore any loose connections. If the wirings seem fine, then the switch is faulty, and replacing it should get your blades spinning again.

4. Leaking Transmission

The John Deere Z930M features the powerful Tuff Torg Model TZT-13 series hydrostatic transmission system. While it’s amazing for its performance, it has a major flaw. It leaks every now and then.

Since this is a common problem with the lawnmower, the manufacturers usually fix it without any cost on your end. So, if your mower is still under warranty, that’s the best way to get it fixed.

However, if the warranty has expired, I would recommend taking it to a professional garage for repairs. Regular servicing of your lawnmower can prevent this issue from ever coming up.

5. Transaxle Issue

Sometimes you might notice your John Deere Z930M is making a lot of noise while in use. This usually means the transmission fluid is dirty. You need to clean up the system and change the fluid.

To do that, turn off the engine and take your kye out of the transmission. Make sure the blades are disengaged. To be safe, you should also engage the brakes, take out the battery and pull the plug.

Once all that’s done, inspect the drain pans under both sides of the transmission. You can use a socket wrench to remove the caps of the tanks. If you notice leaks or water, drain it fully. Clean or replace the filters if they seem too dirty. After that, change the fluid, and that should get rid of the noise issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, I will address some of the questions that people have often asked me about the John Deere Z930M lawnmower. Perhaps it will help you understand whether getting one for yourself is the right decision.

1. What type of engine does the John Deere Z930M come with?

The John Deere Z930M comes with a 25.5 HP two-cylinder Kawasaki engine with a displacement capacity of 852ccs. This engine promises better fuel efficiency, which directly translates to less upkeep cost and more torque.

2. What’s the top speed in the John Deere Z930M lawnmower?

The John Deere Z930M offers a top speed of 10 miles per hour thanks to its amazing hydrostatic transmission system. That, combined with its zero-turn design, allows you to make short work of lawns of any size.

Final Thoughts

The popularity of the John Deere Z930M speaks volumes about the quality and level of performance it delivers both at the hands of a professional and a casual landscaper. Its balance of price to performance is hard to find with any other lawnmower on the market.

The truth is, if you are reckless with how you handle your lawnmower, it will start showing weird issues. So, if you don’t want to deal with the problems that I talked about, all you have to do is maintain your lawnmower properly.

I hope my extensive look into the John Deere Z930M problems could help you fix up your mower without any hassle. Good luck!