MTD 111-614R000 User Manual

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owicirs GUIDE

ASSEMBLY • OPERATION • MAINTENANCE • PARTS

18"

(Model 638R Shown)

ROTARY

MOWERS

Model Numbers

111-604R000 111-614R000 121-626R000 121-628R000 121-636R000 121-638R000

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

FORM NO. 770-7389F

IMPORTANT

THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRL CTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS. HEfiQ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE AHEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR LAWN MOWER. FAILURE TO COM >LY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY. WHEN

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YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL- a HEED ITS WARNING.

RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION

DANGER: with any type of power equi iment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious

Your lawn mower was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As

TRAINING

1. Read this owner’s guide carefully in its entirety before a (tempting to assemble or operate this machine. Be completely fai liliar with the controls and the proper use of this machine before operating it. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and regular reference and for ordering repiacement parts.

2. Your rotary mower is a precision piece of power equip nent, not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme caution at all tli nes. Your unit has been designed to perform one job: to mow jrass. Do not use it for any other purpose.

3. Never allow children under 14 years old to operate a pow jr mower. Children 14 years old and over should only operate mo m under close parental supervision. Only persons well acquainted with these

rules of safe operation should be allowed to use you ■ mower.

4. Keep the area of operation clear of all persons, particu arly small children and pets. Stop engine when they are in the /icinity of your mower to help prevent blade contact or thrown object in jury. Although the area of operation should be completi ly cleared

of foreign objects, an object may have been overlooked and could be accidently thrown by the mower in any direction md cause serious personal injury to the operator or any others îllowed in the area.

PREPARATION

Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is to be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones and other foreign objects which could be picked up and thrown by the mower in any direc tion and cause serious personal injury to the operator or any others allowed in the area. Plan your mowing pattern to avoid discharge of material toward roads, sidewalks, bystanders and the like. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields during operati >n or while

performing an adjustment or repair, to protect eyes fmm foreign objects that may be thrown from the machine in anv direction.

3. Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-fitting slacks and shirts. Shirts and pants that cover the arms and legs and steel toed shoes are recommended. Do not wear loose fittiig clothes

or jewelry. They can be caught in moving parts. Nev er operate a unit in bare feet, sandals, or sneakers. Before working with gasoline, extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes

and other sources of ignition. Check the fuel level beft re starting the engine. Gasoline is an extremely flammable fuel. Do not fill the gasoline tank indoors, while the engine is runnir g, or until engine has been allowed to cool for at least two ml lutes after running. Replace gasoline cap securely and wipe off any spilled gasoline before starting the engine as it may caus i a fire or explosion.

5. Disengage the self-propelled mechanism or drive clutih on units so equipped before starting the engine.

6. The blade control handle is a safety device. Never attemt t to bypass

its operation. Doing so makes the safety device inopsrative and may result in personal injury through contact with t ae rotating blade. The blade control handle must operate easily in both direc

tions and automatically return to the disengaged pos:ition when

released.

7. Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height adjus ment while

the engine is running.

8. Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be s ire of your

footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal injury. Keep a firm hold on the handle and walk, never run. Mow onl; ' in daylight or in good artificial light.

injury. If you violate any of these rules, you may cause serious injury to yourself or others.

OPERATION

9. For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this manual to measure slopes before operating this unit on a sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15° as shown on the slope gauge, do not operate this unit on that area or serious injury could result.

1. Do not change the engine governor settings or overspeed the engine. Excessive engine speeds are dangerous.

2. Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating parts. Keep clear of the discharge opening at all times as the rotating blade can

cause injury.

3. Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or roads.

4. After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, remove the wire from the spark plug, and thoroughly inspect the mower for any

damage. Repair the damage before restarting and operating the mower.

5. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the engine

and check immediately for the cause. Vibration is generally a warn ing of trouble.

6. Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to a complete stop before removing the grass catcher or unclogging the chute. The cutting blade continues to rotate for a few seconds after the

engine is shut off. Never place any part of the body in the blade area until you are sure the blade has stopped rotating. Before cleaning, repairing or inspecting, make certain the blad

and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect the spark plug wire, and keep the wire away from the spark plug to prevent accidental starting. Do not run the engine indoors.

Never cut grass by pulling mower toward you. Mow across the

9. face of slopes, never up-and-down. Exercise extreme caution when

changing direction on slopes. Do not mow excessively steep slopes. Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal injury.

10. Never operate mower without proper guards, plates or other safety protective devices in place.

11. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do not touch.

12. Do not operate this mower with the chute door open, unless the complete grass catcher or chute deflector is properly mounted on the mower.

MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE

1. Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also visually inspect blade for damage (e.g.

bent, cracked). Replace with blade which meets original equip ment specifications.

2. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment

is in safe working condition.

3. Never store the mower with gasoline in the tank or gas containers

inside of a building where fumes may reach an open flame or spark (e.g. gas hot water heater). Allow the engine to cool before stor ing in any enclosure.

4. To reduce fire hazard, keep the engine free of grass, leaves and

excessive oil.

5. Check the grass catcher bag frequently for wear or deterioratio''

Replace a worn or damaged bag immediately. For safety prott tion, replace only with new bag meeting original equipment specifications.

The use of any accessory on this Rotary Mower other than those manufactured by the mower manufacturer is not recom mended.

WARNING: DO NOT operate the mower without the entire grass catcher or chute deflector in place. DO

NOTE: Under normal usage bag material is subject to wear and should be checked periodically. Be sure any replacement

bag complies with the mower manufacturer’s recommendations. For replacement bags, use only factory authorized replace ment bag.

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 360900, Cleveland, Ohio 44136.

NOT operate the mower without the protective shieid on the rear of the deck in piace.

SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT: This unit is shipped WiTHOUT GASOLiNE or OiL. After assembiy, service engine with gasoline and oil as instructed in the separate engine manual packed with your unit.

NOTE: Reference to right or left hand side of the mower is observed from the operating position.

1. Remove the lawn mower from the carton by open

ing the top flaps and lifting the unit out. Be careful of the staples. Make certain all parts and literature have been removed from the carton before the car

ton is discarded. Pull up and back on the handle to raise the handle

until it locks into operating position. Tighten the hand knobs which secure the upper and lower handles.

3. Hook the brake cable into the blade control handle

from the inside to the outside as shown.

Blade Control

Handle

4. With the spark plug wire disconnected and moved

away from the spark plug, depress the blade con trol handle and pull the starter rope out of the engine. Slip the starter rope into the rope guide on the upper handle. Then slip the rope into the rope guide mounted on the right rear side of the mower.

5. To attach the grass catcher, lift the chute door on

the back of the mower. Place grass catcher in posi tion. The grass catcher must rest firmly on the lower handle of the mower. Release the chute door. Make certain the magnets on the grass catcher bag secure the chute door firmly.

To remove the grass catcher, raise the chute door and lift the grass catcher up. Release the chute door.

FIGURE 1.—-Self-Propelled Model Shown

CiONTROLS

Blade Control Handle

FIGURE 2.—Self-Propelled Model Shown

BLADE CONTROL HANDLE

WARNING: This control mechanis n is a

safety device. Never attempt to byp ass its

The blade control handle is located on the uppor han dle of the mower. See figure 2. The blade control han dle must be depressed in order to operate the unit.

Release the blade control handle to stop the engi ne and

blade.

operations.

WARNING: The blade will be rotating

THROTTLE CONTROL

The throttle control is located on the side of the upper handle. It is used to regulate the engine speed.

RECOIL STARTER

The recoil starter handle is attached to the handle. See figure 2. Stand behind the unit in the operating posi tion to start the unit.

DRIVE CLUTCH CONTROL

(Self-Propelled Models Only)

Squeezing the drive clutch control engages the drive mechanism to the rear wheels. Releasing the clutch control stops the rear wheels from driving. Release the drive clutch control to slow down when negotiating an obstacle, making a turn or stopping. See figure 2.

whenever the engine is running.

WARNING: The throttle control cannot be

used to stop the engine.

OPERATION

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJURY. DO NOT OPERATE MOWER UNLESS REAR TRAILING SHIELD AND THIS GUARD OR ENTIRE GRASS CATCHER IS IN ITS PROPER PLACE.

FIGURE 3.

Keep hands and feet away from the chute area on cut

ting deck. See figure 3.

The operation of any lawn mower can result in foreign objects being thrown into the eyes, which

can result in severe eye damage. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields. We recommend wide vision safety mask for over spectacles or standard safety glasses.

NOTE: For shipping purposes your mower is set with

the wheeis in a iow cutting height position. For best resuits raise the cutting position until it is determined which height is best for your lawn. See cutting height adjustment section.

GAS AND OIL FILL-UP

Service the engine with gasoline and oil as instructed

in the separate engine manual packed with your mower. Read instructions carefully.

WARNING: Never fill fuel tank indoors, with engine running or until the engine has

been allowed to cool for at least two minutes after running.

BEFORE STARTING

1. Attach spark plug wire to spark plug. Make certain

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the metal loop on the end of the spark plug wire (inside the rubber boot) is fastened secureiy over the metai tip on the spark piug. See figure 4.

Metal Loop

on Spark

Plug Wire

FIGURE 4.

Open fuel shut-off valve (if so equipped). Refer to separate engine manual.

Before each use, check for proper drive clutch

operation by performing the foilowing before start ing the engine:

With the drive clutch control released, push mower forward. It should move freely. Pull mower backward. It should move freely.

If it does not and the rear wheels tend to lock up, the clutch may not be releasing completely. Do not start the engine until corrections have been made. Check the control cable for severe bend, kinks and

binding, or grass build-up in the pulley groove. Cor

rect and adjust as required.

TO START ENGINE AND ENGAGE BLADE

WARNING: When starting self-propelled units for the first time, face the mower against a soiid object such as a wall, fence, etc. Start the unit, and if it shows any signs of motion with the drive ciutch control disengaged, shut the engine off im mediately.

Move throttle control lever all the way forward.

Standing behind the unit, depress the blade con trol handle and hold it against the upper handle

as shown. See figure 5.

Rubber Boot

4. After engine starts, rnove throttle control to desired

engine speed.

NOTE: If any problems are encountered, refer to the

Trouble Shooting Guide on page 16.

TD STDP ENGINE AND BLADE

1. Move throttle control lever to SLOW position.

2. Release the blade control handle to stop the

engine and blade.

WARNING: The blade continues to rotate

for a few seconds after the engine is shut

3. Disconnect the spark plug wire and ground it

off.

against the engine to prevent accidental starting while equipment is unattended.

USING YDUR RDTARY MDWER

WARNING: Never operate your unit without

either the rear chute door or entire grass

Be sure that 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 the best results, do not cut wet grass because it tends to stick to the underside of the mower, prevent ing proper bagging of grass clippings, and could cause you to slip and fall. New grass, thick grass or wet grass may require a narrower cut. Blade speed should be ad justed to the condition of the lawn.

For best results, cut off one-third or less of the total length of the grass. Lawn should be cut in the fall as long as there is growth.

This mower is designed to be operated at full throttle to give you the best cut and do the most effective job of bagging the cut grass.

catcher assembly in place.

WARNING: If you strike a foreign object, stop the engine. Remove wire from spark plug, thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage, and repair the damage before restarting and operating the mower. Exten sive vibration of the mower during opera tion is an indication of damage. The unit shouid be promptiy inspected and repaired.

FIGURE 5.—Self-Propelled Model Shown

3. Grasp the recoil starter handle and pull back rapid

ly, extending rope fully. Return it slowly to the rope

guide.

ADJUSTMENTS

WARNING: Do not at any time make any adjustment to lawn mower without first stopping engine and disconnecting spark piug wire.

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