Assembly Instructions
25
PREOPERATING CHECKLIST
Before operating the mower for the first time, and as
a routine before daily operations, it is important to
make sure the mower is properly prepared and
ready for operation. The following is a list of items
to be checked. (For a mower with frequent opera
tion, some of these items will not need to be checked
every day, but the operator should be aware of the
condition of each.)
For proper fuel and lubricants refer to
Specifications.
FILL FUEL TANKS
Fill the fuel tanks using clean, fresh automotive
grade
unleaded
gasoline (87 octane minimum, 10%
ethanol maximum).
DANGER
Handle gasoline with care. Gasoline is
high
ly flammable and its vapors are explo
-
sive. Use safe refueling procedures:
●
DO NOT fill fuel tanks with the engine
running.
●
If the engine is hot, allow to cool before
refueling.
●
Use an approved fuel container.
●
Fuel the mower outdoors.
●
DO NOT smoke while refueling.
●
Avoid spilling fuel; use a funnel or
spout.
●
DO NOT overfill the fuel tanks; fill up to
about 1 in. (25 mm) below the top of
tank.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT
permit dirt or other foreign
matter to enter the fuel tanks. Wipe dirt from around
the filler cap(s) before removing. Use a clean fuel
storage container and funnel.
IMPORTANT:
DO NOT mix oil with gasoline.
Al
ways use fresh, automotive grade unleaded gas o
line.
DO NOT
use gasoline containing greater than
10% ethanol.
DO NOT
use additives, such as car
buretor cleaners, deicers, or moisture removing
agents.
DO NOT
use gasoline blended with methyl
alcohol.
CHECK ENGINE CRANKCASE OIL LEVEL
Check the engine crankcase oil level before use and
after each 8 hours
of continuous operation. Refer
to
LUBRICATION
for
Checking Engine Crankcase
Oil Level
in
Maintenance Instructions.
CHECK AND SERVICE ENGINE AIR CLEAN
ER SYSTEM
● Check air filter restriction gauge to make sure
the yellow indicator disk is in the safe operating
(green) range.
● Check condition, cleanliness, and security of the
complete air cleaner system (inspect air filter
paper element
every 100 hours
). For detailed
procedures, refer to
CLEANING
the
Engine Air
Cleaner System
in
Maintenance Instructions.
CHECK ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Check that the engine cooling air intake screen is
free
of obstruction by grass clippings or debris and
clean if required. Also, cylinder head cooling fins
should be inspected and cleaned if any buildup of
debris is noted [remove two (2) cylinder head ac
cess panels to inspect and clean]. Refer to
CLEAN-
ING
the
Cylinder Head Cooling Fins
in
Mainte-
nance Instructions
for this procedure.
Check performance of the cooling system by start
ing the engine, holding a hand adjacent to the cylin
der heads, and feeling the cooling airflow.
DANGER
Make sure to keep hands clear of exhaust
pipe, muffler, and moving parts when
checking airflow.
CHECK HYDROSTATIC TRANSAXLE OIL
LEVEL
Refer to
LUBRICATION
for
Check
Transaxle Fluid
Level
in
Maintenance Instructions
.
INSPECT FIVE (5) DRIVE BELTS
Engine/PTO (3), Ground Drive (1) and Deck Drive (1).
