OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Foreign Ride-on Mower Frames Stiga EL63M Wiring

Hi,
As this is my first posting please excuse me if I put this in the wrong area or am a bit long winded.

I recently acquired a Stiga EL63M Model:13-2501-17 ride on mower cheap.
The reason it was so cheap was probably cause it was in a flood and as such needed a lot of cleaning.
Unfortunately the motor installed is NOT the original as this has no safety cutout system installed (dangerous) even though it does run.
I need to know what was the original motor installed as this has a pull start system and has only a two wire safety switch system (one black and one orange).
All the switches are ok but are only N/O type switches connecting to a small circuit board with diodes which also checks out ok with a multimeter.
This system is very different from what I know of with N/O and N/C switches.
I have tried to get in contact with Stiga in the UK but have yet to hear from them.
Anyone have any ideas on this safety system as it is the only thing stopping me from using this.

Regards,
Peter

Hi Peter I have no idea but what function do you want this safety switch to perform, something like switching the motor off if get off the seat?

Thanks NormK,
Yes, I do want the motor to cut out if I get off the seat but because this model has a pull start motor it also requires that i can start the motor when off the mower with gear in neutral and blade disengaged.
I cant find any no/nc switches that are approx size without having to modify all the switch placements.

Sorry Peter you are asking too much of any switching I can think of, you either have to be on the seat or you are not, any way of bypassing the seat switch so you can start it always means it can be forgotten later because are relying on the human factor to remember.

Morning All,

I've been thinking about this one too.

Was the original engine an electric start? It almost certainly must have been.

As Norm says, I can't see how this can be done. The only way I can see to put a cutout on a pull start is:

A time delay circuit that allows you time to start before it cuts out thus allowing you time to get weight in the seat. One big problem is the need for a some sort of power supply to drive the circuit (i.e. Battery). A complicated solution at best!

Some sort of second switch (perhaps just toggle switch on the instrument panel .......or if we want to get crazy a non- returning switch under the seat!! which is activated when you sit down). The idea is the switch is placed in series with the normal seat cutout switch and placed in the off (open circuit position ) for start and once you are in the seat this switch is closed to bring the seat cutout switch into play.

Cheers,


Peter, just re-read the thread before hitting send. You mention switches (plural). I'm curious. Any chance of photos of the system?

Having once owned a Stiga ride-on mower, I can only give my personal experience. In a nutshell, I would never buy another one again. The mower was plagued with problems and issues from the beginning, ranging from weak wheel hubs that would shatter without warning, sudden brake failures, sticking gears, blowing exhaust fumes back into the user's face wile operating, lack of power where it is most needed, constant belt problems... always something. They had so many safety switches in place that they in fact made the machine more dangerous in my opinion due to the many frustrations involved when trying to pinpoint an engine problem. I found the electrical system to be exceptionally bad. The designers had clearly under-estimated almost every aspect of the energy consumption. The battery as recommended in the manual was far too small to begin with. I would buy a brand new quality battery and install it. The next day it would not have enough power to turn the flywheel. I would test the alternator and found it was charging at full capacity, but was barely enough to keep the battery topped up. If the engine failed to start a few times, the battery would quickly drain. I ended up disconnecting the battery at night, thinking that was causing the drain problem. It made no difference. Over time the starter motor got sicker and sicker. Even with a fully charged battery, it would not start the mower. There always seemed to be something wrong with the electrics. It also lacked power where it was needed. Although it had a huge Briggs & Stratton engine, for some inexplicable reason whenever I entered a patch of thick grass the engine would die. I disliked this mower with a passion. I ended up selling it for spare parts. I was never so happy when I saw it leaving my front gate.

G'day folks,
This mower was in fact a manual start from the factory - that's what the M suffix denotes, apparently. It looks like these are an Italian made machine which are sold under a few different banners, apart from Stiga, in the EU. Castelgarden, Lawn King, Twincut are some of these.

A search under these names does come up with a few diagrams on parts sites, including a wiring harness one. This shows 4 NO switches [but not what actuates each one], a gearbox neutral switch, the circuit board, and a two wire connection to the engine, FWIW. https://www.diyspareparts.com/parts/castel--twincut--lawnking/diagrams/el63-m-ride-on/4289

However, what is really needed here is a full circuit diagram, to have any show of troubleshooting this setup.

I would guess that the diode board is in effect a 'logic circuit'; e.g. so that the seat switch is only operational if the machine state is that of in gear and/or cutter engaged.

Just typical of any European designed machine, another one of my pet hates

Looks like a Ferrari, runs like a Yugo 55.

Yugo...Boy I haven't that name in a good while. They sold here for a while. I only saw one up close at a junk yard and don't know which model it was...

Hey Norm does your dog like to chew up lawnmowers. I had one mower in years ago where a German Shepard had chewed up the metal hood. I guess he thought it was a chew toy. So many holes it was well ventilated.

Of course I know what you mean by "pet hates". I got a few those too like those that thinks duct tape fixes everything.

AVB I know what my dogs pet hate is, me going to pull start any motor, bend over a mower, look like you might pull on a line trimmer and he goes off his head,barking, by now I think he would have learnt what is going on. Once running he is not interested. I do get the odd catcher that has been chewed up by a dog.

Had a dog once that would go completely crazy whenever I wheeled out anything mechanical. Then when I kicked it off he would run away with his tail between his legs and hide.

What is it with dogs and wheeled objects? They go into crazy aggro mode at the sight of one moving. Some university needs to do a brain scan on them.

A few years ago we babysat my grandsons dog during the day and I was busy working on motorbikes, mostly single cylinder. Cocker Spaniels are not the brightest and every time I started one up the dog would wrap his mouth over the exhaust pipe, chase him away and he would be straight back. One day after just restoring an early 40's Enfield for a mate, I hadn't fitted the exhaust, I started it up and because there was no exhaust the dog raced to the back of the bike, no muffler to grab on, he took a bite on the freshly painted tool box and put teeth marks in it. I was not a happy camper.

Morning All,

Will this work?

I can't imagine why another switch would be needed. Figured the diodes might be for isolation but don't think they'd be needed for this suggestion.

The idea being that to get a start of be off the seat for any reason the cutters must be out and the thing in neutral.

..........and if there was handbrake switch(that might explain the other switch!) that would be in parallel with the neutral and cutter switch. Still can't think why diode isolation would be needed.

Yes with Stiga they will not start unless you: 1) have the seat down, 2) engage the hand brake, 3) have it in neutral, and 4) have the cutting disk disengaged.

I'm not 100% sure what you are trying to do, so my apologies if I get your meaning wrong.

Are you planning on using the existing switches? If so, I doubt if this will work very well, because from my memory the switches on the Stiga have a very low wattage rating. I learnt from bitter experience in the past that if you overload the existing switches on these kinds of mowers by running the wiring directly from the battery, it soon cooks the switches and they begin to malfunction. Then you end up with the same problems.

Only solution is to replace the faulty electronic ignition panel, or buy switches that can take the full wattage from the battery, if such switches even exist. I guess some old fridge switches might do the trick, if you can find some that will fit.

G'day vintmow,

I think what walker wanted was some way to provide a safety circuit on a pull start machine - i.e. one that doesn't have an electrical system and uses the magneto kill circuit to provide the safety.


The sketch (which I've redone for clarity and added the handbrake switch) is just my thoughts on a possible circuit that would fit the bill.

To be sure it would be an infuriating system, open to operator error or, given the number of switches, failure, with the result being the poor operator trying in vain to start the thing with the magneto grounded!

That would work. Simple but effective.

The only problem prd is where he is going find a bum to sit on the seat. Just kidding, I do understand you mean your backside. I am talking about the other type bum.

I'm having deja vu with this thread, because I owned a Stiga ride on mower one time and all of the things being discussed here are the same issues I had with mine.

In fact I found my original diagram and it is identical to the one provided.

Once again I must urge you to check the voltage and amps rating on the switches. If you take one of the switches off it will be written on it somewhere. The original electronic circuit plate is designed to make everything work by providing a greatly reduced electric load though the switches and circuits, but allowing the full volts and amps from the battery where it is needed, i.e. to the starter motor. If you bypass this in any way you will almost certainly overload the switches and they will begin to malfunction.

However I am not sure if this will still be the case if you do away with the battery altogether. My feeling is it probably will still present a problem, given enough time. You would have to check the rating on the switches and match this against a measurement from a voltmeter and ammeter while it is running. The circuit board was designed to reduce the output to some components while allowing full electric output to others.

The wiring inside the switches is very fine and delicate and not designed to take a full load from a battery. You need to treat these as if they are a fuse. I know this from my own bitter experience. I can only state that I overloaded my switches after just a few hours of running the mower and then they began to malfunction.

As I said earlier, typical European rubbish, make something that is delicate when it is supposed to be a rugged outdoor machine.