My troy bilt 17.5 42" lawn tractor was cutting the lawn just fine when the wife I love hit a rise in the yard, slamming the blades into the ground and killing the engine. Now, it will start just fine but when you engage the blades, it kills the engine. What did the wife I still love do to my lawn tractor?

First thing I would do is to take the belt for the deck off the engine. Start the mower and move the lever that would engage the belt to see if it will keep running. If it does stay running then it sounds like you will need to pull off the deck and inspect it. Apparently the blades are bent or in a bind. If it still dies then you have a safety switch issue.

Safety switches are the cause of many "kill" problems but this one is likely a bent mandrel on one or both blades. With the spark plug wires pulled try to rotate the blades, bet they are seized.

Safety switches are the cause of many "kill" problems but this one is likely a bend mandrel on one or both blades. With the spark plug wires pulled try to rotate the blades, bet they are seized.

I just ran the engine. It starts fine. When I slowly apply the PTO handle it stresses the engine and ask I apply it more forward, I can smell burning rubber and she dies out. Looking through the battery hole and under the mower deck it appears that all belts are where they should be, but obviously not. Where should I look. And how do I safely get under the tractor. I have no ramps to use.

Raise the deck to the top notch and reach through the grass discharge chute, pull the plug wires first.