Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): my toro LX 420 keep blow out fuse when engaging PTO, continuity tester, tractor model

Question
Hi P.K.,
First thanks for your help. Here is my story:

Last winter in my last mow, my Toro LX 420 hit a rock, and the deck belt was de-railed. I can see smokes coming under the tractor but at first doesn't know the cause. So it lasted about 1 min.

Then I stopped the tractor and checked the blades and found out one of the blades was curled pretty badly. At that time I still can start the tractor and engage PTO.

A couple of days ago, I took the whole deck off and changed the blades. Also I noticed some part of the deck belt is thinner and kind of damaged (probably due to my last accident.)
After I put it back on I found that it is a little tight to engage PTO even without starting anything. I thought it might be nothing.

After I started the engine, and tried to engage PTO, the fuse blew out. If I engage the PTO very quickly, it seems ok at first, but after a few mins of mowing, it blew out as well.

So I am wondering if the tightness of engaging PTO could cause current surge and blew out the fuse?
Or the damaged belt makes the engine run faster than it should?

Another thing is my battery died last year and I jump start the tractor everytime I mow.  Could that have anything to do it?

I was trying to contact the local dealer but they refuse to take a look since I bought it from homedepot.

My tractor model is: Toro 2006: 13ax60rg744.
Engine: kohler sv540s.

Thanks a lot.

Answer
You have a short somewhere that's causing the fuse to blow.  I imagine it's in the pto wiring after the switch but there's no way to say without going through the harness.  If you have a continuity tester or a short detector you can use that to find it.  Other than that it will be difficult to locate.  You should replace the battery and check the cables as well.  Either could be contributing to or causing the problem.  The belt won't cause this, but a short in the pto could.

I would call Toro and tell them that the dealer is refusing to look at it.  I'm not a Toro dealer, but I am a service center for many brands and I imagine Toro has a similar policy in that a dealer agrees to work on labeled equipment no matter where you bought it.