Video posted 12 years ago, I just used this trick for a simplicity landlord. I tried all the tricks, including “jumping” the leads - and nothing. I even bought new switches and that didn’t fix it. And it was this silly little spring loaded spot. You saved the day again!!! Thank you for this, solid gold gem here.

Thank you!!! Just purchased this ZeroTurn last week. No tools to get seat off and put it back in. Customers don’t care about your safety- they want their yards done. This little trick saved the day. Taking it in tomorrow to get it fixed properly.

I was pretty sure that my Simplicity problems were caused by the seat switch but was unable to work around it. Started looking for other causes but kept ending up back at the seat switch. The switch has been impossible to remove to test it. Then I found your video. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You are my hero today. Really and truely thank you from the bottom of my heart!

You saved the day. I flat refuse to put up with these idiotic devices but this little fella ended up being the first and only one I couldn't defeat instantly. I did just as you did , pulling then jumpering that stupid thing. Rest assured that useless bit of lawyerism will be tucked away forever. Thanks a bunch.

Looks like same exact tractor , mine was factory 18hp got 20hp on it now but I did same thing as yesterday but today made sure that little button was pushed in but that still didn’t fix the problem.... So I Unscrewed entire seat switch with 2 screws and ziptied the pressure switch but yeah glad you made the video man thanks

Thanks so much for this video. I tried bridging the switch and noticed that little spring loaded tab. Thanks for explaining! I don't care about safety features!

Just did this on my new Regent. The switch itself is normally closed so when you sit on the seat the switch opens the connection. You would think then by just removing the plug it would bypass but it doesn’t. On the plug itself as the original poster showed there is a spring loaded plunger. The plunger is connected to a Y shaped wire inside the plug that keeps the two wires connected together until you plug the assembly back onto the switch. Plugging it back in pushes the plunger in and disconnects the two wires from each other. You can either make something to hold the plunger in or just bend the little tabs in that hold the wire terminals into the plug and pull them out. I just put shrink tubing on the two wires and zip tied them under the seat.

Thank you! I had missed seeing that little spring catch.

A thousand Thanks. Just exactly what I needed.

Just snip 1 of the 2 wires and leave it plugged in. Those seat switches are a N/C type safety switch (Normally Closed) Until you sit on the seat. Basically it grounds the ignition out and shuts the tractor off if the switch is not pressed in. Pressing the switch in Opens the circuit. So just snip 1 wire and your good to go. Most of the brake safety switches will have 4 wires. Dual circuit N/C-N/O safety switch. Some manufactures use the 4 wire dual circuit switches for the seat as well. And Some use a N/O Normally Open switch. Those you can use a simple jumper wire to bypass. You can test a switch easily with a multi-meter on the Ohms or Continuity setting to figure out which type it is.

@kyleeklund9552

4 жыл бұрын

This has helped me immensely.. I'm troubleshooting a tractor right now that doesn't seem to be functioning correctly.. do you have any advice? It's pretty much the exact same model, just a 50" I don't know much about these tractors, but I'm being told that this unit should not start without an operator in the seat. I physically have removed the switch, I've jumpered the wires.. I've tried with the switch open and depressed. It starts every time regardless of someone being in the seat... But it will die immediately the PTO is engaged. So the safety mechanism seems to be working but I honestly dont know if the engine is supposed to start regardless of that switch being operable or not.. any advice?? Lol

@indywtf9766

2 ай бұрын

@@kyleeklund9552 The Correct Answer.

@indywtf9766

2 ай бұрын

The Correct Answer

i useny tractor to pull a cart with and plow with -- no mowing deck on ir. so this is great info. i am off and on all the time and this makes it easier

really tricky tks a lot greetings from Germany

Ooooooo....yup I had same problem plus I noticed the dash lit up funny .... bro thankyou....

Thanks been wanting to do this for years!

Yes, it is great. A real time saver!!

Hey all fellow lawn tractor owners doing modifications. Safer modification. I know it's a lot to read, but PLEASE READ FULLY before responding. John Deere L125 owner here and I did the same safety seat switch modification, but with a caveat. The seat safety switch is there for a reason, past accidents, or it would not of been included as part of a production run modification, however it was cumbersome to me, as others. I do a lot of lawn work with a cart and there is much short time on and off the tractor for me, maybe 1 minute at a time, and didn't feel like killing the starter or draining the battery with constant restarts. Instead of disconnecting or bridging the switch to make it inoperable permanently, I spliced into the two wires, drilled a 3/8th inch hole and connected a marine stainless steel toggle switch that won't rust under the seat. Cost about $5.00. In the OFF position it had no effect, leaving the seat safety switch still operational. In the ON position it bridged the two wires, akin to jumping the wires as shown in this video. This left me with the option to leave it ON (seat safety switch disabled, ie: bypassed,) when I was using it, and OFF (Seat safety operational) when fiancé, kids, or grand-kids were mowing. This gave me peace of mind that they were safe should the fall off the tractor after knocking their heads on a low hanging tree limb, and have the mower inadvertently circle around and run over them. This model has an auto tranny and has cruise control. Won't strop unless throttle tapped, or brake applied. Thus the worry and concern. This could be carried further, which I am updating, to have a key operated on/off switch instead of a regular toggle. Necessary if you feel others would switch it to ON (bypassing the seat safety switch) when they shouldn't. Heads up to all, let us all be safe out there, keep the family out of harm's way. Happy Lawning/Gardening.

On many models, setting the PARKING BRAKE and disengaging the mower blades allows the engine to keep running while operator leaves the seat. As they say, RTFM.

I have a larger model. we just added a bucket, would you believe that seat switch freezes up if you leave the tractor out ,it took me almost half hour of a hair dryer to keep the tractor from shutting down when i release the foot brake, I'm going to use this method right away , I took the deck off it anyway..

Under what conditions would you need to leave the driver's position with the blades engaged? Before disabling this important safety feature did you considering just setting the parking brake? This would allow you to leave the drivers seat with the engine running but not if the PTO was engaged. This keeps you from putting your hands or feet near the turning blades.

@pawtasticdadof532

Жыл бұрын

Sometimes you just need to lean to the side as you drive around a tree, or if there’s a branch on the ground, you can reach down and grab it. You’re not literally getting off of the tractor.

@112428

3 ай бұрын

@@pawtasticdadof532 I'm looking to disable mine because my ditch is steep enough my full weight isn't on the switch and it cuts the blades out. I'm still on the seat.

Thanks for the info old timer!

You the man. :) THANKS !

I’ve killed more than one battery because of this stupid switch. Forgetting to turn off the key cuz getting off the mower kills the engine. I liken it to the automatic lights on vehicles nowadays. On allot of vehicles, you have full dash lights even when headlights are off. I’d say once every couple weeks I’ll drive past someone without headlights on at night because of someone’s ingenious idea to have dash lights separate from the headlights.

Everything but nothing useful for my problem. My automatic transaxle doesn’t move forward nor backwards found small teeth broken

For 18hp take 2 screws out of pressure switch and zip tie it down and replace. Not sure if it is the computer difference or the aftermarket 20hp upgrade but even with that little button pressed in it still read off oil pressure warnings and died upon releasing pedal.... hope this helps anyone in my situation

Thanks!

If you just find the wire that is going into the motor electrical ignition area & cut the one that is used to ground out the system. You should have, a switched hot, a ground, & a switched ground (switched by the seat). You will want to cut the switched ground. And if you want you can mount a switch somewhere so you can, open or close the circuit, (the switched ground circuit) so you can use the seat switch (or not), whenever you feel better to have in use for safety.

dude you connected them together and it did nothing i.e break the connection switch so just cut it of would do the same without something extra floating around

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Nice watch

Your welcome

why would YOU WANT to git off the seat with the blades engaged.... THAT'S PRETTY STUPID.

Disabling any safety device on any type of lawn equipment is STUPID!!!!..I agree with one other persons comment,all you have to do is turn off the PTO and set the brake,how hard is that to do.i have been in the small engine repair business for 40 years and when i come across a rider of any type that has any safety switches unhooked,the customer is told before any work is done that the safety switches have to be hooked up or replaced before i work on their equipment.

@allanroberts4135

8 жыл бұрын

+charles gibson How many customers have you encountered who were injured because they disabled the safety device on their seat? I'll venture to say 0 to none and If there actually is one or two, well then, they're the ones who are STUPID!!!!!...! Besides, at the end of the day, the manufacturer wouldn't install any type of safety device if it wasn't required by the government.

@bcubed72

8 жыл бұрын

Well, when did we become stupid enough to require this? The Wheel Horse I use doesn't have any of this happy horse spit, and I seem to have survived using it pretty well. Heck, I started mowing lawns at the age of 8, with a 2-Stroke Lawnboy that lacked a deadman switch! (If an 8 y.o. can manage to operate something safely, without lawyer devices...and YOU can't...doesn't say much for you, now does it?)

@Vidar.m

8 жыл бұрын

those safety devices are there because of stupid people, and is anoying to normal responsible people

@twobeer3316

7 жыл бұрын

These safety devices are used to protect the manufacturers from lawsuits. Litigation, court costs, lawyer fees, settlements, ect. A few safety switches, warning labels, is pennies on the dollar for the manufacturers, and makes our machines cheaper...

@jbncnow

6 жыл бұрын

My old wheel horse 312 hydro will creep off backwards on its own while running lol i tell you the dumbest saftey switch is the one that kills the mower if you back up when the blades are on. Do you know how annoying that is in a yard with a lot of trees and stuff? Since when did we get s dumb we cant look before backing up, i also like to rince my deck out while the blades are running to get all the grass out as its always wet when you cut it here where i live, kinda hard to do that when you have to be seated on the tractor. Im not against saftey thogh cause i mow a very steep lawn so i bought one of those dead men switches for a boat and i clip it to a belt loop so if i fall off it kills the engine and blades