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Hope you get a good laugh out of this . Thank you kindly in advance for any suggestions.

I thought my lawn was clear, I have no idea where the stray hammock strap came from but here we are.

• I turned off the lawnmower as soon as I knew something was wrong, and I thoroughly removed the strap which had become tightly coiled around the spindle and blade assembly.
• Lawnmower starts up, runs and moves fine, no issues, weird noises or smoking, but now when I pull the PTO knob to engage, absolutely nothing happens.
• Courage19 engine. 180 hours.

Ideas?

TYSM!

First look to is if the PTO is still connected. Should find the wires under the right side of the frame with a plug connected to it.

Your P TO wires probably got dislodged , if not there's most probably a fuse could be blown , put a test light on the PTO wires at the clutch and engage the clutch - doesn't have to be running you should see the light come on if not work back towards the switch / fuse etc. - there is also a safety for the clutch operation.

@Bertrrr and @Rivets, thanks!! It appears the PTO wires just got dislodged, when I fiddled with them the PTO now will engage, but then stops after a little bit of tractoring. I noticed some electrical tape was around the PTO wiring plug, and some had come loose, so I'm going to apply some more and hope that does the trick.

Michael_WI_Greenfield said:

@Bertrrr and @Rivets, thanks!! It appears the PTO wires just got dislodged, when I fiddled with them the PTO now will engage, but then stops after a little bit of tractoring. I noticed some electrical tape was around the PTO wiring plug, and some had come loose, so I'm going to apply some more and hope that does the trick.

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Pull the tape on PTO wires and make sure you have hood solid connections. Not two wires twisted together with electrical tape. Soldered wires or crimped butt connectors.

I think there's a " pigtail" connection available with the OEM connector but I've used a couple of female spade connectors before with good results

Tiger Small Engine said:

Pull the tape on PTO wires and make sure you have hood solid connections. Not two wires twisted together with electrical tape. Soldered wires or crimped butt connectors.

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More like crimp and seal connectors and that shrink wrap with glue in it that oozes out confirming a weather tight seal.

Or solder and shrink wrap with the glue inside. Little Tesa tape and some loom would be nice. Several ways to skin a skunk.

@slomo @Bertrrr @Tiger Small Engine Thanks!

Is this what you're talking about? These the connectors to crimp and seal? I was an idiot and unscrewed one completely before screwing it back. This was after the PTO was running again for a few minutes.

It went for the longest it has ever since this problem started, but you could hear it struggling at points and the strength of the PTO going up and down. Then it quit, and I haven't been able to re-engage the PTO.

EDIT: I checked the fuse and it's fine.

That is "a" connection that could use soldering and shrink wrapped with the glue inside it. It weather seals the heat shrink from the elements. Little black plastic loom and some Tesa Tape. Factory repair all day long.

Bertrrr said:

I think there's a " pigtail" connection available with the OEM connector but I've used a couple of female spade connectors before with good results

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Yes there is a commercially available splice plug repair kit.

Stens XMC1003

OR you could use the Rotary 12923 and cut off one end and use some heat shrink butt connectors.

So it looks like what I need to repair is not the connection I shared a photo of, but the connection going left up toward the OEM knob. I haven't fully taken apart the tape there yet.

In the photo I posted, the wires are just twisted together. Sounds like I need to butt crimp them

the two wire nut connections need to be properly fixed. They are not water tight connections, and will fail, if one or both haven't already.

sgkent said:

the two wire nut connections need to be properly fixed. They are not water tight connections, and will fail, if one or both haven't already.

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That was what I was trying to relay. Mowers bouncing around the yard, most sit outside in the rain and snow. Wire nuts are a joke. This is soft copper wire you are trying to connect together.

Best way is solder and heat shrink with the Marine Grade weather sealing adhesive inside the heat shrink.

If the clutch has a plug in connection on the clutch then buy a new pigtail and fit is using all of the wire
When wires are ripped out they often break in several places inside the insulation and / or pull strands out of the crimp
all of which cause reoccurring failures .