23
SECTION III
OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS
3-1 General Safety
Only qualified people familiar with this operator’s manual
and the mower’s operator’s manual should operate this
machine.
3-2 Operation And Tips On Mowing
PTO MODELS
A. Perform BEFORE EACH USE the maintenance list
in paragraph 4-1.
B. Start mower.
C. With the mower at high idle speed, engage the mower
deck.
D. While seated in the operator’s seat, rotate the
engagement handle of the collection system away
from the mower. Continue to rotate the handle until it
stops in an over center position. With the blower
engaged, you can proceed to operate the control
levers of the mower.
ENGINE DRIVEN MODELS
A. Perform BEFORE EACH USE maintenance list in
paragraph 4-1.
B. Start the engine/blower/blade assembly.
B. Start mower.
C. With the mower at high idle speed, engage the mower
deck.
D. 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 blower, engage the parking brake and turn the
mower off. Check the upper hose, lower hose, top
screen and boot for 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 5 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.
3-3 Disengagement Of The Blower
PTO MODELS
A. To disengage the blower, rotate the engagement
handle towards the mower.
WARNING:
The blower will continue to spin. DO NOT
TOUCH the blower, pulleys, or the belt until the tractor is
turned off. DO NOT adjust the belt tension until the
mower is turned off. Refer to section 2-10 of the manual.
ENGINE DRIVEN MODELS
B. (5.5HP Briggs & Stratton) To stop the engine, throttle
the engine to the stop position.
C. (6.5HP Briggs & Stratton Vanguard) To stop the
engine, move the fuel lever to the OFF position.
3-4 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 blower, or stop the blower engine.
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 lifting the plastic hood. Load in
bags should not exceed the height of the installed
bag.
F. To release bags from frame, open the plastic top and
slide bags out, then turn bags over to deposit
clippings.
G. Follow steps on page 16 to re-attach bags back to the
bagger.
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
4-1 Maintenance Checklist
NOTE: REMOVE PTO ASSEMBLY BEFORE
RAISING DECK FOR MAINTENANCE.
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.
