MTD 12BV829Q755 Owner’s Manual
Safety • Assembly • Operation • Tips & Techniques • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Parts Lists • Warranty
OF A O AL
21" Rotary Mower- Model Series 820
iMPORTANT
READ SAFETY RULES AND iNSTRUCTiONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION
Warning: Thisunitisequippedwithan internalcombustionengineandshouldnotbeusedon or nearanyunimprovedforest-covered,brush-
coveredor grass-coveredlandunlesstheengine'sexhaustsystemisequippedwitha sparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalor statelaws(if any).
If a sparkarresterisused,it shouldbemaintainedineffectiveworkingorderby theoperator.IntheStateofCaliforniatheaboveisrequiredbylaw
(Section4442oftheCaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Otherstatesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.A sparkarrester
forthemufflerisavailablethroughyournearestengineauthorizedservicedealeror contactthe servicedepartment,RO.Box361131Cleveland,
Ohio44136-0019.
FORMNO.769-01607C
PRINTEDIN U.S.A.
MTD LLC, P.O. BOX 361131 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-0019
1/12/2007
This Operator's Manual is an important part of your new lawn mower, it will help you assemble,
prepare, and maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says.
Table of Contents
Slope Gauge ........................................................ 3
Safe Operation Practices ................................... 4
Setup and Adjustment ....................................... 6
Operating Your Lawn Mower .............................. 8
MTDLLCreservestherighttochangeproductspecifications,designs,andequipmentwithoutnoticeandwithoutincurringobligation.
Finding and Recording Model Number
BEFOREASSEMBLINGYOUR NEWEQUIPMENT,
pleaselocatethe modelplateonthe equipmentand
copythe informationto thesamplemodel platepro-
videdto the right.Youcan locatethe modelplateby
standingat theoperatingpositionand lookingdown
atthe rearofthe deck.Thisinformationwillbe neces-
saryto usethe manufacturer'sweb site, to obtain
assistancefromthe CustomerSupportDepartment,
orwhen contactinganauthorizedservicedealer.
Maintaining Your Lawn Mower ......................... 10
Troubleshooting ................................................ 14
Off-Season Storage and Safety Labels .......... 15
Parts List ........................................................... 16
Model Number
www.mtdproducts.com
Serial Number
MTD LLC
PoO= BOX 361131
CLEVELAND, OH 44136
330-220-4683
800-800-7310
Customer Support
Please do NOT return the unit to the retailer from which it was purchased, without first
contacting Customer Support.
Ifyou have difficulty assemblingthis product or have any questions regardingthe controls, operation,or maintenanceof this
unit,youcanseek helpfromthe experts.Choosefrom the options below:
• Visit www.mtdproducts.com
• Call a CustomerSupport Representativeat 1-800-800-7310.
• The engine manufacturer is responsiblefor all engine-relatedissueswith regardsto performance,power-rating,specifica-
tions,warranty and service. Pleasereferto the engine manufacturer'sOwner's/Operator'sManual,packedseparatelywith
your unit, for moreinformation.
2
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WARNING: EngineExhaust,some of its constituents,and certain vehicle compo-
nentscontain or emit chemicals known to Stateof Californiato cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductiveharm.
DANGER: This machinewas builtto be operatedaccordingto the rulesfor safe operation inthis
manual.As with anytypeof powerequipment,carelessnessor erroron the part of the operator
can resultin serious injury.Thismachine is capableof amputatinghandsand feet and throwing
objects. Failureto observethe following safety instructionscouldresult in seriousinjury ordeath.
WARNING
Thissymbolpoints
out importantsafety
instructionswhich,if
notfollowed,could
endangerthe personal
i safetyand/or property
I ofyourselfandothers.
Readandfollowall
instructionsinthis
manualbeforeat-
temptingto operate
i this machine.Failure
I to complywith these
instructionsmayresult
i inpersonalinjury.When
youseethis symbol.
i HEED ITS WARNING!
i Your Responsibility
Restrictthe use
ofthis powermachine
to personswho read.
i understand
andfollow the warnings
and instructions
I.
=nthis manual
and on the machine.
Children
Tragicaccidentscanoccurifoperatorisnotalertto presence
ofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedtomowerandmowing
activity.Theydonot understandthe dangers.Neverassume
thatchildrenwill remainwhereyoulastsawthem.
1. Keepchildrenoutof the mowingareaandunderwatchful
careof a responsibleadultotherthanthe operator.
2. Bealert andturn moweroff if a childentersthearea.
3. Beforeandwhilemovingbackwards,lookbehindanddown
forsmallchildren.
4. Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,
doorways,shrubs,trees,or otherobjectsthatmayobscure
yourvisionofachild whomayrunintothe mower.
5. Keepchildrenawayfromhotorrunningengines.Theycan
sufferburnsfroma hotmuffler.
6. Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldto operateapower
mower.Children14yearsoldandovershouldreadand
understandoperationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthis
manualandshouldbetrainedandsupervisedbya parent.
General Operation
1. Readthis operator'smanualcarefullyin its entiretybefore
attemptingtoassemblethismachine.Read,understand,
andfollowall instructionsonthemachineandin the
manual(s)beforeoperation.Becompletelyfamiliarwith
thecontrolsandthe properuseofthis machinebefore
operatingit.Keepthis manualin asafeplaceforfuture
andregularreferenceandfor orderingreplacementparts.
2. Thismachineisaprecisionpieceof powerequipment,
nota plaything.Therefore,exerciseextremecautionat all
times.Yourunithas beendesignedto performonejob: to
mowgrass.Do notuseitfor anyotherpurpose.
3. Neverallow childrenunder 14yearsoldto operatethis
machine.Children14yearsoldand overshould readand
understandthe instructionsinthismanualandshould
betrainedand supervisedbya parent.Onlyresponsible
individualswhoarefamiliarwiththeserulesofsafe
operationshouldbeallowedto usethis machine.
4. Thoroughlyinspectthe areawherethe equipmentisto
beused.Removeallstones,sticks,wire,bones,toys
andotherforeignobjects,whichcouldbetrippedoveror
pickedupandthrownbytheblade.Thrownobjectscan
causeseriouspersonalinjury.Planyour mowingpattern
toavoiddischargeofmaterialtowardroads,sidewalks,
bystandersandthe like.Also,avoiddischargingmaterial
againsta wall or obstruction,whichmaycausedischarged
materialto ricochetbacktowardthe operator.
5. Tohelpavoidbladecontactorathrownobjectinjury,
stayinoperatorzone behindhandlesand keepchildren,
bystanders,helpersandpetsatleast75feetfrom mower
whileitis inoperation.Stopmachineifanyoneenters
area.
6. Alwayswearsafetyglassesor safetygogglesduringopera-
tionandwhile performinganadjustmentor repairto protect
youreyes.Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancauseserious
injurytothe eyes.
7. Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesand close-fitting
slacksandshirts. Shirtsand pantsthatcoverthe armsand
legsandsteel-toedshoesarerecommended.Neveroperate
thismachinein barefeet,sandals,slipperyorlight-weight
(e.g.canvas)shoes.
8. Do notputhandsorfeet nearrotatingpartsor undercutting
deck.Contactwithbladecanamputatehandsandfeet.
9. A missingor damageddischargecovercancauseblade
contactor thrownobject injuries.
10.Manyinjuriesoccuras a resultofthemowerbeing pulled
overthefoot duringa fall causedbyslippingor tripping.
Do notholdontothe mowerifyouarefalling;releasethe
handleimmediately.
11.Neverpullthe mowerbacktowardyouwhileyouare
walking.Ifyoumust backthe mowerawayfroma wallor
obstructionfirstlookdownandbehindtoavoidtrippingand
thenfollowthesesteps:
a. Stepbackfrommowertofullyextendyourarms.
b. Besure youarewellbalancedwithsurefooting.
c. Pullthe mowerbackslowly,no morethan half way
towardyou.
d. Repeatthesestepsas needed.
12.Donotoperatethe mowerwhileunderthe influenceof
alcoholordrugs.
13.Donotengagetheself-propelledmechanismon unitsso
equippedwhilestartingengine.
14.Thebladecontrolhandleisasafetydevice.Neverattempt
tobypassitsoperation.Doingso makesthe safetydevice
inoperativeandmayresult in personalinjurythrough
contactwiththe rotatingblade.Thebladecontrolhandle
mustoperateeasily in bothdirectionsandautomatically
returntothe disengagedpositionwhenreleased.
15.Neveroperatethe mowerinwetgrass.Alwaysbesureof
yourfooting. A slipandfall cancauseseriouspersonal
injury.If youfeelyouarelosingyourfooting,releasethe
bladecontrolhandleimmediatelyand the bladewillstop
rotatingwithinthreeseconds.
16.Mowonlyin daylightor goodartificiallight.Walk,neverrun.
17.Stopthe bladewhencrossinggraveldrives,walksor roads.
18.Ifthe equipmentshouldstartto vibrateabnormally,stopthe
engineandcheckimmediatelyforthe cause.Vibrationis
generallya warningoftrouble.
4
19.Shutthe engineoffand waituntilthe bladecomestoa
completestopbeforeremovingthegrasscatcherorunclog-
gingthechute.
Thecuttingbladecontinuesto rotateforafewsecondsafter
the engineisshutoff.Neverplaceany partofthe body in
the bladeareauntilyouare surethe bladehasstopped
rotating.
20.Neveroperatemowerwithoutpropertrailshield,discharge
cover,grasscatcher,bladecontrolhandleorothersafety
protectivedevicesin placeandworking.Neveroperate
mowerwith damagedsafetydevices.Failureto doso can
resultin personalinjury.
21.Mufflerand enginebecomehotandcancausea burn.Do
nottouch.
22.Onlyusepartsandaccessoriesmadeforthis machineby
manufacturer.Failuretodoso can resultin personalinjury.
23. Ifsituationsoccur whichare notcoveredinthis manual,
usecareand goodjudgment.Contactyour dealerfor
assistance.
Slope Operation
Slopesare amajorfactorrelatedtoslip andfallaccidents,which
canresultinsevereinjury.Operationonslopesrequiresextra
caution.Ifyoufeeluneasyona slope,do notmowit.Foryour
safety,usetheslopegaugeincludedaspartof this manualto
measureslopesbeforeoperatingthisuniton a slopedorhilly
area.Ifthe slopeisgreaterthan15degrees,donotmowit.
Do:
1. Mowacrossthefaceof slopes;neverupand down.Exercise
extremecautionwhenchangingdirectiononslopes.
2. Watchfor holes,ruts,rocks,hiddenobjects,or bumps
whichcancauseyouto slipor trip. Tallgrasscan hide
obstacles.
3. Alwaysbesureofyourfooting.A slipandfallcan cause
seriouspersonalinjury.Ifyoufeel youare losingyour
balance,releasethebladecontrolhandleimmediately,and
the bladewill stoprotatingwithin3seconds.
Do Not:
1. Do notmowneardrop-offs,ditchesorembankments,you
could loseyourfootingor balance.
2. Do notmowslopesgreaterthan 15degreesasshownon
the slopegauge.
3. Do notmowonwetgrass.Unstablefootingcouldcause
slipping.
Service
Safe Handling Of Gasoline:
1. Toavoidpersonalinjuryor propertydamageuseextreme
carein handlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremelyflammable
andthevaporsareexplosive.Seriouspersonalinjury can
occurwhengasolineisspilledonyourselfor your clothes,
whichcanignite.Washyourskinandchangeclothes
immediately.
2. Use onlyan approvedgasolinecontainer.
3. Neverfillcontainersinsidea vehicleor on a truck ortrailer
bedwitha plasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainersonthe
groundawayfromyourvehicle beforefilling.
4. Removegas-poweredequipmentfromthe truckor trailer
andrefueliton theground.Ifthis isnot possible,thenrefuel
suchequipmenton atrailer withaportablecontainer,rather
thanfroma gasolinedispensernozzle.
5. Keepthe nozzlein contactwiththe rimof the fueltankor
containeropeningat all timesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Do
not useanozzlelock-opendevice.
6. Extinguishallcigarettes,cigars, pipesandothersources
ofignition.
7. Neverfuel machineindoorbecauseflammablevaporswill
accumulatein thearea.
8. Neverremovegascap oraddfuelwhileengineishot or
running. Allowengineto coolatleasttwo minutesbefore
refueling.
9. Neveroverfill fuel tank. Filltankto nomorethanY2inch
belowbottomoffiller neckto providefor fuelexpansion.
10.Replacegasolinecap andtightensecurely.
11.Ifgasolineis spilled,wipeitoff theengineandequipment.
Moveunitto anotherarea.Wait5minutesbeforestarting
engine.
12.Neverstorethe machineorfuel containernearanopen
flame,sparkor pilot lightasona waterheater,space
heater,furnace,clothesdryeror othergasappliances.
13.Toreducefire hazard,keepmowerfreeof grass,leaves,
orotherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanupoil orfuelspillageand
removeanyfuel soakeddebris.
14.Allowa mowertocool at least5 minutesbeforestoring.
GeneralService:
1. Neverrunanengineindoorsorina poorlyventilatedarea.
Engineexhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,anodorless
anddeadlygas.
2. Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspecting,makecertainthe
bladeandall movingpartshavestopped.Disconnectthe
sparkplugwireandgroundagainstthe engineto prevent
unintendedstarting.
3. Checkthebladeandenginemountingboltsatfrequent
intervalsfor propertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade
fordamage(e.g.,bent,cracked,worn)Replacebladewith
theoriginalequipmentmanufacture's(O.E.M.)bladeonly,
listedin thismanual."Useof partswhichdo notmeetthe
originalequipmentspecificationsmayleadto improper
performanceand compromisesafety!"
4. Mowerbladesaresharpandcancut.Wrapthebladeor
weargloves,anduseextracautionwhenservicingthem.
5. Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstightto besurethe equip-
mentis insafeworkingcondition.
6. Nevertamperwithsafetydevices.Checktheirproper
operationregularly.
7. Afterstrikingaforeignobject,stopthe engine,discon-
nectthesparkplugwireandgroundagainsttheengine.
Thoroughlyinspectthemowerforanydamage.Repairthe
damagebeforestartingandoperatingthemower.
8. Neverattemptto makeawheelor cuttingheightadjust-
mentwhilethe engineisrunning.
9. Grasscatchercomponents,dischargecover,andtrail
shieldaresubjecttowear anddamagewhichcould
exposemovingpartsor allowobjectstobethrown.For
safetyprotection,frequentlycheckcomponentsandre-
placeimmediatelywithoriginalequipmentmanufacturer's
(O.E.M.)partsonly,listedin thismanual."Useofparts
whichdo notmeetthe originalequipmentspecifications
mayleadto improperperformanceandcompromise
safety!"
10.Donotchangetheenginegovernorsettingor over-revthe
engine.Thegovernorcontrolsthe maximumsafeoperating
speedoftheengine.
11.Maintainorreplacesafetylabels,asnecessary.
12.Observeproperdisposallawsand regulations.Improper
disposaloffluidsand materialscanharmtheenvironment.
Practices
WARNING
Thissymbol points
out importantsafety
instructions,which if
notfollowed,could
endangerthe personal
safety and/or property
of yourselfand others.
Readand followall
instructions inthis man-
ual before attemptingto
operatethis machine.
Failureto comply with
these instructionsmay
result in personalinjury.
Whenyousee this
symbol.
HEED iT'S WARNING!
Your Responsibility
Restrictthe use
of this powermachine
to personswho read.
understand
and followthe warnings
and instructions
in this manua
and on the machine.
5
i Standbehindthe
mowerasifyouwere
goingto operate it.Your
right hand corresponds
to the right sideof the
mower;your left hand
correspondsto the left
sideof the mower.
Forshipping purposes
i yourmower is setwith
the wheels ina low
i cutting heightposition.
Forbest resultsraise
thecutting position until
it isdeterminedwhich
i height is bestfor your
lawn.See Adjustment
section.
Figure3-1:Lift handleandtightenhardware.
Figure3-2:Securehandletohandlemountingbrackets.
1. Removegrasscatcherandany packingmaterial
whichmaybebetweenupperandlowerhandles.
a. Removehandknobsfromhandlemounting
bracketsand pullupandbackonupperhandle
asshownin Figure3-1.Makecertainthelower
handleisseatedsecurelyintothehandlemounting
brackets.
b. Tightenhandknobstosecureupperhandleto
lowerhandle.Makesurethateachcarriageboltis
seatedproperlyinthehandle.
.
Replaceandtightenhandknobsremovedearlierto
securelowerhandleto handlebrackets.SeeFigure
3-2.
.
Theropeguideisattachedtotherightsideofthe
upperhandle.Loosenthewingnutwhichsecuresthe
ropeguide.SeeFigure3-3.
a. Holdthebladecontrolagainstupperhandle.
b. Pullstarterropeoutofthe engine.Releasethe
bladecontrol.
c. Slipstarterropeinto ropeguide.
d. Tightenwingnut.
.
Securecablesto thelowerhandlewiththecabletie
alreadyonthe lowerhandle.Insertpegoncabletie
intothe holeonthe lowerhandle.Pullcabletiestight
andcutoffexcess.
.
Followthestepsbelow,ifneeded,toassemblethe
grasscatcher.SeeFigure3-4.
a. Placebagoverframesothatits blackplasticside
isatthebottom.
b. Slipplasticchanneloverhooksonthe frame.
Alltheplasticchannelsexceptcentertopofbag
attachfromoutsideofbag.
c. Attachcentertopofbagfrominsideof bag.
IMPORTANT
DO NOTcrimp the
cableswhen liftingthe
i handleup.
IMPORTANT
Thisunit isshipped
iwithout gasolineoroil
i inthe engine. Fillup
gasolineand oilas
i instructedin the accom-
panyingenginemanual
BEFORE operatingyour
mower.
f
Thegrass
bagonyour
unitmaybe
assembled.
Figure3-3:Pullrecoilstarterthroughropeguideandtighten. Figure3-4:Grassbagassembly(ifneeded)
6
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