After sitting for an extended period, the shift mechanisms can become rusted/tight, as mentioned. I believe the STX tractors used a Peerless model 915, which is the least expensive/economy transaxle offered by Peerless. IMHO, it should have had a model 800 or 920 vs the 915 for the best results, but I think Deere took the "cheap route" with this one to meet a certain price point with the STX30 & 38. It DOES HAVE Peerless Bentonite grease (12 ozs.), which when left sitting for a period of time, can become harder and thicker. Any moisture introduced can also exacerbate this problem with the grease. As "HEAT" and "USE" are introduced back into the unit, it should free-up some, but some shifter damage could also result while using it (shift fork, shift keys, etc.). BEST OF LUCK !!! T-Man

Hey folks, so I'm posting this follow up in my original thread because I think I have a related problem. Last year, I replaced the PTO drive belt and the mower blade drive belts on my inherited JD STX 38 Yellow Deck. Today I took the mower out (NOT the first time this season) and had some serious issues. First of all, the grass is tall - 18-24 inches. I had the mower height set to the tallest height. The grass may have also been slightly damp - although not wet. I was able to cut basically one path, then I realized that although the PTO was engaged, the blades weren't cutting the grass. I was going at the slowest speed (first gear) and even tried cutting using only 1/2 of the mower deck width at a time - no help. I took the mower back to my driveway, cleared out lots of old clumped grass from the blades, and started the mower and the PTO. The blades were definitely turning. I turned off the mower again, and noticed that the PTO drive belt is looking terrible - it's all pitted and slack - it's not tight around the PTO shaft! So, my theory is this: the PTO drive belt is shot again (Although not broken yet) - so the blade spin when I'm not trying to cut anything, but when I come in contact with any sort of grass of substance, the slack belt is "slipping" and resulting in the blades not cutting? Does this make sense? Solution: replace the belt AGAIN???? A few more things to note: 1) I tried cutting shorter grass and drier grass and had very little luck. 2) why would my PTO drive belt, just replaced a year ago, be so shredded already? That's worrisome... any advice would be appreciated. thanks.

I guess my tired old eyes missed the part about having alread replaced the PTO clutch. So that would seem to eliminate excessive current draw by the clutch itself. Before you resort to adding any "non-OEM" switches, you need to check the resistance in the wiring from the PTO switch down to the PTO clutch connector with the clutch unplugged. You also need to test the ground side of the PTO connector (on the chassis harness, not the clutch pigtail) to see whether the ground side is sound. If the stx 38 has a PTO interlock module, it's possible there could be a faulty connection in the wiring, but not having a schematic for stx 38 makes it impossible for me to say for sure. Normally, PTO interlock circuits only inhibit the electric starter from engaging ifthe PTO switch is engaged (so it will not start if blades are on). Tractors that have interlock systems featuring "no mow in reverse gear" will have a switch to sense reverse gear and some have a switch to "over-rule" that so you can mow in reverse after setting the over-rule switch. If the stx 38 has this feature, the reverse sensing switch could be faulty, or the over-rule switch itself might be faulty.

The PTO clutch on the tractor is electro-magnetic and takes a lot of current to operate. If you have a low battery condition this will stop the tractor because you don't have enough voltage to run the ignition system with the PTO turned on. First, check the battery voltage with the tractor off. You should have about 12.75 to 13+ volts (depending on the age and condition of the battery). If the battery voltage is low you could have one or more of the following problems: 1. Old battery that will not hold a charge - needs replacement. 2. Bad voltage regulator - battery is not being charged and electrical system is running on low voltage when the engine is on and the PTO draws enough to shutoff the tractor. 3. Bad stator - battery is not being charged. Of the three possibilities - 1 & 2 are the most common. A bad stator is the least likely but, you can easily narrow this down. Start the tractor and check the battery voltage. If the stator and voltage regulator are working correctly, you should have 14+ volts at the battery. If you do not have 14+ volts with the motor running, then the battery is not being charged - and there is probably not electricity being supplied to run the electro-magnetic PTO clutch + ignition. You can sort this out by starting the engine and pulling the connector from the voltage regulator and looking for AC voltage using a multi-meter. I do not know the exact terminals on that engine - but, you should be able to find a service manual on line in electronic format for about $8.00. Otherwise, you can do this by a process of elimination. Put the probe in the top left contact and check the other contacts sequentially. What you're looking for is about 30 Volts AC from the stator. Then go to the second contact, repeat, etc. If you don't find the voltage - bad stator. This really isn't as likely as a bad voltage regulator. Voltage regulators have diodes in them and other semi-conductors and after being continually exposed to heat, vibration, etc. - they go bad. So, check the voltage regulator with a multi-meter on the Ohms setting. Most of the resistances should be in the 4.5 mega-Ohm area. If you find opens or low Ohm readings between contacts on the voltage regulator - it needs to be replaced. My guess - it's the voltage regulator and you will find several "open" conditions. I just replaced the voltage regulator on a John Deere garden tractor because the PTO would not stay engaged and the battery was always low. If you find the voltage regulator is bad, in your case I would replace both the voltage regulator and battery if the battery is over 2-3 years old as constantly running it in a discharged state has probably compromised the battery's ability to hold a charge.