I'd like to add my story to this thread. I had the same problem. Turned the key, nothing worked. Check out all wires - multiple times - and everything checked out. Finally, after disassembling most of the engine compartment, I noticed that the button in the safety switch on the blade engagement arm didn't seem to be pushed in all the way. After playing with the arm - forcing it all the way back toward the seat - I got current and was able to start the mower. Turns out, there is a spring underneath the mower, above the mower deck, whose sole purpose in life it to keep tension on the arm so it will properly depress the button when disengaged. In this case, that spring had broken. I saw it handing underneath and figured it had nothing to do with the safety system because it didn't seem to serve a purpose. Wrong assumption, obviously.

Wankel, One of the easiest things to do, is to go on a forum like this and advise someone how to disconnect a safety feature because the person giving that advice doessn't have to face any consequences for his actions. But.... and there always is a "but".. the person who buys a new lawn or garden tractor and decides to deliberately defeat such a safety device must do so in the full knowledge that he or she is now assuming 100 percent of the liability for his/her actions. If you were to back over a neighbour's child with the switch in perfect operating condition, then that would be one thing in the eyes of the law. The attorney representing the neighbour would likely sue you and the manufacturer of the lawn/garden tractor and the manufacturer has very deep pockets compared to you. However, if you defeat the very safety switch that the laws of the USA mandated the manufacturer to install, then you've just given the manufacturer a "Get out of Jail, FREE" card. His attorneys will put 100 percent of the blame on YOU, dude because of your wilful, negligent actions. Now let's face it. The chances of this happening are small but ask anyone who ever injured a child with a lawn cutting device and the first words out of their mouth will be "I never thought it would happen to me.". So go ahead if you wish. Disconnect the switch or disable it in some way. Roll the dice and gamble. But do so in the knowledge that juries award damages in the millions of dollars and if your homeowner's policy is capped at one or two mil, then kiss your house, cottage, boat, camper and everything else you own good-bye because YOU PERSONALLY will be on the hook for the shortfall. Those telling you to do this, aren't risking anything. So tell me this, how much are you willing to risk? Is this minor inconvenience worth putting your entire lifestyle on the line, including that of your wife and kids? Don't believe me? Go ask an attorney who specializes in civil torts dealing with personal injury claims. Those vultures advertise on TV begging for injured people to contact them.

Another safety issue is people not walking the area to be mowed before mowing. I have three children, so it seems toys, rocks, etc. tend to find their way into the lawn and can become projectiles. This is especially bad when mowing next to a gravel road or driveway. This is why it is also important that others are not nearby when mowing (a commercial mower sent a rock through the back window of my Mom's car once as she drove by, pretty scary).

I could not go back to NOT using tabs can not even imagine it. Once you start and get used to how much time it saves you and how easy it is to do you will quickly start to love them. Plus it is easier on your pc to have only mulitple tabs open rather than having multiple instances of complete windows open. This is one thing I love about tabs. I can set up a folder up on the bookmarks toolbar in that folder I put the links to every site I visit every day, like this forum, the other forums I am on, my netvibes page which contains all my rss news feeds, my email sites. Then in the morning I go to that folder easily accessible on the top of the firefox bar right click on it and select open all in tabs. Bam immediately I have my full list of tabs open in one movement now that is a huge time saver, They are there open and ready for me to visit one after the other. I have another folder up there called tools in that one I have the links to all the security programs I have to recommend or list many times a day when helping people with pc issues, I do not have to go looking in favorites or google or where ever for them I have them all right there in that folder on my bookmarks toolbar, I left click the folder go to the one I need right click it to open in new tab and I am there. Huge asset.