mower blades do not engage

[frogs]

I have a Scotts 17.5hp with a 42" mower deck lawn tractor. When I push the lever up to engage the blades nothing happens. The belt is on. Can anybody help me?

 

[SeniorCitizen]

If I understand correctly your mower has a manual blade engagement rather than electric. As you push the lever up it should move an idler pulley pivot on top of the deck which tensions the belt. Look under but on top of the deck area to determine if that end of the lever has become disconnected from the pivot assembly or the spring that should be attached is broken. The spring's purpose is to maintain constant belt tension.

 

[frogs]

If I understand correctly your mower has a manual blade engagement rather than electric. As you push the lever up it should move an idler pulley pivot on top of the deck which tensions the belt. Look under but on top of the deck area to determine if that end of the lever has become disconnected from the pivot assembly or the spring that should be attached is broken. The spring's purpose is to maintain constant belt tension.

Thank you for the reply. I checked the spring and it is not broken and everything is connected. The lever is attached to a cable(kind of like a bicycle brake cable) with the spring at the end of it. I just started the mower, engaged the lever and the blades were spinning. I mowed about 5 ft and then the blades quit. Does this information help any or make it more confusing? I would appreciate any help,ideas,etc. Thank you.

 

[Carscw]

Did this Start when you changed the belt or did it just start doing this in it's own ?

Is the lever easy or hard to push up?

 

[SeniorCitizen]

When the blades quit spinning kill the engine without moving or touching any other controls and look to see what caused the tension on the blade belt to fail. Something has to be out of place if nothing is broke.

 

[frogs]

Did this Start when you changed the belt or did it just start doing this in it's own ?

Is the lever easy or hard to push up?

This just started on its own. It was mowing fine when I finished the lawn the last time. When I went to mow this time it didn't engage. Figured the belt was off but no... it wasn't. The lever is hard to push up.

 

[Carscw]

I would look at the end of the cable where it hooks into the deck. Make sure the end is still connected to the idler pulley bracket. And where the plastic piece is held to the deck with a clip.