BrycePoole
New member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2025
- Messages
- 2
- Tractor
- JD 425
Symptom:
On my JD 425, the electric clutch to the PTO that drives the lawn deck is not engaging fully. I have the parking brake off. When I pull the PTO switch up, the lights on the dashboard for front & rear PTO light up. But, I do NOT hear the normal screech (I assume the screech is the electric clutch engaging). I do see the rear PTO spinning, however. If I remove the mower deck PTO arm, I can see the front PTO spinning, but if I re-install the PTO arm, it's not strong enough to spin the PTO arm/mower deck. I am looking for help on why the clutch is not engaging fully.
Background:
This is a used JD425. I have had it for two years. I have been using it to mow weeds and tow a yard trailer. I love it! The PTO/mower deck has always engaged and did all the way up to the following change.
The change:
I was annoyed at the seat switch and not being able to hop off and on the tractor without first engaging the parking brake. When picking rocks, this was a major pain. So, I added a toggle switch in parallel with the seat switch that temporarily overrides the seat switch. (Turned on, it overrides the switch. Turned off, it restores the switch to “stock” behavior). To do that I tied into the lines near the seat switch. The new toggle switch is working as expected. High-fives all around!
With the toggle installed, now it won’t engage the PTO (even if the parking brake is off and the PTO switch pulled). I racked my brain to think what else I touched in the process. Well besides splicing the two lines, I pulled apart the X1 and X2 connectors and then reconnected them. Given how dirty they were, I assumed this could be the issue. So I took them apart again and sprayed electronic cleaner on them. I also filed the flat connectors with a small file with the hope of making a better connection. No dice. It made no difference. Still no PTO electric clutch engaging.
I am hoping someone more knowledgable than me can walk me through what I need to check to get the PTO to engage. Help!
On my JD 425, the electric clutch to the PTO that drives the lawn deck is not engaging fully. I have the parking brake off. When I pull the PTO switch up, the lights on the dashboard for front & rear PTO light up. But, I do NOT hear the normal screech (I assume the screech is the electric clutch engaging). I do see the rear PTO spinning, however. If I remove the mower deck PTO arm, I can see the front PTO spinning, but if I re-install the PTO arm, it's not strong enough to spin the PTO arm/mower deck. I am looking for help on why the clutch is not engaging fully.
Background:
This is a used JD425. I have had it for two years. I have been using it to mow weeds and tow a yard trailer. I love it! The PTO/mower deck has always engaged and did all the way up to the following change.
The change:
I was annoyed at the seat switch and not being able to hop off and on the tractor without first engaging the parking brake. When picking rocks, this was a major pain. So, I added a toggle switch in parallel with the seat switch that temporarily overrides the seat switch. (Turned on, it overrides the switch. Turned off, it restores the switch to “stock” behavior). To do that I tied into the lines near the seat switch. The new toggle switch is working as expected. High-fives all around!
With the toggle installed, now it won’t engage the PTO (even if the parking brake is off and the PTO switch pulled). I racked my brain to think what else I touched in the process. Well besides splicing the two lines, I pulled apart the X1 and X2 connectors and then reconnected them. Given how dirty they were, I assumed this could be the issue. So I took them apart again and sprayed electronic cleaner on them. I also filed the flat connectors with a small file with the hope of making a better connection. No dice. It made no difference. Still no PTO electric clutch engaging.
I am hoping someone more knowledgable than me can walk me through what I need to check to get the PTO to engage. Help!
