I have had this john deere 16 hp 42 inch riding mower for 8 years. The battery charging circuit has never worked. Although it runs for some time on an external charge, I would like to get it right. I pulled the stator yesterday and cleaned everything with a dremel and wire brush, to make sure that it was getting a good ground connection. I soldered the stator ground wire. I cleaned the magnets on the flywheel. The diode checks OK. I get continuity to ground through the diode and winding. I put new connectors on. I still don't get squat for voltage to charge the battery. The fella at the shop says stators don't go bad but all I have as a next step is to change the stator. Is this a common problem? Is there anything else I can try?

Replace the stator

Good job esquire, glad to see you back around.

I installed my new stator, with different lugs, and heard a snap as I connected the power lead, which is always hot. A quick attempt to start the machine did not produce the expected click of the fuel solenoid. Sure enough, the fuse was blown. A visual check of the brand new wiring harness revealed melted insulation around the diode. Either the diode was shorted from the word go, or installed backwards, which shorted it fairly quickly. In any event, I pulled the diode from the old stator and stuck it in the line. I now have a charging battery!
Thanks for your advice.

Bill