
Safety ,, Set-Up ,,Operation ,,Adjustments ,, Maintenance ,,Troubleshooting ,, Parts Lists ,,Warranty
OF A O
A AL
Model 230, $230
Model 240, S240
Model 250, S250
Model 260, S260
ingle-Sta!e
iMPORTANT
READ SAFETY RULES AND iNSTRUCTiONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION
Warning: Thisunit isequippedwithaninternalcombustionengineandshouldnot beusedon or nearany unimprovedforest-covered,brush-
coveredor grass-coveredlandunlesstheengine'sexhaustsystemisequippedwithasparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalorstatelaws(if any).
If a sparkarresterisused,it shouldbemaintainedineffectiveworkingorderbythe operator.IntheStateofCaliforniatheaboveisrequiredbylaw
(Section4442ofthe CaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Otherstatesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.A sparkarrester
forthe mufflerisavailablethroughyournearestengineauthorizedservicedealeror contacttheservicedepartment,RO.Box361131Cleveland,
Ohio44136-0019.
ForUSCustomers: MTDLLC,P.O.BOX361131CLEVELAND,OHiO44136-0019 FORMNO.769-00805C
PRINTEDIN U.S.A.
ForCanadianCustomers:MTDProducts Ltd.,P.O.BOX1386,KiTCHENER,ONTARION2G4J1 05/17/06
now
Thrower
Model 261, S261

This Operator's Manual is an important part of your new snow thrower, it will help you assemble,
prepare and maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says.
Table of
Safety Labels ...................................................... 3
Safe Operation Practices ................................... 4
Set Up & Adjustment .......................................... 6
Know Your Snow Thrower .................................. 7
Operation ............................................................. 8
Finding and Recording Model Number
BEFOREYOU STARTASSEMBLING
YOURNEW EQUIPMENT,
please locatethe modelplateonthe equipmentand copythe
the modelnumberandthe serial number to the sample model
plate providedto the right.You can locatethe modelplate by
standing atthe operatingposition and looking down at the
frame.
Contents
Adjustments & Maintenance ........................... 10
Off-Season Storage .......................................... 12
Trouble Shooting .............................................. 13
illustrated Parts Lists ....................................... 14
Warranty ............................................................ 18
Model Number Serial Number
Num#ro de module Num#ro de s#rier
XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX
MTD LLC
CLEVELAND, OH 44136
MTD PRODUCTSLIMITED
KITCHENER, ON N2G 4J1
USA-www.mtdproducts.com 1-800=800-7310
CAN=www.mtdcanada.com 1=800=668=1238
Customer Support
Please do NOTreturn the unit to the retailer from which it was purchased,
without first contacting Customer Support.
Ifyou havedifficulty assembling this productor haveany questionsregarding the controls, operationor maintenanceof this unit,
youcan seek helpfrom theexperts. Choose fromtheoptions below:
1.Visit www.mtdcanada.cafor manyusefulsuggestions,click on CustomerSupportbutton.
2. Call a CustomerSupport Representative:For US Customers: 1-330-220-4MTD (4683)or 1-800-800-7310
ForCanadianCustomers" 1-800-668-1238
3. The engine manufactureris responsiblefor all enigne-relatedissues with regardsto performance, power-rating,specifica-
tions,warrantyandservice. Pleaserefer to the engine manufacturer'sOwner's/Operator'sManual, packedseparatelywith
your unit,for more information.
Please haveyour unit's modelnumber and serial number readywhenyou call.See previoussection to locate this information.
Youwill be asked to enterthe serial number inorderto processyour call.
2

• NEVERPUTHANDiN CHUTE.CAN
AMPUTATEHANDSANDFINGERS.
• STOPENGINEANDAUGERBEFOREUSING
CLEAN-OUTTOOLORSTICK.
i i l_I ii_ _ i _iii_!i _ _ii_ ii
WARNING
Thissymbolpoints
out importantsafety
instructionswhich,if
notfollowed,could
endangerthepersonal
safetyand/or property
of yourselfand others.
Readand followall
instructionsinthis
manualbeforeat-
temptingto operate
this machine.Failure
to complywith these
instructionsmayresult
in personalinjury.When
youseethis symbol.
HEED ITS WARNING!
Your Responsibility
Restrictthe use
ofthis power machine
to persons who read,
understand
and follow thewarnings
and instructions
in this manual
and onthe machine.
3

WARNING: EngineExhaust,some of itsconstituents,andcertain vehicle compo-
nentscontain or emit chemicals knownto Stateof Californiato cause cancerand
birth defects or other reproductiveharm.
DANGER: This machinewas builtto be operatedaccordingto the rulesfor safe operationin this
manual.As with anytypeof power equipment,carelessnessor erroron the part ofthe operatorcan
result in seriousinjury.This machine iscapableof amputating hands andfeet andthrowing objects.
Failureto observethe followingsafetyinstructionscould resultinserious injuryordeath.
WARNING
Thissymbolpoints
outimportantsafety
instructionswhich,ifnot
followed,could endanger
the personalsafetyand/
i or propertyofyourself
andothers. Readand
followall instructions
inthis manualbefore
attemptingtooperate
this machine.Failure
to complywiththese
instructionsmayresult
in personalinjury.When
youseethis symbol.
i HEED iTS WARNING!
Your Responsibility
i Restrictthe useof
this power machine
i to personswho read,
understandandfollow
the warningsand
instructionsin this
manualand on
the machine.
Training
1. Read,understand,andfollowall instructionson the 1.
machineandin themanual(s)beforeattemptingto
assembleandoperate.Keepthis manualina safe place
forfutureand regularreferenceandforordering
replacementparts. 2.
2. Befamiliarwithall controlsandtheirproperoperation.
Knowhowto stopthe machineanddisengagethemquickly.
3. Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldto operatethis
machine.Children14yearsold andovershouldread
andunderstandtheoperationinstructionsandsafety 3.
rulesin thismanualandshouldbetrainedandsupervised
bya parent.
4. Neverallowadultsto operatethis machinewithout
properinstruction.
5. Thrownobjectscancauseseriouspersonalinjury.Plan 4.
yoursnow-throwingpatternto avoiddischargeof material
towardroads,bystandersandthe like.
6. Keepbystanders,helpers,petsandchildrenat least75feet 5.
fromthe machinewhileit isin operation.Stopmachineif
anyoneentersthearea. 6.
7. Exercisecautiontoavoidslippingor falling,especially 7.
whenoperatingin reverse.
Preparation
Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentisto be
used.Removealldoormats,newspapers,sleds,boards,
wiresand otherforeignobjects,whichcouldbetripped over
orthrownbythe auger/impeller.
Alwayswearsafetyglassesor eyeshieldsduringoperation
andwhile performinganadjustmentorrepairto protectyour
eyes.Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancause serious
injurytothe eyes.
Do notoperatewithoutwearingadequatewinterouter
garments.Donotwearjewelry,longscarvesorother
looseclothing,whichcould becomeentangledin moving
parts.Wearfootwearwhich willimprovefootingon
slipperysurfaces.
Useagroundedthree-wireextensioncordand receptacle
forall unitswithelectric startengines.
Adjustcollectorhousingheighttocleargravelorcrushed
rocksurfaces.
Disengageallcontrolleversbeforestartingthe engine.
Neverattemptto makeanyadjustmentswhileengineis
running,exceptwherespecificallyrecommendedinthe
operator'smanual.
8,
Letengineandmachineadjusttooutdoortemperature
beforestartingtoclearsnow.
9.
Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamageuse
extremecarein handlinggasoline.Gasolineis extremely
flammableand thevaporsare explosive.Seriouspersonal
injurycanoccurwhengasolineis spilledon yourselfor
yourclothes,whichcanignite.Washyourskin andchange
clothesimmediately.
a. Useonlyanapprovedgasolinecontainer.
b. Extinguishallcigarettes,cigars, pipesandothersources
ofignition.
c. Neverfuelmachineindoors.
d. Neverremovegascap oradd fuelwhilethe engineis
hotor running.
e. Allowengineto coolat leasttwo minutesbefore
refueling.
f. Neveroverfill fueltank. Filltankto nomorethan
Y2inchbelow bottomoffiller neckto providespace
forfuel expansion.
g. Replacegasolinecap andtightensecurely.
h. If gasolineis spilled,wipe itoff theengineand
equipment.Movemachineto anotherarea.Wait5
minutesbeforestartingthe engine.
i. Neverstorethe machineorfuel containerinside where
there isan openflame,sparkor pilotlight(e.g.furnace,
waterheater,spaceheater,clothesdryeretc.).
j. Allowmachinetocoolat least5 minutesbeforestoring.
4

Operation
1. Do notput handsor feetnearrotatingparts,inthe
auger/impellerhousingorchuteassembly.Contactwiththe
rotatingpartscanamputatehandsand feet.
2. Theauger/impellercontrolleveris a safetydevice.Never
bypassits operation.Doingso makesthe machineunsafe
andmaycausepersonalinjury.
3. Thecontrolleversmustoperateeasilyin bothdirections
andautomaticallyreturntothe disengagedpositionwhen
released.
4. Neveroperatewitha missingordamagedchuteassembly.
Keepallsafetydevicesinplaceandworking.
5. Neverrunanengineindoorsor inapoorly ventilatedarea.
Engineexhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,an odorlessand
deadlygas.
6. Do notoperatemachinewhileunderthe influenceofalcohol
or drugs.
7. Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcan causea burn.Do
nottouch.
8. Exerciseextremecautionwhenoperatingonor crossing
gravelsurfaces.Stayalertfor hiddenhazardsortraffic.
9. Exercisecautionwhenchangingdirectionandwhile
operatingon slopes.
10.Planyoursnow-throwingpatternto avoiddischargetowards
windows,walls,carsetc.Thus,avoidingpossibleproperty
damageor personalinjurycausedbyaricochet.
11.Neverdirectdischargeatchildren,bystandersandpetsor
allowanyoneinfront ofthe machine.
12.Donotoverloadmachinecapacityby attemptingtoclear
snowattoofastof arate.
13.Neveroperatethis machinewithoutgoodvisibility or light.
Alwaysbe sureofyourfootingandkeepa firmhold onthe
handles.Walk,neverrun.
14.Disengagepowerto theauger/impellerwhentransporting
or not inuse.
15.Neveroperatemachineathightransportspeedsonslippery
surfaces.Lookdownand behindandusecarewhen
backingup.
16.Ifthe machineshouldstarttovibrateabnormally,stopthe
engine,disconnectthespark plugwireandgroundit against
the engine.Inspectthoroughlyfor damage.Repairany
damagebeforestartingandoperating.
17.Disengageallcontrolleversand stopenginebeforeyou
leavetheoperatingposition(behindthe handles).Wait
untilthe auger/impellercomestoa completestopbefore
uncloggingthechuteassembly,makinganyadjustments,or
inspections.
18.Neverput yourhandinthe dischargeorcollectoropenings.
Alwaysuse theclean-outtool providedto unclogthe
dischargeopening.Do notunclogchuteassemblywhile
engineis running.Shutoffengineandremainbehind
handlesuntilallmovingparts havestoppedbefore
unclogging.
19.Useonlyattachmentsandaccessoriesapprovedbythe
manufacturer(e.g.wheelweights,tirechains,cabsetc.).
20. Ifsituationsoccur whichare notcoveredinthis manual,
usecareand goodjudgment.Contactyourdealerorcall
(800) 800-7310for assistanceandthe nameofyour nearest
servicingdealer..
Maintenance & Storage
1. Nevertamperwithsafetydevices.Checktheir proper
operationregularly.Refertothe maintenanceand
adjustmentsectionsofthismanual.
2. Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspectingmachine
disengageall controlleversandstopthe engine.Wait until
theauger/impellercometo acompletestop.Disconnectthe
sparkplugwireand groundagainstthe engineto prevent
unintendedstarting.
3. Checkbolts andscrewsfor propertightnessatfrequent
intervalstokeepthe machineinsafeworkingcondition.
Also,visuallyinspectmachinefor anydamage.
4. Do notchangetheenginegovernorsettingor over-speed
theengine.The governorcontrolsthemaximumsafe
operatingspeedoftheengine.
5. Snowthrowershaveplatesandskidshoesaresubjectto
wearanddamage.Foryoursafetyprotection,frequently
checkallcomponentsandreplacewith originalequipment
manufacturer's(OEM) partsonly."Useof partswhichdo
notmeetthe originalequipmentspecificationsmayleadto
improperperformanceandcompromisesafety!"
6. Checkcontrolsperiodicallytoverify theyengageand
disengageproperlyandadjust,if necessary.Referto the
adjustmentsectioninthis operator'smanualfor instructions.
7. Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as
necessary.
8. Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsfor gas,oil,
etc.toprotectthe environment.
9. Priorto storing,run machineafew minutestoclearsnow
frommachineandpreventfreezeupof auger/impeller.
10.Neverstorethemachineorfuel containerinsidewhere
thereisan openflame,sparkor pilotlightsuchas a water
heater,furnace,clothesdryeretc.
11.Alwaysreferto theoperator'smanualforproperinstructions
onoff-seasonstorage.
Do not modify engine
Toavoidseriousinjuryordeath,donot modifyengineinany
way.Tamperingwiththegovernorsettingcan leadto a runaway
engineandcauseit tooperateat unsafespeeds.Nevertamper
withfactorysettingofenginegovernor.
Notice regarding Emissions
Engineswhicharecertifiedto complywithCaliforniaandfederal
EPAemissionregulationsfor SORE(SmallOff RoadEquipment)
arecertifiedto operateonregularunleadedgasoline,and
mayincludethefollowingemissioncontrolsystems:Engine
Modification(EM)andThreeWayCatalyst(TWO)ifsoequipped.
Your Responsibility
Restrictthe useofthis powermachineto personswhoread,
understandandfollowthe warningsandinstructionsinthis
manualandonthe machine.
WARNING
Thissymbolpoints
outimportantsafety
instructionswhich,ifnot
followed,couldendanger
the personalsafetyand/
orpropertyof yourself
and others.Readand
followall instructions
in this manualbefore
attemptingtooperate
this machine.Failure
to complywiththese
instructionsmayresult
in personalinjury.When
youseethissymbol.
HEED iTS WARNING!
Your Responsibility
Restrictthe useof
this power machine
to personswho read,
understandand follow
the warningsand
instructions inthis
manualand on
the machine.
5

Contents of Carton
Cartoncontentsare listedbelowwithpart numbersin
parentheses,
1. TwoignitionKeys(725-0201)
2, 2,6 ozBottleof 2 CycleOil (737-04037)
3, ExtensionCord(if soequipped)(629-0236)
NOTE: This Operator's
Manual coversseveral
models.Snowthrower
featuresvary by
model.Not all features
discussed inthis
manualare applicable
to all snowthrower
models.
NOTE: All references
i to leftor right sideof
thesnowthrower is
i fromtheoperating
positiononly.
IMPORTANT:
Do not usethe chute
handleto lift the snow
thrower.
Figure 1
Figure 2
__IL ARNING: Disconnectthe sparkplug
wireand grounditagainst the engineto
preventunintended starting.
Positioning the Upper Handle
1. Removepackingmaterial,if present.
2. Makingsurenotto pinchthe cableinthe process,
pivottheupperhandleintotheoperatingpositionas
illustratedinFigure1 untilit clicksintoplace.
3. Tightenthe starknobstosecurethe handlein place
asin Figure1.
/
Assembling the Discharge Chute
Forshippingreasons,the snowthrowerhasbeen
packagedwiththeupperchutepivotedallthe waydown.
Topivotitupward,proceedasfollows:
,
Turnthechuteuntilthe chuteopeningisfacing
straightahead. Removethewingknob,flatwasher
andcarriageboltfromthe lowerchute. See Figure2.
,
Pivottheupperchuteupwardoverthe lip onthelower
chutesothatthere isNOgap betweentheupper
chuteandthelowerchute.
3. Resecurewiththe hardwarejust removed.If installed
correctly,your snowthrowershouldlooklikeFigure3.
IMPORTANT:Do notusethechutehandleto liftthe
snowthrower.
Figure 3
6