Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Lx188 wont start with key

Question
John Deere lx 188 does nothing when turning the key. Won't jump off battery which is brand new. Can get it started by hooking battery charger up to the starter and jumping the solenoid. Mower with drive back in forth. The blades engage and work fine. Then I remove the battery charger cables and it dies right away. Idk thinking ignition switch which is the whole circuit board. Oh and both fuses are good and have power

Answer
There are several relays and safety switches...any of these components could cause the problem.

A bad switch may be preventing a relay from working.  Wiring diagram URL below:

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/motoforge/2012-05-14_173432_lx1882.jpg

Do you have a volt meter and are you familiar with reading schematics?

You will have to do some electrical testing to determine what is causing the problem.  You don't need an expensive volt meter to perform the tests, a $5 Harbor Freight meter works fine if you know how to properly use it.

Eric