What a great explanation. My pto on my Cub cadet 3225 is intermittent....meaning when I pull the switch it takes several seconds to activate. Today it worked a few times and now nothing. I haven't tested it yet. Do you think the switch is faulty? Cheers

@@nickferrence8593 I am not familiar with your radio but a push to talk switch circuit does not use that much amperage. I would try cleaning it with a good contact cleaner before going for the switch itself or the relay, if your radio uses one.

@@CarlosAvellanet . Not sure what you mean by a radio switch. I'm referring to a riding tractor with a snowblower and a faulty electric switch that turns on/off the snowblower. Thanks

@@nickferrence8593 haha! my mind is playing tricks on me. I repair old radios and when I read Cadet I thought you were talking about a vintage Ten-Tec radio not even remotely connecting Cadet to riding mower....however, the same concept applies. Im almost sure the PTO circuit used a relay as well. I would check the relay first before changing the switch. It could be either or.

@@CarlosAvellanet No worries Carlos. How would I check the relay? I tried starting the tractor with the pto ON and it wouldn't therefore meaning that the switch should still work BUT for some reason it's not turning the plow. I'll check the hydraulic fluid level too. Thanks

Sounds like my brand new 370! My husband used it once and it was fine. Today I went out to use it and the blade won’t engage, it has an LCD panel and it’s displaying 3 flashing lights, one is this part in the video, one is the parking brake light and one is the seat light, all three flashing every time I try to engage the blade. I’m wondering if fixing this part would fix all three problems?

@@amyblau542 last year was BRUTAL for my X300!!! I HAD to do a LOT of repairs myself. Due to Covid-19 , there is a 6 week waiting period once the dealer gets the machine at their shop... Last year, my X300 turned 13 years old.. I don't believe 13 is an unlucky number.....

@@howardkoster4026 We traded an 07 to get this new X370. Our old one never needed a repair! We used this new one for maybe an hour and now this issue. At least mine will be under warranty but hopefully I don’t have to wait 6 weeks! Yours should be good for a long long time, you fixed everything! Good luck!

@@amyblau542 I hope you're right. So far this year, my 07 is doing great!!! I found a schematic for mine online and saw some videos online that helped.... Be well.

I am wondering if a new switch fixed your pto mower problem or did you find something else?

Did a new switch solve the problem?

@@CarlJohnson-ry3gc I replaced the PTO switch. That was the problem

@@jerrycannon6940 yes, that solved the problem:)

@@naturegirl8248 you have better luck than me. I had to replace the solenoid on back of transaxel. It was easy, but cost 140 bucks for the part.

Same logic pattern I used. I started with wiring 12v directly to the unplugged clutch, it engaged so I knew it wasn't the actual clutch. Then I put 12v to the same color wires at the switch, it engaged as well. The trick was getting the seat safety switch circuit to make continuity and that actually has 2 components plus any wires or connectors or grounds that are fubar. So checked seat safety switch it works, wires look okay, retightened the ground, but now this video has me checking the other switch contacts to make mower go? Gotta try bypassing switch with three little jumper wires, see how that goes. New switch coming next week.

Interesting. Think I'll try that and call it good if it works. The center wires are for the PTO and I guess the others are safely switch circuits. Tractor won't start when disconnected. New switch doesn't cure the problem.

any update?

I ve been pulling the connection after the tractor is running and jumping across the center terminals to engage the mower. New switch didn't fix my problem. Have to have pressure on seat switch and brake off when jumping. Haven't found the problem yet to fix it right.

Works for you new pto switch

@@81salinas No because that was not the problem. it was the the PTO clutch.

The problem was my battery the deck just work when I put the jumper cables whit the old battery the deck doesn't engage so I put new battery and deck engages perfect the old battery just starts the tractor.

@@81salinas great i'm glad you got it fix. now is time to cut grass.. lol

@@SCuttingEdgeLawnService how much is a PTO clutch parts and labor?

Continuity

He did go through that a little quickly. Your multimeter will read 1 if there is absolutely no connection at all. If there is a perfect connection, your multimeter will read 0. (When it's set for ohms (also represented by the capital Greek omega).)

Yes, because its part of the safety system. In the down (off) position, it's normally closed, meaning the blade is not engaged and safe to start. This is part of the same circuit that ensures you're sitting on the seat, and the brake is engaged as well. This was intermittent for me, and allowed me to start some times. Ordered a replacement after understanding how this switch works. Thanks for the video!

@@spamnelsonhere I replaced switch but engine wont turn over. No click or anything. If I turn key and push/pull blade switch can hear that click but nothing from solenoid or starter. Worked fine 2 weeks ago just blades stopped but engine kept running.

@@flaron352 check the switch for the brake , it is under the seat

do the middle and bottom connected in all 3 rows to bypass the switch?

I just do the middle on my 425 after the tractor is started and it engages the PTO. Have to pull the jumper wire when done mowing and reattach the plug to keep engine running or to restart tractor.

I pull the plug off the switch after tractor is started and jump across the middle row to engage PTO. Reattach plug to switch after done mowing or tractor won't stay running or restart. Unsure what is required to fix correctly. Tried new switch. Same problem.

@@googleuser868 Sounds like 1 of the safety switches, probably seat or lever

You might consider checking the wiring from your PTO to all the places it connects and make sure they’re clean and tight. Secondly, you could check the gap on your PTO clutch to see if it is still in tolerance ( your manual, or check the internet for your specific clutch specification.) And lastly, you could spray your PTO clutch liberally with brake cleaner, then dry it with compressed air. Also, check your deck belts and blade bearings for excessive friction or play. If that doesn’t help, your clutch could be going bad.

I've sheared the bolt that holds the PTO clutch in place. Removing and reinstalling it is pretty straight forward. I put in a bolt that barely fit in the slot, it seems much stronger now.

Yes maybe the pto switch has a poor connection when it gets hot. Two other things come to mind. My walk behind pto shuts off when the battery is getting low and the charging system can’t keep up, it’ll kick off. I can turn it right back on but a couple of minutes later it’ll kick off again. Second thing that has happened is one of my battery terminals had just a little wiggle to it and the vibration would cause it to loose connection just for a split second and that would turn my pto off. The only way I found that out was I noticed a tiny spark at the battery when I was mowing. When I touched it the pto turned off. I tried that several times and it consistently turned off my pto. I could imagine it would do that anywhere along the power or ground wire if one wasn’t clean or tight.

@@metalinmotionshop I’m using a ventrac and we just got it last year. I would expect the clutch to go bad already. It’s charging at 14.3 volts. I’ll check the battery connection tomorrow. I’m also going to check the clutch for resistance across the leads to see if it is bad.

The PTOs have two wires going to them. One is a power and one is a ground. Apply 12 volts to one wire and ground the other wire with a jumper wire to the frame somewhere. It should click. You can also measure the ohms between those two wires. The ohms vary depending on what brand clutch it is, but its somewhere between 3-7 ohms if I remember correctly. Too low of ohms and you’ll pull too many amps and burn out the pto switch and blow the fuse. Also check for continuity between each wire and the PTOs metal body. There should be no continuity or its shorted and bad. Here is a link to a s50 snapper. It might not be your exact wire schematic but it might help you. It’s specifically the PTO wiring circuit. Good luck. www.jackssmallengines.com/jacks-parts-lookup/manufacturer/snapper-pro/mid-mount-zero-turn-riding-mowers/s50xt-series/5901209-s50xtkav1948-48-zero-turn-rider/electrical-schematic-pto-clutch-circuit-s-n-2016499706-below

@@metalinmotionshop Thanks for the quick response I'll check it out.

@@metalinmotionshop hey thanks for everything. It ended up being the switch. I cut it open It has a broken clip and I have a plastic welder And I was able to make it work and welding the Case back together. And ordered a new switch

@@glennpitre2239 That’s awesome. Great job!

Maybe a dielectric grease. Having it nice and tight isn’t a bad thing as it insures good connections.

Yes, the PTO runs off battery voltage. Usually the charging system isn’t strong enough to keep the pto going. If battery voltage gets to low the pto will turn on and then shut off, as there is not enough juice to keep the PTO, which is a giant electric magnetic, engaged.

I usually not as worried about an actual ohm reading as I am continuity. Being a on/off type switch it should be as close to zero ohms as possible. In reality a good switch will probably show 3-4 ohms or less.

Super helpful! Was able to diagnose my switch as the issue- just installed a new one and I am back in business!

Check all the easy things like your parking brake, pto switch turned off, handles back in the open position, sitting on the seat. If that doesn’t fix it, try cranking while wiggling the pto switch in the off position. Wiggling it side to side and a smidge up or down might fix a poor connection. If that fixes it but then it comes back consider replacing the pto switch.

Check seat switch and or reverse pedal switch and connectors.

@@metalinmotionshop In order to keep the mower running can't I simply cut one of the wires on PTO switch?

@@mrcleanisinI can’t advise disabling your kill circuit. If you came off the seat or flipped your blades and engine wouldn’t turn off. Too risky for me to advise it.

What kind a of mower is it? Usually if the engine shuts off when the pto is engaged it mean you have another safety switch not working. Check your seat switch and your brake switch.

Im still around and still doing repair. Look my business up in Philadelphia. You’ll find me there. Im about 30 min south from where I was.

I’m assuming that it’s part of the safety system and getting this part fixed or replaced should take care of it, I’m hoping?