# Now the Lawn Tractor Won't Start ....



## Dix (May 12, 2015)

Am I cursed???

Sears rider.

New battery, new spark spark, and no juice. No Wanna start, no nothing.

Model  #  917.272680


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## claydogg84 (May 12, 2015)

One of the safety switches is most likely the culprit. Most mowers have one on the seat and one on the mower engagement lever. You can bypass them by finding them, unplugging it, and using a wire to connect the terminals. Unless I understood this wrong, does it crank and not fire, or no crank at all? What I wrote above would be for a no crank situation.


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## heat seeker (May 12, 2015)

Check your PTO switch (off) parking brake switch (on) cruise control (off) first.

Check your fuses.

Do you have a voltmeter?

The seat switch usually won't prevent starting, as it's bypassed by the parking brake switch.


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## BrotherBart (May 12, 2015)

Yeah it is one of those damned switches. That supposedly save your life but destroy your sanity while doing it.


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## Dix (May 12, 2015)

Will check for a volt meter, honestly this is not my usual territory, if ya get my female drift 

And yes, no nothing ... dead, dead, deadski.


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## DougA (May 12, 2015)

If not a safety switch, the other major culprit is a bad connection at the battery terminal.  Take a wrench and carefully twist the connection slightly and see if that will work.


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## Ashful (May 12, 2015)

Never had that problem with a horse.  Any chance she can pull a mower?


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## ClanCameron (May 13, 2015)

I have 3 riders and 2 walkers.  1 walkers under-deck deflector broke loose and can't mow without chewing up the blade.  The other's gas primer bulb is split and pushing only air.  My 1st rider's idler pulley flew off and waiting for a new one, another rider has a dead battery coz I didn't get on it last year, and finally the last one looks good but still needs the 52" deck mounted.  It's going to be a long season.   Ready to start shopping wood to get my mind off of it all!


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## ClanCameron (May 13, 2015)

Well, chopping wood... Not shopping for it


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## Jags (May 13, 2015)

Yeah - if the starter isn't trying to engage, there is only a short handful of things that it can be.  Start with the safety switches first.


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## maple1 (May 13, 2015)

....then move on to the key switch & its connections.

Then the starter & its connections......

(BTW, I just went through this very same issue two days ago - with a McCormick cx100. Little bit of a difference in horsepower - but it was a safety switch, on the transmission. A paper clip got it out of the woods.)


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## Dix (May 13, 2015)

Checked it this evening when I got home ... seems the person who installed the battery & spark plug for me neglected to raise the blades up before starting it 

The switch suggestions got me to thinking, and sure enough, the blades were down when I went and looked. 

Grass cut, leaves chopped up, cruising right along


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## Dix (May 13, 2015)

Ashful said:


> Never had that problem with a horse.  Any chance she can pull a mower?



Obviously, you have not met Dix


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## heat seeker (May 13, 2015)

That's a new one for me. Any of my machines will start with the blades down, as long as the PTO is off. Glad you got it going!


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## Dr.Faustus (May 13, 2015)

I hate those safety switches. I leave most of them enabled except the worst one of all. the one that kills the engine if you try to go in reverse with the pto engaged (ie blades rotating). That is the first thing i disable when i get a new rider. It is a rider mower, who in the world doesnt look behind them when backing up with the blades turning? if i need to backup i usually just back up while my head is turned to see back there anyway.


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## TommyTally (May 13, 2015)

Dr.Faustus said:


> I hate those safety switches. I leave most of them enabled except the worst one of all. the one that kills the engine if you try to go in reverse with the pto engaged (ie blades rotating). That is the first thing i disable when i get a new rider. It is a rider mower, who in the world doesnt look behind them when backing up with the blades turning? if i need to backup i usually just back up while my head is turned to see back there anyway.



That one drives me insane. I have to mow hilly terrain and occasionally have to back up in some precarious positions. Makes it difficult to put it in reverse, hit the button that lets me go in reverse with the PTO engaged, keep a hand on the wheel, and watch behind me all at the same time. Would be much easier (and safer) without that "feature."


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## begreen (May 13, 2015)

Remember the other thread where the fool put an aerosol can in the wood stove? Manufacturers have to do their best to protect all. And one of the things they commonly need to protect against is folks drinking and mowing.., especially now that they put cup (aka beer) holders on models.


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## heat seeker (May 13, 2015)

Sad to say, there is more than one incident where some idiot backed over a child that shouldn't have even been in the area.
So we all get to be inconvenienced and pay for the privilege.


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## begreen (May 13, 2015)

Have to say there has been more then one time where I have been hustling to complete yard chores and in a rush tried to get off the mower with the blades engaged. The engine cutting out is a quick reminder to disengage the blades first and a good one at that.


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## Ashful (May 13, 2015)

One answer, in three words:  Commercial Zero-Turn.


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## begreen (May 14, 2015)

No safety switches on them??


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## claydogg84 (May 14, 2015)

begreen said:


> No safety switches on them??



They have safety switches, but you don't do much backing up with a zero turn.


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## Jags (May 14, 2015)

begreen said:


> No safety switches on them??



Seat and PTO engage.  That is about it.  Supposedly "Pro's" don't have an issue with backing over stuff.

Love my commercial zero turn - love, love, love.


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## Ashful (May 14, 2015)

claydogg84 said:


> They have safety switches, but you don't do much backing up with a zero turn.


Huh?  Homeowners on zero turns throw one lever into reverse at every turn.  Pros generally do K-turns, to avoid turf tearing with wide rear tires, and so are throwing BOTH levers into reverse at every turn.

My commercial Deere 757 ZTrak has only one safety switch, can't get off seat for more than 2 seconds with mower deck running.


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## claydogg84 (May 14, 2015)

Ashful said:


> Huh?  Homeowners on zero turns throw one lever into reverse at every turn.  Pros generally do K-turns, to avoid turf tearing with wide rear tires, and so are throwing BOTH levers into reverse at every turn.
> 
> My commercial Deere 757 ZTrak has only one safety switch, can't get off seat for more than 2 seconds with mower deck running.



Since you want to try and be technical, did I say anything about levers, or did I say "backing up". There is a difference, and I'm well aware how zero turns, "turn". Anymore Huh?


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## DougA (May 14, 2015)

Sub Compacts with hydra will mow in reverse.


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## maple1 (May 14, 2015)

Ashful said:


> Huh?  Homeowners on zero turns throw one lever into reverse at every turn.  Pros generally do K-turns, to avoid turf tearing with wide rear tires, and so are throwing BOTH levers into reverse at every turn.
> 
> My commercial Deere 757 ZTrak has only one safety switch, can't get off seat for more than 2 seconds with mower deck running.


 
Wouldn't that require 2 switches - one for the seat & one for the PTO?


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## Ashful (May 15, 2015)

claydogg84 said:


> Since you want to try and be technical, did I say anything about levers, or did I say "backing up". There is a difference, and I'm well aware how zero turns, "turn". Anymore Huh?


Not being just trying to be technical.  Point is, folks do back up on zero turns, and you don't have to look far to find stories of people being backed into or over by them.  I back up far more frequently when mowing on my zero turn, than I ever did on my tractor with mower deck.


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## Ashful (May 15, 2015)

maple1 said:


> Wouldn't that require 2 switches - one for the seat & one for the PTO?


Electric PTO switch activates seat safety switch circuit.  So, I guess if you want to call out the switch that turns on the PTO...  

There are actually several switches on the mower, to prevent things such as engaging parking brake when hydro drives are live, but only the seat switch is specifically called a "safety" switch.  The rest are there to prevent damage to the machine, not you.


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## BrotherBart (May 15, 2015)

Just don't ever stand next to a 4,300 pound tractor and use your hand to defeat the clutch switch to start it when you forgot that you left it in gear. Don't ask. Caught it and got in the saddle and the rear tire didn't run over my foot.


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