Short answer: Lawn mower repair cost runs $80 to $125 for a push mower tune-up (median $104) and $158 to $230 for a riding mower (median $200), based on price lists posted by 26 U.S. repair shops in October 2026. Other repairs are billed at $65 to $130 an hour plus parts. Pickup and delivery adds about $60 to $90.
$104 median posted tune-up, push or self-propelled mower (21 shop price lists)
$200 median posted tune-up, riding lawn tractor (16 shop price lists)
$92.50 median posted shop labor rate per hour (8 shops)
$23.02 median hourly wage of small engine mechanics (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Lawn mower repair cost depends on three things you can check before you hand over the mower: the shop’s flat-rate menu, its hourly labor rate, and whether it charges to pick the mower up. We compiled the prices that 26 small-engine shops, dealers and hardware stores publish on their own websites, from Wisconsin to Texas to Utah, and checked every page on Oct. 18, 2026. Then we priced the parts from manufacturer stores (Briggs & Stratton, Toro, Cub Cadet), set the totals against the list price of a new mower, and added federal wage data so you can see what you are paying for.
Every shop and price below links to its source. The full dataset (157 rows) is free to download.
Lawn mower repair cost by repair and mower type
Use this table to sanity-check a quote. The tune-up ranges are the middle half of posted prices (25th to 75th percentile), so a quote inside them is ordinary for the U.S. market. Repairs that few shops post as a flat rate are built from a posted labor price plus the manufacturer’s part price, and are labeled as estimates.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Repair | Push or self-propelled | Riding lawn tractor | Zero-turn | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tune-up (annual service) | $80–$125 (median $104; 21 shops) | $158–$230 (median $200; 16 shops) | $167–$258 (median $233; 10 shops) | Posted flat rates |
| Blade sharpening, per blade | $6–$10 if you bring the blade in; $10–$20 if the shop removes it | Same per blade; 42 in. decks have 2 blades, 54 in. decks 3 | Same per blade | Posted, 9 shops |
| Carburetor cleaning or rebuild | $40–$105 labor, parts extra | Adds $110 to a riding service at one Utah shop | Rarely posted | Posted, 4 shops |
| Carburetor replacement | $91–$157 | Quote | Quote | Estimate: posted labor + Briggs part |
| Pull cord or recoil starter | $20–$68 | n/a (electric start) | n/a | Posted + estimate |
| Oil change only | $30 | $50 | $50 | Posted, 1 shop |
| Deck belt replacement | n/a | $81–$229 | $81–$229 | Posted + estimate |
| Drive (transmission) belt | Quote | $115–$229 | Quote | Posted + estimate |
| Battery replacement | n/a | $92–$155 | $92–$155 | Estimate: posted labor + OEM battery |
| Electric starter motor | n/a | $159–$248 | $159–$248 | Estimate: 0.5–1 hr labor + Briggs part |
| Deck spindle, each | n/a | $169–$255 | $169–$255 | Estimate: 0.5–1 hr labor + OEM part |
| Hydrostatic fluid and filter change | n/a | Quote | $160 | Posted, 1 shop |
| Shop labor rate | $65–$130 per hour (median $92.50) | Same | Same | Posted, 8 shops |
| Diagnostic, deposit or minimum fee | $30–$108 (median $50) | Same | Same | Posted, 9 shops |
| Pickup and delivery | $0–$160 (median $80) | Same | Same | Posted, 7 shops |
Uses the ranges in this guide: posted prices from 26 U.S. shops (Oct. 2026) and manufacturer part prices. The mobile factor comes from one Nebraska shop's posted shop vs. at-home prices (+19% to +25%). Pre-tax. See How we built these numbers.
How a repair bill adds up
Formula: repair bill = (labor hours × shop hourly rate) + parts + shop supplies + pickup or trip fee + sales tax.
Worked example: a riding mower that clicks but won’t crank, with a good battery, needs a starter motor. One hour at the $92.50 median labor rate is $92.50. A Briggs & Stratton 595628 starter motor lists at $112.86. Pickup and delivery at the $80 median brings the bill to $285.36 before tax. Drop the mower off yourself and it is $205.36.
Parts are where quotes drift. Some shops include them in the tune-up price (Hunters Mower Repair in Ohio and Smoky Mountain Mower in North Carolina say so); most bill them on top. Ask which kind of price you are looking at before comparing two shops.
What 26 lawn mower repair shops actually charge
These are the prices each business prints on its own website. We left out cost-guide sites, lead-generation marketplaces and social media posts, and shops that list services without dollar amounts. A dash means the shop doesn’t post that price.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Shop (location) | Push / walk-behind tune-up | Riding / zero-turn (ZT) tune-up | Blade sharpening (per blade) | Labor per hour | Pickup or trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mowers & More (Milwaukee area, WI) | $130 | $200 / ZT $220 | $15 extra blade | $130 (on-site) | On-site service |
| Village Ace Hardware (Glendale, WI) | $94.99 | – | – | – | $89.95 |
| Great Lakes Ace Hardware (Grand Rapids, MI) | $69.99 | – | $10 off / $20 on | – | – |
| HDR Small Engine Repair (Traverse City, MI) | $122 | $233 | – | – | $2/mile each way (10 mi = $80) |
| Matt’s Small Engine Repair (St. Anthony, MN) | $110 | – | Included | – | Free |
| Hunters Mower Repair (Sharonville, OH) | $129 (parts incl.) | $259 / ZT $289 (parts incl.) | Included | – | $89 trip for repairs |
| Paul’s Lawn & Garden (Massillon, OH) | $103.50 | $230 / ZT $230 | $8 (off) | – | – |
| Broad Ripple Mower Repair (Indianapolis, IN) | $139 | $209 | – | $90 | $60 |
| Blair Small Engines (Blair, NE) | $80 shop / $100 home | $160 shop / $190 home | $10 off / $18 shop removes | $90 shop / $110 mobile | Mobile option |
| Reifsnyder’s Ag Center (Bernville, PA) | $105 | $170–$195 / ZT $235 | Included | – | – |
| Iron Valley Small Engines (Myerstown, PA) | – | – | – | $98.50 (on-site) | $40–$50 trip |
| Power Equipment Plus (East Meadow, NY) | $149.99 | ZT $249.99 | Included | – | – |
| Steve’s Small Engine Repair (Manchester, CT) | $125 | $299 | Included | – | – |
| Valley Mills Feed & Hardware (Valley Mills, TX) | $69.99 | $149.99 / commercial ZT $189.99 | $8.49 (off) | – | Offered, unpriced |
| Leprechaun Fixes (Tomball, TX) | $80 full service | $80 full service | $10 | $60–$80 minimum | $108.25 house call |
| Nathan’s Small Engine Repair (Indian Land, SC) | From $120 | From $230 / ZT from $260 | Included | $110 | $85 trip |
| Smoky Mountain Mower (Franklin, NC) | $159 (parts, trip incl.) | ZT $295 (parts, trip incl.) | Included | – | Included |
| Tri-City Mower Repair (Johnson City, TN) | $100 | From $200 | Included | – | $50–$100 minimum |
| Small Engine Solutions (Pikeville, KY) | $50 | $70 / commercial ZT $90 | $8 off / $10 shop removes | $65 | – |
| A-1 Tractor & Mower (Melbourne, FL) | From $98 | ZT from $147 | Included | – | $90–$125 |
| Small Engine Repair LLC (Loxahatchee, FL) | – | $189 | Included | – | – |
| Honest Engine Sales & Service (Layton, UT) | $99.95 | $220.95 | Included | – | $59.95–$99.95 |
| ASJ Small Engines (Gardnerville, NV) | $63 labor | $90 labor | $6 off / $20 on | – | – |
| Rec World Outdoor Power Equipment (Las Vegas, NV) | – | – | – | $95 | – |
| Woodinville Saws and Mowers (Snohomish, WA) | 1–1.5 hr | 3–4 hr | – | $79.95 / $89.95 riders | $100 riders |
| Valley Center Small Engine Repair (Valley Center, CA) | – | – | – | $180 call incl. 1st hour | $200 incl. 1st hour |
Three patterns stand out. First, the spread inside one region is as wide as the spread across the country: in Ohio, Paul’s Lawn & Garden posts $103.50 for a walk-behind service while Hunters Mower Repair posts $129 with parts included. Second, the cheapest posted tune-ups ($50 to $70) come from rural shops and hardware stores in Kentucky, Texas, Michigan and Nevada, and several are labor-only. Third, riding mowers cost about twice as much to service as push mowers at nearly every shop that posts both: the median ratio is 1.9.
Woodinville Saws and Mowers in Washington explains why. It bills by the hour and says a walk-behind tune-up usually takes 1 to 1.5 hours while a rider or zero-turn takes 3 to 4. At its posted rates that works out to about $80 to $120 for a push mower and $270 to $360 for a rider, before parts.
Lawn mower tune-up cost: what’s included and what isn’t
A lawn mower tune-up costs $80 to $125 for a walk-behind mower and $158 to $230 for a riding tractor at the middle half of shops we found. Nearly every posted tune-up includes an oil change, a spark plug, an air filter service and blade sharpening. What varies is whether the shop replaces or just cleans the filter, whether parts are in the price, and whether the carburetor gets touched.
| Item | Walk-behind tune-up | Riding or zero-turn tune-up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil change | Yes (all shops) | Yes, plus oil filter | Check the oil type on the quote |
| Spark plug | New at most shops that list it | New plug(s) | Riding mowers may have two plugs (Illinois Extension) |
| Air filter | Cleaned or replaced | Cleaned or replaced | Replacement adds $12.72 or more in parts |
| Blade sharpening and balancing | Yes | Yes, all blades | Glendale, Wis., Village Ace includes a power wash too |
| Fuel filter | Some | Most | Smoky Mountain Mower and Nathan’s list it |
| Carburetor cleaning | Rarely; “if needed” at a few | Rarely | Honest Engine charges $66 more for its full service with carb overhaul |
| Deck scrape or wash | Most | Most | |
| Deck leveling, tire pressure, belt inspection | n/a | Most riding services | Belt replacement is extra |
| Hydrostatic fluid | n/a | Not included | $159.99 extra at Valley Mills Feed |
| Pickup and delivery | Rarely | Rarely | Matt’s (Minn.) and Smoky Mountain (N.C.) include it |
Lawn mower tune-up cost if you do it yourself
Doing it yourself costs the parts. Manufacturer maintenance kits for walk-behind engines list at $20.99 (Toro 20234) to $29.14 (Cub Cadet 490-950-F065). Riding mower kits list at $56.09 (Toro 20298) to $82.49 for a V-twin (Toro 139-0646). Bought separately, a Briggs & Stratton spark plug ($6.19), air filter ($12.72) and 48 oz of SAE 30 oil ($19.21) total $38.12.
Kawasaki puts the oil change in those kits at 20 to 30 minutes, and our step-by-step guide to changing lawn mower oil gives the drain route and first pour for 10 engines.
Before you pour, check the grade and amount your engine takes: our lawn mower oil type guide lists both for Briggs and Stratton, Honda, Kohler, Kawasaki, Toro and John Deere engines.
Against a $104 median shop tune-up, the DIY route saves $65 to $85 a year on a push mower if your time is free. Briggs & Stratton says the four-step job takes “about a half hour” (Briggs & Stratton tune-up guide). The trade-off is the blade: sharpening and balancing it properly needs a vise, a file or grinder and a balancer, and it is the step most owners skip.
If you want to do that step yourself, our guide on how to sharpen a lawn mower blade lists the blade bolt torque, tilt direction and replacement limits from 17 owner’s manuals.
How often should a lawn mower get a tune-up?
Once a season for most homeowners. Briggs & Stratton says to change the oil “at least once per season or every 25 hours of use” on walk-behind engines and to replace the spark plug every season (Briggs & Stratton). University of Illinois Extension says fuel filters are typically changed annually and spark plugs every two years (Illinois Extension); N.C. Cooperative Extension says annually or every 20 to 30 engine hours (N.C. Cooperative Extension). Mow more than 25 hours a season and a mid-season oil change is cheaper than a shop visit: $29.99 for a push mower and $49.99 for a rider at Valley Mills Feed & Hardware.
Lawn mower blade sharpening and blade replacement cost
Lawn mower blade sharpening costs $6 to $10 per blade when you take the blade off and bring it in, and $10 to $20 per blade when the shop removes and reinstalls it. Sharpening is included in almost every posted tune-up.
| Shop | Blade brought in (per blade) | Shop removes blade |
|---|---|---|
| ASJ Small Engines (Nev.) | $6 | $20 |
| Paul’s Lawn & Garden (Ohio) | $8 | – |
| Small Engine Solutions (Ky.) | $8 | $10 |
| Valley Mills Feed & Hardware (Texas) | $8.49 | $25.99 push mower; $50 rider (whole mower) |
| Great Lakes Ace Hardware (Mich.) | $10 | $20 |
| Blair Small Engines (Neb.) | $10 | $18 |
| Leprechaun Fixes (Texas) | $10 | – |
| Mowers & More (Wis.) | $15 extra blade, on-site | – |
Replacement blades cost more than sharpening but not by much. Toro lists its 22-inch Recycler blade at $21.99, a 42-inch TimeCutter blade kit at $48.99 and Cub Cadet a 42-inch mulching blade set at $62.53. Nathan’s Small Engine Repair in South Carolina posts $20 for a replacement blade when one is too worn to sharpen. Replace rather than sharpen when a blade is too rusty or deformed, as University of Maryland Extension advises.
How often? University of Maryland Extension says blades ideally get sharpened “after every 10 hours of use,” but that twice a year (early spring and late summer) will suffice (UMD Extension). Cornell’s turfgrass program puts a number on skipping it: dull blades “increase fuel use by up to 20%” and shred grass tips (Cornell). University of Illinois Extension adds that a ragged cut gives disease a longer window to infect the leaf (Illinois Extension).
Does Ace Hardware sharpen mower blades? Some stores do. Ace stores are independently owned, so services and prices vary: Great Lakes Ace in Grand Rapids posts $10 per blade off the mower and $20 on it, and Village Ace in Glendale, Wis., includes sharpening in a $94.99 tune-up. Call your local store before you pull the blade.
Riding lawn mower repair cost
Riding lawn mower repair costs $158 to $230 for a routine tune-up at the middle half of posted prices, and $81 to $255 for the common single-part repairs: a deck belt, a battery, a starter motor or a deck spindle. Labor is the larger share because riders take longer to get at: Woodinville Saws and Mowers puts a rider tune-up at 3 to 4 hours against 1 to 1.5 for a push mower.
| Repair | OEM part price | Labor | Installed estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck belt | $40.99 (Toro 42 in.) to $129.14 (Toro 54 in.) | $40 labor (Leprechaun Fixes) to $229 with belt (Hunters) | $81–$229 |
| Drive belt | $35.19 (Toro hydro drive belt) | $80 labor (Leprechaun) to $229 with belt (Hunters) | $115–$229 |
| Battery | $81.61 to $145.09 (Cub Cadet) | $10 labor (Leprechaun) | $92–$155 |
| Electric starter motor | $112.86 to $155.78 (Briggs & Stratton) | 0.5–1 hr at $92.50 (our assumption) | $159–$248 |
| Deck spindle, each | $122.95 (Cub Cadet 42 in.) to $162.79 (Toro) | 0.5–1 hr at $92.50 (our assumption) | $169–$255 |
| Hydrostatic fluid and filter | Included | $159.99 posted (Valley Mills Feed) | $160 |
| Oil filter (in a tune-up) | $17.48 to $22.55 | Part of the tune-up | Included in most riding tune-ups’ labor |
Before paying for a starter, rule out the cheap causes. Briggs & Stratton lists a discharged battery, corroded terminals and faulty safety interlocks or solenoids among the reasons an engine won’t crank (Briggs & Stratton), and N.C. Cooperative Extension notes dead batteries are common after winter storage and suggests having the battery tested at an auto center (N.C. Cooperative Extension).
Transmission and engine replacements are the jobs that change the repair-or-replace math. No shop in our sample posts a flat price for either, so get a written quote and compare it with the new-mower prices in the next section before approving it.
Carburetor cleaning, rebuild or replacement
Carburetor work is the repair most mowers need after sitting with old gas. Briggs & Stratton says gasoline “begins to degrade in as little as 30 days,” gumming the fuel system, and that fuels with 15 to 85 percent ethanol are not approved for small engines (Briggs & Stratton fuel guidance). Posted prices:
- Cleaning only: $40, excluding removal and reinstallation, at Leprechaun Fixes (Tomball, Texas).
- Clean, rebuild or replace: $105 labor, parts extra, at Matt’s Small Engine Repair (St. Anthony, Minn.), or $185 bundled with a tune-up.
- Full service with carburetor overhaul: $165.95 for a walk-behind, $66 more than the basic service, and $330.95 for a rider, at Honest Engine Sales & Service (Layton, Utah).
- Replacement: $45 flat labor plus parts and the trip charge at Nathan’s Small Engine Repair (Indian Land, S.C.).
A new carburetor for a common Briggs & Stratton walk-behind engine lists at $45.57 to $52.23 (799584, 591160, 594058). That is why many shops replace rather than rebuild: at $45 to $105 in labor, a $48 carburetor puts the job at $91 to $157, roughly the cost of a second tune-up.
To avoid the job, buy no more gas than you will burn in 30 days: storage limits from 8 engine and mower makers are in our guide to what kind of gas a lawn mower takes.
Most common lawn mower problems and what each fix costs
The most common lawn mower problem is a mower that won’t start after storage, and the usual cause is stale fuel. Check the cheap fixes in this table before you book a repair.
| Symptom | Most common cause (source) | Usual fix | Posted shop price for the fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Won’t start after sitting all winter | Stale fuel gumming the carburetor. Briggs & Stratton says gasoline “begins to degrade in as little as 30 days” (Briggs & Stratton) | Drain the old gas, add fresh fuel; if that fails, carburetor cleaning | $40–$105 |
| Pulls over but won’t fire | Loose, dirty or disconnected spark plug; clogged fuel filter; dirty air filter (Briggs & Stratton) | Plug, fuel filter and air filter: the parts in a tune-up | $80–$125 tune-up |
| Starter rope hard to pull or stuck | Blade-brake bail not held down, or the blade is jammed with wet clippings (Briggs & Stratton) | Clear the deck (spark plug wire off first); recoil repair only if the rope or spring is broken | $20–$68 |
| Riding mower clicks or won’t crank | Discharged battery, corroded terminals or a faulty safety interlock or solenoid (Briggs & Stratton; N.C. Cooperative Extension) | Charge or test the battery first; starter or solenoid replacement if the battery is good | $92–$155 battery; $159–$248 starter |
| White or blue smoke | Burning oil: overfilled crankcase, or the mower was tipped on its side (Briggs & Stratton) | Usually clears after a few minutes on flat ground; check the oil level | Often $0 |
| Ragged, brown-tipped cut | Dull blade. Cornell says dull blades “increase fuel use by up to 20%” (Cornell turfgrass program) | Sharpen, or replace a bent or badly nicked blade | $6–$20 per blade |
| Deck blades won’t engage, or the deck squeals | Worn or cracked deck belt (N.C. Cooperative Extension tells owners to check the belt for cracks each spring) | Deck belt replacement | $81–$229 |
Warranties don’t cover most of these. Toro’s consumer mower warranty excludes repairs caused by fuel more than 1 month old or containing more than 10 percent ethanol, and by failing to drain the fuel system before a month or more of non-use (Toro consumer mower warranty).
Lawn mower repair cost per hour, and why it isn’t the mechanic’s wage
Shops post labor rates of $65 to $130 an hour; the median of the 8 we found is $92.50. The mechanic sees a fraction of that. Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics earned a median $23.02 an hour in May 2025, with the middle 80 percent between $16.67 and $32.34 (BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 49-3053). Wages are 68.6 percent of what private employers spend on installation, maintenance and repair workers; benefits and payroll taxes are the rest (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, Table 4). That puts the median mechanic’s cost to the shop at about $33.56 an hour.
Formula: loaded labor cost = hourly wage ÷ 0.686. Example: $23.02 ÷ 0.686 = $33.56.
The other $59 of a $92.50 posted rate pays for hours nobody can bill (diagnosis on mowers that turn out not worth fixing, parts runs, winter slow season), the building, lifts and diagnostic tools, insurance, unpaid warranty comebacks, and profit. That is why diagnostic fees exist: posted fees run $30 to $108 (median $50). Ask whether yours is credited toward the repair.
Where repair labor costs more
Mechanic pay sets the floor under shop rates, and it varies by about 60 percent between states. The highest and lowest state medians:
| State | Median hourly wage, small engine mechanics |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $28.94 |
| Hawaii | $27.94 |
| Massachusetts | $27.80 |
| New Hampshire | $27.70 |
| Nevada | $27.29 |
| United States | $23.02 |
| Oklahoma | $20.50 |
| New Mexico | $20.44 |
| South Dakota | $19.99 |
| West Virginia | $18.85 |
| Mississippi | $18.22 |
| Arkansas | $18.08 |
Our shop sample follows the same direction: the two highest posted labor rates are in Wisconsin ($130) and suburban San Diego ($180 for a service call including the first hour), and the lowest is in eastern Kentucky ($65).
Who repairs lawn mowers
Most mower mechanics don’t work at stand-alone repair shops. Of the 36,060 outdoor power equipment and small engine mechanics BLS counts, the largest groups work for lawn and garden equipment retailers (7,310, mostly dealers), landscaping companies (6,810), golf courses, marinas and other recreation businesses (5,180) and building material dealers such as home centers (4,500); only about 1,800 work in personal and household goods repair shops (BLS OEWS, May 2025, industry estimates). Census counts 1,670 employer establishments classed as home and garden equipment repair, and 1,418 of them (85 percent) have fewer than five employees (Census County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 811411).
In practice you have four choices: an equipment dealer (best for warranty work and brand-specific parts), an independent small-engine shop (often the cheapest posted labor), a hardware or farm store with a service counter (simple tune-ups and sharpening), or a mobile mechanic (no hauling, but a trip charge).
Mobile lawn mower repair and pickup and delivery fees
Mobile lawn mower repair costs about 20 percent more than dropping the mower off. Blair Small Engines in Nebraska posts the cleanest comparison: $80 for a push mower tune-up at the shop or $100 at your home, $160 or $190 for a larger mower, and $90 or $110 an hour for repairs. Other mobile mechanics charge a separate trip fee: $40 to $50 at Iron Valley Small Engines in Pennsylvania, $85 at Nathan’s in South Carolina and $108.25 for a house call at Leprechaun Fixes near Houston. Valley Center Small Engine Repair near San Diego charges $180 for a service call that includes the first hour.
Shop pickup and delivery runs $0 to $160 with a median of $80. Matt’s Small Engine Repair includes it free in its push mower special; Broad Ripple Mower Repair in Indianapolis charges $60; HDR Small Engine Repair in Traverse City, Mich., charges $2 a mile for each leg, which it says is $80 for a home 10 miles away (HDR pickup policy).
If you can fit a push mower in a car or pickup, hauling it yourself is the single easiest saving on a small repair. For a riding mower, a mobile visit often costs less than round-trip pickup plus shop labor, as long as the job doesn’t need a lift.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a lawn mower?
Repairing is cheaper for almost every walk-behind job short of an engine replacement, and for nearly every riding mower repair. A typical carburetor job costs 23 to 39 percent of a new $399 push mower; a riding mower deck belt costs 3 to 10 percent of a new $2,399 lawn tractor. Replace when one quote reaches half the new price.
Formula: repair ratio = repair quote ÷ price of a comparable new mower. Our rule of thumb: under 25 percent, repair; 25 to 50 percent, repair only if the engine and deck are sound and the mower is not already burning oil; over 50 percent, replace. Example: a $157 carburetor replacement on a mower that would cost $399 new is $157 ÷ $399 = 39 percent, which is a repair if the deck isn’t rusted through.
| Mower class | Model (manufacturer list price) | New price | 25% of new | 50% of new |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gas push, 21 in. | Toro Recycler 21311 | $399 | $100 | $200 |
| Gas self-propelled, 21 in. | Toro Recycler 21321 | $439 | $110 | $220 |
| Gas self-propelled, 22 in. | Toro Recycler 21445 | $499 | $125 | $250 |
| Gas self-propelled, 22 in., electric start | Toro Recycler 21464 | $599 | $150 | $300 |
| Battery push, 21 in. (battery included) | Toro 60V Recycler 21323 | $479 | $120 | $240 |
| Lawn tractor, 42 in. | Cub Cadet XT1 LT42 | $2,399 | $600 | $1,200 |
| Zero-turn, 42 in. | Cub Cadet Ultima Z1 42 | $2,999 | $750 | $1,500 |
| Zero-turn, 42 in. | Toro TimeCutter 75748 | $3,199 | $800 | $1,600 |
| Zero-turn, 42 in. | Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 42 | $3,429 | $857 | $1,714 |
| Zero-turn, 42 in. | Toro TimeCutter 77401 | $3,499 | $875 | $1,750 |
Two things push the decision toward a new mower. One is age plus a big quote: a 10-year-old rider facing a transmission or engine bill is a candidate to replace even below 50 percent. The other is a battery mower: Toro’s 60V Recycler push mower lists at $479 with the battery included, close to its $439 gas self-propelled model, so the gap between replacing a tired gas push mower and going battery is smaller than it was.
New mowers have also gotten more expensive, which strengthens the case for repair. Producer prices for lawn and garden equipment manufacturing rose 21.7 percent from 2019 to 2025 (BLS PPI, PCU333112333112), against 25.9 percent for all consumer prices (BLS CPI-U all items). The consumer price index for outdoor equipment and supplies rose 24.6 percent over the same years (BLS CPI-U, CUUR0000SEHM02).
- PPI: lawn and garden equipment manufacturing
- CPI: outdoor equipment and supplies
- CPI: all items
Source: BLS PPI PCU333112333112; CPI-U CUUR0000SEHM02 and CUUR0000SA0; annual averages rebased by The Green Industry Report Rebased: each year's annual average divided by the 2019 average.
Show the numbers
| PPI: lawn and garden equipment manufacturing | CPI: outdoor equipment and supplies | CPI: all items | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 2020 | 100.90 | 102.60 | 101.20 |
| 2021 | 103.70 | 105.80 | 106 |
| 2022 | 113.80 | 117.50 | 114.50 |
| 2023 | 119.20 | 127.40 | 119.20 |
| 2024 | 121 | 122.80 | 122.70 |
| 2025 | 121.70 | 124.60 | 125.90 |
Toro, John Deere and Cub Cadet: when the repair should be free
Check the warranty before you pay anyone. Warranty work has to go through an authorized dealer, and the terms are shorter than many owners assume, especially on hours.
| Mower | Residential warranty | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toro Recycler gas, steel deck, 21–22 in. | 2 years | Briggs engine 3 years under the GTS starting guarantee; 45 days commercial | Toro warranty |
| Toro Recycler gas, black steel or cast deck | 5 years | Engine 5 years GTS | Toro warranty |
| Toro Recycler electric | 2 years (steel or resin deck); 5 years (cast) | 60V batteries 3 years residential | Toro warranty |
| Toro TimeCutter zero-turn | 3 years | 30 days commercial; engines 3 years | Toro TimeCutter warranty |
| John Deere 100 Series tractors, Z335E–Z375R ZTrak | 24 months or 120 hours | Whichever comes first | John Deere warranty statement, 2026 |
| John Deere 200 Series, Z315E, Z325E, Z320M/R, Z330M/R | 36 months or 200 hours | Whichever comes first | John Deere warranty statement, 2026 |
| John Deere X300 Series, Z515E, Z500M | 48 months or 300 hours | Whichever comes first | John Deere warranty statement, 2026 |
Toro’s “GTS” guarantee means the engine is covered if an able-bodied adult can’t start it in 1 or 2 pulls, but Toro excludes pickup and delivery charges, repairs by anyone other than an authorized service center, and first starts after more than 3 months of storage (Toro). John Deere’s statement says warranty parts and labor are free but the owner pays for any service call or transport to the dealer (John Deere). Routine maintenance (oil, filters, plugs, blade sharpening) is never covered.
Before a Toro goes to the shop, match its model number to the right starting routine, plug and GTS term in our Toro no-start guide by model.
For brand-specific questions such as Craftsman, John Deere or Toro lawn mower repair cost outside warranty, the brand matters less than the engine and the part. Most residential mowers use Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki or the maker’s own engine, and the parts prices in this guide apply.
Red flags in a lawn mower repair quote
- A tune-up quote with no list of what’s included. Posted menus list each step; ask for one.
- “Parts extra” with no parts estimate. A walk-behind maintenance kit lists at $21 to $29; a riding kit at $56 to $82.
- A carburetor rebuild billed at more than the cost of a replacement carburetor plus $105 labor (about $157).
- A diagnostic fee you didn’t agree to in advance. Posted fees run $30 to $108; ask whether the fee is credited toward the repair before you leave the mower.
- Being told a covered failure isn’t warranty work without the shop checking the serial number against the manufacturer’s terms.
If you also pay a landscaper for seasonal work, our guides to lawn aeration cost and leaf removal cost use the same posted-price method, and the snow removal cost guide covers the other half of the small-engine year. Operators pricing their own equipment downtime can use the labor data in our landscaper salary report and our guide on how to bid landscaping jobs. All our price guides are on the costs hub.
Lawn mower repair questions, answered
How much does it typically cost to fix a lawn mower?
A push mower tune-up costs $80 to $125 (median $104) and a riding mower tune-up $158 to $230 (median $200), based on 26 posted shop price lists. Single repairs such as a carburetor, belt or battery usually land between $40 and $255 including parts.
Is it worth repairing a riding lawn mower?
Usually. A new 42-inch lawn tractor lists at $2,399 (Cub Cadet XT1 LT42) and a 42-inch zero-turn at $2,999 to $3,499, so common repairs of $81 to $255 are 3 to 11 percent of replacement. Reconsider when a transmission or engine quote passes half the new price.
Are lawn mowers worth repairing?
A push mower is worth repairing when the quote is under about a quarter of its replacement price, roughly $100 for a $399 gas push mower. Between 25 and 50 percent, repair only if the engine and deck are sound.
What is the most common lawn mower problem?
A mower that won’t start after storage, usually because of stale fuel. Briggs & Stratton says gasoline begins to degrade in as little as 30 days. Fresh fuel, a new plug and a clean air filter fix many cases; otherwise carburetor cleaning costs $40 to $105.
What is included in a lawn mower tune up?
Nearly every posted tune-up includes an oil change, a new or checked spark plug, an air filter clean or replacement, and blade sharpening and balancing. Riding mower tune-ups add an oil filter, deck leveling, tire pressure and belt inspection. Carburetor cleaning and parts are often extra.
What’s the average cost to sharpen lawn mower blades?
About $8 per blade if you remove the blade and bring it in (median of 6 shops, range $6 to $10) and $10 to $20 per blade if the shop removes it. A 42-inch riding deck has 2 blades.
How much does it cost to replace a belt on a lawn mower?
A riding mower deck belt costs $81 to $229 installed: $40 to $130 for the belt from Toro or Cub Cadet plus labor. Hunters Mower Repair in Ohio posts $229 including the belt; Leprechaun Fixes in Texas posts $40 labor.
How much do lawn mower repair shops charge per hour?
Posted labor rates run $65 to $130 an hour, with a median of $92.50 across 8 shops. Mobile service adds a trip fee of $40 to $108 or a higher hourly rate.
How we built these numbers
Shop prices. We searched for U.S. small-engine repair shops, outdoor power equipment dealers, hardware stores and mobile mechanics that publish lawn mower repair prices on their own websites, and kept the 26 whose pages loaded and showed dollar amounts. Every price was matched against the live page text on Oct. 18, 2026. Cost-guide sites, marketplaces, social media and our competitors’ articles were excluded. Prices are pre-tax.
Statistics. For tune-ups we used one price per shop per mower class (the basic or standard service; starting prices at their posted minimum). Ranges are the 25th to 75th percentile; medians are the middle value. Shops that bill tune-ups by the hour (Woodinville) and those posting only a service-call price were left out of the tune-up medians.
Repair estimates. Where a shop posts labor for a repair, we added the manufacturer’s list price for the part. Where no shop posts a price (starter motor, spindle), we assumed 0.5 to 1 hour at the $92.50 median posted labor rate. These are estimates, not quotes.
Parts and new mowers. List prices from the Briggs & Stratton, Toro and Cub Cadet online stores, checked Oct. 18, 2026. Fit varies by model; look up your engine or mower number before buying.
Labor data. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national, state and industry files, SOC 49-3053); BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, Table 4 (installation, maintenance and repair occupations, private industry); Census County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 811411). Price indexes are BLS annual averages, 2019 = 100.
This page is general information, not professional advice. Prices change; confirm with the shop before you drop off a mower. Disconnect the spark plug wire (or remove the battery on electric mowers) before working near the blade, as manufacturer and extension guides instruct.
Sources
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