our rider mower stalls out when the blade is engage. last year it died out on steep hills. any ideas?
Does it seem to stall due to too much load on the blades (heavy grass)? Or, if you were on concrete and raised the deck all the way up, then engaged the blades, the engine dies then?
If it dies in heavy grass only, it may be the engine is low on power or not running at the right speed. I used to have an H1011 rider and the throttle would sometimes slip out of FAST and running slower, it would stall when I engaged the blades. Double-check the throttle and make sure it's in FAST before you engage the blades.
If it dies when there's no grass or anything to drag on the blades, it could be something wrong with the belt or pulley. There are a couple of safety switches too: one on the seat, the parking brake, and the PTO/Blade lever. Here's the logic they follow:
Nobody in the seat, engine will not start if the parking brake is not set ON.
Parking brake ON, PTO/Blades OFF, engine will start with nobody in the seat.
Parking brake ON, PTO/Blades OFF, running engine will stop if PTO/Blade move to ON.
Parking brake OFF, running engine will stop if the operator lifts up out of the seat.
Parking brake OFF, PTO/Blades ON, engine will stop if the operator lifts up out of the seat.
Remove the ignition key (if you have an electric start model) and disconnect the spark plug on the engine. Lower the mower deck all the way down and inspect the belt and pulleys; see if you notice anything binding or out of place. See attached image for a diagram.
Let me know how it behaves on a flat smooth surface with the deck all the way up.
You can find a local dealer at this link:
Honda Power Equipment - Find a dealer
You can buy a detailed shop manual from Honda's Publication Store on eBay:
http://stores.ebay.com/Honda-Power-Equipment-Publications/Shop-Manuals-/_i.html?_nkw=h1011&submit=Search&_fsub=2861050018&_sid=1027410698