Welcome to TBN from Oklahoma. Try posting your question in the Lawn and Garden forums and you'll get more people viewing to answer your question. Post more details about the problem, such as I'm just taking it out for the first time this season, and it dies as soon as I engage the pto for the blades.
If that is the case I would first make sure (engine off) that nothing is obstructing the blades and that all pulleys are free.
If that doesn't fix the problem, then this time of year I usually look at the carb as it is common anymore for the gas to go sour over the winter and varnish to form in the small openings in the carb, thus preventing it from operating correctly. If that is the problem, then a carb cleaning and fresh fuel normally solves the problem.
Let us know exactly what it does and what all you've done and we'll try to help you.
Ken