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4

Operating 

Your Lawn 

Mower

WARNING

The operation of any 

lawn mower can result 

in foreign objects 

being thrown into 

the eyes, which can 

damage your eyes 

severely. Always wear 

safety glasses while 

operating the mower, 

or while performing 

any adjustments or 

repairs on it.

Be sure no one other 

than the operator is 

standing near the lawn 

mower while starting 

engine or operating 

mower. Never run 

engine indoors or 

in enclosed, poorly 

ventilated areas. En-

gine exhaust contains 

carbon monoxide, an 

odorless and deadly 

gas. Keep hands, feet, 

hair and loose clothing 

away from any moving 

parts on engine and 

lawn mower. 

WARNING: The operation of any lawn 
mower can result in foreign objects 
being thrown into the eyes, which can 
damage your eyes severely. Always 
wear safety glasses while operating 
the mower, or while performing any 
adjustments or repairs on it.

Starting Engine

WARNING: Be sure no one other than 
the operator is standing near the lawn 
mower while starting engine or operat-
ing mower. Never run engine indoors 
or in enclosed, poorly ventilated areas. 
Engine exhaust contains carbon 
monoxide, an odorless and deadly 
gas. Keep hands, feet, hair and loose 
clothing away from any moving parts on 
engine and lawn mower. 

1.  Push primer three times. Wait about two seconds 

between each push. See Figure 2. In temperature 
around 55° F or below, prime five times. Do not prime 
to restart a warm engine.

2.  Standing behind the mower, squeeze the blade control  

against upper handle. See Figure 2.

3.  Holding these two handles together firmly, grasp recoil 

starter handle and pull rope out with a rapid, continu-
ous, full arm stroke. See Figure 2. Keeping a firm 
grip on the starter handle, let the rope rewind slowly. 
Repeat until engine cranks. Let the rope rewind each 
time slowly. 

WARNING: Wait for the blade to stop 
completely before doing any work 
on the mower or to remove the grass 
catcher.

Stopping Engine 

1.  Release blade control to stop the engine and blade.
2.  Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and 

ground against the engine.

Using Your Lawn Mower

WARNING: Never operate your mower 
without either the rear door or the entire 
grass catcher assembly firmly secured.

Be sure lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire, or other 
objects which could damage lawn mower or 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, thoroughly 
inspect mower for any damage, and 
repair damage before restarting and 
operating. Extensive vibration of 
mower during operation is an indica-
tion of damage. The unit should be 
promptly inspected and repaired.

1.  For best results, do not cut wet grass.
2.  For a healthier lawn, never cut off more than one-

third of the total length of the grass.  

Using as Mulcher

For mulching grass, remove the grass catcher from the 
mower. The rear discharge door should be closed.
1.  For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass. 
2.  New or thick grass may require a narrower cut. 

Adjust ground speed according to condition of lawn.

3.  If the grass has been allowed to grow in excess of 

4 inches, mulching is not recommended. Use the 
grass catcher to bag clippings instead.

Using Grass Catcher

You can use the grass catcher to collect clippings while 
you are operating the mower. 
1.  Attach grass catcher following instructions on page 

7 . Grass clippings will automatically collect in the 
bag as you run the mower. Operate the mower till the 
grass bag is full. 

2.  Stop engine completely by releasing the blade 

control handle. Make sure that the unit has come to 
a complete stop. 

3.  Lift discharge door and pull grass bag up and away 

from the mower to dispose of the grass clippings.

Figure 2

3

Summary of Contents for Yard-Man 588

Page 1: ...ntained 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 Feder...

Page 2: ...Customer Support If you have difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the controls operation or maintenance of this unit you can seek help from the experts Choose from the o...

Page 3: ...lk behind mower on such a slope it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip resulting in serious injury Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes never across the face of slop...

Page 4: ...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...

Page 5: ...hile engine is hot or running Allow engine to cool at least two minutes before refueling 10 Never over fill fuel tank Fill tank to no more than inch below bottom of filler neck to provide for fuel exp...

Page 6: ...control handle against upper handle b Pull starter rope out of the engine Release blade control handle c Slip starter rope into rope guide d Tighten wing nut 4 Insert post on cable ties into holes pro...

Page 7: ...he grass catcher a Place bag over frame so that its black plastic side is at the bottom b Slip plastic channel of grass bag over hooks on the frame See Step 7 All the plastic channels except center to...

Page 8: ...rter is attached to the right upper handle Stand behind the unit and pull the recoil starter rope to start the unit Gas and Oil Fill Up 1 Check oil level and add oil if necessary Follow engine manual...

Page 9: ...for the blade to stop completely before doing any work on the mower or to remove the grass catcher Stopping Engine 1 Release blade control to stop the engine and blade 2 Disconnect spark plug wire fr...

Page 10: ...igure 3 4 Follow the accompanying engine manual for lubrica tion schedule and instruction for engine lubrication Deck Care Clean underside of the mower deck after each use to prevent build up of grass...

Page 11: ...ge to mower and could break causing personal injury 8 Lubricate the engine crankshaft and the inner surface of the blade adapter with light oil Slide the blade adapter onto the engine crankshaft 9 Pla...

Page 12: ...retor out of adjustment Engine overheats 1 Fill crankcase with proper oil 2 Remove blower housing and clean 3 Refer to engine manual 1 Engine oil level low 2 Air flow restricted 3 Carburetor not adjus...

Page 13: ...13 7 Safety Labels WARNING DO NOT remove safety or any labels from mower for any reason...

Page 14: ...14 39 38 41 10 17 46 47 19 40 30 44 12 30 24 32 18 32 25 27 45 22 21 43 23 26 15 28 29 45 42 16 14 4 8 3 2 33 20 6 7 9 11 5 1 13 37 34 35 45 45 31 36...

Page 15: ...m Assembly LH 26 736 0524B Blade Bell Support 27 787 01290 Front Adjustment Plate 28 720 0426 Adjustment Lever Knob 29 732 0866 Spring Lever 30 738 0507B Shoulder Screw 31 734 04086 Front Wheel 7 x 1...

Page 16: ...the exterior finish due to use or exposure d Service completed by someone other than an authorized service dealer e MTD does not extend any warranty for products sold or exported outside of the United...

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