MTD A0 Operator'S Manual Download Page 4

4

S

ection

 1 — i

mportant

 S

afe

 o

peration

 p

racticeS

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.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

Safety Symbols

This page depicts and describes safety symbols that may appear on this product.  Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the machine before 
attempting to assemble and operate.

Symbol

Description

READ THE OPERATOR’S MANUAL(S) 

Read, understand, and follow all instructions in the manual(s) before attempting to assemble and operate.

DANGER — ROTATING BLADES 

To reduce the risk of injury, keep hands and feet away. Do not operate unless discharge cover or grass catcher is 

in its proper place. If damaged, replace immediately.

DANGER — BYSTANDERS 

Do not mow when children or others are around.

DANGER — HAND/ FOOT CUT 

Keep hands and feet away from rotating parts.

DANGER — THROWN DEBRIS 

Remove objects that can be thrown by the blade in any direction. Wear safety glasses.

DANGER — SLOPES

Use extra caution on slopes. The machine is heavy and can speed up when going downhill. Be prepared to maintain 

control of the machine. To avoid loss of control, operate across slopes, not up and down. When turning, turn uphill, 

not down. Do not operate on slopes greater than 15

°

WARNING—GASOLINE IS FLAMMABLE 

Allow the engine to cool at least two minutes before refueling.

WARNING— CARBON MONOXIDE

Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ventilated area. Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an 

odorless and deadly gas.

WARNING— HOT SURFACE 

Engine parts, especially the muffler, become extremely hot during operation. Allow engine and muffler to cool 

before touching.

15. 

According to the Consumer Products 

Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 

this product has an Average Useful Life of 

seven (7) years, or 140 hours of operation. 

At the end of the Average Useful Life 

have the machine inspected annually by 

an authorized service dealer to ensure 

that all mechanical and safety systems 

are working properly and not worn 

excessively. Failure to do so can result in 
accidents, injuries or death.

Do not modify engine

To avoid serious injury or death, do not modify 

engine in any way. Tampering with the governor 

setting can lead to a runaway engine and cause 

it to operate at unsafe speeds. Never tamper 

with factory setting of engine governor.

Notice Regarding Emissions

Engines which are certified to comply with 

California and federal EPA emission regulations 

for SORE (Small Off Road Equipment) are 

certified to operate on regular unleaded 

gasoline, and may include the following 

emission control systems: Engine Modification 

(EM), Oxidizing Catalyst (OC), Secondary Air 

Injection (SAI) and Three Way Catalyst (TWC) if 
so equipped.

Spark Arrestor

WARNING: 

This machine is 

equipped with an internal 

combustion engine and should 

not be used on or near any 

unimproved forest-covered, 

brush covered or grass-covered land unless the 

engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a 

spark arrestor meeting applicable local or state 
laws (if any).
If a spark arrestor is used, it should be 

maintained in effective working order by the 

operator. In the State of California the above is 

required by law (Section 4442 of the California 

Public Resources Code). Other states may have 

similar laws. Federal laws apply on federal 

lands. 

A spark arrestor for the muffler is available 

through your nearest engine authorized 

service dealer or contact the service 

department, P.O. Box 361131 Cleveland, Ohio 

44136-0019.

Summary of Contents for A0

Page 1: ...INJURY Operator s Manual Form No 769 10956 August 24 2015 Safe Operation Practices 2 Assembly Set Up 6 Controls Operation 9 Service 11 Troubleshooting 14 Parts Warranty See Separate Supplement Table of Contents NOTE This Operator s Manual covers several models Features may vary by model Not all features in this manual are applicable to all models and the model depicted may differ from yours Self P...

Page 2: ...urdy 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 11 Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck Contact with blade can amputate fingers hands toes and feet 12 A missing or damaged disch...

Page 3: ...dispenser nozzle 5 Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel tank or container opening at all times until fueling is complete Do not use a nozzle lock open device 6 Extinguish all cigarettes cigars pipes and other sources of ignition 7 Never fuel machine indoors because flammable vapors will accumulate in the area 8 Never remove gas cap or add fuel while engine is hot or running Allow en...

Page 4: ...uffler to cool before touching 15 According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission CPSC and the U S Environmental Protection Agency EPA this product has an Average Useful Life of seven 7 years or 140 hours of operation At the end of the Average Useful Life have the machine inspected annually by an authorized service dealer to ensure that all mechanical and safety systems are working properly a...

Page 5: ...r down until the left corner touches the slope See Figure 1 and Figure 2 5 If there is a gap below the gauge the slope is too steep for safe operation See Figure 2 above 1 5 d a s h e d l i n e Slope Gauge Figure 2 Figure 1 15 Slope 15 Slope WARNING Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents which can result in severe injury or death The machine is heavy and can speed up when goi...

Page 6: ... s Owner s Operator s Manual packed separately with your machine for more information Thank You Contents of Carton Lawn Mower 1 Grass Catcher 1 Side Discharge Chute 1 Cable Clips 2 Electric Start Push Key 1 Oil 1 Pouch of Fuel Stabilizer 1 Lawn Mower Operator s Manual 1 Engine Operator s Manual 1 Parts Warranty Document 1 Fast Start Guide 1 If Equipped NOTE This Operator s Manual covers several mo...

Page 7: ...re 2 8 2 Follow steps below to attach grass catcher See Figure 2 9 a Lift mower rear discharge door b Place grass catcher into the slots in the handle brackets Release discharge door so that it rests on the grass catcher A B B Figure 2 9 To remove grass catcher lift mower rear discharge door Lift grass catcher up and off the slots in the handle brackets Release mower rear discharge door to allow i...

Page 8: ...ntrol If Equipped If equipped there is an adjustment wheel located in the drive control handle housing that is used to tighten or loosen the drive belt You will need to adjust the drive control if the mower does not propel itself with the drive control engaged or if the mower s wheels hesitate with the drive control engaged If either of these conditions occur rotate adjustment wheel clockwise to t...

Page 9: ...operations Bail Drive Control If Equipped The bail drive control is located on the underside of the upper handle and is used to engage the drive Squeeze it against the upper handle to engage the drive release it to stop mower from propelling Single Lever Drive Control If Equipped The single lever drive control is located on top of the upper handle and is used to engage the drive Squeeze it against...

Page 10: ... or the equipment Bail Drive Control 1 Once the engine is running squeeze the bail drive control against the upper handle to propel mower 2 Release the bail drive control to stop mower from propelling Single Lever Drive Control 1 Once the engine is running squeeze the single lever drive control against the upper handle to propel mower 2 Release the single lever drive control to slow down or stop m...

Page 11: ...ions Maintain oil level as instructed in Engine Operator s Manual Service air cleaner every 25 hours of use under normal conditions Clean every few hours under extremely dusty conditions Poor engine performance and flooding usually indicates that the air cleaner should be serviced To service the air cleaner refer to the Engine Operator s Manual Clean spark plug and reset the gap once a season Spar...

Page 12: ...from the adapter for testing balance Balance the blade on a round shaft screwdriver to check Remove metal from the heavy side until it balances evenly When sharpening the blade follow the original angle of grind Grind each cutting edge equally to keep the blade balanced WARNING An unbalanced blade will cause excessive vibration when rotating at high speeds It may cause damage to mower and could br...

Page 13: ...T Do not remove the battery pack from the electric starter housing for any reason other than replacement IMPORTANT Always plug charger lead into battery pack lead first and then insert battery charger plug into 120V standard household outlet Follow this order of action every time you charge the battery Off Season Storage Mower The following steps should be taken to prepare your lawn mower for stor...

Page 14: ...until it snaps into place 2 Charge battery 3 Debris may be blocking blade operation Stop engine remove Electric Starter Push Key and disconnect spark plug boot Verify grass or other debris are not obstructing the blade Carefully clean out debris if necessary Reattach spark plug boot and reinsert Electric Starter Push Key Wait one minute after tripping for circuit breaker to automatically self rese...

Page 15: ...r replace blade Uneven cut 1 Wheels not positioned correctly 2 Dull blade 1 Place front and rear wheels in same height position Dual lever height adjusters only 2 Sharpen or replace blade Mower will not self propel 1 Belt not installed properly 2 Debris clogging drive operation 3 Damaged or worn belt 4 Drive control out of adjustment 1 Check belt for proper pulley installation and movement 2 Stop ...

Page 16: ...MTD LLC P O BOX 361131 CLEVELAND OHIO 44136 0019 ...

Reviews: