10
SECTION 5: OPERATING YOUR LAWN MOWER
Gas & Oil Fill-Up
•
Check oil level and add oil if necessary. Follow
relevant instructions in the engine manual for this.
•
Service the engine with gasoline as instructed in
the engine manual.
Before Starting Mower
•
Attach spark plug wire to spark plug. Make certain
the metal cap on the end of the spark plug wire
(inside the rubber boot) is fastened securely over
the metal tip on the spark plug.
Starting Engine
•
Push primer three times. Wait about two seconds
between each push. In cold weather around 55
o
F
or below, prime five times. Do not prime to restart a
warm engine after a short shutdown.
•
Standing behind the mower, depress the blade
control handle and hold it against the upper handle.
•
Grasp starter handle and pull rope out slowly until
engine reaches start of compression cycle (rope
will pull slightly harder at this point). Holding the
starter handle firmly, let the rope rewind slowly.
•
Once the engine has started, squeeze the two
control handles against the upper handle to run the
mower forward and cut the grass.
To Stop Engine
•
Release the blade control handle to stop the engine
and blade.
•
Disconnect spark plug wire and ground it against
the engine to prevent accidental starting while
equipment is unattended.
Using Your Lawn Mower
•
You can use your mower as a mulcher or a rear
bagger or for side discharge of grass.
•
Be sure that the lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire,
or other objects which could damage lawn mower
or engine. Such objects could be accidently thrown
by the mower in any direction and cause serious
personal injury to the operator and others.
•
For best results, do not cut wet grass
because it
tends to stick to the underside of the mower.
•
For a
healthy lawn
, always cut off one-third or less
of the total length of the grass. Lawn should be
trimmed in fall as long as there is growth.
Adjusting Cutting Height
Refer to height adjustments section of this manual on
page 13 for instruction on how to adjust the cutting
height.
For best results in mowing, keep the cutting height
position high until you can determine a suitable height.
Bagging Grass Clippings
You can use the grass catcher bag to collect clippings
while you are operating the mower.
•
Attach grass catcher following instructions on page
8. Grass clippings will automatically collect in the
bag as you run the mower. Operate the mower till
the grass bag is full.
•
Once the bag is full, stop the engine and the mower
completely. Lift discharge door and pull grass bag
up and away from the mower to dispose of the
grass clippings.
WARNING:
Read and understand all
instructions and warnings on the machine and
in this manual before operating.
WARNING:
Use extreme care when
handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremely
flammable and the vapors are explosive. Never
fuel the machine indoors or while the engine is
hot or running. Extinguish cigarettes, cigars,
pipes and other sources of ignition.
WARNING:
Be sure no one other than the
operator is standing near the lawn mower while
starting engine or operating mower.
WARNING:
Never run engine indoors or in
enclosed, poorly ventilated areas. Engine
exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an
odorless and deadly gas.
WARNING:
Keep hands, feet, hair and
loose clothing away from any moving parts on
engine and lawn mower.
WARNING:
If the mower strikes a foreign
object, stop the engine. Remove spark plug
wire from the spark plug and thoroughly inspect
for any damage. Repair the damage promptly
before restarting and operating the mower.