Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): john deere 160 pto, john deere 160, educated guess

Question
The PTO on my John Deere 160 disengages after running for about 20 minutes and will not re-engage. After the mower sits for about 30 and cools off, it will start up and the pto will engage again. New battery, any ideas? Thanks

Answer
Taking an educated guess here, I would say you have a circuit breaker that is "popping"  Before you start mowing next time,  unplug the electric PTO at the connector.

Attach a volt meter to the connection coming from the harness.  In other words, Red in one, Black in the other. Volt meter on the DC setting.

Now while sitting on the tractor, start it up and turn on your PTO.  What is your reading?  Should be at least 12 volts DC.

Reconnect everything and start mowing.  When the PTO quits.  Quickly disconnect the clutch from the harness and repeat the test.  No volts??  Trace the wires back to the dash where you should find a circuit breaker.

However, we still need to find the cause of this problem?  Is the PTO overheating perhaps?  Is there lots of grass and leaves caked around it?  Make sure it is clean so its not overheating.

Good Luck