MTD 19B70004OEM Operator's Manual

OperatOr’s Manual

Twin Rear Bagger — Model 19B70004OEM

READ AND FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL

BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE THIS MACHINE.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY.

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

Printed In USA

WARNING

Form No. 769-08745A

(June 29, 2015)

To The Owner

Thank You

Thank you for purchasing a bagging attachment manufactured
by MTD. It was carefully engineered to provide excellent
performance when properly operated and maintained.

Please read this entire manual prior to operating the equipment.
It instructs you how to safely and easily set up, operate and
maintain this attachment. Please be sure that you, and any
other persons who will operate the machine, carefully follow the
recommended safety practices at all times. Failure to do so could
result in personal injury or property damage.

All information in this manual is relative to the most recent
product information available at the time of printing. Review this
manual frequently to familiarize yourself with the attachment,
its features and operation. Please be aware that this Operator’s
Manual may cover a range of product specifications for various
models. Characteristics and features discussed and/or illustrated
in this manual may not be applicable to all models. MTD
reserves the right to change product specifications, designs and
equipment without notice and without incurring obligation.

Table of Contents

Safe Operation Practices ........................................ 3

Carton Contents & Hardware Packs ...................... 6

Assembly & Installation .......................................... 8

1

If you have any problems or questions concerning this
attachment, phone your local authorized MTD service dealer
or contact us directly. MTD’s Customer Support telephone
numbers, website address and mailing address can be found on
this page. We want to ensure your complete satisfaction at all
times.

Throughout this manual, all references to right and left side of the
machine are observed from the operating position

Operation ................................................................16

Parts List ..................................................................18

Warranty ..................................................Back Cover

Record Product Information

Before setting up and operating your new equipment, please
locate the model plate on the equipment and record the
information in the provided area to the right. You can locate the
model plate by looking at the topside of the bagger cover. This
information will be necessary, should you seek technical support
via our web site, Customer Support Department, or with a local
authorized service dealer.

Model NuMber

Serial NuMber

Customer Support

Please do NOT return the machine to the retailer or dealer without first contacting our Customer Support Department.

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

◊ Visit us on the web at www.mtdproducts.com

◊ Call a Customer Support Representative at [phone] or [phone]

◊ Write us at MTD LLC • P.O. Box 361131 • Cleveland, OH • 44136-0019

2

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

DANGER! This attachment was built to be used according to the safe operation practices in
this manual. Carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury.
Mowers are capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to observe
the following safety instructions as well as the instructions provided with your mower, could
result in serious injury or death.

2

General Operation

1. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on your
equipment and in their manuals before attempting to
assemble and operate. Keep this manual in a safe place for
future and regular reference and for ordering replacement
parts.

2. To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, keep
bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from
the mower while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone
enters the area.

3. 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 blade(s). Thrown objects can cause serious personal
injury.

4. Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles during
operation and while performing an adjustment or repair
to protect your eyes. Thrown objects which ricochet can
cause serious injury to the eyes.

5. Do not operate the mower without the discharge cover
or entire grass catcher in its proper place. A missing
or damaged discharge cover or grass bag attachment
component may result in thrown objects or blade contact
injuries.

6. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the
cutting deck. Contact with the blade(s) can amputate
hands and feet.

7. Shut off mower’s engine and wait for blades to come to
a complete stop before unclogging mower’s discharge
opening or bagger parts.

8. Slow down before turning. Operate the machine smoothly.
Avoid erratic operation and excessive speed. Be aware
that a grass catcher attachment can affect the handling
characteristics of your mower.

9. Disengage blade(s), set parking brake, stop engine and wait
until the blade(s) come to a complete stop before opening
bagger attachment’s top cover, removing grass catcher,
emptying grass, unclogging chute, removing any grass or
debris, or making any adjustments.

10. Never leave a running machine unattended. Always turn
off blade(s), place transmission in neutral, set parking
brake, stop engine and remove key before dismounting.

11. Your machine is designed to cut normal residential grass of
a height no more than 10”. Do not attempt to mow through
unusually tall, dry grass (e.g., pasture) or piles of dry leaves.
Dry grass or leaves may contact the engine exhaust and/
or build up on the mower deck presenting a potential fire
hazard.

12. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual, use
care and good judgment. Contact your customer service
representative for assistance.

Slope Operation

Slopes are a major factor related to loss of control and tip-over
accidents which can result in severe injury or death. Attachments
can also affect the stability of the machine. All slopes require
extra caution.

For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this
manual to estimate the angle of slopes before operating this
machine on a sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 10
degrees as shown on the slope gauge, do not operate the mower
with the grass bag attachment installed on that area or serious
injury could result.

Do:

1. Mow up and down slopes, not across. Exercise extreme
caution when changing direction on slopes.

2. Watch for holes, ruts, bumps, rocks, or other hidden
objects. Uneven terrain could overturn the machine. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.

3

3. Use slow speed. Choose a low enough speed setting so
that you will not have to stop or shift while on the slope.
Tires may lose traction on slopes even though the brakes
are functioning properly. Always keep machine in gear
when going down slopes to take advantage of engine
braking action.

4. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for wheel
weights or counterweights to improve stability.

5. Keep all movement on the slopes slow and gradual. Do
not make sudden changes in speed or direction. Rapid
engagement or braking could cause the front of the
machine to lift and rapidly flip over backwards which could
cause serious injury.

6. Avoid starting or stopping on a slope. If tires lose traction,
disengage the blade(s) and proceed slowly straight down
the slope.

Do Not:

1. Do not turn on slopes unless necessary; then, turn slowly
and gradually downhill, if possible.

2. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments. The
mower could suddenly turn over if a wheel is over the edge
of a cliff, ditch, or if an edge caves in.

3. Do not try to stabilize the machine by putting your foot on
the ground.

4. Do not use a grass catcher on steep slopes.

5. Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced traction could cause
sliding.

General Service

1. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain the
blade(s) and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect the
spark plug wire and ground against the engine to prevent
unintended starting.

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

3. Never tamper with your mower’s safety interlock system
or other safety devices. Check their proper operation
regularly.

4. Never attempt to make adjustments or repairs while the
mower’s engine is running.

5. Grass catcher components and the discharge cover 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 (O.E.M.) parts only,
listed in this manual. Use of parts which do not meet the
original equipment specifications may lead to improper
performance and compromise safety!

6. Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as
necessar y.

Safety Symbols

This table depicts and describes safety symbols that may appear on this product. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the
machine before attempting to assemble and operate.

Symbol Description

READ THE OPERATOR’S MANUAL(S)
Read, understand, and follow all instructions in the manual(s) before attempting to
assemble and operate.

STOP
Turn OFF the engine before opening the bagger cover.

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.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

4 Section 2 — impo rtant Safe operation practiceS

To check the slope, proceed as follows:

1. Remove this page and fold along the dashed line.

2. Locate a vertical object on or behind the slope (e.g. a pole, building, fence, tree, etc.)

3. Align either side of the slope gauge with the object (See Figure 1 and Figure 2 ).

4. Adjust gauge up or down until the left corner touches the slope (See Figure 1 and Figure 2).

5. If there is a gap below the gauge, the slope is too steep for safe operation (See Figure 2 above).

WARNING! Slopes are a major factor related to tip-over and roll-over accidents which can result in severe injury or death.

Do not operate machine on slopes in excess of 10 degrees. All slopes require extra caution. If you cannot back up the slope

or if you feel uneasy on it, do not mow it. Always mow up and down slopes, never across the face of slopes.

(OK) (TOO STEEP)

IF A SLOPE IS TOO STEEP FOR SAFE OPERATION!

USE THIS SLOPE GAUGE TO DETERMINE

10° dashed line

10° Slope

Slope Gauge

Figure 2Figure 1

10° Slope

5Section 2 — impo rtant Safe operation practiceS

Contents of Carton

3

Before beginning installation, remove all parts from the carton to make sure everything is present. Carton contents are listed below
and shown in Fig. 3-1. Three hardware packs are included in this kit and are detailed on the following page.

• Hitch Bracket Kit (3 Pcs.)

• Chute Tube Extension

• Discharge Chute Elbow

• Grass Catcher Cover

• Two Grass Bag Assemblies

• Adhesive Foam Strip

• Upper Chute Tube

• Upper Chute Support

• Hinge Cover Pin

• Vertical Support Bracket

• Bag Support Assembly

• Bagger Counter-Weight

• Blades (3 Pcs.)

• Chute Stop Bracket

• Deck Baffle

• Chute Discharge Plate

• Three Hardware Packs (D etailed & illustrated on nex t page)

6

Figure 3-1