How about some specific model and type numbers from the engine? "Briggs 20 HP Twin OHV" is still too vague and you can't get to a Briggs site manual without Model & type numbers. Magneto??? Generator??? Your engine has both, and each serves a different goal. Magneto creates the spark for the spark plug ignition. Generator (alternator) provides electrical power for keeping the battery recharged and to address the 12 volt loads of the electric PTO and lights. Magneto problems will not affect the PTO or the operation of the starter. Generator problems will not affect spark. Generator problems certainly will have an influence on whether the PTO works, and whether the battery stays charged to crank the engine. When we get the model & type numbers from you we will be able to look at the IPL and see if your engine has a fuel solenoid. The reason for "need to know" on that is because a Briggs engine that does not have a fuel solenoid will happily continue to run after the fuse you're thinking of blows. In that case, the PTO would quit but the engine would run on. But the next time you tried to start the engine, the blown fuse would prevent the starter from working. IF....the engine DOES have a fuel solenoid, the engine would have died the moment the fuse blew. In fact, the engine dying would probably have been at the top of the complaint because you would have failed to note that the PTO quit. Looking like a problem in the charging system, or a blown fuse to me. But remember, a fuse does not blow without a reason.

How warm will the case get?? Depends on factors like today's ambient air temp, and how hard are you "working it". Also will depend on how high RPM your engine is turning. With hydrostats, you want to run the engine very near the wide open throttle position (or at least close to 75% to 90% max RPM). Engine RPM = hydrostat cooling fan RPM. Need to keep the fan spinning fast, even if you don't want to go fast across the terrain. Don't lower your engine RPM to travel slowly, instead, "feather" the hydro pedal or lever to go slow. The amount of heat a hydro can generate is going to be nearly the same at low engine RPM as it would be at high engine RPM because the amount of heat generated is dependent on the amount of work the transmission is accomplishing (torque). An engine with a lot of torque output might very well accomplish the same amount of work at a lower RPM, but, the transmission will suffer! Though it is doing the same "work" (as at a higher RPM), it is not "shedding heat" quickly enough (slow turning fan) and so the oil temp goes high enough to begin degradation through heat. If you run the RPM up high and feather the hydro control down some, transmission still accomplishes the same work, but now it can shed heat better because the cooling fan is moving a larger volume of air across the trans case. This is why debris (grass, leaves, dirt) is so deadly to hydrostats, the debris is "insulation"! As to the case temp you can expect.......about as hot as "3 minute old" cup of coffee if the day is in the 80s or low 90s and you are working it normally. If you are climbing steep inclines, a bit hotter. If you are towing a heavy cart, a bit hotter. If you are towing a heavy cart up a steep incline.....stop that! If you get to where the transmission seems to "lose its pull" (engine RPM is high but ground speed drops dramatically) the oil is probably degraded to the point of "foaming" (because of water uptake, loss of viscosity and, loss of additives) and should be changed. I know people may have their own opinion of "which oil is best". For my own use, 5 W 50, 10 W 50, or 20 W 50 (synthetic) Motor Oil would be satisfactory. Use the prefix numeral in deciding which you need based on the WARMEST expected temperatures you might encounter in your local area (high temp? choose higher prefix numeral). The suffix numeral will not make much difference except if you will use it in temperatures near or below 0 degrees F.

I am responding to the same issues as the JD L130. I have a scotts 2046. tuff torque k46 tranny (made by Deere) It is somewhat new and necently had a tranny problem. I push the throttle and it slows and goes little reverse, some grinding and howling. Checked belts pulleys. Nothing. The dealer says its unserviceable and new one is 650 dollars!! I finally got the tranny off wow what a job!! The oil was dirty with shavings. Can anything else be wrong with it inside the tranny or just a good oil change? If anyone could help that would be awesome. I would hate to put it all back and its a 5 cent gear inside. Thanks

UPDATE: @ tomplum: To answer your question from before (I had to go double check how I disconnected it before I replied) - when I disconnected the solenoid I did it right at the bottom of the solenoid. There was only one connection there  wire to solenoid. IÂm not sure if that answers your question BUT I may have had some luck when I tested the regulator using your AC suggestion. Here is what I did with the motor off, the voltmeter set to AC, and everything else on the tractor connected properly, I disconnected the yellow wires running from the regulator to the generator (I am assuming the generator is where it goes) and kept the red wire connected (the one running from the regulator to the battery). I then put the positive end of the voltmeter into the yellow connecter running out of the regulator and I grounded the negative end of the meter. This gave me a reading of 24.1 (not sure what those units are, volts?). I could be totally wrong, but shouldnÂt that be 0? Why would there be voltage coming out of the regulator when the motor is off? Like I said, I could be misunderstanding how the regulator works so feel free to correct me. Thoughts anyone??? @ delbe_grow: According to the instructions that came with the voltmeter, it can read Amps (yea!). That said, I now know how to set it to read Amps however, IÂm not really clear on what and where to connect it to. I know you explained it to me but I guess IÂm really not following what you are saying :(. Also, IÂm not sure if this is normal, but the instructions say when I am measuring Amps I canÂt take a reading for more than 10 seconds and I have to wait 15 MINUTES between each reading. That could take me a while when IÂm really just guessing whether or not IÂm doing it right. Remember, I'm a newbie ;) Thanks for your suggestions though!