MTD Yard-Man 12A-449T401 Operator's Manual

YaRD-MaN)//

Operator's Manual

21" Self Starter

Rear-Discharge

Lawn Mower

Model Series

IMPORTANT: Read safety rules and instructions carefully before operating equipment.

Warning: This unit isequipped withan internalcombustionengine andshould not be used on or near any unimproved forest-

covered, brush-coveredor grass-covered land unlessthe engine's exhaust system is equipped witha spark arrester meeting
applicable local or state laws (ifany). If a spark arrester is used, it should be maintainedin effective working order by the operator.

In the State of Californiathe above isrequiredbylaw (Section4442 ofthe California Public Resources Code). Other states may have
similar laws. Federal laws apply onfederal lands.A sparkattester for the muffler is available throughyour 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

ECO#

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

FORM NO. 770-10478.fm

(1/2001)

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Content Page

ImportantSafe OperationPractices ................................................................... 3

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

Unpacking .......................................................................................................... 7

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

Know Your Lawn Mower .................................................................................... 10

Operating Your Lawn Mower ............................................................................. 10

Maintaining Your Lawn Mower ........................................................................... 13

Servicing Your Lawn Mower .............................................................................. 14

Making Adjustments .......................................................................................... 16

Off- Season Storage .......................................................................................... 17

Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 18

Parts List............................................................................................................ 20

FINDINGMODELNUMBER

This Operator'sManual is an important part of your newLawn Mower. Itwill helpyou assemble, prepare

and maintain the unit for best performance. Please readand understand what it says.

Before you start assembling your new equipment, please locate the model plate onthe
equipmentand copythe informationfromit inthe space providedbelow.The informationon
the model plateisvery importantif youneedhelpfromourCustomerSupportDepartmentor

an authorized dealer.

You can locatethe model numberby standingbehind the unitinthe operatingposition and looking

down at the rear of the deck. A sample model plate is explained below. For future reference, please
copy the modesnumber and the serial number of the equipment in the space below.

Copy the model number here:

Copy the serial number here:

CALLINGCUSTOMERSUPPORT

Ifyou have difficulty assemblingthis product or have anyquestions regardingthe controls, operationor
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 haveyourunit'smodelnumberand serial number readywhenyou
call.See previoussectiontolocatethisinformation,You will be askedto enterthe serial
numberinordertoprocessyourcall.

2

SECTION1: IMPORTANTSAFEOPERATIONPRACTICES

WARNING: This symbol pointsout importantsafety instructionswhich, if not followed, couldendanger
the personalsafetyand/or propertyofyourselfandothers. Read and followallinstructionsinthismanual

beforeattemptingto operatethismachine.Failuretocomplywiththeseinstructionsmay resultin personal
injury.Whenyou see thissymbol--HEED ITSWARNING.

WARNING: Engine exhaust, some of itsconstituents,and certainvehicle componentscontainor emit

chemicalsknowntoStateof Californiatocausecancerand birthdefectsor otherreproductiveharm.

WARNING: Thismachine was builtto beoperated accordingto the rulesfor safe operationinthis manual.As with

any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in sedous injury. This

machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to observe the followingsafety

instructionscould result in sedousinjuryor death.

GeneralOperation

1. Read this operator's manual carefully in its entirety
before attempting to assemble this machine. Read,

understand, and follow all instructions on the machine
and in the manual(s) before operation. Ba completely

familiar with the controls and the proper use of this

machine before operating it. Keep this manual in a safe
place for future andregular reference andfor ordedng

replacament parts.

2. This machine is a precision piece of power equipment,
not aplaything. Therefore, exercise extreme caution at all

times. Your unithasbeen designedto performonejob: to

mow grass.Do notuse itfor any other purpose.

3. Never allow childrenunder 14 years oldtooperate this
machine. Children 14years oldand overshouldread and
understandthe operation instructionsandsafety rulesin

this manual and shouldbe trained and supervisedbya

parent,Only responsibleindividualswhoare famUiarwith

these safe operationrulesshoulduse thismachine.

4. Thoroughlyinspectthe area where the equipment isto
be used. Remove all stones,sticks,wire,bones,toys and
otherforeign objectswhichcould be tdppedoveror
pickedup andthrown bythe blade. Thrown objectscan

cause sehous personalinjury.Plan your mowingpattern

to avoiddischargeofmatedal toward reeds, sidewalks,

bystandersand the like. Also, avoid dischargingmatedal
againstawallorobstructionwhich may cause discharged
matedal to ricochetbacktowardthe operator.

5. To help avoid blade contact or a thrown objectinjury,stay
inthe operatorzone behind the handles and keep
bystanders,helpers,childrenand pets at least75 feet

from the machine while itisin operation. Stop machine if
anyone enters the area.

6. Always wear safetyglassesor safety goggles during

operationandwhile performingan adjustmentorrepairto

protectyoureyes. Thrownobjects which dcochetcan

cause sedous injurytothe eyes.

7. Wear sturdy, rough-soledworkshoesand close-fitting

slacksand shirts.Shirtsand pants thatcover the arms
and legsand steel-toedshoes are recommended. Never

operate this machine inbare feet, sandals,slipperyor

lightweight (e.g. canvas) shoes.

8. Do notputhandsorfeet near rotatingpartsor underthe

cuttingdeck. Contactwiththeblade can amputatehands
and feet.

9. A missingor damaged dischargecover can cause blade
contact or thrownobject injudes.

10. Manyinjuriesoccuras a resultofthe mowerbeing pulled
overthe footdudog a fall caused byslippingortripping.

Do not holdon to the mower ifyou are falling; release the
handleimmediately.

11. Neverpullthemower backtowardyouwhile you are

walking. If you mustbackthe mowerawayfroma wail or
obstructionfirstlookdown and behind to avoid tripping

and then followthese steps:

a. Step backfrom the mower tofully extend your

alTRS,

b. Be sureyou are well balancedwithsurefooting.

c. Pullthemowerbackslowly,nomorethan halfway

towardyou.

d. Repeat these stepsas needed.

12. Donotoperate the mower whileunder the influenceof
alcoholor drugs.

13. Do notengage the self-propeUedmechanism onunitsso
equippedwhilestartingengine.

14. The blade control handle isa safetydevice, Never
attemptto bypassitsoperation.Doingso makesthe
safety device inoperativeandmay resultinpersonal

injury throughcontact withthe rotatingblade.The blade
controlhandlemustoperate easily inboth directionsand
automaticallyreturnto the disengagedposition when

released.

15. Never operatethe mowerinwet grass.Always be sureof
yourfooting. A slip andfall can cause seriouspersonal

injury.Ifyoufeel you are losingyourfooting, releasethe
blade controlhandle immediately and the bladewillstop

rotatingwithinthreeseconds.

16. Mow in daylightorgood artificiallight.Walk, never ran.

17. Stop the blade when crossinggraveldrives,walkways
orroads.

18. If the equipment shouldstart to vibrate abnormally, stop
the engine and check immediately for the cause.
Vibration isgenerally a warning of trouble.

19. Shut the eogine off and wait untilthe blade comes to a
completestop before removing the grass catcher or
unclogging the chute. The cutting blade continues to

rotate for a few seconds after the engine is shut off.
Never place any part of the body in the blade area until

you are sure the blede has stopped rotating.

20. Never operate mowerwithoutpreper trail shield, 5.
discharge cover, grass catcher, blade control handle or
other safety protective devices in place and working. 6.

Never operate mower with damaged safety devices.
Failure to do so, can result in personal injury.

21. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a bum. Do
not touch.

22. Only use parts and accessories made forthis machine by

the original equipment manufacturer(O.E.M). Failureto Service

do so can result in personal injury.

23. Ifsituations occur which are not covered in this manual,
use care and good judgment. Contact your dealer for

assistance.Telephone [phone] for the name of

your nearest dealer.

SlopeOperation

Slopes are a major factor related to slipandfall accidents

whichcan resultin severe injury.Operationon slopes

requiresextra caution.Ifyou feel uneasy on aslope, donot
mow it.Before operating thisunit on a slope orhillyarea, use
the slopegaugeon page 6to measure slopes. Ifthe slope is
greaterthan 15 degrees, do not mow it.

Do:

1. Mow acrossthe face ofslopes; neverup and down.
Exercise extreme caution when changingdirection on
slopes.

2. Watchfor holes,ruts,rocks,hiddenobjects, or bumps

whichcan cause you toslipor tdp.Tall grass can hide

obstacles.

3. Always be sureofyour fuofing. A slipandfall can cause
seriouspersonal injury.If youfeel youare losingyour

balance, releasethe bladecontrolhandle immediately,
andthe bladewillstoprotatingwithin3 seconds.

DoNot:

1. Do not mow neardrop-offs,ditchesor embankments,

you could loseyourfooting or balance.

2. Do not mow slopssgreater than 15 degreesas shownon

the slope gauge.

3. Do notmowon wet grass. Unstablefootingcould cause
slipping.

Children

Tragic accidentscan occur if the operator is not alerttothe

presence of children.Children are often attractedtothe
mowerand the mowingactivity.They do not understandthe

dangers. Never assume that childrenwillremainwhere you
lastsaw them.

1. Keep childrenoutofthe mowing area and underthe

watchfulcare of a responsibleadultotherthanthe

operator.

2. Be alert and turn mower off ifachildentersthe area.

3. Before and whilemoving backwards, look behindand
downfor smallchildren.

4. Use extreme carewhen approachingblindcomers,
doorways,shrubs,trees, orotherobjectsthat may
obscureyourvisionofa childwho may runintothe

mower.

Keep childrenaway from hotor running engines. They

can suffer bums from a hot muffler.

Never allow children under 14years 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 betrained and
supervised by a parent.

SafeHandlingof Gasoline:

1. To avoid personal injury or property damage use extreme
care in handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremely
flammable and the vapors are explosive.Sedous

personal injury can occur when gasoline is spilled on
yourself or your clothes which can ignite.

2. Wash your skinandchange clothes immediately.

3. Use only an approvedgasoline container.

4. Never fill containersinside a vehicle or on a truck or
trailer bedwith aplastic liner. Always place containers on

the ground away from your vehicle before filling.

5. If possible, remove gas-powered equipment from the
truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If this is not

possible, then refuel such equipmenton a trailer with a
portable container, rather than from agasoline dispenser

nozzle.

Keep the nozzle incontact with the dm of the fuel tank or
container opening atall times until fueling iscomplete.Do
not use a nozzle lock-open device.

Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources
of ignition.

Never fuel machine indoors because flammable vapors
will accumulate inthe area.

Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is hot
or running. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes
before refueling.

Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch
below bottom offiller neck to providespace for fuel

expansion.

Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.

Ifgasoline is spilled, wipe itoff the engine and
equipment. Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes

before starting the engine.

Never store the machine or fuel container inside where
there is an open flame, spark or pilot light as on a water

heater, space heater, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas
appliances.

14. To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass, leaves,
or other debds build-up. Clean up oil or fuel spillage and
remove any fuel soaked debds.

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

GeneralService:

6,

7.

8.

9.

1(3.

11.

12.

13.

1. Never runan engine indoorsorina poody ventilated
area. Engine exhaust containscarbon monoxide,an

ododessand deadly gas.

2. Before cleaning, repairing,orinspecting,makecertain
the blade and all movingparts have stopped. Disconnect

the sparkplugwireand groundagainstthe engineto
prevent unintendedstarting.

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

for damage (e.g., bent, cracked, worn) Replace blade
with the original equipment manufacture's (O.E.M) blade
only, listed in this manual. "Use of parts which do not

meet the original equipment specifications may leadto
improper performance and compromise safety!"

4. Mower blades are sharp and can cut. Wrap the blade or
wear gloves, and use extra caution when servicing them.

5. Keep allnuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the
equipment is in safe working condition.

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

7. After sthking aforeign object, stop the engine, disconnect

the spark plug wire and de-energize the starter. (See

section "To De-energize Self Starter". Thoroughly inspect

the mower for any damage. Repair the damage before

starting and operating the mower.

8. Never attempt to make awheel or cutting height
adjustment while the engine is running.

9. Grass catcher components, discharge cover, and trail

10.

11.

12.

13,

shield are subjectto wearand damage whichcould

expose moving parts or allowobjects to be thrown.

For safety protection, frequently check components and
replace immediately with odginal equipment

manufacturer's (O.E.M.) parts only, listed in this manual.
"Use of parts which do not meet the odginal equipment
specifications may lead to improper performance and

compromise safety!"

Do not change the engine governor setting oroverspeed
the engine. The governor controls the maximum safe

operating speed of the engine.

Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as

necessary.
Observe properdisposallawsand regulations.Improper
disposal of fluidsand materials can harmthe

environment.
ALWAYS de-energize self starter priorto performingany

maintenance or servicetothe engine and or mower,

Followinstructionsboth in the manualand on the engine
and ormachine to de-enen:jizestarter.

YourResponsibility

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.

DANGER

5

9

SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE

A POWER POLE

A CORNER OF A BUILDING

OR A FENCE POST

15°

Q_

° A

o_ WARNING

Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). A riding mower

Z

O could overturn and cause serious injury. If operating a walk-behind mower on such a slope, 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.

(_f) Operate WALK-BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes, never up and down slopes.

SECTION3: UNPACKING

RemovingUnitFromCarton

Remove staples, break glue on top flaps or cut tape
at carton end and peel along top flap to open

carton.
Remove loose parts if included with unit (i.e.,
operator's manual, hardware pack etc.).

Cut corners andlay cartondown flat.Remove
packing material.

Roll orslideunitout ofcarton.Check carton
thoroughlyfor looseparts.

SECTION4: ASSEMBLINGYOURLAWNMOWER

NOTE; Make sure not to crimp the cables while
removing the loose parts or the entire unit from the
carton.

NOTE: Reference to rightor left hand sideof the mower
isobserved from the operating position.

Tools Required

PairofPliers
Funnel
Set ofadjustablewrenches

WARNING: Disconnect the spark plug
wire and ground it against the engine to

preventunintendedstarting.Leave safety key

in lockedposition.

DisconnectingSparkPlug

Before setting up your lawn mower, disconnect the

spark plugwire fromthe spark plug, and ground itto
a bolt, retaining post or V-slot on the engine. See

Figure 1.

Spark Plug

Figure 1

AssemblingHandle

For shipping purposes, the grass bag was placed
on top ofthe unit. Remove it from the unit andset it

out of the way. See Figure 2.

Lift lowerhandle

GrassBag

UpperHandle

Liftu
handle

Figure 2

Raise the lower handle, as shown inFigure 2, until

it snaps into place.

Raise the upper handle as shown in Figure 2.
Tighten the two wing nuts which are already on the

handle. See Figure 3.

UpparHandle

LowerHandle

n

Nut

Figure 3

NOTE: Make sureto route thecables outside thelower

handle. Also do not crimp the cables while lifting the
handle up.

Forshipping purposes, the hairpin clip is placed in

the outer hole of the weld pin on the lower handle.

Remove the hairpin clip from the outer hole of the

weld pin.

Usinga pair of pliers, insert the hairpin clip into the

inner hole inthe weld pin. Repeat on the other side.
See Figure 4.

Move hairpin clipto

this hole --

f

Weld Handle

Pin

Figure 4

Insertpost ofcable tiesthat are on lower handle

into the holes provided on the lower handle. The
holes may be on the inside or outside. Pull cable

ties tight and cut offthe extra. See Figure 5below.

Cable Tie

Post on

Figure 5

Attaching Starter Rope

The rope guide is already attached to the right side of
the upper handle ofyour mower. See Figure 6.

With the spark plug wire disconnected and
grounded, and with the safety key in the locked

position, pull the starter ropeup to the rope guide.
See Figure 6.

Slip the rope through the rope guide as shown
below. Tighten the wing nut holding the rope guide

to the upper handle.

BladeControl
Handle

GrassCatcherAssembly

NOTE: Make certain the grass bag is tumed fight side

out before assembling (warning label will be on the

outside).

SoffGrass Bag

Parts for soft grass bag:

1. Front Frame

2. Rear Frame

3. Bag

Assembling soft grass bag:

Jointherear frame and front frame assemblyas
showninFigure7A.

Place thebag over theframe (blackplasticsideis
the bottomofbag).Sliptheopeningsintheside of

the plasticchannelsonthe bagover thehookson
the grasscatcherframe.

Secure bagto frame byworkingthe plastic
channelsonbagoverframe asshowninFigure 7B.

All ofthe plasticchannelsexceptthecentertopof
the bag attachfrom the outsideof bag.The center
top ofthe bag attaches from insidethe bag.

[] []

Front Hook

rame

sembly

Rear

Frame Plastic

Channels

Figure 7

AttachingGrassCatcher

Ifyour moweris equipped witha mulchingplug,

and it is in place on the mower, lift the rear

discharge door and remove the rear mulching plug
from the mower. See Figure 8.

Recoil

Rear
Mulching

Plug

RopeGude

Figure 6

Figure 8

NOTE: Make sure that the cables are muted to the

outside of the handle when attaching the grass catcher.