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Anybody A Zero Turn Mechanic

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40 comments

  • select-fire

    The hand levers both arms... to control speed may not be set all the way open..or one of those safety devices need replaced.

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  • buddyb

    I have the control levers and parking brake safeties held open with zip ties.

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  • select-fire

    Did you check all switches with multimeter to see if they were good ..even though tied back... I know the Kubota quit and I had the seat safety switch taped .. it went bad.

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  • mike55

    Some safety switches are TWO way switches. Some have to be closed for one motion BUT open for another motion. Simply taping them shut will cause issues, IF they are 2 way switches.

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  • buddyb

    All the safeties were good with the multimeter. The PTO and ignition switch are new and tested good.I dont know where the safety for the for the PTO/blade engagement is located is that is the one I am having problems with.The safeties I have by passed are for troubleshooting and will be put back when the problem is found.

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  • jimdeere

    On my Gravely, the clutch has to slip a little to get the blades turning. If the clutch is worn and is metal to metal, would that stall the engine?

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  • buddyb

    Pretty sure its not a clutch problem. It only got 334 hours and never been abused.

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  • varian

    worked in electronics for 45 years, very hard to troubleshoot a problem like that without a schematic. should b able to find one on line. also on most all lawnmowers the ign. switch when turned to off shorts the coils to gnd thus stopping the spark. when turned to on it removes the gnd and enables the coils to produce spark. this gnd goes thru almost every safety switch on the mower, need a schematic.

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  • mike55

    IF you "bypassed" the brake safety switch, then it most likely will not move. For example.....brake has to be "set"(switch closed) to get out of the seat, BUT that SAME switch must be open(and seat switch closed) for the mower to drive.

    You have to KNOW if the switches are 2 way or not before you start bypassing them!

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  • mike55

    One of those safeties that you bypassed is causing your issues! PTO probably thinks the brake is set, and/or NOT getting the correct voltage from one of those switches. If any of the switches have more than 2 wires, then they are most likely TWO way switches.

    One of the switches is probably faulty, but simply "bypassing" 2 way switches causes ghost problems.

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  • bpost

    My zero turn will kill the engine if the parking brake is on and you try to start the blades. That tossed me a curve this spring. I guess they do that so you don't burn out the transmissions.

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  • mike55
    bpost: 30432292503579/comments/30432296830619

    My zero turn will kill the engine if the parking brake is on and you try to start the blades. That tossed me a curve this spring. I guess they do that so you don't burn out the transmissions.

    They do that so you cannot get off the mower with the blades running. Brake on, then the seat switch is inactive. Mine will shut off if you take the drive arms out of neutral with the brake on. These switches are NOT simple on/off switches.

    9
  • buddyb

    The mower would not move before I by passed the brake and lever switches.It now starts,drives fine but dies when the PTO is engaged.The safeties I by passed were plunger switches all of which tested good with a multimeter.There is either a wiring problem or a safety I missed.I have worked on mowers and tractors for years and dreaded wiring problems but usually figure out the problem.This one has me stumped for now.

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  • select-fire

    Have you checked the fuses?

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  • mike55

    Let us know what you find! I say it's a bad switch or broken wire to/from said switch.

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  • mike55

    The plunger switches CAN be two way switches! If I were you, Id try to find a schematic. If no luck, check the switches and see if they have more than 2 wires! Check depressed and static positions! Trust me, these type switches will cause all kinds of headaches while troubleshooting if you don't know how they operate(ie: static sends power/ground here, and depressed sends it here)

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  • Ruger4me

    I don't know if this will help or not, but my mower has similar issue, will die when engaging blades, only thing I can do to make it go is to turn the key in the position for mowing in reverse and push the button for the red light ON then can mow in both forward and reverse directions, wasn't like that when new but only thing I could figure out to get it going, I'm sure there is a switch or something that needs replacing but I don't know where or how so my work around is fine for now.

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  • Brookwood

    My Kubota BX tractor sometimes fails to shut down when I turn off with the key. The first time it happened I did about everything I could think of to shut er down. Removed battery cables, NO GOOD. Turned on the PTO for the front snow blower and got off the seat, NOPE!


    Made a call to the dealer and they advised me to kink a fuel line. Tried that but still kept running. Those lines are hard to kink!! After getting hung up on from the dealer (the noisy running tractor may have had something to do with that) and about an hour and a half of high anxiety, I started feeling around under the forward left side of the rig. Found a small lever and pushed it forward. The tractor shut right down!!!!

    A kill switch of all things and the goofy folks at the dealership didn't even know about it! I never did do anything to solve the problem and when the ole girl randomly fails to shut down I just push the kill switch.

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  • mike55
    Brookwood: 30432292503579/comments/30432309281819

    My Kubota BX tractor sometimes fails to shut down when I turn off with the key. The first time it happened I did about everything I could think of to shut er down. Removed battery cables, NO GOOD. Turned on the PTO for the front snow blower and got off the seat, NOPE!

    Made a call to the dealer and they advised me to kink a fuel line. Tried that but still kept running. Those lines are hard to kink!! After getting hung up on from the dealer (the noisy running tractor may have had something to do with that) and about an hour and a half of high anxiety, I started feeling around under the forward left side of the rig. Found a small lever and pushed it forward. The tractor shut right down!!!!

    A kill switch of all things and the goofy folks at the dealership didn't even know about it! I never did do anything to solve the problem and when the ole girl randomly fails to shut down I just push the kill switch.

    Sounds like you have a loose and/or dirty ground somewhere(attached to whatever is supposed to turn the tractor off....IE key switch). Or maybe the switch is just dirty and needs sparying out with a contact cleaner!

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  • mike55

    I'm used to old tractors that do not require voltage to run or shut off. Apparently newer Kubota tractors have a solenoid that must be energized to kill the engine. Your issue is likely that solenoid or a blown fuse feeding that solenoid. Check for a blown fuse, that may fix your key off shut down problems. The old tried and true decompression knob works fine, so it's up to you if you wanna try and fix the electrical issue.

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  • select-fire
    Brookwood: 30432292503579/comments/30432309281819

    My Kubota BX tractor sometimes fails to shut down when I turn off with the key. The first time it happened I did about everything I could think of to shut er down. Removed battery cables, NO GOOD. Turned on the PTO for the front snow blower and got off the seat, NOPE!

    Made a call to the dealer and they advised me to kink a fuel line. Tried that but still kept running. Those lines are hard to kink!! After getting hung up on from the dealer (the noisy running tractor may have had something to do with that) and about an hour and a half of high anxiety, I started feeling around under the forward left side of the rig. Found a small lever and pushed it forward. The tractor shut right down!!!!

    A kill switch of all things and the goofy folks at the dealership didn't even know about it! I never did do anything to solve the problem and when the ole girl randomly fails to shut down I just push the kill switch.

    Suffocate the inlet for air..

    6
  • varian

    is the kubota s diesel? the only way to shut off a diesel is to shut off the fuel. they used to use a pull cable or lever to do this, modern ones use a fuel cut off solenoid to shut the fuel off. no small engine (for usual yard equipment) uses a battery operated ignition like i posted before they shut the spark off by grounding the primary side of the ignition coil. some also use a fuel shut off solenoid that is battery operated on the bottom of the float bowel as a backup shutoff.

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  • buddyb

    The old 2 stroke Detroit diesels had an emergency stop where a spring loaded plate would cut off the air supply.I never saw one do it but I heard stories of them uncontrollably running away and destroying the engine.

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  • varian

    i have seen them "run away". scary when you are close to them.

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  • mike55

    Any updates on the zero turn mower?

    My bet is on the brake switch! Must be one way to start and another for the PTO to engage. PTO will not engage with brake set or brake switch jumped closed.

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  • buddyb

    Had to work last couple of days so I havent worked on the mower,but I will give that a try and let you know.Thanks

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  • jimdeere

    I think it's a ground problem.

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  • mike55

    Any updates on the mower problem? Inquiring minds wanna know!😁

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  • buddyb

    Thought I had found it.It has a seat timer switch plus the regular seat safety switch.Unplugged the timer and the park brake and blade safety stated working. Replaced the timer made one pass cutting the yard and it died and none of the safeties would let it run. Back to the drawing board.

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  • mike55

    I would Google the model and search for the wiring diagram, most are free online. Thanks for the update.

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