MTD 12A-559K402 Owner’s Manual

YaRD-MaN

OPERATOR'S MANUAL

21" Self-Propelled

Mulching Mower
Model No.

Factory No.

"_ 12A-559K402

IMPORTANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

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 forthe muffler is available through your nearest engine authorized
service dealer or contact the service department, P.O. Box 368022 Cleveland, Ohio 44136-9722.

MTD PRODUCTS INC. P.O. BOX 368022 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-9722

PRINTED IN U.S.A. FORM NO. 770-10212

(I 1/98)

SECTION 1: FINDING MODEL NUMBER

This owner's guide is an important part of your new Yard-Man lawn mower. It will help you to assemble, prepare

and maintain your mower. Please read and understand what it says.
Before you start assembling the mower for its first use, please locate its model plate and copy the information on to
this owner's guide. The information on the model plate is very important if you need help from your nearest service
center or the Yard-Man customer support department.

• Every mower has a model plate. You can locate it by standing behind the unit in the operating position and
looking down at the cutting deck. An example of the model plate is shown below.

This is where mower model number will be.

This is where mower serial number will be.

Copy the model number here:

Copy the serial number here:

SECTION 2: CALLING CUSTOMER SUPPORT

• LOCATE YOUR MODEL NUMBER AND SERIAL NUMBER -- Record this information in the space
provided. To find your unit's specific model number and serial number, see SECTION 1: FINDING YOUR

MODEL NUMBER.

• If you are having difficulty assembling this product or if you have any questions regarding the controls,
operation or maintenance of this unit, please call the Customer Support Department.

• Customer Support can be reached by dialing: 1- (330) 220-4MTD

(4683)

or

1- (800)-800-7310

• Please have your model number and serial number ready when you call.

• Although both numbers are important, you will be asked to enter only your serial number before your call can
be processed.

SECTION 3: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES

WARNING: THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF

NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF

YOURSELF AND OTHERS, READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL

BEFORE A'I-rEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR LAWN MOWER. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH

THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL,

HEED ITS WARNING.

WARNING: The Engine Exhaust from this product contains chemicals known to

the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

DANGER: Your lawn mower was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in

this manual, As with any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator
can result in serious injury. This lawn mower is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing
objects. Failure to observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death.

1. GENERAL OPERATION

• Read this operator's manual carefully in its entirety •
before attempting to assemble this machine. Read,
understand, and follow all instructions on the
machine and in the manual(s) before operation. Be
completely familiar 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 replacement pads.

• Your rotary mower is a precision piece of power
equipment, not a plaything. Therefore, exercise

extreme caution at all'times. Your unit has been
designed to perform one job: to mow grass. Do not

use it for any other purpose.

• Never allow children under 14 years old to operate
a power mower. Children 14 years old and over

should only operate mower under close parental
supervision. Only responsible individuals who are

familiar with these rules of safe operation should be
allowed to use your mower.

• Keep the area of operation clear of all persons,
particularly small children and pets. Stop engine
when they are in the vicinity of your mower to help

prevent blade contact or thrown object injury.
Although the area of operation should be

completely cleared of foreign objects, an object

may have been overlooked and could be
accidentally thrown by the mower in any direction

and cause serious personal injury to the operator or
any others allowed in the area.

• 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 fitting clothes or
jewelry. They can be caught in moving pads. Never
operate a unit in bare feet, sandals, slippery or light
weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.

Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles
during operation or while performing an adjustment

or repair, to protect eyes from foreign objects that

may be thrown from the machine in any direction.

Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment
is to be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire,

bones, toys and other foreign objects which could
be picked up and thrown by the mower in any

direction 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.
To help avoid a thrown objects injury, keep

children, bystanders and helpers at least 75 feet
from the mower while it is in operation.

Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating

pads. Keep clear of discharge opening at all times

as the rotating blade can cause injury.

Many injuries occur as a result of the mower being

pulled over the foot during a fall. Do not hang on to

the mower if you are failing; release the handle

immediately.

Never pull the mower toward you while you are

walking. If you must back the mower away from a

wall or obstruction first look down and behind, and

then follow these steps:

Step back from the mower to fully extend your
arms.

Be sure you are well balanced with sure
footing.

Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half

way toward you.

Repeat these steps as needed.

• Do not operate the mower while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs.

• Do not engage the self-propeUed mechanism on
units so equipped while starting engine.

• The blade control handle is a safety device. Never
attempt to bypass its operation. Doing so makes
the safety device inoperative and may result in
personal injury through contact with the rotating
blade. The blade control handle must operate
easily in both directions and automatically return to
the disengaged position when released.

• Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be
sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause

serious personal injury. Keep a firm hold on the

handle and walk, never run. if you feel you are
losing your footing, RELEASE THE BLADE

CONTROL HANDLE IMMEDIATELY and the blade

will stop rotating within three seconds.

• Mow only in daylight or good artificial light.

• Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks

or roads.

• If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally,

stop the engine and check immediately for the
cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.

• 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.

• Never operate mower without proper guards, grass
catcher, plates or other safety protective devices in

place.

• Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a

burn. Do not touch.

• Only use accessories approved for this machine by

the manufacturer. Read, understand, and follow all

instructions provided with the approved accessory.

• If situations occur which are not covered in this

manual, use care and good judgment. Contact your
dealer for assistance.

2. SLOPE OPERATION

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
degrees as shown on the slope gauge, do not operate this
unit on that area or serious injury could result.

DO:

• Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down.
Exercise extreme caution when changing direction

on slopes.

• Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can

cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are

losing your balance release the blade control
handle immediately and the blade will stop in less

than 3 seconds.

• Watch for holes, ruts, hidden objects, or bumps.

Tall grass can hide obstacles.

DO NOT:

• Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or
embankments. The operator could lose footing or

balance.

• Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as
shown on the slope gauge.

• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced footingcould
cause slipping.

3. CHILDREN

Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the

presence of children. Children are often attracted to the
mower and the mowing activity. Never assume that

children will remain where you last saw them.

• Keep children out of the mowing area and under
the watchful care of a responsible adult other than
the operator.

• Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the
area.

• Before and while moving backwards, look behind
and down for small children or other objects.

Never allow children under age 14 to operate the
mower. Children 14 years of age and above
should read and understand the operation
instructions and safety rules in this manual.

Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,
shrubs, trees, or other objects that may obscure

your vision of a child or hazard.

4. SERVICE

Use extreme care in handling gasoline and other
fuels. They are extremely flammable and the
vapors are explosive.

Use only an approved gasoline container.
Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine

is running. Allow engine to cool at least two
minutes before refueling.

Replace gasoline cap securely and wipe off any
spilled gasoline before starting the engine as it may

cause a fire or explosion.

Extinguish air cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other
sources of ignition.

Never refuel machine indoors because flammable
vapors will accumulate in the area.

Never store the machine or fuel container inside
where there is an open flame or spark such as a
gas water heater, space heater, or furnace.

Never run an engine inside a closed area.
To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass,

leaves, or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel
spillage. Allow mower to cool at least 5 minutes
before storing.

4

• Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make
certain the blade and all moving parts have
stopped. Disconnect the spark plug wire, and keep
the wire away from the spark plug to prevent

accidental starting.

• Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at

frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also,

visually inspect blade for damage (e.g., bent,
cracked or worn). Replace with blade which meets

original equipment specifications listed in this
manual.

• Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the

equipment is in safe working condition.

• Never tamper with safety devices. Check their
proper operation regularly.

• 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 starting and operating
the mower.

Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height
adjustment while the engine is running.

Grass catcher components are subject to wear,
damage and deterioration, which could expose
moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For
safety protection, frequently check components and

replace with manufacturer's recommended parts,

when necessary.

Mower blades are sharp and can cut. Wrap the
blade(s) or wear gloves, and use extra caution

when servicing them.

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

,_ WARNING - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: Restrict the use of this power machine to persons who

read, understand and follow the warnings and instructions in this manual and on the machine.

DANGER

A POWER POLE

A CORNER OF A BUILDING

I OR A FENCE POST

_le _le B

Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). A riding mower

could overturn and cause serious injury. If operating a walk-behind mower on such a slope, it is extremely difficult to maintain
your footing and you could slip, resulting in serious injury.

Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes, never across the face of slopes.

SECTION 5: UNPACKING

Removing Unit From Carton

• Remove staples, break glue on top flaps, or cut tape at carton end and peel along top flap io open
carton.

• Remove loose parts if included with unit (i.e., owner's manual, etc.).

• Cut along dotted lines and lay carton down flat. Remove packing material.

• Roll or slide unit out of carton. Check carton thoroughly for loose parts.

NOTE: Make sure not to crimp the cables while removing the loose parts or the entire unit from the carton.

NOTE: Reference to right or left hand side of the mower and/or front or behind the mower is observed from

the operating position.

SECTION 6: SETTING UP MOWER

Tools Required

• Pair of Pliers

• Funnel

• Set of adjustable wrenches

Disconnecting Spark Plug

• Before setting up your lawn mower, disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug, and ground

it against the engine. See Figure 1.

• Attach the spark plug wire to a bolt on the engine to ground it.

Spark Plug

Wire

_1_Spark Plug

FIGURE 1

Assembling Handle

• Remove grass bag from the unit and set it out of the way, See Figure 2 (step 1).

2. Lift lower handle

1. Move bag away

3. Lift upper
handle

FIGURE 2

?

• Raisethelowerhandlein the direction shown in Figure 2 (step 2) till itsnaps into place.

• Raise the upper handle in the direction shown in Figure 2 (step 3). Tighten the wing nuts which are

already on the handle. See Figure 3A.

Note: Make sure to route the cables inside the lower handle. Also do not crimp the cables while lifting the
handle up.

• For shipping purposes, the hairpin clip is placed in the outer hole of the weld pin on the lower
handle. Remove the hairpin clip from the outer hole of the weld pin.

• Using a pair of pliers, insert the hairpin clip into the inner hole in the weld pin. Repeat on other side.
See Figure 3B.

• Attach the cables to the lower handle with the two cable ties already on the lower handle. Pull tight
the cable ties and cut off the extra. See Figure 3C below.

Ipper Handle

Lower Handle

A

Tighten
wing nut

Move hairpin clip to

this hole

Lower
Handle

B

FIGURE 3

Cable Tie

C

Attaching Starter Rope

The rope guide isalready attached to the right side of the upper handle of your mower. See Figure 4.

• With the spark plug wire disconnected and grounded, hold the blade control handle against the

upper handle, and pull the starter rope out of the engine.

• Slip the rope through the rope guide as shown below. Tighten the wing nut holding the rope guide

to the upper handle.

Recoil Wing Nut

Rope _uide

Starte__

Lower Handle

FIGURE 4

Upper Handle