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SECTION III
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
General Safety
Only qualified people familiar with this operator’s manual
and the mower’s operator’s manual should operate this
machine.
Operation And Tips On Mowing
A. Perform BEFORE EACH USE the maintenance list
referenced in Section IV.
B. Start mower.
C. With the mower at high idle speed, engage the mower
deck.
D. While seated in the operator’s seat, move Bagger
PTO switch to the on position. With the PTO
assembly engaged, you can proceed to operate the
control levers of the mower.
NOTE:
If the collection system does not appear to be
collecting the grass clippings, disengage the deck
and PTO assembly, then, engage the parking brake and
turn the mower off. Check upper and lower hoses for any
clogs.
To obtain the maximum effectiveness from your
collection system, the tips listed below should be
followed:
* Watch your speed- Normal conditions will allow a
speed of up to approximately 4 mph, but thick, heavy
damp conditions will require reduced ground speed.
* Mow with sharp blades- A sharp blade cuts cleaner.
* Wet grass and leaves will decrease effectiveness and
will increase horsepower requirements.
* Mow at higher cutting heights- Remove and mulch no
more than 2” of grass length with each mowing.
(Experts recommend not cutting off more than 1/3 of
the grass blade length at any given time.)
* Mow twice, at different height settings, (high, then low),
if grass is extra tall.
* Remember that horsepower requirements will vary with
the mowing conditions such as type and height of turf
grass, moisture content, amount of leaves, whether the
terrain is flat or hilly, etc.
Disengagement Of The PTO Assembly
A. To disengage the PTO assembly, move Bagger PTO
switch to the off position.
WARNING:
The PTO assembly blades will continue to
spin. DO NOT TOUCH the PTO assembly, pulleys, or
the belt until the tractor is turned off. DO NOT adjust the
belt tension until the mower is turned off. Refer to the
Belt Installation section of the manual.
Unloading The Collection System
NOTE:
To determine when the collection bags are full,
follow the following steps:
A. Stop the forward movement of the mower.
B. Disengage the mower deck.
C. Disengage the PTO assembly.
D. Engage the parking brake.
E. Once the parking brake has been engaged, then and
only then, walk behind the mower and check the
collection bags by first unhooking the rubber strap
with S-hook that secures the plastic top, then lift the
plastic hood. Load in bags should not exceed the
height of the installed bag.
F. To remove the bags from the frame, slide bags out
and turn bags over to deposit clippings.
G. Slide empty bags back onto the frame and secure
plastic top with the rubber strap with S-hook.
NOTE:
Do not allow collection bags to become over-
filled as potential damage may occur to your
equipment. Also, be sure to clean the hood screen as
needed.
SECTION IV
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance Checklist
Before each use:
1. Check blades and spindles to be sure that no foreign
objects, such as wire or steel strapping bands, are
wrapped around them.
2. Inspect blades for wear. Replace if necessary. If it is
necessary to sharpen the blades, remove the blades
from the spindles before sharpening. DO NOT
sharpen blades while still attached to the mower.
