MTD 18A-V17-700 Owner’s Manual

Operator's Manual

Electric Lawn Mower

19" Rear Bagger

Model Vl 7

IMPORTANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

means it is listed by

This symbol on the product's nameplate

UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES INC.

MTD LLC P.O. BOX 361131 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-0019

FORM NO. 770-8969E

(10/03)

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Content

Important Safe Operation Practices
Slope Gauge
Unpacking Instructions
Assembling Your Lawn Mower

Know Your Lawn Mower
Operating Your Lawn Mower

Page Content Page

3 Making Adjustments 12
6 Maintaining Your Lawn Mower 12

7 Off Season Storage 14
7 Trouble Shooting 15

9 Illustrated Parts List 16

10 Warranty 20

FINDINGMODELNUMBER

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.

Before you start assembling your new equipment, please locate the model plate on the
equipment and copy the information from it inthe space provided below. A sample model plate is
also given below. You can locate the model plate by standing at the operating position and
looking down at the rear of the deck. This information will be necessary to use the
manufacturer's web site and/or help from the Customer Support Department or an authorized

service dealer.

Copy the model number here:

_jM_)ff MTB LLC

', www.mtuprouuc_s.com 888-888-731 8

P. O. BOX 361131

CLEVELAND,OH 44136
338-228-4683

Copy the serial number here:

CUSTOMERSUPPORT

Please doNOTreturntheunittotheretailer fromwhereit waspurchased,withoutfirstcontactingCustomerSupport.

If you have difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the controls, operation or
maintenance of this unit, you can seek help from the experts. Choose from the options below:

Visit mtdproducts.com for many useful suggestions. Click on Customer Support button and
you will get the four options reproduced here. Click on the appropriate button and help is

immediately available.

answer you are

looking for could be just

a mouse c//cA awayf

If you prefer to reach a Customer Support Representative, please call 1-800-800-7310.

" f

answer are

looking for could be just

a mouse c//cA away!

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M nual

En ine

The engine manufacturer is responsible for all engine-related issues with regards to

performance, power-rating, specifications, warranty and service. Please refer to the engine
manufacturer's Owner's/Operator's Manual, packed separately with your unit, for more

information.

SECTION1: IMPORTANTSAFEOPERATIONPRACTICES

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS!

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 attempting to oper-

ate this machine. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury. When you see this symbol--
HEED ITS WARNING.

DANGER: This machine 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 machine is

capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to observe the following safety instructions could
result in serious injury or death.

When using electric tawnmowers, basic safety precautions should always be followed to reduce the risk of fire, electric
shock, and personal injury. These basic precautions include the following:

GENERALOPERATION

1. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the
machine and in the manual before attempting to
assemble and operate. Keep this manual in asafe place

for future and regular reference and for ordering

replacement parts.

2. Be familiar with all controls and their proper operation.
Know how to stop the machine and disengage them
quickly.

3. Never allow children under 14 years old to operate this
machine. Children 14 years old and over should read and
understand the operation instructions and safety rules in
this manual and should be trained and supervised by a
parent.

4. Never allow adults to operate this machine without
proper instruction.

5. To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, stay
in the operator zone behind the handles and keep
children and bystanders at least 75 feet from the machine

while it is in operation. Stop motor ifanyone enters the

area.

6. 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 tripped over or
thrown by the blade. Thrown objects can cause serious
personal injury.

7. Plan your mowing pattern to avoid discharge of material
toward roads, sidewalks, bystanders and the like. Also,
avoid discharging material against a walt or obstruction,

which may cause discharged material to ricochet back

toward the operator.

8. Always wear proper eye protection while operating or
performing an adjustment or repair to protect your eyes.
Thrown objects which ricochet can cause serious injury
to the eyes.

9. Always use a face or dust mask if operating in a dusty
environment.

10. Dress Properly - Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry.
They can be caught in moving parts. Use of rubber
gloves and footwear is recommended when working

outdoors.

11. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection should

be provided on the circuit(s) or outlet(s) to be used for the
lawn mower. Receptacles are available having built-in
GFCI protection and may be used for this measure of
safety.

12. To prevent electric shock use only with a UL listed
extension cord set suitable for outdoor use, such as Type
SW-A, SOW-A, STW-A, STOW-A, SJW-A, SJOW-A,
SJTW-A, or SJTOW-A.

13. Extension Cord - Make sure your extension cord set is in
good condition, is heavy enough to carry the current your

mower will draw, and is polarized (one blade of plug is
wider than the other). A 50' length of 12 AWG cord should
be used. A longer length or undersized cord will cause a
drop in line voltage resulting in a loss of power and
overheating.

14. To reduce the likelihood of disconnection of the lawn
mower from the extension cord set, be sure to use the

cord restraint provided as shown in the illustration below
as well as a modern, tightly fitting extension cord:

Cord Restraint

'1 Extension Cord

15.

To reduce the risk of electric shock, this lawn mower has
a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other) and
wilt require the use of a polarized extension cord. The

mower plug wilt only fit into the polarized extension cord

one way. If the plug does not fit fully into the extension
cord, reverse the plug. If the plug still does not fit, obtain a
correct polarized extension cord. A polarized extension
cord wilt require the use of a polarized wall outlet. This
plug wilt fit into the polarized outlet only one way. Ifthe
plug does not fit fully into the walt outlet, reverse the plug.

Ifthe plug still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician

to install the proper walt outlet. Do not change the
equipment plug, extension cord receptacle, or extension
cord plug inany way.

16.Homecircuit-Thismowershouldbeoperatedona15
AMPcircuit.Ifyouexperiencedifficultyinstartingwitha

standard15AMPfuseorcircuitbreaker,contactyour
nearestauthorizedservicefacility.Donotuseahigher
ratedfuseorbreakerwithoutconsultingyourpower

company.

17.Donotabusethecordbypullingthemowerbythecord

oryankingittodisconnectitfromthereceptacle.Keep
cordfromheat,oil,andsharpedges.

18.Manyinjuriesoccurasaresultofthemowerbeingpulled

overthefootduringafallcausedbyslippingortripping.
Neveroperatethismachineinbarefeet,sandals,
slipperyorlightweight(e.g.canvas)shoes.Donothold
ontothemowerifyouarefalling;releasethehandle
immediately.

19.Neverpullthemowerbacktowardyouwhileyouare
walking.Ifyoumustbackthemowerawayfromawallor

obstructionfirsttookdownandbehindtoavoidtripping
andthenfollowthesesteps:

• Stepbackfromthemowertofullyextendyourarms.

• Besureyouarewell balanced with sure footing.

• Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way

toward you.

• Repeat these steps as needed.

20. Do not use lawn mower for any job except that for which it

is intended. Do not force the lawn mower- Cut grass at a
rate, for which the mower is designed, which wilt not

sacrifice the performance or safety of the machine.

21. Do not operate the mower while under the influence of

alcohol or drugs.

22. Stay Alert- Do not operate the mower when you are

tired. Watch what you are doing. Use common sense.

23. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the

cutting deck. Contact with the blade can amputate hands
and feet.

24. Never attempt to make awheel or cutting height

adjustment while the motor is running.

25. Avoid dangerous environments- Never operate the

mower in the rain or inwet or damp grass.

26. Mow only in daylight or in good artificial light. Walk, never

run.

27. Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or

roads.

28. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop

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

29. Stop the motor 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 motor is shut off. Never
place any part of the body inthe blade area until you are

sure the blade has stopped rotating.

30. Never operate mower without proper trail shield,

discharge cover, grass catcher, blade/motor control or
other safety protective devices in place and working.
Never operate mower with damaged safety devices.
Failure to do so can result in personal injury.

31. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by
the manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal

injury.

32. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual,
use care and good judgment. Contact your dealer or
telephone [phone] for assistance and the name
of your nearest servicing dealer.

SlopeOperation

Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents

which can result in severe injury. Operation on slopes

requires extra caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not
mow it. 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,

do not mow it.

Do:

1.

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

slopes.

2.

Watch for holes, ruts, rocks, hidden objects, or bumps
which can cause you to slip or trip. Tall grass can hide
obstacles. Remove all objects such as rocks, tree limbs,
etc., which could be tripped over or thrown by the blade.

3.

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/motor control handle

immediately, and the blade will stop rotating within 3

seconds.

DoNot:

1. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments,
you could lose your footing or balance.

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

3. Do not mow on wet grass. Unstable footing could cause
slipping.

Children

1. 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. They do not
understand the dangers. 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.

• Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,

doorways, shrubs, trees, or other objects that may
obscure your vision of a child who may run into the

mower.

2. Never allow children under 14 years old to operate a
power mower. Children 14 years old and over should
read and understand the operation instructions and
safety rules in this manual and should be trained and
supervised by a parent.

Service

1,

When servicing use only identical replacement parts
listed in this manual. "Use of parts which do not meet the
original equipment specifications may lead to improper
performance and compromise safetyF

2,

Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain
the blade and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect
the power cord when not in use and to prevent
unintended starting.

3,

Follow instructions for lubricating and changing
accessories.

4.

Inspect lawn mower cord and extension cords
periodically and replace immediately, if damaged. Lawn
mower cord should be repaired by an authorized service

facility only.

5,

Keep handles dry, clean and free from oil and grease.

6.

To reduce a fire hazard, keep the motor free of grass,
leaves and debris build-up.

7,

Check the blade and motor mounting bolts at frequent
intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect blade

for damage (e.g., bent, cracked, and worn) Replace

blade with the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM)
blade only, listed in this manual.

8,

Maintain your mower with care - Keep mower blade
sharp and clean for best and safest performance. Mower
blades are sharp and can cut, wrap the blade or wear
gloves and use extra caution when servicing them.

g,

Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the
equipment is insafe working condition.

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

11. After striking a foreign object, stop the motor and
disconnect the power cord. Thoroughly inspect the

mower for any damage. Repair the damage before

operating the mower.

12. Grass catcher components, discharge cover, and trail
shield are subject to wear and damage which could
expose moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For
safety protection, frequently check components and
replace immediately with original equipment

manufacturer's (OEM) parts only, listed in this manual.

13. When not in use, store lawn mower indoors in a dry area,
locked-up and/or out of the reach of children.

DoubleInsulatedLawnMower

Double insulation is a concept in the safety of electric lawn

mowers, which eliminates the need for the usual three-wire
grounded power cord and grounded power supply system.
Wherever there is electric current in the mower, there are two

complete sets of insulation to protect the user. All exposed

metal parts are isolated from the internal metal motor

components with protecting insulation.

IMPORTANT:Servicing of a lawn mower with double

insulation requires extreme care and knowledge of the

system and should be performed only by a qualified

service technician. For repair service we suggest you

return the lawn mower to your nearest authorized

service dealer. Always use original factory replacement

parts when servicing.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

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.

USE THIS PAGE AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE SLOPES WHERE YOU MAY NOT OPERATE SAFELY.

'

E | .11 SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE

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I.II A POWER POLE

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WARNING

Do not mow on inclines with a slope m 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

o

your footing and you could slip, resulting in serious injury.
Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes, never across the face of slopes.
Operate WALK-BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes, never up and down slopes.