That darn PTO lever...!!!

[ttstraw]

Man do I feel like a goob! Bringing firewood in tonight, we fill the bucket and then lower it into the BilCo doors and my boys unload from the basement, saves the up and down steps thing. Anyway, lower the bucket in idle everything down and stand up...tractor dies! Shut the lights down and try to restart...nuttin...! Play with the hydro pedals, set park brake and try again...nuttin. Everything lights up but no crankin. Run inside find the manual, have no idea where the fuse block is, back outside tear screen cover off, check fuses visually, all look good. Still no crank. Down on the ground, snow covered as it is snowing out, looking for a saftey switch on the hydro pedals...all looks good still no crank. I notice there is a slow blow fuse down by alt....cant reach that joker unless you pull the shroud off....cant pull the shroud off unless you remove the grill guard. Tear all this off and check the slow blow and re-check all fuses with multi-meter...all good. Now I am getting a little frustrated..thinkin...cant start tractor...bucket lowered into BilCo opening so I cant close those doors nor even yank the tractor away from the door with the truck, the thought of calling the dealer and them seeing this thing like this was really getting to me. Then I think, the batt, not enough juice to run everything....pull it out put it on the charger. Slip on to this site and start to searches while its charging. See some comments about hydro pedals and PTO lever, I know of both of these but I never touched that PTO lever, cant be it I thought. Batt done charging, suit up and back out I go. Hook the batt back up and hit the key, nuttin, barely touch the darn PTO lever and away it went. Man did I feel like a goob. I touched that thing again and I will say it does not take much to shut that engine down. Still need to put the grill guard back on, it will wait its too cold but at least its back in the garage now. I am looking on the bright side of this, at least I now know where the fuse block is, the slow blow fuse, how to remove the shroud, got a good charge on the batt, and I have a hyper sensitive PTO lever. Not to bad a night...oh and I got two buckets full of firewood in the house..!!

 

[Samandothers]

I thought I was the only person that had those type days. I love your attitude and positive out look! It is a lot better way to express the situation than many may have. Thanks for the smile.

 

[RayCo]

LOL! I was fortunate in that the first time this happened to me, I noticeably snagged my jacket on the lever, and right then I noted, "Hmmm, I must remember that the PTO lever has a safety switch." And sure enough, there has been a time or two that it's moved about a cat-hair, and it shut the tractor off. Hopefully others who haven't discovered this yet will read your post and make their own mental notes!

Along a similar line, when I got my first tractor with a three point hitch, it didn't work. I didn't even really know what all that bracketry was on the back of the tractor, but I did some reading and learned about it. Well, the thing would not go up. I didn't really have any clue about hydraulics at the time and felt rather intimidated by it all. So, I loaded the thing onto a trailer and took it to a Wheel Horse place. The tractor was there for two weeks. They were not able to tell me why it didn't work, so I went back to the shop, paid them money for looking at it, and took it home rather depressed. But a few days later, I stopped at a farm with an 80 year old guy who restored garden tractors and was selling them out front. I chatted with him for a bit and told him about my 3pt. He said, "Well, if you can drive the tractor, the hydraulics are fine. It's all the same system." (Simple logic that I understand now for these single-pump tractors!)

So, I pulled the tractor into the garage with a clear and positive mind. I noticed that the level for the 3pt did not travel up as far as it did down. So, I took the dash panel off, and raised the lever. The hitch went right up... The dash panel had become misaligned and was simply preventing the lever from moving far enough! After weeks of being without the tractor, paying the "experts" to not figure this out or use common sense, being depressed for another few days, it was the simplest solution. Never overlook the simple solutions! It reminded me of when my brother replaced his dimmer in his bedroom since the light wouldn't turn on, and then changed the lightbulb after it didn't come on with the new dimmer either.

 

[Bird]

I am looking on the bright side of this, at least I now know where the fuse block is, the slow blow fuse, how to remove the shroud, got a good charge on the batt, and I have a hyper sensitive PTO lever.

Yeah, and I know that we forget a lot of what we've learned, but when we learn it that way, we'll remember it forever. Or maybe that's just me.

 

[spoon059]

Our new 7610 has the bucket controls on the right and PTO on the left, so either way I get off the tractor, i hit one or the other. Usually it is the PTO and the tractor shuts off right away. Remember the old days when you didn't have all these idiot switches and you could hop off the tractor and it would still run???

 

[Hammy]

LOL!

I did this on my 4 wheeler. I turned it off using the ignition on/off switch instead of just using the key. A few minutes later I couldn't figure out for the life of me why it wouldn't start. I eventually had to call the dealer to see if they had any ideas. They did, and told me to check the on/off switch. Man I felt like a boob.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one this happens too.

Yes, thanks for the laugh.

Craig

 

[teg]

"..it would still run.." Yea, you can still read about them in the safety section

I would leave the PTO in the "ON" position so that someone would have to remember to return it to "off" before starting the tractor (keep dumb crooks from stealing the tractor) hopefully, the third time!!! I'll remember to do it

 

[john_bud]

I do what teg listed. Engage the PTO lever and activate some other safety switches to keep the joyriders away.

I have only been stumped like that once, it was due to a stick under the deck poking the hydro peddle just a wee little bit, but enough to not allow it to start. Took some time to figure out, but the lack of any "click" sounds told me it was a safety switch. Still pulled hair out before finding that sucker.

jb

 

[ttstraw]

I will say I was not laughing while this was going on...but afterwards I had to. My wife said, "glad I wasnt home while that was going on"......lol...guess she knows me....!!!

 

[teg]

john_bud, are you saying that if the Hydro pedal is "on" that the tractor will not start? I might I put a wood wedge on the tractor to lean the Hydropedal forward until the safety switch kicks in (or out)... but I can see myself taking the tractor to the dealer to "fix" THIS trick

 

[btolle]

ttstraw, I like your attitude. Like me you never start with the most obvious (and simplest) thing. I prefer the adrenaline rush of assuming that the tractor won't start because the engine has blown up or something major like that and work my back through everything until I find the PTO lever out of place where I moved it when I got off.

I have fond memories of panicking when the thing wouldn't start and ranting and raving for about 10 minutes before removing my foot from the hydro pedal which I had slightly pressed down on until that safety switch had kicked out.

Someone once told me that the first rule was "You have to be smarter than the machine". I try not to listen to any reasonable advice like that, my way is much more entertaining for the neighbors.

 

[ttstraw]

Yeah, the bad thing is while laying the ground in the snow I thought about checking it but said nah cant be it I never touched that thing getting on or off. Oh well, I'm ready for that 50hr service now. I will most likely start that by removing the headlights....!!!!

 

[Bird]

I will most likely start that by removing the headlights....!!!!

No, the seat has to come off first.

 

[ttstraw]

Bird, seat first huh....ok I will start there...!!!

 

[john_bud]

john_bud, are you saying that if the Hydro pedal is "on" that the tractor will not start? I might I put a wood wedge on the tractor to lean the Hydropedal forward until the safety switch kicks in (or out)... but I can see myself taking the tractor to the dealer to "fix" THIS trick

Yeah, if the hydro isn't in the middle (no motion) the interlock won't let the engine's starter engage.


There are up to 5 common safety interlocks on tractors.

1) Clutch must be down
2) Seat must have a butt in it (some - not all)
3) Rear PTO must be off
4) Mid PTO must be off (if you have one)
5) Hydro must be centered (Gear shifter in N for the gear jammer crowd)

Naturally, tractors don't have lights to signal you that you are forgetting one of them. Naw, too easy! Much more fun for the design engineers to go to bed with visions of thousands of tractor owners scrambling in a mad panic with a tractor that won't start because of a safety switch. Much better than counting sheep....

jb

 

[Page2]

Yeah, the bad thing is while laying the ground in the snow I thought about checking it but said nah cant be it I never touched that thing getting on or off. ...!!!!

Man, been there, done that! It's always the simple things that stump you the most.

 

[LBrown59]

I was mowing with my BX23.
Stopped the tractor and shut it off to go talk to my neighbor about 100 feet away.
Went back to get on the tractor and put it in the garage for the nite.
It was almost dark and starting to rain by then.
Tractor would not start so I wound up leaving it set there over night.
Next morning still would not start.
Something made me look down and notice that the mmm PTO lever was engaged.
Shifted it to neutral hit the key and away she went.

In my haste to go talk to my neighbor I'd forgotten to shut the mower off.