3-8
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blades is listed in this manual’s maintenance section. In
addition, most communities have individuals or companies
which specialize in sharpening mower blades.
Blade sharpness
should be checked daily.
DANGER:
Never work with blades while engine is
running or deck clutch switch is engaged (on). Always
place deck clutch switch in the
disengaged
position,
place control levers in the park brake position and turn
engine off and disconnect negative battery cable.
Block up mower when you
must
work under it. Wear
gloves when handling blades. A
lways check for
blade damage
if mower strikes a rock, a branch or
another foreign object during mowing!
Use high blade speed.
Your mower is designed to operate at
full throttle. The throttle setting directly controls blade speed.
The highest blade speed generally gives best cut.
Direct grass discharge to right,
away from unmown area.
Select a mowing pattern that directs grass discharge towards the
outside, not towards center, of mowing area. Generally, this
means using a pattern utilizing
left turns
because side discharge
is to
right.
In any case, avoid throwing grass discharge onto
unmowed area because grass is then mowed “twice”. Mowing
twice puts an unnecessary load on the unit and reduces mowing
efficiency.
When mowing a lawn for the first time
cut grass slightly
longer than normal to avoid scalping uneven terrain. When
possible, it is best to use the cutting height that was used in the
past. When cutting grass taller than six inches, you may want to
mow the lawn twice to achieve a better quality of cut.
During normal mowing cut only about 1/3 of the grass
blade.
Cutting more than that is not recommended unless grass
is sparse or it is the end of the mowing season.
Alternate mowing direction
to keep the grass growing
straight and better dispersion of the clippings.
Remember, grass grows at different rates
at different time
of the year. Mow more often in the early spring to maintain the
same cutting height. As the growth rate slows in mid summer,
mow less frequently. If you cannot mow at a regular interval,
mow at a high cutting height; then mow again two days later at a
lower cutting height.
Raise the cutting height of the mower
if the cutting width of
the mower is wider than the previous mower. This ensures that
uneven turf is not cut too short.
Raise the cutting height of the mower
if the grass if slightly
taller than normal or if it contains a high degree of moisture.
Then mow it again with the cutting height set lower.
If the machine’s forward motion
must be stopped while
mowing, a clump of grass clippings may drop onto your lawn.
To avoid this, move onto a previously cut area with the blades
engaged.
WARNING:
Never direct discharge of material from
mower deck towards bystanders. Do not operate the
mower without either the discharge chute or the entire
grass collection system in place. Figure 3-11
Mower deck operation
DANGER:
Never attempt to make any adjustments to
the mower deck while the engine is running or with
the deck drive clutch engaged. Mower blades cannot
be seen and are located very close to deck housing.
Fingers and toes can be cut off instantly.
With the engine running, engage the deck clutch switch
(Fig. 3-1) and advance engine throttle to full rpm.
NOTE:
Engaging the deck clutch at high engine rpm or
when under heavy load (in tall grass for example) can cause
belts and/or electric clutch to slip, resulting in premature wear or
possible damage.
Deck cutting height adjustment
Deck height is adjustable from 1” to 5” (2.54 cm - 12.7 cm) in
1/4” (.64 cm) increments. The holes in the height adjusting bar
are spaced at 1/2” (1.27 cm) intervals. By turning the height
adjusting stop around, 1/4” (.64 cm) increments can be attained
due to the 1/4” (.64 cm) plate that is part of the stop. Figure 3-
12
FRONT OF MOWER FACES THIS DIRECTION
Figure 3-9
N
N
FORWARD TRAVEL
ZERO RADIUS
TURN
FORWARD TRAVEL
RIGHT TURN
REVERSE TRAVEL
RIGHT TURN
REVERSE TRAVEL
N= NEUTRAL
POSITION
Direction of arrows indicate
direction of mower movement
