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Safe  

Operation 

Practices

General Operation

1.  Read this operator’s manual  carefully in its entirety before 

attempting to assemble this machine. Read, understand, 

and follow all instructions on the machine and in the 

manual(s)  before operation. Be completely familiar with 

the controls and the proper use of this machine before 

operating it. Keep this manual in a safe place for future 

and regular reference and for ordering replacement parts.

2.  This machine is a precision piece of power equipment, 

not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme caution at all 

times. Your unit has been designed to perform one job: to 

mow grass. Do not use it for any other purpose.

3.  Never allow children under 14 years old to operate this 

machine. Children 14 years old and over should read and 

understand the instructions in this manual and should 

be trained and supervised by a parent. Only responsible 

individuals who are familiar with these rules of safe 

operation should be allowed to use this machine.

4.  Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is to 

be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones, toys and 

other foreign objects which could be tripped over or picked 

up and thrown by the blade. Thrown objects can cause 

serious personal injury. Plan your mowing pattern to avoid 

discharge of material toward roads, sidewalks, bystanders 

and the like. Also, avoid discharging material against a 

wall or obstruction which may cause discharged material 

to ricochet back toward the operator. 

5.  To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, 

stay in the operator zone behind the handles and keep 

children, bystanders, helpers and pets at least 75 feet 

from the mower while it is in operation. Stop machine if 

anyone enters the area.

6.  Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles during 

operation and while performing an adjustment or repair 

to protect your eyes. Thrown objects which ricochet can 

cause serious injury to the eyes.

7.  Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-fitting 

slacks and shirts. Shirts and pants that cover the arms 

and  legs and steel-toed shoes are recommended. Never 

operate this machine in bare feet, sandals, slippery or light 

weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.

8.  Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the 

cutting deck. Contact with the blade can amputate hands 

and feet.

9.  A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade 

contact or thrown object injuries.

10. Many injuries occur as a result of the mower being pulled 

over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or tripping. 

Do not hold on to the mower if you are falling; release the 

handle immediately. 

11. Never pull the mower back toward you while you are 

walking. If you must back the mower away from a wall or 

obstruction first look down and behind to avoid tripping 

and then follow these steps:

a.  Step back from the mower to fully extend your arms.
b.  Be sure you are well balanced with sure footing.
c.  Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way 

toward you.

d.  Repeat these steps as needed.

12. Do not operate the mower while under the influence of  

alcohol or drugs.

13. Do not engage the self-propelled mechanism on units so 

equipped while starting engine.

14. The blade control handle is a safety device. Never attempt 

to bypass its operation. Doing so makes the safety device 

inoperative and may result in personal injury through 

contact with the rotating blade. The blade control handle 

must operate easily in both directions and automatically 

return to the disengaged position when released.

15. Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be sure of 

your footing.  A slip and fall can cause serious personal 

injury. If you feel you are losing your footing, release the 

blade control handle immediately and the blade will stop 

rotating within three seconds.

16. Mow only in daylight or in good artificial light. Walk, never 

run. Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or 

roads.

17. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the 

engine and check immediately for the cause. Vibration is 

generally a warning of trouble.

18. Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to 

a complete stop before removing the grass catcher or 

unclogging the chute. The cutting blade continues to rotate 

for a few seconds after the engine is shut off. Never place 

any part of the body in the blade area until you are sure the 

blade has stopped rotating.

19. Never operate mower without proper trail shield, discharge 

cover, grass catcher, blade control handle or other safety 

protective devices in place and working. Never operate 

mower with damaged safety devices. Failure to do so, can 

result in personal injury.

20. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do 

not touch.

21. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by 

the manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal 

injury.

22. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual, use 

care and good judgment.  Call customer assistance for the 

name of your nearest servicing dealer.

Slope Operation

Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents which 

can result in severe injury. Operation on slopes requires extra 

caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it. For your 

safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this manual to 

measure slopes before operating this unit on a sloped or hilly 

area. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees, do not mow it.

WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or 
emit chemicals known to State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc-
tive harm.

WARNING

This symbol points 
out important safety 
instructions which, if 
not followed, could 
endanger the personal 
safety and/or property 
of yourself and others. 
Read and follow all 
instructions in this 
manual before at-
tempting to operate 
this machine. Failure 
to comply with these 
instructions may result 
in personal injury. When 
you see this symbol. 

HEED ITS WARNING! 

Your Responsibility 
Restrict the use 
of this power machine 
to persons who read, 
understand 
and follow the warnings 
and instructions 
in this manual 
and on the machine. 

DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As with 
any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury. This 
machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to observe the following safety 
instructions could result in serious injury or death.

Summary of Contents for 560 Series

Page 1: ...TIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATING EQUIPMENT Safety Setup Adjustments Operation Maintenance Troubleshooting Parts Lists Warranty LES DISTRIBUTIONS RVI LIMITÉE 2955 JEAN BAPTISTE DESCHAMPS LACHINE QUEBEC H8T 1C5 11 21 06 769 02893 21 Self Propelled Rotary Mower Model Series 560 ...

Page 2: ... Set Up Adjustments 6 Operation 8 Maintenance Off Season Storage 10 Trouble Shooting 12 Warranty 13 Illustrated Parts Lists 14 Customer Support 1 If you have difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the controls operation or maintenance of this unit please call an authorized dealer Please have your unit s model number and serial number ready when you call See previous sec...

Page 3: ...ting and you could slip resulting in serious injury Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes never across the face of slopes Operate WALK BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes never up and down slopes 3IGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE OR A CORNER OF A BUILDING OR A FENCE POST O L D A L O N G D O T T E D L I N E R E P R E S E N T S A S L O P E Use this page as a guide to determine sl...

Page 4: ...rting engine 14 The blade control handle is a safety device Never attempt to bypass its operation Doing so makes the safety device inoperative and may result in personal injury through contact with the rotating blade The blade control handle must operate easily in both directions and automatically return to the disengaged position when released 15 Never operate the mower in wet grass Always be sur...

Page 5: ...neck to provide for fuel expansion 11 Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely 12 If gasoline is spilled wipe it off the engine and equipment Move unit to another area Wait 5 minutes before starting the engine 13 Never store the machine or fuel container near an open flame spark or pilot light as on a water heater space heater furnace clothes dryer or other gas appliances 14 To reduce fire hazard...

Page 6: ...ide 3 Rope guide Setup as follows see Figure 3 a Hold the blade control against the upper handle Position A b Slowly pull starter rope out of engine Position B c Slip starter rope into the rope guide Position C d Tighten rope guide wing nut star knobs Position D 4 Insert post on cable ties into holes provided on the lower handle Pull cable tie tight and trim excess See Figure 4 5 Each wheel has a ...

Page 7: ...bag 7 Attaching Grass Catcher to Mower a Lift the rear discharge door on the mower and place the grass catcher on the pivot rod Let go of discharge door so that it rests on the grass catcher See Figure 7 WARNING Never operate mower unless the hooks on the grass catcher are firmly seated on the pivot rod and the rear discharge door rests firmly against top of the grass catcher 8 To remove grass cat...

Page 8: ... the same relative position to ensure uniform cut Before Starting 1 Service the engine with gasoline and oil as instructed in the separate engine manual 2 Attach spark plug wire to spark plug If unit is equipped with a rubber boot over the end of the spark plug wire make certain the metal loop on the end of the spark plug wire inside the rubber boot is fastened securely over the metal tip on the s...

Page 9: ...Your Lawn Mower Be sure the lawn is clear of stones sticks wire or other objects which could damage the lawn mower or the engine Such objects could be accidently thrown by the mower in any direction and cause serious personal injury to the operator and others WARNING If you strike a foreign object stop the engine Remove wire from the spark plug thor oughly inspect the mower for any damage and repa...

Page 10: ...ion and may prevent proper mulching The deck may be cleaned by tilting the mower and scrap ing clean with a suitable tool make certain the spark plug wire is disconnected Replacing Rear Flap The rear flap is attached to the back of the mower deck If the rear flap becomes damaged replace it by cutting off the flat end of the wire rod which secures it to the deck using a pair of side cutters Attach ...

Page 11: ...ated on engine pulley while pulling from the other side and sliding it around the transmission pul ley Pivot the belt keeper wire back into its operating postion and snap into the slot provided Reassemble front drive cover Off Season Storage The following steps should be taken to prepare your lawn mower for storage 1 Clean and lubricate mower thoroughly as described in the lubrication instructions...

Page 12: ...ve blower housing and clean 4 Refer to engine manual 1 Engine oil level low 2 Dirty air filter 3 Air flow restricted 4 Carburetor not adjusted properly Occasional skip hesitates at high speed 1 Adjust gap to 030 Refer to engine manual 2 Refer to engine manual 1 Spark plug gap too close 2 Carburetor idle mixture adjustment improperly set Idles poorly 1 Reset gap to 030 or replace spark plug Refer t...

Page 13: ...battery will not hold a charge MTD PRODUCTS LIMITED will replace the battery at no charge to the original purchaser Additional Limited Thirty Day Warranty on Battery if equipped After ninety 90 days but within one hundred twenty 120 days from the date of purchase MTD PRODUCTS LIMITED will replace the defective battery for the original purchaser for a cost of one half of the current retail price of...

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