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PTO Issue - need help!

1858 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Mark / Ohio, 
A
Hello all. I had purched , two years ago, a cabin with a garage in which the previous owner had a nearly mint condition Bolens ST120 (3212G) riding mower. Wow, what a monster this thing is!

Worked fine the first year, but last fall I noticed the battery was going dead awefully easy. Additionally, when i engage the PTO (the blades in this case), they only rotate for a few minutes before they no longer rotate. I then place my meter on the batery and notice there has been a draw on the battery sufficient enough to stop the blades from turning. i recharge the battery and voila, it work again - for a few more passes.

Question: can anyone tell me what engine was used on serial number 0200321, and if it may be a stator/alternator/generator issue? I know about cars, and this would be the first thing I'd check if it were a car.

The limited info I DO have is what is printed on the engine: 12HP I/C Industrial Commercial Bore.

Whattaya say, can anyone help??
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Wayne195
Welcome to the forum achtung!

It would appear that your tractor has an electro-magnetic PTO clutch which explains why it shuts down when the voltage in the battery drops too far. The first thing that I would recommend is that you charge the battery fully, test the voltage, then start the tractor and test the battery voltage while it is running. The voltage on the battery should be about 12.5 directly after it has been charged and about 13 - 13.5 while the engine is running(I am supposing that you have a 12 volt battery). If the voltage is not higher while it is running it is a sure sign that the alternator is the culprit. Otherwise, you may need to replace your battery.

I'm afraid I can't help you with info on the engine. There should be model, type and serial numbers on the top shroud somewhere. If you find the numbers you can enter them into the Briggs & Stratton website below and find all the info you need.

http://www.briggsandstratton.com/support/need-help-finding-model-number/riding-mower-engines/
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