Endangerment from a Nanny State "safety feature"

**Lionelgee** · 19th December 2025, 09:03 AM

Hello All,

As some of you who own MTD ride on mowers may be aware, to be able cut in reverse a "safety feature" has to be engaged. After starting the engine the key must be turned from the default automatic position of about 2 o'clock and brought back to the 12 o'clock position then on the ignition switch plate a triangle shaped button must be pressed. This triggers a red light to come on. Where the red light means that caution you have the cut while in reverse feature on. If the cutter deck is going and you put the mower in reverse without going through the previously described process it activates an automatic engine kill.

Admittedly the fact that my ride-on mower is now 11 years old and does not exactly lead an easy life - an issue is occurring at ever-increasing frequencies, and a safety feature has turned into a life threatening situation.

Just wondering if anyone knows if this system - such as plunger type switches need adjustment - because perhaps years of use have thrown them out of adjustment. Switches related to the described system have failed or are failing. Or how I can bypass the whole ever increasingly pain in the arse, 'red light not on .... self check ... cutter deck is engaged ... I MUST turn the engine off ... cough ... splutter ... 'safety feature' engages.

Yesterday when I drove nose first into a natural alcove amongst trees where the only access is drive in nose first and then reverse out. Reposition the steering and rinse and repeat before I could complete the reverse the light turned itself off three times in less than 3 meters! Soon as the engine starts to die the brake/clutch pedal has to be engage to stop the engine kill feature. Meanwhile I had to turn the key from the 12 o'clock position to the 2 o'clock position and back to the 12 o'clock position ... press the triangle and let the clutch/brake out. Three times each time I re positioned the mower. I have a lot of these natural alcoves in my paddock. Alternatively, when cutting in an ever decreasing rectangle or square shaped pattern, I over shoot a corner - travel an approximate distance past the corner. Stop reverse in an arc and position the mower to cut down the other side. For each ever diminishing circuit this procedure gets done four times.. Where as the alternative would be to drive in a loop . which means the mower covers more ground and in doing so - consumes more fuel. So, while the loop is a more 'flowing' action it is not as efficient as the previously described technique. By the time you are half way through the 'loop' you would have already been mowing multiple mower lengths down the new side of the cut.

The life threatening situation involved my cutting the grass verge in a gap between a concrete culvert - the road surface and a guide post. The best method to cut the grass is to quickly nose in - cut as far as safe to do so to the steep drop off of the culvert. Hit reverse and arc out so the mower is running parallel to the side of the road and the culvert. This reverse arc at one point finds the back of the mower - and due to the seating arrangement - me overhanging onto the road. I see a car coming towards me and I have more than enough time to 'get my arse out of there'. Well normally I would have 'more than enough time'. Instead, while I am doing the reverse arc - and of course while I have maximum exposure on the road itself. The little red light turned itself off. The engine cut off procedure happened and I was not quick enough engaging the clutch/brake. Luckily the driver was not on their mobile phone and well before I saw my life flash in front of my eyes they took an unhurried action of taking a leisurely swing and were highly amused by my being stranded on the road with a look of angst and frustration on my face. As I was just about to bail into the culvert and leave the wonderful little mower to its own fate. The outcome could have been different if there was an oncoming car on our narrow two lane road. Or if the driver was not attentive. .. The whole essentially Nanny-state ... cough ... splutter (scoffing manner) "safety feature" is now a life endangering feature. For some strange reason I want to either fix any adjustment, replacement or bypass so I can commit nanny-cide.

Any tips or tricks ... apart from 'buy a new mower' will be most greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
Lionel

**Tins** · 19th December 2025, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Any tips or tricks ... apart from 'buy a new mower' will be most greatly appreciated.

Kind regards
Lionel

You may not like this answer, but on my Rover I disabled this "feature". A simple bypass. Same with the one under the seat. But, I am the only person who ever uses the thing. I would remove the seat one if the grandkids ever visited. But cutting in reverse, well they all used to do that, and it's a function I need, even if it's not for your reasons.

**Lionelgee** · 19th December 2025, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Tins

You may not like this answer, but on my Rover I disabled this "feature". A simple bypass. Same with the one under the seat. But, I am the only person who ever uses the thing. I would remove the seat one if the grandkids ever visited. But cutting in reverse, well they all used to do that, and it's a function I need, even if it's not for your reasons.

Hello Tins,

While it may not be such a good idea to provide "public" advise on an open forum how to bypass a cough splutter 'safety feature'. Please feel free to PM with the instructions that I can read and take full responsibility for my own actions. Oh, alternatively - I think you are one behind our email exchanges. As I one email sent to you and I am waiting for a reply. Okay - that was a none-too-subtle 'hint'.

Kind regards
Lionel

**Tins** · 19th December 2025, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello Tins,

While it may not be such a good idea to provide "public" advise on an open forum how to bypass a cough splutter 'safety feature'. Please feel free to PM with the instructions that I can read and take full responsibility for my own actions. Oh, alternatively - I think you are one behind our email exchanges. As I one email sent to you and I am waiting for a reply. Okay - that was a none-too-subtle 'hint'.

Kind regards
Lionel

That's OK, Lionel, it took you six months to answer one of mine once....

But I will put something together for you later. The under seat one is a snap. The other, a little more complicated, but only a little. Given they are nearly all the same under the glitter I don't imagine yours will be much different to mine, which is currently awaiting an engine transplant. Not sure if at this rate, it will be actually capable of penetrating the "grass" here, but our govt has banned machetes so it will have to.

**DoubleChevron** · 19th December 2025, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Tins

That's OK, Lionel, it took you six months to answer one of mine once....

But I will put something together for you later. The under seat one is a snap. The other, a little more complicated, but only a little. Given they are nearly all the same under the glitter I don't imagine yours will be much different to mine, which is currently awaiting an engine transplant. Not sure if at this rate, it will be actually capable of penetrating the "grass" here, but our govt has banned machetes so it will have to.

Gee, don't visit my place .... DANGER!!! every single "safety" switch on every mower I've ever owned ... has somehow magically stopped working .... Weird!

How the hell is going backward with you mower dangerous? Is someone as thin as the average blade of grass going to lay on the ground so you can run over them ?

**Slunnie** · 19th December 2025, 08:03 PM

I wonder if you can retain but simplify the reverse cutting feature. On my John Deere, you just have to lift a lever and then you're good to go. It's so easy to use that I've never bothered with it. You might be able to substitute it for something similar, such as an electrical momentary switch or something. I've left the under seat one in place also as it wouldn't surprise me if I roll it over one day.

**Lionelgee** · 19th December 2025, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by Tins

That's OK, Lionel, it took you six months to answer one of mine once....

But I will put something together for you later. The under seat one is a snap. The other, a little more complicated, but only a little. Given they are nearly all the same under the glitter I don't imagine yours will be much different to mine, which is currently awaiting an engine transplant. Not sure if at this rate, it will be actually capable of penetrating the "grass" here, but our govt has banned machetes so it will have to.

Hello Tins,

Six months ... whose counting - aye. The only reason I would have taken that long to reply was that those were not the best of months for a certain bearded bloke. In full cave mode - not the best place to be in either.

Kind regards
Lionel

**Tins** · 20th December 2025, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Lionelgee;[URL="tel:3259653"

3259653[/URL]]Hello Tins,

Six months ... whose counting - aye. The only reason I would have taken that long to reply was that those were not the best of months for a certain bearded bloke. In full cave mode - not the best place to be in either.

Kind regards
Lionel

I know, Lionel, believe me I know.

**Lionelgee** · 20th December 2025, 11:26 AM

Hello Tins,

Can you please provide me with a possible place to start hunting and a description of what I should be looking for so I can ... um ... what words can I say that are not self-incriminating... Think ... think .. I know! ... so I can make a proactive intervention regarding a progressively untenable situation that has previously been described elsewhere.

I know I am possibly operating on a false assumption. That a manufacturer may place the same or similar component roughly in the same place between their range of models. But a rough idea of what I should be looking for and where it could be located, would be some very handy information to have. The switch under the seat is safe. It is the "red light off and while mowing in reverse or I cut the engine off function" and its related components that are in my focus. So that I can take proactive maintenance work upon it. With perhaps a set of diags (diagonal pliers). So that certain components can be liberated from their state of bondage and servitude and spend the rest of their lives in a free range environment. See, I am proactively looking after the switching system's overall welfare! Let the switch be free!

Is it an all electronic system between the ignition switch plate red light on/off and something like the spark system and no other components. Or is there a positional plunger switch mounted on the reverse gear and cutter head or belt that only turns or slides when the cutter head is engaged that is linked up to the red light engine kill switch jiggery and pokery?

Kind regards
Lionel

**Fluids** · 20th December 2025, 06:00 PM

There’s likley a plunger type switch which is operated by whatever mechanical means is used to put the mower into reverse …. a pedal or lever or linkage to push against the switch … find said switch and bridge it’s terminals together or disconnect the wires from the switch and join them …. spade lugs ? Use a paper clip to join them.

If per chance it’s a switch that’s “released” when going into reverse then probably taping or tying the pin down should do the trick.

Isolating at this point means the rest of the guff doesn’t need to be worried about as the mower never realises it’s been put into reverse.

Hope that helps.

Kevin

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