20 years operating the X495 and learned something new

[BigTicket]

This is probably old news, but I discovered this week, after 20 years, that you can pull up on the PTO switch while it's engaged and it will not disengage in reverse. Funny thing is, for the rest of the day, I instinctively disengaged before backing about 90% of the time forgetting what It'd just learned. Old habits are hard to break. My dad bought it new in 2005. I cut his grass on ever since and now own it cutting the same yard since he passed two years ago. It's a great machine.


Chris

 

[beenthere]

I disconnected the RIO switch.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Welcome to to TBN. Lots of great knowledgeable folks on here. And like here folks willing to share the knowledge and experiences.

 

[jonsstihl]

my x758 is the same. you have options, push the RIO yellow button in with your left hand or pull up on the PTO switch with your right hand. depends which hand you are holding onto your kid with

 

[beenthere]

Nothing funny about the jonsstihl comment, but assume it was tongue-in-cheek.

I stopped along the road once to "lecture" a man mowing his lawn and ditch while towing a little red wagon with a small child in the wagon. He couldn't see anything wrong with his brain-dead idea.

 

[bigtiller]

Nothing funny about the jonsstihl comment, but assume it was tongue-in-cheek.

I stopped along the road once to "lecture" a man mowing his lawn and ditch while towing a little red wagon with a small child in the wagon. He couldn't see anything wrong with his brain-dead idea.

My father and 4 year old sister were doing that.
She got a rock or something thrown into her eye.
Emergency trip to the Doc. and a lifetime of guilt followed.

 

[dstig1]

My lawn is a nightmare of constant K-turns. After a few years of fighting it, I finally jumpered the push button switch so I could reverse without killing the mower blades. Easily reversible - just pop the switch out and pull the jumper wire out. I used the PTO pull a few times too. It was far too easy to miss a few times while mowing and either slip off the switch or mis-time it and hit the reverse pedal a millisecond before the button, so I finally had enough. No small children around to worry about the mower, so it's not an issue.

And Lighten Up Francis!

 

[jonsstihl]

Sorry I didn't mean to turn the thread into a safety police war. I don't see anything wrong with a kid on the operating station on non technical parts of the Lawn. Some of my best memories of my childhood are on my dads lap on the John Deere 285 in the early 90's mowing the lawn. common sense must prevail..... steep hills and low hanging branches are not a good idea but going slow on a flat lawn. They are with you on the operators station which is the safest place to be in terms of debris flying. definitely a bad idea to tow a cart with kids in it while mowing. and zero turns are another deal because you need both hands to steer. again common sense.

 

[Frxdy]

I hand made a plastic horseshoe that fits under the PTO switch for my John Deere. It took a few tries as the height is exacting. I just can't snow blow without it.