Ryobi ZT480ex (RY48ZTR100CAN) vs Mice: Chewed wires repaired, Blades still not turning

[IDarwin]

We were away from home for a month on a road trip. Left the mower plugged in, in the relative safety of the back shed. The field mice got in and took advantage of our absence: built a nest in the space in front of the blade controllers,. While there, they helpfully chewed up the wiring. Result: Mower would move, but the blades, not. And, the blue LED on the "Slow Cut" button didn't light up. Took the front cover off, cleared out the nest. Soldered in a replacement for the green wire (a chunk of which was simply not there), and taped up the wires that had lost insulation but kept continuity. In short, fixing all the visible damage. Now the "Slow Cut" LED lights, but still no cutting. Blade spin freely by hand, so not jammed motors. Any thoughts on how best to proceed? Scrapping the machine would not be considered helpful . Thanks for any useful hints.