Homelite 1600383 User Manual
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RE-8E, 8 H.P., SHUTTLE, ELECTRIC, W/30" MOWER, MFC. NO. 1690059
TRACTOR, 8 H.P., SHUTTLE MFC. NO. 1690058
Rotary Mower, 30-Inch, Mfg. No. 1651030
Grass Catcher, Rear Mounted, Mfg. No. 1600383
Counterweight, Mfg. No. 1600351
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FORM - 1651660
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
749
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS
IMPORTANT
OPERATION
Know the controls and how to stop quickly. READ THE
OPERATOR'S MANUAL.
Do not allow children to operate vehicle. Do not allow adults
to operate it without proper instruction.
Do not carry passengers. KEEP CHILDREN AND PETS A
SAFE DISTANCE AWAY.
Clear work area of objects which might be picked up and
thrown.
Take all possible precautions when leaving vehicle unat
tended; such as disengaging power-take-off, lowering attach
ments, shifting into neutral, setting parking brake, stopping
engine and removing key.
Do not stop or start suddenly when going uphill or down
hill. Mow up and down the face of steep slopes; never across
the face.
Reduce speed on slopes and in sharp turns to prevent tipping
or loss of control. Exercise extreme caution when changing
direction on slopes.
Stay alert for holes in terrain and other hidden hazards.
Use care when pulling loads or using heavy equipment.
A. Use only approved drawbar hitch points.
B. Limit loads to those you can safely control.
C. Do not turn sharply. Use care when backing.
D. Use counterweight (s) or wheel weights when sug
gested in operator's manual.
Watch for traffic when crossing or near roadways.
Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure equipment
is in safe working condition.
Do not change engine governor settings or overspeed engine.
Do not operate equipment when barefoot or wearing open
sandals. Always wear substantial footwear.
FUEL AND FIRE HAZARDS
Handle gasoline with care - it is highly flammable.
A. Use approved gasoline container.
B. Never remove cap or add gasoline to a running or hot
engine or fill fuel tank indoors. Wipe up spilled gaso
line.
C. Open doors if engine is run in garage - exhaust fumes
aré dangerous. Do not run engine indoors.
Never store equipment with gasoline in the tank inside a
building where fumes may reach an open flame or spark.
Allow engine to cool before storing in any enclosure.
To reduce fire hazard keep engine free of grass, leaves or
excessive grease.
ATTACHMENTS
Disengage power to attachments and stop engine before
leaving operator position.
Disengage power to attachment (s) and stop engine before
making any repairs or adjustments.
Disengage power to attachments when transporting or not
in use.
When using any attachments never direct discharge of ma
terial toward bystanders or allow anyone near vehicle while
in operation.
Keep vehicle and attachments in good operating condition
and keep safety devices in place. Use guards as instructed in
operator's manual.
Vehicle and attachments should be stopped and inspected
for damage after striking a foreign object and the damage
should be repaired before restarting and operating the equip
ment.
When using vehicle with mower:
(1) Mow only in daylight or in good artificial light.
(2) Never make a cutting height adjustment while en
gine is running if operator must dismount to do so.
(3) Shut engine off when removing grass catcher and/or
unclogging chutes.
(4) Check blade mounting bolts for proper tightness at
frequent intervals.
Check grass catcher bags frequently for wear or deterioration.
Replace with new bags for safety protection.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Райе
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ..........................................................................................Inside Cover
WARRANTY ..........................
ASSEMBLING ................................................................................................................................. 2
ACCESSORIES .................................................................................................................................. 2
OPERATION ....................................................................................................................................... 4
OPERATING ...................................................................................................................................... 6
ADJUSTMENTS
maintenance ....................................
OFF SEASON STORAGE
TROUBLESHOOTING ...................................................................................................................... 16
SPECIFICATIONS ....
PARTS LISTINGS
FRONT & REAR^TIRES ..............................................................................................................18
POWER TAKE OFF
FRONT FRAME & STEERING .................................................................................................. 20
TRANSMISSION & REAR AXLE _____________...........
CLUTCH & BRAKE
REAR FRAME SEAT &ENGINE
FILM & DECALS
ELECTRICAL STARTER ............................................................................................................ 28
; MOVVER HOUSING
MOWER CONTROL ................................................................................................................. 32
REAR MOUNTED GRASS CATCHER ........................................................................................34
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WARRANTY
We warrant this HOMELITE product to be free from defects in material or workmanship under normal use and
service, except that we make no warranty, express or implied, with respect to tires, engines, generators or voltage
regulators (which usually are warranted by their respective manufacturers) nor.wjth respect to any unit which
after sale by HOMELITE hasbeen-altered in any way without HQMELITE'S express consent.Our obligation under
this warranty is limited to replacing, without charge any part which is proven defective within one year (30 days
if the unit is used for commercial, rental or municipal purposes) from date of purchase, if returned to us, with
transportation charges prepaid, at a HOMELITE branch office or to a dealer whom we have authorized to make
the replacement,
THIS WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF MERCHANT
ABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, PERFORMANCE OR OTHERWISE AND IN NO EVENT
SHALL HOMELITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
HOMELITE
a division of Textron Inc.
ASSEMBLING
The riding mower is shipped with mower attached to tractor.
Remove all shipping materials. The following preparation
is required:
REAR MOUNTED GRASS CATCHER
1. Place steering wheel on steering shaft and secure with
bolt and nut
NOTE
If rear mounted grass catcher is to be used with riding
mower avoid step number two (below). Deflector will
not be used with adapter.
2. Secure mower deflector to mower housing with bolts,
flat washers, lockwashers and nuts.
3. Using mower lift lever, raise mower.
4. Remove battery from mounting bracket. Fill each cell
with standard battery electrolyte to the level marks shown
on case. Charge' battery until specific gravity of electrolyte
is 1.260.
CAUTION
Use only a 12 volt charger at less than 1.5 ampere
charging rate. Any higher charging rate will damage
battery.
Place battery back on the mounting bracket with the ter
minals toward the center of tractor and secure in place
with rubber clamp.
If a rear mounted grass catcher is used, assemble and attach
it to vehicle as follows:
1. See Figure 1. Remove two 3/4-inch long carriage bolts,
flat washers, lockwashers, and nuts attaching deflector to
housing. Remove deflector from housing. Secure adapter
to housing with two 1-inch long carriage bolts (installed
from inside of adapter) and wing nut assemblies. Be sure
to replace discharge deflector, using wing nuts, whenever
adapter is removed.
2. See Figure 2. Attach mower lift plates (bevel to inside
of housing) to mower blade with four capscrews and
locknuts.
ACCESSORIES
COUNTERWEIGHT
t. A: fronts cpu.rrterweighti, is recommended when using a
rear mounted grass catcher oh siopes of 15-30%. Mowing
slopes greater than 30% is not recommended.
2. See Figure A. Attach Counterweight assembly (1) with
two carriage bolts (2), lockwashers (3), and hex nuts (4).
Holes for weight are stamped in frame and are located under
rubber foot pads. After weight is installed, replace rubber
foot pads over the counterweight assembly.
Figure A
Figure 2.
3. See Figure 3. Attach two vertical supports to rear of unit.
Holes are pre-starriped in tractor, frairie. Use two curved
head bolts, lockwashers, and nuts to fasten each vertical sup
port to unit.
5. See Figure 3. The grass bag tubular frame assembly, on
which the grass bag hangs, has two tubular supports welded
to its front side in position to fit over vertical supports. To
install bag on this frame, bag zipper must be completely
unzipped, allowing grass bag plastic top panel to unfold.
m
U
1
REAR GOVER
(OPEN)
Figure 3.
^^;iSe&9F.igure 4.- .^©'jEMschá^^^ is shipped as a flat
.plastic sheet. Roll it i%o a tube and hold in shape with
phillips-htead screws. InStaiFscrews from;inside with a flat
washer under head of screw. ; Place another fiat Washer bn
outside^of -tube followed.by a.lockwasher arid nut: install
discharge tube-on end of;, chapter as shown in Figure 1.
6. On front side of grass bag, opposite mesh panel, there
are two holes in plastic top panel. Insert two tubular sup
ports welded to grass bag frame down through these two
holes with cloth portion of bag toward inside of frame and
with plastic top panel on outside of frame.
7. Roll plastic top panel up and over frame tube and bring
two halves of zipper together on inside of frame. Connect
ends of zipper together at point "A". See Figure 4. Work
zipper handle counter-clockwise completely around frame.
8. See Figure 3. Install frame and bag assémbly in vertical
supports. Insert rear end of discharge tube in hole at left
front corner of grass bag. See Figure 4.
9. See Figure 5. To install grass bag cover, position it above
bag, align cutout on front side with discharge tube, and push
down firmly to snap spring clips over outside of bag frame,
and top panel.
WARNING
Before emptying grass bag, always stop tractor, dis
engage power take-off drive to mower, place trans
mission in neutral, apply parking brake, and stop
engine.
SCREWS
GRASSBAG '
MESH PANEL
Figure 4.
10. To empty grass bag, pull up on cover to unsnap spring
clips and remove cover. Lift bag and frame straight up until
frame tubular supports come off of vertical supports. Turn
bag and frame over to dump grass clippings. Replace bag
tubular supports over vertical supports and lower in place,
slipping bag over discharge tube. Place grass bag cover over
bag frame and snap clips in place over bag frame.
NOTE: One front counterweight is recommended when
using grass catcher on slopes 15-30 percent. Mowing slopes
greater than 30% is not recommended.
c. Gear Shift Lever
See Figure 6. Pulling up on gear shift lever places the trans
mission in low range. Pushing dovvn engages the high range
gearing. Shift lever must be placed in neutral midway be
tween high and low range to engage a safety interlock switch
to permit starting the engine (Figure 7|. To shift gears with
engine running, either the clutch-brake pedal must be fully
depressed, or the foryvard reverse contrbi lever must be
placed in neutral.
d. Forward-Reverse Control Lever
OPERATION
PREPARING
Controls
Before attempting to use the riding mower, acquaint your
self with all of the controls and how they operate.
STEERING
WHEEL
FORWARD-REVERSE i
CONTROL LEVER
GEAR ,
SHIFT
LEVER
MOWER HEIGHT
CONTROL CRANK
IGNITION
SWITCH &
KEY
CLUTCHBRAKE
PEDAL
See Figure 6. The forward-reverse control lever operates
the transmission shuttle clutch and perrriits starting and
stopping the tractor in either forward or reverse direction
without shifting gears or using the fbot clutch. The shuttle
clutch may be used for a short time to "inch" the tractor
forward or backward, and to start and stop motion smoothly.
IT MUST NOT be used as a speed change device. All con
tinuous operation MUST be done in either fully forward or
fully rearward position.
Figure 6.
a. Clutch Brake Pedal
See Figure 6. Pushing the clutch-brake pedal forward first,
loosens and disengages the transmission drive belts. Further
forward motion of the pedal applies the brakes.
b. Throttle and Choke Levet '’
See Figure 6. The throttle and choke lever controls the en
gine speed from idle to full speed. Moving the lever farther
forward past the "fast" position applies the choke for
starting the engine. As soon as engine starts the lever should
be pulled back to mid-range and engine allowed to warm up
a few minutes before applying a load. When operating at
full throttle be careful that the lever is not moved so far
forward that the choke is partially closed.
IFORWARD REVERSE CONTROL LEVER
Figure 7.
To operate in forward direction, select high or low gear
shift range. With engine running and clutch-brake pedal
fully up in engaged position, move forward-reverse control
lever smoothly, but firmly, forward and engage it in for
ward notch in quadrant. To stop, disengage lever from
forward notch and pull it smoothly, but firmly, to rear
arid place in neutral notch.
To operate in reverse for any appreciable distance, pull the
lever frorn neutral to the rear and of quadrant and hold
ifthere until you wish to stop rearward travel; at which time
it should be pushed forward to neutral notch. When oper
ating in reverse, the control lever will automatically be re
turned to neutral when clutch-brake pedal is depressed.
e. Ignition Switch
ENGINE
See Figure 6. The ignition switch must be turned to the
"Start" position to actuate the starter. As soon as engine
starts; let go of key and it will automatically return to
"On". Turn key to "Off" to stop the engine,
f. Parking Brake Lever
See Figure 7. The parking brake lever, located under the
right side of the seat, is pushed down to engage brake. Brake
should be engaged when leaving the tractor unattended.
g. Mower P.T.O. Drive Clutch Lever
See Figure 8. The mower PTO drive is engaged by pushing
the mower drive clutch lever forward and down and is dis
engaged by pulling lever upward and back. A safety inter
lock switch requires that lever be in the disengaged position
to start engine.
CAUTION
Study the Safety Rules in this manual and follow all
of them when operating this riding mower.
a. Read the engine owner's manual thoroughly.
b. Check engine oil level, (Figure 7), and add oil as re
quired to maintain level up to full mark on dipstick.
NOTE: Use only a high quality detergent oil classified as
"SC", or "SD" or "MS". For summer operation, use SAE
30. If under 40 degrees, use .10W-30.
c. Fill the fuel tank (Figure 7) with a good grade of regular
gasoline. DO NOT use premium gasoline and DO NOT
mix oil with gasoline.
CAUTION
Gasoline is highly flammable. Avoid overfilling and
wipe up any spilled fuel. Allow no open flame,
smoking or matches near the area of refueling.
MOWER
Never leave the operators seat without disengaging
mower drive.
h. Mower Height Control Crank
See Figure 6. The cutting height of the; mower can be ad
justed from 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches by rotating the height con
trol crank. Turn clockwise to raise and counter-clockwise
to lower.
i. Mower Lift Lever
a. Be sure that you are familiar with the safety precautions,
controls and operating instructions given in this manual.
b. Check the mower carefully to be sure that it is properly
installed, leveled, and adjusted - (See Adjustments).
CAUTION
NEVER OPERATE THE MOWER unless the deflector
asserribly and discharge guard are securely bolted in
place, (See Figure 9).
c. Check the condition of mower blade. Keep it sharp and
in balance.
d. Clear the lawn of all sticks, stones, wire and other debris
which may be caught or thrown by the mower blade.
e. Determine the best method of mowing according to the
dimensions, terrain and obstructions of the lawn.
See Figure 8. Pull back to raise mower and push forward
and down to lower mower.
STARTING (Figures 6, 7 and 8)
1. Place gear shift lever midway between "Hi" and "Lo".
Place forward-reverse control lever in the neutral notch in
quadrant and raise the mower PTO drive clutch lever to the
disengaged position to actuate the safety interlock switches.
2. Lock the parking brake.
3. Move the throttle lever forward into the "Choke" po
sition.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the "Start" position to
actuate starter. As soon as engine starts, let go of key and
pull throttle lever back to middle of its running range.
Allow engine to warm up. a few minutes before putting it
under load.
5. If the starter will not operate, turn ignition key to off
and check that both the gear shift lever and mower PTO
drive clutch are in neutral position and are actually actuating
the safety interlock switches (Figures 7 and 8).
6. If engine fails to start after being turned over 5 or 10
seconds with the safety interlock switches closed, the engine
may be flooded. If this is the case, pull throttle back to
middle of the range to disengage choke and turn engine
over several times to clear out excess fuel.
TRAVEL
1. With engine running, set engine throttle between 1/4 ano
1/2 open. Engine speed for mowing should be 3/4 to full
throttle. When grass is wet or oyer 3-inches high, full throttle
is best.
2. With forward-reverse lever in the neutral notch, move
the gear shift lever into "Lo" or "Hi" range. Transmission
gear could be placed in "Lo" range when mowing heavy or
Wet grass and when on rough or sloping terrain. Use "Hi"
range on dry, moderate sized grass on smooth terrain.' It is
necessary to place forward-reverse control lever in neutral
or depress the clutch brake pedal to stop tractor before
shifting gears.
NOTE; If there is any tendency for gear teeth to "clash"
when shifting, depress the clutch brake pedal fully. Release
clutch brake pedal slowly and remove foot from pedal.
CAUTION
When operating the tractor for first time put trans
mission in "Lo" gear until you become acquainted
with the controls and operation of the tractor.
3. Grasp steering wheel, straighten front wheels, and look
carefully around to make sure that the area in which you
plan to drive is clear of obstructions, people and pets.
4. Refer to "Forward-Reverse Control Lever" explanation
in the "Controls" section of this manual and engage forward
reverse control lever to start ground travel as instructed.
5. The forward-reverse control lever is not a speed control
device and for ail continuous operation it must be positioned
either fully forward or fully rearward. Practice starting,
stopping, steering, shifting gears, faster throttle settings,
operating in reverse, etc. until you can operate the riding
mower smoothly and easily.
STOPPING
1. Ground travel is normally stopped by placing the forward
reverse control lever in neutral position and moving gear
shift lever to neutral. This action will only stop forward or
reverse drive, it will not brake the vehicle to a stopped
position.
2. Ground travel can also be stopped quickly by fully de
pressing the clutch brake pedal. When forward-reverse con
trol lever is in reverse, depressing clutch brake pedal auto
matically overrides any position the shuttle control lever
would be in. When pedal is released vehicle will assume
operation in the position of the shuttle control lever.
NOTE: Do not keep foot on clutch brake pedal during
operation. To do so can result in "clutch riding" and ex
cessive slippage and wear on drive belts. Place foot on foot
rest.
3. To stop engine, turn the ignition key to the "Off" po
sition and remove key from ignition switch.
Before stopping engine that has been operating under load
allow engine to idle for a few minutes "cooling off" time.
CAUTION
Never leave the tractor seat unless the power take off
is disengaged, transmission is in neutral and engine is
stopped. If leaving the tractor unattended, ALWAYS
remove ignition key.
MOWING PATTERN
1. For the first use of the mower choose a smooth level
area. Cut long straight strips overlapping slightly. After
becoming familiar with the operation proceed to inclined
or rougher ground.
2. The size and type of area to be mowed determines the
best mowing pattern to use. Obstructions such as trees,
fences and buildings must also be considered. In most cases,
making one or two passes in a counter-clockwise direction
around the outside of the area to be mowed is advisable to
keep cut grass off of fences, walks, etc. The remainder of
the mowing should normally be done in a clockwise di
rection so the clippings are dispersed on the cut area.
3. Always keep the right side of mower toward trees, posts,
or other obstacles on the first pass around obstacle.
CAUTION
4. On moderate size, frequently mowed lawns where grass
is light and dry it is sometimes practical to mow in a counter
clockwise direction so that clippings are thrown toward the
center of the lawn and concentrated for easy pickup and
removal.
5. Most lawns should be mowed to keep the grass approxi
mately two to three inches high. Best results are obtained
by cutting often and not too short. To keep a green lawn,
never mow more than one third off the height of the grass or
a maximum of one inch in one mowing. For extremely tall
grass, set the cutting height at maximum for first mowing,
then reset to the desired height and mow again. Allow the
grass to grow to three inches, then cut off only the top inch.
6. On thick or springy grass or soft ground, the mower rol
lers may sink into the ground giving too low a cut. Adjust
the cutting height to get the desired height of cut.
7. For best appearance, grass should be cut in the after
noon or evening when it is free of moisture.
8. Where possible change patterns occasionally to eliminate
matting, graining and a corrugated appearance. See diagrams
below.
DO NOT WORK around mower housing area until
you are certain that the mower blade has stopped
rotating.
Heed the CAUTION DECAL, the DANGER DECAL,
and the WARNING DECAL located on the mower
housing. Make certain the discharge guard and de
flector assembly are always in place before operating
mower.
ALWAYS disconnect the mower drive clutch and
stop engine before leaving the tractor seat. If leaving
the tractor and mower unattended, remove the ig
nition key.
ADJUSTMENTS
IF VEHICLE IS PLACED ON END FOR OVER A
2 HOUR PERIOD, THE BATTERY MUST BE RE
MOVED AND THE FUEL TANK DRAINED.
MOWER BLADE FRONT-TO-REAR PITCH
FRONT OF MOWER HOUSING
and mower drive is disengaged (clutch lever up). Block
the wheels, front and rear, to prevent rolling while
working on mower blade.
STEP 7. Tighten locknut.
STEP 6. Adjust turnbuckle until
blade is at desired setting
STEP 4. If distance "A" is not 1/8
to 1/4 inch greater than distance "B
remove eyebolt.
MOWER ENGAGEMENT
STEP 8. Secure eyebolt.
_________________
With clutch lever
engaged (lever down).
Loosen collar setscrew
and adjust to 3/4 inch
if necessary.
WIOWER BELT STOPS
Raise or lower entire
mower by turning
handle clockwise to raise
counter-clockwise to lower.
BRAKE MECHANISM
NOTE
Brake by either depressing clutch
pedal or engaging park brake lever.
When clutch pedal is depressed,
clutching and braking are at the
same time.
Suggested Cutting Height 2 inches.
STEP 2- Engage parking brake lever.
STEP 1. Turn nut to end of
threaded portion.
STEP 3. Tighten nut until spring is
compressed solid.
NOTE
__________
____________
STEP 4. Adjust nut to 1 to 1-1/4 inch
between washer and bracket.
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