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Safety • Assembly • Operation • Adjustment • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Parts Lists • Warranty

Warning: 

This unit 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 arrester meeting applicable local or state laws (if any). 
If a spark arrester 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 arrester 
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.

MTD LLC, P.O. BOX 361131 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-0019

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION

IMPORTANT

OPERATOR’S MANUAL

Automatic Lawn Tractor — Model Series 604

2/8/2006

FORM NO. 769-02352

Summary of Contents for 604 series

Page 1: ...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 arrester 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 MT...

Page 2: ...tain the unit for best performance Please read and understand what it says Customer Support Slope Gauge 3 Safe Operation Practices 4 Setting Up Your Lawn Tractor 8 Operating Your Lawn Tractor 12 Adjusting Your Lawn Tractor 20 Maintaining Your Lawn Tractor 24 Off Season Storage Attachments 30 Safety Labels 31 Troubleshooting 32 Parts List 34 If you have difficulty assembling this product or have an...

Page 3: ...alk 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 slopes Operate WALK BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes never up and down slopes Use this page as a guide to determine slopes where you may not operate safely Do not operate your lawn mower on such s...

Page 4: ...en refuel such equipment on a trailer with a portable container rather than from a gasoline dispenser nozzle d 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 e Extinguish all cigarettes cigars pipes and other sources of ignition f Never fuel machine indoors g Never remove gas cap or add fuel ...

Page 5: ...g deck Contact with the blade s can amputate hands and feet 12 A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade contact or thrown object injuries 13 Stop the blade s when crossing gravel drives walks or roads and while not cutting grass 14 Watch for traffic when operating near or crossing roadways This machine is not intended for use on any public roadway 15 Do not operate the machine while un...

Page 6: ...urn slowly and gradually downhill if possible 2 Do not mow near drop offs ditches or embankments The mower could suddenly turn over if a wheel is over the edge of a cliff ditch or if an edge caves in 3 Do not try to stabilize the machine by putting your foot on the ground 4 Do not use a grass catcher on steep slopes 5 Do not mow on wet grass Reduced traction could cause sliding 6 Do not shift to n...

Page 7: ...damage e g excessive wear bent cracked Replace the blade s with the original equipment manufacturer s O E M blade s only listed in this manual Use of parts which do not meet the original equipment specifications may lead to improper performance and compromise safety 6 Mower blades are sharp Wrap the blade or wear gloves and use extra caution when servicing them 7 Keep all nuts bolts and screws tig...

Page 8: ...on the side of the battery If the battery is put into service after this date charge the battery as instructed in the Maintaining Your Lawn Tractor section of this manual prior to operating the tractor Secure battery back onto the tractor with the hold down strap Reattach the positive cable heavy red wire to the positive battery terminal with the bolt and nut Make certain that the rubber boot cove...

Page 9: ...d by grasping it between your thumb and index finger and rotating it clockwise WARNING The shipping brace used for packaging purposes only must be removed and dis carded before operating your riding mower WARNING The mowing deck is capable of throwing objects Fail ure to operate the riding mower without the discharge cover in the proper operating position could result in serious personal injury an...

Page 10: ...th applicable instructions below Standard Adjustment Seat 1 Position the shoulder screws found on the base of the seat inside the slot openings in the seat pivot bracket Figure 4 2 Slide the seat slightly rearward in the seat pivot bracket lining up the rear slots in the pivot bracket with the remaining two holes in the seat s base 3 Select desired position for the seat and secure with the two hex...

Page 11: ...discharge opening or packed separately with your unit NOTE Refer to Mulching on page 19 for more detailed information If you d prefer to operate the cutting deck without mulch ing simply remove the mulch plug by unthreading the plastic wing nut which fastens it to the cutting deck This will allow the clippings to discharge out of the discharge opening during operation See Figure 7 ...

Page 12: ...ever NOTE Any reference in this manual to the RIGHT or LEFT side of the tractor is observed from operator s position If so equipped Any reference in this manual to the RIGHT or LEFT side of the tractor is observed from operator s position This Operators Manual covers a range of product specifications for various models Characteristics and features discussed and or illustrated in this manual may no...

Page 13: ...fety interlock switch when starting the tractor Ignition Switch Module WARNING Never leave a running machine unattended Always disengage PTO move shift lever into neutral position set parking brake stop engine and remove key to prevent unintended starting To start the engine insert the key into the ignition switch and turn clockwise to the START position Release the key into the NORMAL MOWING MODE...

Page 14: ...notch best suited for your application Systems Indicator Monitor If Equipped LCD Located in the center of the tractor s console the systems indicator monitor records and displays on its LCD hours of tractor operation whenever the ignition key is rotated out of the STOP position The Indicator Monitor will also remind the operator of maintenance intervals for changing the engine oil The LCD will alt...

Page 15: ...ck system should ever malfunction do not operate the tractor Contact an authorized MTD service dealer The safety interlock system prevents the engine from cranking or starting unless the parking brake is engaged and the PTO Blade Engage knob or lever is in the disengaged OFF position The engine will automatically shut off if the operator leaves the seat before engaging the parking brake Models wit...

Page 16: ...ure 12 WARNING AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH GO UP AND DOWN SLOPES NOT ACROSS AVOID SUDDEN TURNS DO NOT OPERATE THE UNIT WHERE IT COULD SLIP OR TIP IF MACHINE STOPS GOING UPHILL STOP BLADE S AND BACK DOWNHILL SLOWLY DO NOT MOW WHEN CHILDREN OR OTHERS ARE AROUND NEVER CARRY CHILDREN EVEN WITH BLADES OFF LOOK DOWN AND BEHIND BEFORE AND WHILE BACKING KEEP SAFETY DEVICES GUARDS SHIELDS AND SWITCHES IN...

Page 17: ... so will result in a rich fuel mixture and cause the engine to run poorly Stopping the Engine WARNING If you strike a foreign object stop the engine discon nect the spark plug wire s and ground against the engine Thoroughly inspect the machine for any damage Repair the damage before restarting and operating 1 If the blades are engaged place the PTO Blade Engage knob or lever in the disengaged OFF ...

Page 18: ...trol and stop the tractor 2 Lightly depress the drive pedal To change to the reverse direction when operating with cruise control depress the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control and bring the tractor to a complete stop Then place the shift lever in the REVERSE position and depress the drive pedal Engaging the Blades Engaging the PTO Blade Engage transfers power to the cutting deck or other...

Page 19: ... Blades in the Maintaining Your Lawn Tractor section of this manual for proper blade sharpening instructions Mulching If Equipped Select models come equipped with a mulch kit which incorporates special blades already standard on the tractor in a process of recirculating grass clippings repeatedly beneath the cutting deck The ultra fine clippings are then forced back into the lawn where they act as...

Page 20: ...nce necessary for proper adjustment and proceed if necessary to the next step 3 From the front of the tractor loosen the hex lock nut on each end of the deck hanger rod and turn away from the inner hex nuts See Figure 14 4 Tighten the inner hex nuts front against the front hanger bracket to raise the front of the deck loosen the hex nuts to lower the front of the deck NOTE Models with a 42 inch de...

Page 21: ...e brake disc can be found on the right side of the transmission in the rear of the tractor Adjust if necessary as follows 1 Looking at the transmission from the right side of the tractor locate the compression spring and brake disc See Figure 16 2 Loosen but do NOT remove the hex nut found on the right side of the brake assembly See Figure 16 3 Using a feeler gauge set the gap between the brake di...

Page 22: ...is locked into position before operating the tractor Knob Adjustment Seat if so equipped To adjust the position of the seat on models so equipped loosen the two knobs on the bottom of the seat See Figure 17 Slide the seat forward or backward as desired Retighten the two knobs Standard Seat if so equipped To adjust the position of the seat loosen the two hex screws on the bottom of the seat Slide t...

Page 23: ...d the jam nut to shorten the drag link Thread the ball joint away from the jam nut to lengthen the drag link 4 Replace hex nut and retighten the jam nut after proper adjustment is achieved NOTE Threading the ball joints too far onto the drag links will cause the front tires to toe in too far Proper toe in is between 1 16 and 5 16 Front tire toe in can be measured as follows 1 Place the steering wh...

Page 24: ...ngine with new motor oil as instructed in the Engine Operator Owner Manual packed with your unit IMPORTANT Refer to the Engine Operator Owner Manual packed with your unit for information regarding the quantity and proper weight of motor oil Air Cleaner Service the pre cleaner if so equipped and cartridge air cleaner element as instructed in the Engine Operator Owner Manual packed with your unit Sp...

Page 25: ...ition with the cutting deck engaged for a minimum of two minutes allowing the underside of the cutting deck to thoroughly rinse 10 Move the tractor s PTO Blade Engage into the OFF position 11 Turn the ignition key to the STOP position to turn the tractor s engine off and engage the parking brake 12 Turn the water off and detach the hose coupler from the water port on your decks surface 13 Repeat s...

Page 26: ...re Be certain that the wires are connected to the correct terminals reversing them could change the polarity and result in damage to your engine s alternat ing system Charging If the tractor has not been put into use for an extended period of time charge the battery with an automotive type 12 volt charger for a minimum of one hour at six amps WARNING Batteries give off an explosive gas while charg...

Page 27: ...nge nut that secures the blade to the spindle assembly See Figure 24 4 To properly sharpen the cutting blades remove equal amounts of metal from both ends of the blades along the cutting edges parallel to the trailing edge at a 25 to 30 angle IMPORTANT If the cutting edge of the blade has already been sharpened to within 1 5 8 from the edge or if any metal separation is present replace the blades ...

Page 28: ...ng the belt s 4 Carefully loosen but do not remove the deck idler pulleys 5 Remove the deck belt from around all pulleys including the deck idler pulleys and the electric PTO clutch units with electric PTO 6 Route the new belt as shown in Figure 26 or 27 and retighten the deck idler pulleys 7 Reinstall the belt guards removed earlier and remount the deck to the tractor 8 Route the belt around the ...

Page 29: ...Pulley Idler Pulleys This Operators Manual covers a range of product specifications for various models Characteristics and features discussed and or illustrated in this manual may not be applicable to all models MTD LLC reserves the right to change product speci fications designs and equipment without notice and without incurring obligation ...

Page 30: ...chine or fuel container indoors where there is an open flame spark or pilot light such as on water heater furnace clothes dryer or other gas appliance Attachments Accessories The following attachments and accessories are compatible with Model Series 604 Lawn Tractors See the retailer from which you purchased your tractor an authorized MTD Service Dealer or call 1 800 800 7310 for information regar...

Page 31: ...ers Read and follow all instructions in this manual before at tempting to operate this machine Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury When you see this symbol HEED ITS 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 ...

Page 32: ... cartridge element or clean pre cleaner if so equipped 1 Unit running with CHOKE applied 2 Spark plug wire s loose 3 Blocked fuel line or stale fuel 4 Vent in gas cap plugged 5 Water or dirt in fuel system 6 Dirty air cleaner Engine overheats 1 Fill crankcase with proper oil 2 Clean grass clippings and debris from around the engine s cooling fins and blower housing 1 Engine oil level low 2 Air flo...

Page 33: ...33 NOTES ...

Page 34: ...34 Model Series 604 ...

Page 35: ... 3078 Washer Flat 344 x 1 0 x 063 Ref No Part No Description 30 783 04333A Fender 31 783 0677B Adjust Brkt Lift 32 783 1489B Mounting Bracket Seat 33 710 0227 Screw 8 18 x 50 34 726 0279 Plate Insulator 35 725 1303 Spring Switch Outer 36 725 1439 Spring Switch Inner 37 726 0278 Plate Insulator Boss 38 683 04079 Shaft Assembly Lift 39 712 04065 Nut Flange Lock 3 8 16 GrF 40 714 0104 Pin Cotter 072 ...

Page 36: ...36 Model Series 604 ...

Page 37: ... features vary by model NOT all parts listed above and pictured on the previous page are standard equipment Ref No Part No Description 23 783 0728 Pivot Bracket Bar 24 631 04008A Steering Wheel 25 731 04065 Wheel Cover 26 738 04128 Shoulder Screw 5 x 2 380 3 8 16 738 1011A Shoulder Screw 5 x 2 2 3 8 16 27 734 2290A Deluxe Hub Cap 28 736 0316 Flat Washer 78 x 1 589 x 06 29 714 04039 Cotter Pin 5 32...

Page 38: ...38 Model Series 604 ...

Page 39: ... Ref No Part No Description 25 747 04301 Side Panel Support 26 712 0292 Clip Tinn Nut 1 4 20 27 783 04323D Plate Dash Support LH 28 731 04213 Brake Dash Lever 30 710 1611B TT Screw 5 16 18 x 75 31 731 05037 Dash Panel 4 Style w elec 32 731 04214 Cruise Dash Lever 33 735 04023 Net Accessory 34 726 04029 Ratchet Clip 35 725 04227A Module Key Switch 8 PIN 36 725 1745 Ignition Key w plastic cover 725 ...

Page 40: ...40 Model Series 604 ...

Page 41: ...arts V belts are designed to engage and disengage safely A substitute non OEM V belt can be dangerous by not disen gaging completely NOTE Tractor features vary by model NOT all parts listed above and pictured on the previous page are standard equipment Ref No Part No Description 38 683 0266 Pedal Assembly 39 735 0662 Control Pad 40 647 0031B Brake Control Assembly 41 736 0119 Lock Washer 5 16 42 7...

Page 42: ...Type 86 712 0700 Flange Nut 9 16 18 87 748 0334 T Axle Spacer 88 17840 Transaxle Mounting Bracket 89 712 04063 Flange Lock Nut 5 16 18 90 683 04129 Vari Coated Bracket 91 741 0600 Ball Bearing 92 718 04012 Bearing Cup 93 710 1652 TT Screw 1 4 20 x 625 94 736 0362 Flat Washer 330 x 1 25 x 06 95 710 0627 HH Cap Screw 5 16 24 x 75 IMPORTANT For a proper working machine use Factory Approved Parts V be...

Page 43: ...No Description 12 783 0615D Muffler Bracket Kohler V Twin 13 710 0599 TT Screw 1 4 20 x 0 5 14 710 0726 AB Screw 5 16 12 x 0 5 15 712 3005 Flange Lock Nut 3 8 16 16 736 0300 Flat Washer 406 x 875 x 059 17 710 0654A TT Screw 3 8 16 x 1 00 18 736 0277 Flat Washer 1 031 x 1 620 x 095 19 751 01074 Extension Pipe Kohler Courage 20 751 0617B Single Inlet Muffler Koh Courage 21 726 0272 Clamp NOTE Tracto...

Page 44: ...44 Model Series 604 Electric PTO ...

Page 45: ... Frame Assembly Lower 17 710 0607 TT Screw 5 16 18 x 500 18 710 0642 TT Screw 1 4 20 x 750 19 710 3005 HH Cap Screw 3 8 16 x 1 25 20 712 04064 Flange Lock Nut 1 4 20 21 783 04809 Frame Upper 22 732 04035 Compression Spring 1 28 OD x 3 125 23 736 0222 Lock Washer 1 4 External 24 783 04329A Seat Frame Bracket 25 738 04058 Shoulder Spacer 38 x 1 0 x 70 26 747 04121A Battery Hold Rod 27 783 0349 Batte...

Page 46: ...46 Model Series 604 ...

Page 47: ...leeve Bearing 75 x 1 0 x 1 0 12 721 0338 Seal 75 x 1 0 x 125 13 618 04041 Differential Assembly 14 741 0336 Flange Bearing 5 8 x 3 4 x 3 4 15 717 04056 42 tooth Bevel Gear 16 718 04045 Clutch Collar 17 711 04134 Drive Shaft 18 736 0495 Thrust Washer 1 0 x 632 x 0 736 0494 Flat Washer 632 x 1 00 x 035 19 741 0337 Flange Bearing 5 8 x 3 4 x 15 16 20 611 0011 Detent Shaft Assembly 21 741 0862 Detent ...

Page 48: ...48 Model Series 604 42 inch Deck Electric PTO ...

Page 49: ...271 Bumper 31 736 0119 Lock Washer 5 16 Ref No Part No Description 32 736 0187 Flat Washer 64 x 1 24 x 06 33 736 0225 Lock Washer 5 8 34 736 0270 Bell Washer 265 x 75 x 062 35 736 0300 Flat Washer 406 x 875 x 059 36 736 0322 Flat Washer 450 x 1 250 x 164 37 738 0373 Shoulder Spacer 498 x 1 53 38 738 04146 Screw Plug M16 x 1 5 39 738 04162A Shoulder Spacer 8840 x 190 40 742 0616A Blade 21 23 Star 3...

Page 50: ...50 C A A B C B Model Series 604 46 inch Deck Electric PTO ...

Page 51: ...Spring Extension 91 Dia x 7 33 Ref No Part No Description 26 732 0826 Spring Extension 865 OD x 4 68 27 736 0322 Washer Flat 450 x 1 25 x 164 28 734 0973 Wheel Deck 5 0 x 1 38 29 736 0119 Washer Lock 5 16 Regular Duty 30 736 0270 Washer Bell 265 x 75 x 062 31 736 0760 Washer Lock 17 x 23 8 x 1 95 32 738 04146 Plug Screw 33 731 1032B Chute Assembly Side Discharge 34 738 0373 Screw Shlder 498 x 1 53...

Page 52: ...52 NOTES ...

Page 53: ...53 NOTES ...

Page 54: ...54 NOTES ...

Page 55: ...arranty period stated above If the part fails during the period of warranty coverage the part will be repaired or replaced by MTD Consumer Group Inc according to subsection 4 below Any such part repaired or replaced under warranty will be warranted for the remainder of the period 2 Any warranted part that is scheduled only for regular inspection in the written instructions supplied is warranted fo...

Page 56: ... 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 States its possessions and territories except those sold through MTD s authorized channels of export distribution f Replacement parts that are not genuine MTD parts g Transportation charges and serv...

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