My Toro 265 Mower Won't Engage

Battery

• The Toro 265 won’t engage in starting or power takeoff, also known as PTO, operation if you have a dead or dying battery. The Toro’s 12 volt battery has a lifespan that depends on the model and battery type. If your battery is beyond the warranty coverage or lifespan, it may have lost its capacity to keep a full charge. If you have testing equipment, check your battery for its charge capacity. If you don’t have that equipment, take it to an auto service store for testing.

Operating Position

• The PTO is the drive shaft that engages or disengages the blade. To operate it, your mower must have gears and other controls in the proper position. Press the clutch and break to stop your Toro mower. Then pull the PTO knob to the “On” position. To disengage the PTO blade, depress the clutch and break at the same time as before and push the PTO knob to “Off.”

Safety Interlock

• If you have activated the safety interlock system, chances are your PTO won’t engage. The safety interlock system on the Toro 265 prevents operating conditions that can cause harm or injury. The engine will not start if the PTO is in the “On” position” or if the ground speed selector is not in the neutral or “N” position. If the engine has started and the PTO is on, everything will stop if you leave the seat.

Overheated Engine

• If the engine is in danger of overheating or has overheated, the PTO will not engage, and it’s possible the engine will shut down. Overheating can happen if the engine is operated too long in idle because that does not generate enough cooling air. Overheating also happens if there is too much oil in the crankcase. Excess oil spills into the combustion chamber. That can ignite and create too much heat or fill the breather tube and restrict exhaust air flow.