Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - Craftsman Lawn Tractor Stopped Starting

Craftsman 12.5 HP IC Electric Start 42" Lawn Tractor Model 917.255580

New battery installed 10 days ago, tractor started easily and operated smoothly.

Blades jammed against stump remnant yesterday, but tractor continued to operate, engine continued to run. To check condition of blades, I disengaged blades, put transmission in neutral, set brake, and left seat. Engine stopped as I left the seat.

Determining blades to be easily rotated by hand, returned to seat, engaged clutch, and turned ignition key - nothing, as if battery had been removed from system. Found fuse to be bad, so replaced same with 30 amp auto type per instruction manual. Back in seat, engaged clutch, turned key and again nothing.

Battery is fully charged and continuity checks are OK on ignition switch as well as underseat switch.

ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE WELCOMED! THANKS.

Did you re-check the fuse? Also, check to be sure the blade switch plunger is being pushed down when you disengage the blades. Is there any chance the battery connections aren't tight?

Thanks Cheese. Fuse checked, rechecked, and checked again. Terminals clean and tight. Suspect something is wrong related to attachment engagement control. Where/how can I locate the switch you mention?

Found the plunger switch (no thanks to Owner's Manual, which depicts it on electric schematic but fails to list or show it on schematics on other of lawn tractor's systems). Discovered that misalignment could be corrected by loosening rather than tightening the fitting holding engage/disengage arm in place. The key is the spring that pulls arm onto proper alignment to depress plunger at disengagement, thereby closing one of three electrical gates required for operation of starter circuit.

Anyway, thanks again Cheese.

Great! Glad you fixed it, and thanks for letting us know how it went!