Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - John Deere F1145 Front Mower

Turn key and lights go on fine. Then turn further to start engine and get a click and a little smoke from positive terminal on battery. If I try again all is dead but if I disconnect battery and reconnect then lights go on and I get the click and smoke?

Help

It could be a lot of things but the most likely is the starter bendix is stuck in the flywheel. Clean rhe battery terminals and posts. make sure your battery is charged, do a load check on it if you can, reconnect battery, make sure terminals are tight, then rotate the motor forward and back about a half turn by hand and try it again. If that works you might want to clean and lube the starter shaft and gear, if it's damaged or worn replace it.

You have a bad battery connection. Either the terminals on the battery or the battery cable ends are in bad shape. Most likely both. A bad connection won't let enough amperage through to crank the engine. When you try, it overheats immediately, arcs, and burns the connection (which is why you see smoke). That's why you have to disconnect and reconnect...because you burned the spot and it won't work until you move it around. Then the cycle repeats itself.

sounds like a bad connection on the power, take a load tester and test the batt. if it is good (12-13v) then replaced batt. cables.
give a try, cant hurt none
chris