21
Operation
Zero Turn Driving Practice
The lever controls of the Zero Turn rider are responsive, and
learning to gain a smooth and efficient control of the rider’s
forward, reverse, and turning movements will take some
practice.
Spending some time going through the maneuvers shown
and becoming familiar with how the unit accelerates, travels,
and steers — before you begin mowing —is absolutely
essential to getting the most out of the Zero Turn rider.
Locate a smooth, flat area of your lawn
— one with plenty
of room to maneuver. (Clear the area of objects, people and
animals before you begin.) Operate the unit at mid-throttle
during this practice session (ALWAYS operate at full throttle
when mowing), and turn slowly to prevent tire slippage and
damage to your lawn.
We suggest you begin with the Smooth Travel procedure to
the right, and then advance through the forward, reverse,
and turning maneuvers.
You must release the parking brake prior to moving the
control levers inward.
Forward Travel Practice
Gradually move both ground speed control levers — evenly
FORWARD from neutral. Slow down and repeat.
NOTE: Straight forward travel takes practice. If necessary,
top speed can be balance-adjusted — see the Speed
Balancing Adjustment in the Adjustments section near the
back of this manual.
Reverse Travel Practice
LOOK DOWN & BEHIND, then gradually move both ground
speed control levers evenly BACK from neutral. Slow down
and repeat.
NOTE: Practice backing up for several minutes before
attempting to do so near objects. The rider turns sharply in
reverse as well as forward, and backing up straight takes
practice.
Figure 11. Forward Travel
Forward
Travel
Figure 12. Reverse Travel
Reverse
Travel
Smooth Travel
The lever controls of the
Zero Turn rider are
responsive.
The BEST method of
handling the ground
speed control levers is in
three steps — as shown
in Figure 10.
FIRST place your hands
onto the levers as shown.
SECOND, to go forward
gradually push the levers
forward with your palms.
THIRD, to speed up move
the levers farther
forward. To slow down
smoothly, slowly move
the levers toward neutral.
Figure 10. Move Control
Levers Gradually
Operation
