PTO Not Engaging

[mczajicek5]

I have a Cub Cadet LT1042 that's about 6 years old and just recently, the blades on my deck won't engage when I pull the PTO switch. I took the old switch out and replaced it with a new one. After about 3 tries the blades finally kicked on and worked fine. But, ironically, when I finished cutting the lawn it stopped again and now I can't get it going again. Any thoughts?

 

[jinman]

Yes, your problem sounds like a loose connector in the harness or a broken wire that is barely touching. If you have a voltmeter, you can verify power to the switch and power to the output side of the switch when you toggle it on. You can also use a 12 volt test light for this. My guess is that you have a connector somewhere at the opposite end of the wire near the PTO that is loose or broken. It's common to snag a wire with brush or it might just be a connector that was never fully engaged and has started making intermittent contact. I think if you follow the wires from the switch to the PTO you'll find your problem.