I have a brand new craftsman z550. Just picked it up I can not get the pto to engage help please I must be doing something wrong

Question edited for clarity.

First check the belt routing.

https://www.google.com/search?q=craftsman+yts4500+belt+routing+diagram

And PTO issues

https://www.google.com/search?q=craftsman+yts4500+PTO+does+not+engage

..

Craftsman Garden Tractor 917.28746 Engine shuts off when ...

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Craftsman Garden Tractor 917.28746 Engine shuts off when engaging mower deck. 917.28746 ... Then start the tractor and pull the pto button out. If the engine ...

Why does my engine die when the blade is engaged ... - iFixit

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iFixitI have an older Murray riding lawn mower, whenever I engage the mower the engine dies, otherwise it runs .... My dr feild brush mower ... cuts off when I engage theblades. ... My Huskee only shut off once I put it in drive with the blade engage.

Riding Lawn Mower Problem - Dies when PTO engaged - GardenWeb

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Craftsman Mower deck (clutch) Won't engage - GardenWeb

forums2.gardenweb.com > Garden Forums > Tractors
Jul 1, 2006 - I can push in the PTO switch to disengage the clutch and blades and the tractor starts fine and runs. But as ... If it doesn't lock up, look further into the deck...... Hi I hope somebody can help , I have a craftsman zero turn mower. PTO switch bypass????
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If you wired the pto directly to the battery and still kicks off and on, you have a bad pto clutch. They can be expensive but they are fairly easy to replace. Hope this helped.

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/layne_0fccff498c319c32

Sounds like a problem with the governor. Start it up. Don't engage the blades. Drive to a hill. Idle all the way down. Try driving up the hill. The motor should pick up when it slows while pulling up the hill. If it doesn't, the governor isn't working right.

You can hotwire the clutch and see if it clicks, rule out the switch or the safety. If you take the wires apart and jump them, with the battery, it should klik, if not, the clutch is shot, time for a new one, If it clicks, then the switch or the safety is bad. All the parts are available online or ebay, or craigslist. The new ones are expensive. Check it out, hope this helps.

something is loose, pto switch connectors maybe loose or corroded, wires at the pto, bolts on the pto there should be three of them. hope this helps Tim

When you say nothing happens...is the PTO engaging? You said that you already checked the belts...if none of these are off...you maybe looking at a new PTO clutch.www.nnyparts.com

Hi,
This is just a suggestion. Try pulling the choke out about one third to one half and then engage the PTO. Sometimes the air idle adjust screw port gets a tiny speck of debris in it. If with the choke partially out and the PTO engages the just grab a screwdriver and turn the air idle mixture screw counter clockwise a hair.

A switch should only be about $25. Before you spring for a new PTO assembly, take your switch out and take it to a shop and have it tested. I may just be a bad switch. Don't bother taking it to Sears though. Take it to a shop that works on Husqvarna and/or Poulan Pro. (Both basically same as Craftsman). DO take the model number from under the seat with you.