I have GT245 lawn tractor. The mower deck will not shut off irrespective of the position of the pull switch. The engine will start with the mower engaged. I just replaced the pull switch

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

forums2.gardenweb.com > Garden Forums > Tractors

Apr 28, 2008 - When I pull the switch to engage the PTO, the engine bogs down real ...off I can keep the engine running with the mower engaged then it is fine ... Riding mower cuts out
May 18, 2010
mower dies when I let off the clutch
Sep 19, 2008
pto on Cub Cadet will not stay engaged...
Apr 6, 2008
Craftsman Mower deck (clutch) Won't engage
Jul 1, 2006
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The first thing I would check is to make sure the drive belt is not binding somewhere.

Craigslist.com people part out their lawn tractors all the time on there

I have a husqvarna yth2448 mower whitch the pto switch burns out and pull apart .Blade stop turning and mower remains running

If electrical ( the motor shuts down like you turned the key off) its likely the rider presence switch ( seat switch).
If the motor is pulled down and dies as if its uncapable of handling the load check the drive system. Remove deck and check drive belt and pulleys. Pull the belt off of a pulley for slack and with the tranny in first and the brake released you should be able to turn the large pulley on top of the tranny easily which should cause the tractor to start to move. If you cant turn the pully there is something wrong in the tranny.

Check for a weak battery. On some lawn tractors the mowing deck is started by an electric switch, and when the deck is engaged it pulls all the remaining power from the battery thus robbing the engine of the current it needs.

Check the drive belt for the blades

Check that the seat switch is functioning, pull the seat up and put a paperclip in the switch and try it that way if it works then you need to replace the safety seat switch.

It thinks you aren't sitting on the seat.
There are 2 wires and a switch under the seat. The plug may have come off, the connections might be bad, or the switch might be bad.

The is a safety switch located underneath the mower, in the dashboard area. This switch will not pass voltage to the ignition system unless the pedal is depressed, or the deck is not all the way up. However, your culprit is most likely the pto (power take off) switch on the dash that engages the blades. It will not allow the mower to start, if pulled, and if faulty will shut off ignition power when you release the pedal. First. You'll need a volunteer to sit on the mower and operate the controls.  Now put the deck down and with the pedal depressed start the engine. Nothing should happen, if it does replace the deck switch Sears part number #176138 mentioned above. Now raise the deck and release the pedal. Again, nothing should happen. Same solution if it does. If nothing happens on both tests the switch is ok. NOW. Behind the dash, find the pto switch, and squeeze the sides, depressing two clips that hold it in the dash. You should now be able to slide it though the dash, wiring attached. Unplug the switch. With pedal depressed, deck up, someone sitting on the seat, start the mower. Now release the pedal (making sure to block the wheels and have the transmission handle is in the neutral position. If the engine continues to run, you found the problem. Replace the PTO switch. Sears part number # 174651. Also, check the plug to the pto, ignition and deck switches for corrosion as this is a common problem, though not likely to cause yours, it could. Good luck, and please let us know the outcome, good or bad. Thanks so much.