MTD 260, 279 User Manual

OPERATOR’S MANUAL

22” Self-Propelled

Mower

Model Series

260 Thru 279

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 for the 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.

770-10336B.fm (1/01)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Content Page

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

Slope Gauge......................................................................................................6

Assembling Your Lawn Mower...........................................................................7

Know Your Lawn Mower ....................................................................................8

Operating Your Lawn Mower .............................................................................9

Making Adjustments ..........................................................................................10

Maintaining Your Lawn Mower...........................................................................11

Troubleshooting.................................................................................................14

Parts List............................................................................................................16

FINDING MODEL NUMBER

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 in the space provided below. The information on the model plate is very important if you need help from our Customer Support Department or an authorized dealer.

• You can locate the model number by looking down at the rear of the deck. A sample model plate is explained below. For future reference, please copy the model number and the serial number of the equipment in the space below.

(Model Number)

(Serial Number)

MTD PRODUCTS INC

CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136

Copy the model number here:

Copy the serial number here:

CALLING CUSTOMER SUPPORT

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

Call 1- (330) 220-4MTD (4683) or 1- (800)-800-7310 to reach a Customer Support representative. Please have your unit’s model number and serial number ready when you call. See previous section to locate this information. You will be asked to enter the serial number in order to process your call.

For more details about your unit, visit our website at www.mtdproducts.com

SECTION 1: 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.

WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle

components contain or emit chemicals known to State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductiv e harm.

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.

General Operation

1. Read this operator’s manual c arefully in its e ntirety before attempting to a ssembl e this mac hine. Read, understand, and fo llow al l instruct ions on th e machin e and in the manua l(s) befo re operatio n. Be com pletely familiar with the c ontrols and the proper use o f this machine before operating it. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and re gular refe rence and for ordering replacement parts.

2. This machine is a precision piece of power equipment, not a plaything. Th erefore, exercise extre me caution at all times. Your unit has been designed to p erform one job: to mow grass. Do not u se it for any other purpose.

3. Never allow childre n under 14 y ears old to operate this machine. Children 14 years old and over should rea d and understand the op eration in struction s and sa fety rules i n this manual and should be trained and sup ervised b y a parent. Only respons ible indiv iduals who a re famili ar with these rules of s afe operati on shoul d be allow ed to us e this machine.

4. Thoroughly inspect the area wh ere the equipment i s to be used. Remove al l stones, sticks , wire, bones, toys and other foreign objec ts which could b e tripped over or picked up and th rown by th e blade. T hrown obje cts can cause serious persona l injury . Plan your m owing patte rn to avoid discharge of materi al toward ro ads, sid ewalks, bystanders and the like. Also, avo id discharging material against a wall or obstructi on which m ay cause discharged material to ri cochet back tow ard the operator.

5. To help avoid blade contact or a thro wn object injury, stay in the operator zo ne behind the hand les and keep children, bystanders , helpers a nd pets a t least 7 5 feet from the mower wh ile it is in opera tion. Stop machine if anyone enters the area.

6. Always wear safet y glasses or safety goggles during operation and while performing an adjustment or repair to protect your eyes. T hrown ob jects whi ch ricochet can cause serious inj ury to the eyes.

7. Wear sturdy, rough-sol ed work shoes a nd close-fi tting slacks and shirts . Shirts an d pants that cove r the a rms and legs and steel -toed shoes are recommend ed. Never operate this machin e in bare feet, san dals, sl ippery or light weight (e.g. c anvas) sho es.

8. Do not put hands o r feet near rotating p arts or un der the cutting deck. Con tact with the blade can am putate ha nds and feet.

9. A missing or damaged discharg e cover can cause b lade contact or thrown ob ject inj uries.

10. Many injuries occur as a resul t of the mower being pul led over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or tripping. Do not hold on to the mower if you are falling; releas e the handle immediately .

11. Never pull the mowe r back to ward yo u while y ou are walking. If you mus t back th e mower aw ay from a wall or obstruction first look down and behind to avoid trippi ng and then follow these st eps:

a. Step back from the mower to fu lly exte nd your

arms. b. Be sure you are well balance d with sure footing. c. Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way

toward you. d. Repeat these steps as neede d.

12. Do not operate the m ower whi le under t he influe nce of alcohol or drugs.

13. Do not engage the self-pro pelled mechan ism on uni ts so equipped while st arting engine.

14. The blade control handle is a safety device. Never attempt to bypas s its operat ion. Doi ng so m akes the safety device inoperat ive and may result in per sonal injury through contact with the rotating blade. The blade control handle m ust opera te easily i n both di rections and automatically return to the di sengaged positio n when released.

15. Never operate the mow er in wet gra ss. Always be sure of your footing. A s lip and fa ll can c ause se rious person al injury. If you fee l you are lo sing yo ur footi ng, releas e the blade control han dle immedi ately an d the bla de will stop rotating within three second s.

16. Mow only in daylig ht or in goo d artifici al light. Wa lk, never run.

17. Stop the blade wh en crossin g gravel drives, wa lks or roads.

18. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the engine and check immedia tely for the cause . Vibration is gener ally a warn ing of tro uble.

19. Shut the engine off and wa it until t he bla de come s to a

complete stop befor e removin g the grass catc her or unclogging the c hute. The cutting b lade co ntinues t o rotate for a few seconds afte r the engine is shut off. Neve r place any part of the body in the b lade area until yo u are sure the blade has stoppe d rotating .

20. Never operate mower wi thout prop er trail shield, discharge cover , grass c atcher, blad e cont rol handle or other safety protec tive dev ices in p lace and working. Never operate mower with damaged sa fety devices. Failure to do so, ca n result i n persona l injury .

21. Muffler and engine be come hot and c an cause a burn . Do not touch.

22. Only use parts and acc essories made fo r this machine by the manufacturer. F ailure to do so, c an result in perso nal injury.

23. If situations occur which are not covered in this manua l, use care and good judgment. Cont act your dealer for assistance. Tel ephone 1- 800-800-731 0 for the name of your nearest dealer.

Slope Operation

Slopes are a major f actor re lated to slip and fall accid ents which can result in seve re inju ry. Opera tion on s lopes requires extra cauti on. If you feel une asy on a slope, do not mow it. For your safet y, use th e slope gauge in cluded a s part of this manual to me asure slopes before operati ng this unit on a sloped or hill y area. If the slop e is greater than 15 d egrees, do not mow it.

Do:

1. Mow across the face of sl opes; never up and down. Exercise extreme cauti on when changing d irection on slopes.

2. Watch for holes, ru ts, rocks, hidden ob jects, o r bumps which can cause you to s lip or tri p. Tall grass c an hide obstacles.

3. Always be sure of your footi ng. A slip and fall can ca use serious personal in jury. If y ou feel y ou are lo sing yo ur balance, release the blade c ontrol han dle imm ediately , and the blade w ill stop rotating wi thin 3 se conds.

Do Not:

1. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments, you could lose your footing o r bala nce.

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

3. Do not mow on wet grass. U nstable footing c ould cau se slipping.

Children

Tragic accident s can occu r if the o perator is not al ert to the presence of childre n. Chil dren are of ten attrac ted to the mower and the mowi ng activ ity. They do not unde rstand the dangers. Never assum e that c hildren wil l remain where you last saw them.

1. Keep children out of t he mow ing area a nd under the watchful care of a responsi ble adul t other than the operator.

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

3. Before and while moving backw ards, look behin d and down for small ch ildren.

4. Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,

doorways, shrubs, trees, or other obje cts that may obscure your visi on of a child wh o may ru n into the mower.

5. Keep children away from hot or running engines . They can suffer burns from a hot muffler.

6. Never allow childre n under 14 y ears old to operate a power mower. Children 14 years old and over should read and understand the operation in structions and safety rules in this manual and sho uld be tra ined and supervised by a parent.

Service

Safe Handling Of Gasoline:

1. To avoid personal i njury or property d amage use extrem e care in handling gasolin e. Ga soline i s extrem ely flammable and t he vapors are expl osive. Serio us personal injury can occur when gasoline is spilled on yourself or your clothes which can ignite.

2. Wash your skin and change cl othes immedia tely.

3. Use only an appro ved gaso line container .

4. Never fill containers inside a vehic le or on a tru ck or trailer bed with a plast ic liner. Always place contai ners on the ground away fro m your v ehicle b efore fill ing.

5. When practical, re move ga s-powered e quipment from the truck or traile r and refue l it on t he ground. If this i s not possible, then refuel such equipment on a trailer with a portable containe r, rather tha n from a gasoline dispens er nozzle.

6. Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel tan k or container opening at al l times until fueling is comp lete. Do not use a nozzl e lock-open devi ce.

7. Extinguish all cig arettes, c igars, pi pes and o ther sources of ignition.

8. Never fuel machin e indoors becaus e flamma ble vapo rs will accumulate in the area.

9. Never remove gas cap or ad d fuel w hile the engine i s hot or running. Allow e ngine to cool at l east tw o minutes before refueling.

10. Never over fill fue l tank. F ill tank to no mo re than ½ inch below bottom of fi ller neck to provide space fo r fuel expansion.

11. Replace gasoline cap and tighten sec urely.

12. If gasoline is spilled, w ipe it off the engine and equipm ent. Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes before starting the engine.

13. Never store the machine or fuel c ontainer i nside whe re there is an open flame, spark or pilot light as on a w ater heater, space heate r, furnac e ,cloth es dryer or other gas appliances.

14. To reduce fire hazard , keep mow er free of grass, leav es, or other debris bu ild-up. C lean up oil or fue l spilla ge and remove any fuel soaked debris.

15. Allow a mower to cool at least 5 minutes before storing.

General Service:

1. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ventil ated area. Engine exha ust conta ins carb on monox ide, an odorless and de adly gas.

2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain the blade and al l moving parts ha ve stopp ed. Disco nnect the spark plug wi re and grou nd again st the en gine to prevent unintended star ting.

3. Check the blade a nd engine mountin g bolts a t frequ ent intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect blade for damage (e.g., b ent, crack ed, worn) R eplace bl ade with the original equipment manufacture’s (O.E.M.) blade only, listed in this manual . “Use of p arts which do not meet the original equipment specific ations m ay lead to improper performance and com promise sa fety!”

4. Mower blades are s harp and can cut. Wrap the b lade or wear gloves, and u se extra caution when se rvicing the m.

5. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment is in safe work ing cond ition.

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

7. After striking a forei gn object, stop the eng ine, disconnect the spark plug wire and grou nd agains t the engine. Thoroughly inspect the mower for any da mage. R epair the damage before st arting and operat ing the mow er.

8. Never attempt to ma ke a w heel or c utting hei ght adjustment while the engin e is runn ing.

9. Grass catcher com ponents, discharg e cover, and tra il shield are subj ect to w ear and d amage w hich co uld expose moving pa rts or all ow objects to be th rown. For safety protection, frequ ently check compo nents and replace immedi ately with original equipmen t manufacturer’s (O.E.M.) parts only , listed in this ma nual. “Use of parts which do not meet the origi nal equip ment specifications may lea d to imp roper perfor mance and compromise safety!”

10. Do not change the engine gove rnor setting or oversp eed the engine. The g overnor contr ols the m aximum s afe operating speed of the eng ine.

11. Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as necessary.

12. Observe proper dis posal la ws and regu lations. Improper disposal of flu ids and mat erials c an harm th e environment.

WARNING - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: Restrict the use of th is power mac hine to p ersons wh o read,

understand and fo llow th e warnings and ins tructions in this manual a nd on the mach ine.

NOTE: Not all safety labels shown may apply to your lawn mower.

SECTION 2: SLOPE GAUGE

Use this page as a guide to determine slopes where you may not operate safely. Do not operate your lawn mower on such slopes.

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.

Do not mow on inclin es with a s lo pe i n e xces s of 1 5 de gr ees ( a r ise o f approximately 2-1/2 f eet every 10 feet). A ridi ng m owe r could

overturn and cause serio us injur y. If oper ating a walk-be hind mo wer on suc h a slope, i t is ex tremely diffic ult to maint ain your footing

and you could slip, resulting in serious injury.

A CORNER OF A BUILDING

OR A FENCE POST

SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVE L WITH A VERTICAL TREE

A POWER POLE

WARNING

15°

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