4
THINGS TO KNOW BE FORE YOU ASSEMBLE OR OPERATE
YOUR LAWN MOW ER
CONGRATULATIONS
on your purchase of a new Lawn Mower. It has been designed,
en gi neered and manu fac tured to give you the best pos sible de penda bil ity and per for-
m ance.
Should you experience any prob lems you can not easily remedy, please contact your
nearest authorized service center. They have com pe tent, well trained tech ni cians and
the proper tools to service or repair this unit.
• Read the SAFETY RULES and this Operator's Manual in its entirety before you at-
tempt to assemble or operate your new lawn mower to insure proper operation and
to prevent injury to yourself and others. Save this manual for future reference.
• Your new lawn mower has been assembled at the factory with the exception of those
parts left unassembled for shipping purposes. To ensure safe and proper operation
of your lawn mower, all parts and hardware you assemble must be tightened secure-
ly. Use the correct tools as necessary to ensure proper tightness.
• All parts such as nuts, washers, bolts, etc., necessary to complete the assembly have
been placed in the parts bag.
TO REMOVE LAWN MOWER FROM CARTON
• Remove all loose parts from carton.
• Remove lawn mower hous ing with care. Avoid touch ing blade under hous ing.
Always wear gloves or other protection when working under or lifting mower.
Do I have a side or rear discharge lawn mower?
SAFETY RULES
mower. Only rear discharge lawn mowers
have a grass catcher in clud ed with the
mower. Approved grass catchers for side
discharge mow ers may be purchased from
your nearest au tho rized dealer.
Look for the grass discharge opening on
your mower. If the opening is on the right
side of the mower housing, it is a side dis-
charge mower. If the opening is at the back
of the mower housing, it is a rear discharge
V. GENERAL SERVICE
• Never run a machine inside a closed
area.
• Never make adjustments or repairs with
the engine (motor) running. Dis con nect
the spark plug wire, and keep the wire
away from the plug to prevent ac ci den-
tal starting.
• Keep all nuts and bolts tight to be sure
the equipment is in safe working condi-
tion.
• Never tamper with safety devices.
Check their proper operation reg u lar ly.
Never do anything to interfere with the
intended function of a safety device or
reduce the protection provided by a
safety device.
• Keep machine free of grass, leaves, or
other debris build-up. Clean oil or fuel
spillage. Allow machine to cool before
storing.
• Stop and inspect the equipment if you
strike an object. Repair, if nec es sary,
before restarting.
• Never attempt to make wheel height
adjustments while the engine is running.
• Grass catcher components are sub ject
to wear, dam age, and de te ri o ra tion,
which could expose moving parts or
allow objects to be thrown. Frequently
check com po nents and replace with
man u fac tur er’s recommended parts,
when necessary.
• Mower blades are sharp and can cut.
Wrap the blade(s) or wear gloves, and
use extra caution when ser vic ing them.
• Do not change the engine governor set-
ting or overspeed the engine.
• Maintain or replace safety and instruc-
tion labels, as necessary.
33
STORAGE
3 POSITION “QUICK”
Handle pin
Handle
ad just ment
bracket
SQUEEZE
FOLD
FORWARD
FOR
STORAGE
MOWING
POSITION
Lower handle
Operator
presence
control bar
Upper
handle
Handle
knob
“QUICK-RELEASE” HANDLES
You can fold your lawn mower han dle for
storage.
ON 18" HI-VAC MODELS ONLY:
1. Loosen the two (2) handle levers on
sides of the upper handle and allow
handle to fold down to the rear.
2. Move height adjustment lever forward
to raise mower to highest position.
3. Loosen handle bolts (on both sides),
then pivot entire handle as sem bly
forward and allow it to rest on mower.
FOLD
FORWARD
FOR
STORAGE
MOWING
POSITION
Lower
handle
Operator
presence
control bar
Upper
handle
Handle
lever
LEVER
FORWARD
TO RAISE
MOWER
Handle
bolt
Height
adjuster lever
(18" Hi-Vac
models only)
ON ALL OTHER MODELS:
1. Loosen the two “quick-adjust” handle
knobs on sides of the upper handle
and allow handle to fold down to the
rear.
2. Loosen the two “standard” handle
knobs on sides of the lower handle
and pivot entire handle as sem bly for-
ward and allow it to rest on mower.
3. Reinstall “standard” knobs and car-
riage bolts to lower handle or handle
brackets for safe keeping.
• When setting up your handle from the
storage position, the lower han dle will
automatically lock into the mow ing
position.
IMPORTANT:
When folding the handle for
storage or transportation, be sure to fold
the handle as shown or you may damage
the control cables.
