Mtd 540 series OPERATOR’S MANUAL

OPERATOR’S MANUAL

21” Rear & Side

Discharge

Mulching Mower

Model Series 540

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 a rrester meet ing 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 S tate of Calif orn ia the ab ove i s requ ired b y law (S ectio n 4442 of the C alifo rni a Publi c Reso urces C ode). Othe r stat es may ha ve 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.

770-10019C.fm (10/01)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Content Page

Important Sa fe Op erati on Pr act ices....... ..... .. ..... .. ... ..... .. ..... .. .. ..... .. ..... ... .. ..... .. ...3

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

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

Know Your La wn Mower.......... ..... .. ..... .. ..... .. ... .... ... ..... .. .. ..... .. ..... .. ... ..... .. ..... .. .. .9

Operating Yo ur La wn Mower..... ..... .. ..... ... .. ..... .. ..... .. ..... .. ... .... ... .... ... .. ..... .. ..... .. .9

Making Adjus tments......... .. ..... .. ... .... ... ..... .. .. ..... .. ..... ... .. ..... .. ..... .. .. ..... ... .... ... .. ...10

Maintainin g Your Lawn Mower........ .. ..... ... .... ... .. ..... .. ..... .. ... .... ... .... ... ..... .. .. ..... .. .11

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

Parts Lis t............. .. ..... .. ... .... ... .... ... .. ..... .. ..... .. ... .... ... ..... .. .. ..... .. ..... .. ... ..... .. ..... .. .. .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 standing at the operating position and looking down at the rear of the mower 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)

MTD PRODUCTS INC

CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136

(Serial Number)

Copy the model number here:

Copy the ser ial num ber here:

ENGINE INFORMATION

The engine manufacturer is responsible for all engine-related issues with regards to performance, powerrating, specifications, warranty and service. Please refer to the engine manufacturer’s Owner’s/Operator’s Manual packed separately with your unit for more information.

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 res ul t i n pe rs on a l i nj ur y . Wh en y o u s e e t hi s sy m bo l - heed its warning.

WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of i ts constituents , and certain v ehicle

components co ntain or e mit chemicals kno wn to State of C alif ornia to cause cance r and birth defe cts or other reprod uctive h arm.

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 areful ly i n its entir ety before atte mpting t o assem ble t his mach ine . Read, understand, and fol low all inst ru ctio ns on the machi ne and in the manual (s) before oper ation . Be compl etely familiar wit h the c ontrol s and t he pr oper use of th is machine before oper ating it. Keep thi s man ual in a safe place for f uture and regul ar re ferenc e and for or dering replacement pa rts.

2. This machine is a preci sion p iece of power equip ment, not a plaything. Ther efore, exercise ext reme caution at all times. Your un it has been d esigned to pe rform one jo b: to mow grass. Do not use it for a ny ot her pur pose.

3. Never allow chil dren under 14 years ol d to o pera te thi s machine. Chil dren 14 year s old and over should read and understand t he ope ration i nst ructions and safety rules in this manual a nd sh ould be t rain ed and supervi sed by a parent. Only respons ible indi viduals who are fami liar with these rules of saf e ope ration should be a llowed to use this machine.

4. Thoroughly ins pect t he area whe re the equi pment is t o be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones , toys and other foreign obj ects whi ch coul d be tripped o ver or picked up and t hrown by the blade. Thrown ob jec ts can cause serious persona l inj ury. Plan your mowi ng pa ttern to avoid di scharge of mat eria l toward r oads , side walks, bystanders and th e lik e. Also , avoi d disch arg ing mater ial against a wal l or o bstruc tion wh ich m ay cause discharged mate rial to ric ochet back to ward the operat or.

5. To help avoid b lade co ntact or a t hrown object injur y, stay in the operat or zon e behind the handles and k eep children, bystand ers, h elp ers and p ets at le ast 75 f eet from the mower whi le it is in operat ion. St op mac hine if anyone enters the area.

6. Always wear safety g las ses or s afety goggles dur ing operation a nd while pe rforming an adjustmen t or repa ir to protect your eyes. Thr own objec ts whic h rico chet ca n cause serious in jury to the eyes.

7. Wear sturdy, r ough-sol ed work shoes and clo se-fi tti ng slacks and shi rts. Shir ts and p ants that cover t he ar ms and legs and steel-toed shoes are recom mended. Never operate thi s mach ine in bare f eet, s andals, sl ipper y or light weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.

8. Do not put hands or feet near rotati ng pa rts or under t he cutting dec k. Cont act wi th the blade ca n amput at e hands and feet.

9. A missing or damage d di scharge cove r can ca use b lade contact or t hrown ob ject i njur ies.

10. Many injuries occur as a resul t of the m ower be ing pull ed over the foo t duri ng a fal l cau sed b y sli pping or tri pping. Do not hold o n to t he mower if yo u are f alling ; r elease the handle immed iately.

11. Never pull th e mower back to ward you whi le yo u ar e walking. If y ou must back t he mower away fr om a wa ll or obstructi on first look d own and behi nd to a void t rippi ng and then fol low thes e steps :

a. Step back fr om th e mower to full y exten d you r

arms. b. Be sure you ar e well balanced with s ure footi ng. c. Pull the mower back sl owly, no more than h alf way

toward you. d. Repeat these s tep s as neede d.

12. Do not operate t he mower whi le unde r the i nf luence of alcohol or drugs.

13. Do not engage the self- propelled mech anism on units so equipped whil e star ting e ngine.

14. The blade contr ol handl e is a saf ety dev ice. Ne ver attempt to b ypass its operation. Doi ng so ma kes t he safety devi ce inop erat ive an d may r esu lt in per son al injury throug h con tact wit h t he rota ting b lade. T he blade control hand le mu st oper ate easi ly i n bo th dir ecti ons and automatical ly retur n t o the di sengaged posi tion when released.

15. Never operate the mower in wet gr ass. Always be sur e of your footi ng. A sl ip and fa ll ca n cause se rious pers onal injury. If you feel y ou are l osing y our footing, r elease t he blade contro l handl e imme diately and t he b lade wi ll stop rotating wit hin th ree seco nds.

16. Mow only in daylight or i n good artifici al light. Wal k, never run.

17. Stop the blade wh en cross ing gravel driv es, wal ks o r roads.

18. If the equipmen t shoul d star t to v ib rate ab normall y, st op the engine and chec k immed iatel y for the cau se. Vibration is general ly a war ning of t rouble .

19. Shut the engine off and wait u ntil the bl ade c omes to a complete stop bef ore remov in g the gr ass catcher or

unclogging t he chut e. T he cutt ing bl ade cont inues t o rotate for a f ew se conds af ter t he en gine i s shut o ff. Never place any part o f the b ody i n the blade ar ea u ntil you are sure t he b lade has stopped rot atin g.

20. Never operate mower withou t prope r tra il s hield, discharge cov er, gr ass catcher , bl ade co ntrol handle or other safet y prot ectiv e devic es in pl ac e and wo rking . Never operate mower wit h damage d safet y de vices. Failure to do so, c an resul t i n per sonal i njur y.

21. Muffler and en gine become ho t and ca n cause a burn. Do not touch.

22. Only use parts a nd accesso ries mad e for this m achine by the manufactur er. Fa ilur e to do s o, can resu lt i n person al injury.

23. If situations occur wh ic h are not covere d i n this manual, use care and good ju dgment. Co nta ct your dealer for assistance. Telepho ne 1- 800-800- 731 0 for the n ame of your nearest dealer .

Slope Operation

Slopes are a maj or fa cto r relate d t o sli p and fal l acc idents which can resu lt i n se vere i njury. Operat ion on s lop es requires ex tra cau tion. If y ou feel unea sy o n a slope , do not mow it. For y our saf ety, u se the s lop e gauge i ncluded as p art of this manual to me asure slopes be fore operat ing this unit on a sloped or hi lly area. If t he slope is great er than 15 de grees, do not mow it.

Do:

1. Mow across the face of slopes ; never up a nd do wn. Exercise ext reme cauti on when chang in g direc tion o n slopes.

2. Watch for holes , rut s, roc ks, hi dden object s, or bumps which can cause you t o sli p or t rip. Tall grass c an hi de obstacles.

3. Always be sure of your f ootin g. A sl ip and f all can c ause serious pers onal i njury . If you feel y ou are l osing y our balance, rel ease t he blade cont rol h andle i mmedi ately, and the blade wi ll stop r otati ng wit hin 3 sec onds .

Do Not:

1. Do not mow near drop- offs , dit ches or embankmen ts, you could los e you r foot ing or balanc e.

2. Do not mow slopes greater than 15 de grees as shown on the slope gaug e.

3. Do not mow on wet gras s. Unst abl e foot ing coul d cause slipping.

Children

Tragic acci dents c an oc cur if the op erator is not al ert to t he presence of c hildr en. Chi ldren are often attra cted t o the mower and the m owing act ivi ty. Th ey do not under stand the dangers. Never ass ume that chil dren wil l re main where you last saw them.

1. Keep children o ut of the m owing area and under the watchful care of a r esponsi ble ad ult other than t he operator.

2. Be alert and t urn mower o ff i f a chi ld ent ers th e area.

3. Before and while m oving b ackwar ds, l ook behi nd a nd down for small chil dren.

4. Use extreme care wh en app roachi ng bli nd co rners, doorways, shr ubs, trees , or o ther obj ects tha t may

obscure yo ur vis ion of a chil d who m ay run i nto t he mower.

5. Keep children a way from h ot o r runni ng engi nes. The y can suffer b urns f rom a hot mu ffler.

6. Never allow chil dren under 14 years ol d to o pera te a power mower. Chi ldren 1 4 yea rs old and o ver shou ld read and unders tan d the oper atio n inst ructi ons and safety rul es in t his manu al and shoul d be trai ned and supervised by a pa rent.

Service

Safe Handling Of Gasoline:

1. To avoid perso nal inj ury or pr operty damag e use extr eme care in handl ing gas ol ine. Gas oline is ext reme ly flammable and t he v apors ar e ex plosi ve. Ser ious personal in jury c an occur when g asoli ne is sp ill ed on yourself or your c lothes which c an i gnite .

2. Wash your skin and chang e cl othes i mmedi ately .

3. Use only an approv ed ga solin e contai ner.

4. Never fill containers inside a vehicle or on a truck or trailer be d wit h a plas tic liner . Al ways plac e cont ain ers on the ground away from your ve hicle before fil ling.

5. When practical , remove gas- powered eq uip ment fr om the truck o r tra iler and ref uel i t on t he g round. If t his i s not possible, then re fuel s uch e quipment on a tr ailer with a portable c ontain er, r ather th an fro m a ga solin e disp enser nozzle.

6. Keep the nozzle i n cont act wit h the r im of the fuel tank or container openi ng at all times until fueling is complete. Do not use a nozzl e lock -op en dev ice.

7. Extinguish all cigar ettes, ci gars, pipes and ot her so urce s of ignition.

8. Never fuel machi ne indo ors because f lam mable vapo rs will accumulat e i n the ar ea.

9. Never remove ga s cap or add fuel whil e the en gin e is ho t or running. Allow engi ne t o cool at le ast two minu tes before refueling.

10. Never over fill f uel ta nk. Fi ll t ank to n o more than ½ inch below bottom of fill er neck to provid e spa ce for fuel expansion.

11. Replace gasoli ne ca p and ti ghten s ecur ely.

12. If gasoline is spil led, wi pe it off the engi ne and equipment. Move uni t to a nother a rea . Wait 5 minutes before star ting t he engi ne.

13. Never store th e machi ne or f uel co nta iner insi de where there is an open fl ame, spark or pil ot light as on a wa ter heater, spa ce heater, fu rnace , clot hes dryer or other ga s appliances.

14. To reduce fir e hazard, ke ep mower fr ee of g ras s, lea ves, or other debr is bui ld-u p. Clea n up o il or f uel spil lage and remove any f uel soa ked d ebris.

15. Allow a mower to c ool at least 5 mi nutes be fore st orin g.

General Service:

1. Never run an engi ne indoo rs or in a poorly venti lated area. Engine exhau st cont ains c arbo n monoxide , an odorless and d eadl y gas.

2. Before cleaning, rep airing, or inspect ing, make c ertain the blade and all mov ing parts have st opped . Disc onnec t the spark pl ug wire and groun d aga inst t he engi ne to prevent unin tended s tarti ng.

3. Check the blade an d eng ine mount ing bolts at freque nt

intervals f or proper tigh tness. Also, vi suall y in spec t bla de for damage (e. g., be nt, cr ack ed, worn ) Replac e blade with the orig inal equi pment manufact ure’s (O.E.M. ) blade only, liste d in t his manual. “Use of parts which do not meet the ori ginal equipment spe cifi catio ns may le ad t o improper perform ance and compromise safety !”

4. Mower blades are s harp and c an c ut. W rap the blade o r wear gloves, and use ex tra cau ti on when se rvici ng them .

5. Keep all nuts, bol t s, and s crews t ight t o be sur e t he equipment is in saf e worki ng co nditi on.

6. Never tamper wit h safet y devi ces. Chec k t heir p roper operation r egular ly.

7. After striki ng a for eign objec t, stop the engi ne, discon nect the spark pl ug wire and groun d agai nst t he engi ne. Thoroughly i nspect t he mower for any dam age. Repa ir the damage befor e st arting a nd ope rati ng the m ower.

8. Never attempt t o make a wheel or cutt ing hei ght adjustment whi le t he engine is ru nning.

9. Grass catcher c omponent s, di sch arge cov er, and tr ail shield are subject to wear and damage wh ich cou ld expose movi ng parts or al low obj ects t o be thrown. For safety prot ecti on, fr equentl y check compon ents and replace immedi ately with o rigi nal equi pment manufacturer’s (O.E.M.) parts only, l ist ed in t his m anual. “Use of parts whi ch do not meet the or igin al equi pment specificati ons may lead t o i mproper per formance and compromise s afe ty!”

10. Do not change the e ngi ne govern or setting o r ov erspeed the engine. The governor contro ls the maximum safe operating sp eed of t he e ngine.

11. Maintain or r eplace s afety and ins tr uctio n label s, as necessary.

12. Observe proper di sposal laws an d re gulati ons. I mproper disposal of fluids and mat er ials can harm the environment.

WARNING - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: Restrict the use of t his powe r mac hine to persons who read,

understand and foll ow the war nings and i nstr uction s in t his m anual an d on the machi ne.

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

SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE

A POWER POLE

A CORNER OF A BUILDING

OR A FENCE POST

SECTION 2: SLOPE GAUGE

Use this page as a guide t o determine slopes where you may not operate safely. D o not op erat e your lawn mower

on such slopes.

15°

WARNING

Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). A ridin g mo wer could overturn and cause serious injury. If operating a walk-behind mower on such a sl ope, it is extremely difficult to maintain 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.

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