Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): electrical problem craftsman riding mower model #917252590, electric clutch, infinite ohms

Question
a few weeks ago i apparently hit a twig with my mower and the deck started squealing and smoking shut it off cool down restarted seemed to work then blades quit turning pto switch melted bought another switch same thing happened melted and now battery goes dead what could b wrong and wat should ohms reading b for electric clutch, alternator,etc thank you your help is very much appreciated mike

Answer
The link below is a Toro repair manual:

http://www.billious.com/dl/Toro.260.Service.Manual.pdf

Although the manaul is not for your specific mower it does cover electric PTO troubleshooting.  Most of the clutches have about the same resistance reading.  If you have a bad clutch, it will usually read open (infinite ohms) or a very low resistance zero ohms (shorted).  Most clutches resistance range in value from 2-5 ohms for a good clutch.

There are lots of links with troubleshooting tips...just google "electric pto resistance check" or something similar.  You will find most of the info checks to see if the clutch is shorted to ground or if it has a resistance of between 2-5 ohms.

That must have been some twig you hit.

Let me know what you find.
Eric