Best walk behind mower ever! They were so easy to operate commercially and the easiest mower to empty the catcher on. Only Mower I have used back in the day that came close was the Toro walk behinds with the Suzuki engines.
I just picked up this model free. Previous owner had the starter recoil go out and did not want to mess with it. Got it home and topped off the oil, changed the plug. Then wrapped a rope around the pulley and pulled once and it started. This mower ran way better than I thought it would. This is a great machine.
My wife and daughter brought one home. It was out front of a house, had a sign on it, "Free, needs carburetor" I took the carburetor bowl off and removed the little screw in orifice Jet, sure enough, it was plugged solid. Took a torch tip cleaning file and boted out the clogged orifice Jet. Put in back in the carb, bowl back on. First pull it ran like a top!
LOL got mine free too. Neighbor just gave it to me the other day. Runs, cuts, no bag, and 1st gear not working. Even came with a full tank of fresh gas, because my neighbor cleaned the carb before giving it to me. He said it was given to him, and he has no use for it. I love free stuff.
I just picked up a 14SB this morning. Paid under ten bucks for it. It had the same problem as your , a broken cable on the shifter. Other than cleaning the outside of the carb, it was ready to go. I manually shifted into 5th and will use it like that until I get a cable. Can't wait to use it .
I have one of these that I've been using since it was brand new, first on my parent's yard now as a "hand me down" on mine. You have that one so clean though you make me feel a bit guilty- mine is not. It smokes a bit a bit when I first start it but otherwise runs fine.
Picked mine up from a pawn shop for 80 bucks. Worked like a beast for two years. Now having an issue with what looks like oil in the carb bowl. Cleaned it ran for 30 mins back to dead...love the mower but it is killing me right now😤
hahaha, that is one clean looking 14sb. I found one on the side of the road the other day. Got the engine running, and replaced the shifter cable. The cable that pulls on the transmission to engage the belt works, but the lever that pulls on that cable is missing.
There is a brass looking nozzle coming off the side of the engine. I used to use a piece of garden hose long enough to cover the nozzle and flop over the edge of the deck and then you simply turn the nozzle with a wrench to open it and the old oil should start to flow. Tighten and refill.
Thanks Indy. I may just try that. The place was a reputable, established business, maybe there was more to it than that? If your suggestion doesn't work, are there places to locate a replacement carburator?
Excellent video sir, thanks for sharing. I have an xj 85, it's 16 yrs old I got it new for $950. it's my 'sweet' baby! She is stuck in 5th gear (not a bad thing) what's ur thoughts on installing a new transmission cable? Any tips/advice? Is it a job a homeowner could do it go to a pro? Where can I get the part (s) needed for the task? Thanks, Portaging
Damn good machine if it is a good one. I got a lemon from the get go. 2 carbs, drive gear, wheel- tires, control for clutch, 2 transistors, filters, now putting on a new clutch. when this dies again i taking it back to the dealer which is 30 miles away and throwing it thru his window.
Hey Indy, I have the same mower (1987) bought it from a flea market in July last year, it ran decent for the rest of the season. In the fall, I drained the fuel and stored it for the winter. This spring I ran it a few times, but recently it wouldn't stay running. Took it to a local small engine repair shop and they deemed it unrepairable. Reason: Carburator too gunked up. They said they could not find a carburator for it. Any suggestions?
I just restored a john Deere 14SE with the Kawasaki engine. I have another engine and 2 more decks so I plan to put together another one. I painted the engine covers JD green and yellow. Can you tell me when these mowers were made?
Where did you find a new cable for $6? Its about $50 everywhere I have checked and it comes with a new bail as well to upgrade to the newer style cable used on the later 14SBs and JX75s.
@manhatin You went through all the trouble of getting that transmission pully off of the transmission, just to manually shift it into 5th? You should of just bought the 15 dollar cable so you don't have to do that again.
I have one of these mowers and as I'm mowing the blade slowly comes to a stop and stop cutting but the motor is still at full rpm. What do you think might be wrong with it.
I have this mower, love it to death. But the Governer is not working. I've bought the new parts, removed the motor, blade and allen head screw at the bottom of the crankshaft. I even took the allen set screw out of the drive pulley and slid the snap ring up against the drive pulley. I have wd-40'd everything beat on it every which way (with a rubber deadblow) and still, it won't even budge. Is there something else holding it on? What am I missing? Please help!!!
I just cleaned the carb on my 14sb and can't figure out where to attach the linear style spring from the main throttle cable. Without the spring attached my engine idle keeps pulsing. Any suggestions??
Love that machine. I just picked up 9 of them. I just subscribed to your channel. Check out mine.. my question is how do you turn up the rpms seems like when in rabbit.. my kawasaki motor throttle cable runs to left side around the front . Is there lever or something? I'm stumped. I do small engine repair but have no clue on this one. CB
i have a JX85 Mower that runs fine on idle but when in fast position its running too fast can you help with this it may need a new governor and parts not sure though
Hey there, great machine, I just got one from someone, it had the drive cable broken, I replaced it and seems to work fine. I have not used it yet and I'm wondering about pulling it back, I can only pull it back when the engine is on or it's that there is something wrong? I can push it forward but I can't pull it back. Any feed back on that? Thanks!
Chaviator Next to the frame, on either side is a grease fitting. Pump some grease in there. If that doesn't help you will need to take the rear wheels off and clean up the mechanism inside.
Wayne Essar Thank u, I took the wheels off and as I loosen up the nut and took one of the wheels off, it started rolling backwards. It seems like something was stock on there preventing it from doing that. Now, I have another issue. It starts first pull and everything is good but I pull the control back to cut power off, once it's running, or turn it off, it stays like it's at idle and never cuts off. Any idea of what to do? Thanks much!
Chaviator Hi, glad you had luck. I would try the simplest fix first, maybe the cable is a bit loose or slightly twisted as it goes down the handle. I would remove the plastic zap straps or cable ties and replace them with new, snug ones. Enjoy your great mower!
nice deal man... i dont understand the labor thing jason is talking about and i have a small engine repair shop .. you cant deduct labor for yourself if you did the work..labor @60 per hour is 120 parts70 thats 190 even if a shop did the work you still make 60 but the labor goes to you any way you look at it he made 180 work done at home = no overhead ..... nice job
Why? I got the mower for free...spend $70 on new parts. Sold it for $250 cash. Thats a profit of $180 for a couple of hours of tinkering and doing what I enjoy. Perhaps you should take the financial class. Your comment makes no sense.....
I have $180 burning a hole in my pocket.....thats what I have. You must not understand the concept of "hobby" not everything you do in life has to make a huge profit. Its something I ENJOY doing....I don't charge or deduct for labor to myself. If I sent the mower to a local repair shop to do the work then what would I have gained? Not much....the way I do it is I get pleasure, satisfaction and knowledge...you can't put a price on that. What do you not get about that??
Ha, this is a piece of junk. crappy way they put on the wheels, no axels, replaced carb 2 times, electronic parts,new cables with shift boxes. Cheezy tire wheel assembly, the yellow hubs will fall out, the transmission will lock up sometimes if you want to pull it backwards, plastic drive gear that hasn't failed yet. Parts are hard to get. no more JD for me. it has been nothing but trouble since i got it. When it was new is was really quite now the lower bearing is going out
What kind of mower shop doesn't know how to clean a carb?? Sounds like that shop does not want to fool with little stuff......I say do it yourself. Get a can of carb and choke cleaner,take it off and spray the dickens out of the inside...
Best walk behind mower ever! They were so easy to operate commercially and the easiest mower to empty the catcher on. Only Mower I have used back in the day that came close was the Toro walk behinds with the Suzuki engines.
I just picked up this model free. Previous owner had the starter recoil go out and did not want to mess with it. Got it home and topped off the oil, changed the plug. Then wrapped a rope around the pulley and pulled once and it started. This mower ran way better than I thought it would. This is a great machine.
My wife and daughter brought one home. It was out front of a house, had a sign on it, "Free, needs carburetor" I took the carburetor bowl off and removed the little screw in orifice Jet, sure enough, it was plugged solid. Took a torch tip cleaning file and boted out the clogged orifice Jet. Put in back in the carb, bowl back on. First pull it ran like a top!
I bought one of these new in 1990 for about $
700.00. Still have it and it’s an awesome machine.
Best lawn mower ever. We got ours for 20 and have put about 80 bucks worth of work into it.
Mine is a pure beast! 50$ at a garage sale in 2015. My Toro was stolen a month earlier. My JD would have that Toro for lunch! Just a great machine!
I just got one of these for free - wish I knew how to make it work. Looking for an online manual and came across your video - very nicely done!
LOL
got mine free too.
Neighbor just gave it to me the other day.
Runs, cuts, no bag, and 1st gear not working.
Even came with a full tank of fresh gas, because my neighbor cleaned the carb before giving it to me.
He said it was given to him, and he has no use for it.
I love free stuff.
I just picked up a 14SB this morning. Paid under ten bucks for it. It had the same problem as your , a broken cable on the shifter.
Other than cleaning the outside of the carb, it was ready to go. I manually shifted into 5th and will use it like that until I get a cable.
Can't wait to use it .
Got one myself. Great machine. Wouldn’t take $500 for mine
Awesome mowers, can't believe people through things away like this. Well worth $250 nearly $1000 new
I have one of these that I've been using since it was brand new, first on my parent's yard now as a "hand me down" on mine. You have that one so clean though you make me feel a bit guilty- mine is not. It smokes a bit a bit when I first start it but otherwise runs fine.
This mower looks pretty cool, I didn't think there was a mower like my Honda HR214.
Picked mine up from a pawn shop for 80 bucks. Worked like a beast for two years. Now having an issue with what looks like oil in the carb bowl. Cleaned it ran for 30 mins back to dead...love the mower but it is killing me right now😤
hahaha, that is one clean looking 14sb. I found one on the side of the road the other day. Got the engine running, and replaced the shifter cable. The cable that pulls on the transmission to engage the belt works, but the lever that pulls on that cable is missing.
There is a brass looking nozzle coming off the side of the engine. I used to use a piece of garden hose long enough to cover the nozzle and flop over the edge of the deck and then you simply turn the nozzle with a wrench to open it and the old oil should start to flow. Tighten and refill.
Thanks Indy. I may just try that. The place was a reputable, established business, maybe there was more to it than that? If your suggestion doesn't work, are there places to locate a replacement carburator?
Excellent video sir, thanks for sharing. I have an xj 85, it's 16 yrs old I got it new for $950. it's my 'sweet' baby! She is stuck in 5th gear (not a bad thing) what's ur thoughts on installing a new transmission cable? Any tips/advice? Is it a job a homeowner could do it go to a pro? Where can I get the part (s) needed for the task?
Thanks, Portaging
Damn good machine if it is a good one. I got a lemon from the get go. 2 carbs, drive gear, wheel- tires, control for clutch, 2 transistors, filters, now putting on a new clutch. when this dies again i taking it back to the dealer which is 30 miles away and throwing it thru his window.
Hey Indy,
I have the same mower (1987) bought it from a flea market in July last year, it ran decent for the rest of the season. In the fall, I drained the fuel and stored it for the winter. This spring I ran it a few times, but recently it wouldn't stay running. Took it to a local small engine repair shop and they deemed it unrepairable. Reason: Carburator too gunked up. They said they could not find a carburator for it. Any suggestions?
nice mower indy looks great
I just restored a john Deere 14SE with the Kawasaki engine. I have another engine and 2 more decks so I plan to put together another one. I painted the engine covers JD green and yellow. Can you tell me when these mowers were made?
Where did you find a new cable for $6? Its about $50 everywhere I have checked and it comes with a new bail as well to upgrade to the newer style cable used on the later 14SBs and JX75s.
@manhatin You went through all the trouble of getting that transmission pully off of the transmission, just to manually shift it into 5th? You should of just bought the 15 dollar cable so you don't have to do that again.
Both my dad and I have one. With mine in the shop we are sharing his. I am having trouble keeping the belt on. Is there an adjustment?
Awesome mower, I have 2 of them. Thanks for posting!
Good video, Neal. Did you move the mower on the radio program?
i just got one to day it works great
@oldsfan61
Aftermarket cable from a small engine repair shop...I bought aftermarket wheels also.
I have one of these mowers and as I'm mowing the blade slowly comes to a stop and stop cutting but the motor is still at full rpm. What do you think might be wrong with it.
I have this mower, love it to death. But the Governer is not working. I've bought the new parts, removed the motor, blade and allen head screw at the bottom of the crankshaft. I even took the allen set screw out of the drive pulley and slid the snap ring up against the drive pulley. I have wd-40'd everything beat on it every which way (with a rubber deadblow) and still, it won't even budge. Is there something else holding it on? What am I missing? Please help!!!
Yes, Saturday PM. I got my asking price!! I'm happy.
Now I need to find a couple more!!
Where did you order your parts from? I have the same one which had a cut shield and wrong cord.
I just cleaned the carb on my 14sb and can't figure out where to attach the linear style spring from the main throttle cable. Without the spring attached my engine idle keeps pulsing. Any suggestions??
Love that machine. I just picked up 9 of them. I just subscribed to your channel. Check out mine.. my question is how do you turn up the rpms seems like when in rabbit.. my kawasaki motor throttle cable runs to left side around the front . Is there lever or something? I'm stumped. I do small engine repair but have no clue on this one. CB
i have a JX85 Mower that runs fine on idle but when in fast position its running too fast can you help with this it may need a new governor and parts not sure though
Yes, but the engine is a two stroke. Briggs did the two strokes for John Deere.
@DminorFmajor
Not sure, you can ask the guys on My tractor forum's walk behind mower section and you might get an answer.
See ya.
Hey Indy,
How do you change the oil for the 14sb?
Hello. I've also got a used lawn mower like it, but the cable to speed is broken .. But do not know where to sit can you tell me?
Please tell me how to replace the drive belt.
Fine, maybe that changed, but John Deere had Briggs for two strokes and Kawasaki do 4 stroke.
Do you want me to make a video of how I know this?
my 14SE for some reason is running to fast at full throttle what can i do thanks
Hey there, great machine, I just got one from someone, it had the drive cable broken, I replaced it and seems to work fine. I have not used it yet and I'm wondering about pulling it back, I can only pull it back when the engine is on or it's that there is something wrong? I can push it forward but I can't pull it back. Any feed back on that? Thanks!
Chaviator Next to the frame, on either side is a grease fitting. Pump some grease in there. If that doesn't help you will need to take the rear wheels off and clean up the mechanism inside.
Wayne Essar
Thank u, I took the wheels off and as I loosen up the nut and took one of the wheels off, it started rolling backwards. It seems like something was stock on there preventing it from doing that.
Now, I have another issue. It starts first pull and everything is good but I pull the control back to cut power off, once it's running, or turn it off, it stays like it's at idle and never cuts off. Any idea of what to do? Thanks much!
Chaviator Hi, glad you had luck.
I would try the simplest fix first, maybe the cable is a bit loose or slightly twisted as it goes down the handle. I would remove the plastic zap straps or cable ties and replace them with new, snug ones. Enjoy your great mower!
Wayne Essar
Thank u, I'll try that and see what happens. It does not seem too tie or too lose, but I'll check the cable and adjustment
nice deal man... i dont understand the labor thing jason is talking about and i have a small engine repair shop .. you cant deduct labor for yourself if you did the work..labor @60 per hour is 120 parts70 thats 190 even if a shop did the work you still make 60 but the labor goes to you any way you look at it he made 180 work done at home = no overhead ..... nice job
If I have an SB with broken drive gears can I use the system with gears from an SZ.
I thought this was supposed to be a video of someone changing a drive belt on a 14SB. What happened?
How do you change the oil for the 14sb?
Question. I have 14SB problem. When I engage the blade the motor dies what do you think is wrong.
Blade clutch
Look up parts for a jx75... They are almost all interchangable.... Same carb and all... I cant believe there hasnt been mention....
why wouldn't u put on a mulching blade?... herrp derrrp
How much did you sell it for?
$250 cash. The first guy that looked at it took it.
i need a blade clutch for one of these
How long is factory pull string
looks like you haven't used it yet
Is this still available?
+Jim Reynolds Oh my gosh...no. Long gone my friend. Wish I had a dozen of these machines to sell...
Thank you....thats what I'm talking about.
Why? I got the mower for free...spend $70 on new parts. Sold it for $250 cash. Thats a profit of $180 for a couple of hours of tinkering and doing what I enjoy. Perhaps you should take the financial class. Your comment makes no sense.....
Yours is a two stroke then.
I have $180 burning a hole in my pocket.....thats what I have. You must not understand the concept of "hobby" not everything you do in life has to make a huge profit. Its something I ENJOY doing....I don't charge or deduct for labor to myself. If I sent the mower to a local repair shop to do the work then what would I have gained? Not much....the way I do it is I get pleasure, satisfaction and knowledge...you can't put a price on that. What do you not get about that??
Ha, this is a piece of junk. crappy way they put on the wheels, no axels, replaced carb 2 times, electronic parts,new cables with shift boxes. Cheezy tire wheel assembly, the yellow hubs will fall out, the transmission will lock up sometimes if you want to pull it backwards, plastic drive gear that hasn't failed yet. Parts are hard to get. no more JD for me. it has been nothing but trouble since i got it. When it was new is was really quite now the lower bearing is going out
What kind of mower shop doesn't know how to clean a carb?? Sounds like that shop does not want to fool with little stuff......I say do it yourself. Get a can of carb and choke cleaner,take it off and spray the dickens out of the inside...
fucking thing wont start