Toro 30284, 30286, 30288, 30289 Operator's Manual

Form No. 3356-902 Rev A

Commercial Walk-Behind Mower

For Floating Deck, Pistol Grip, Hydro with 36in, 40in, 48in or 52in TURBO FORCE® Cutting Unit

Model No. 30284 —Serial No. 270000001 and Up Model No. 30286 —Serial No. 270000001 and Up Model No. 30288 —Serial No. 270000001 and Up Model No. 30289 —Serial No. 270000001 and Up

Warning

CALIFORNIA

Pr oposition 65 W ar ning

T he engine exhaust fr om this pr oduct contains chemicals kno wn to the State of Calif or nia to cause cancer , bir th defects, or other r epr oducti v e har m.

T his spark ignition system complies with Canadian ICES-002

Important: T his engine is not equipped with a spar k ar r ester muf ﬂer . It is a violation of Calif or nia Public R esource Code Section 4442 to use or operate the engine on an y f or est-co v er ed, br ush-co v er ed, or g rass-co v er ed land. Other states or federal ar eas may ha v e similar la ws.

T he enclosed Engine Owner’ s Man ual is supplied f or inf or mation r egarding the US En vir onmental Pr otection Agency (EP A) and the Calif or nia Emission Contr ol R egulation of emission systems, maintenance, and w ar ranty . R eplacements may be order ed thr ough the engine man uf actur er .

Introduction

R ead this infor mation carefully to lear n ho w to operate and maintain y our product properly and to a v oid injur y and product damag e . Y ou are responsible for operating the product properly and safely .

Figure 1

1. Location of the model and serial numbers

Model No.

Serial No.

T his man ual identiﬁes potential hazards and has safety messag es identiﬁed b y the follo wing w ords:

• Danger signals an extreme hazard that will cause serious injur y or death if y ou do not follo w the recommended precautions .

• W ar ning signals a hazard that may cause serious injur y or death if y ou do not follo w the recommended precautions .

• Caution signals a hazard that ma y cause minor or moderate injur y if y ou do not follo w the recommended precautions .

T his man ual uses tw o other w ords to highlight infor mation. Impor tant calls attention to special mec hanical infor mation and Note emphasizes g eneral infor mation w or th y of special attention.

Y ou ma y contact T oro directly at www .T oro .com for product and accessor y infor mation, help ﬁnding a dealer , or to register y our product.

W henev er y ou need ser vice , g en uine T oro par ts , or additional infor mation, contact an A uthorized Ser vice Dealer or T oro Customer Ser vice and ha v e the model and serial n umbers of y our product ready . Figure 1 identiﬁes the location of the model and serial n umbers on the product. W rite the n umbers in the space pro vided.

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Safe Operating Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

T oro Mo w er Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Slope Char t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Safety and Instr uctional Decals . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Product Ov er view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Speciﬁcations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Adding Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chec king the Engine Oil Lev el . . . . . . . . . . . 15

T hink Safety First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Operating the P arking Brak e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Star ting and Stopping the

Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Operating the Neutral Loc ks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Operating the Mo w er Blade

Control (PTO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

T he Safety Interloc k System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Dri ving the Mac hine F orw ard and

Bac kw ard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Bringing the Mac hine to the

Neutral P osition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Stopping the Mac hine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Pushing the Mac hine b y Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

T ranspor ting Mac hines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Side Disc harging or Mulc hing the

Grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Adjusting the Height-of-Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Adjusting the Anti-Scalp

R ollers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Adjusting the Handle Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Adjusting the Flo w Bafﬂe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

P ositioning the Flo w Bafﬂe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Using the Mid-Size W eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

R ecommended Maintenance

Sc hedule(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Lubrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Ho w to Grease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Lubricating the Bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Greasing the PTO Dri v e Belt Idler

and Mo w er Dec k Belt

Idler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Engine Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Ser vicing the Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Ser vicing the Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Ser vicing the Spark Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Fuel System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Draining the Fuel T ank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Ser vicing the Fuel Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Electrical System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Ser vicing the Batter y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Ser vicing the Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Dri v e System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Adjusting the Speed Control

Linkag e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

T emporar y Neutral Stud

Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Adjusting the Hy dro Control

Linkag es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Adjusting the Neutral Stud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Adjusting the Control R od . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Adjusting the T rac king . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Adjusting the T raction Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Chec king the Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

R e placing the Caster W heel F ork

Bushings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Ser vicing the Caster W heel and

Bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Adjusting the Electric Clutc h . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Cooling System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Cleaning the Air Intak e Screen . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Brak e Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Ser vicing the Brak e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Belt Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

R e placing the Mo w er Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

R e placing the PTO Dri v e Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Adjusting the PTO Dri v e Belt Idler

Spring Anc hor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

R e placing the Pump Dri v e

Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Hy draulic System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Ser vicing the Hy draulic

System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Mo w er Dec k Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Ser vicing the Cutting Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Cor recting the Mo w er Quality of

Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

F rame Set Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Chec king the Mo w er Dec k

F ront-to-R ear Pitc h . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Changing the Mo w er Dec k

F ront-to-R ear Pitc h . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Chec king the Mo w er Dec k

Side-to-Side Height . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Changing the Mo w er Dec k

Side-to-Side Height . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Matc hing Height of Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

R e placing the Grass Deﬂector . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Cleaning Under the Mo w er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

W aste Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Storag e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Cleaning and Storag e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

T roubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Sc hematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Safety

Note: T he addition of attac hments made b y

other man ufacturers that do not meet American National Standards Institute cer tiﬁcation will cause noncompliance of this mac hine .

Improper use or maintenance b y the operator or o wner can result in injur y . T o reduce the potential for injur y , comply with these safety instr uctions and alw a ys pa y attention to the safety aler t symbol

, whic h means CA UTION , W ARNING , or D ANGER-“personal safety instr uction." F ailure to comply with the instr uction ma y result in personal injur y or death.

Safe Operating Practices

T he follo wing instr uctions are from ANSI standard B71.4-2004.

• Use extra care when handling g asoline and other fuels . T hey are ﬂammable and v apors are explosi v e .

– Use only an appro v ed container

– Nev er remo v e g as cap or add fuel with

engine r unning . Allo w engine to cool before refueling . Do not smok e .

– Nev er refuel or drain the mac hine indoors .

• Chec k that operator’ s presence controls , safety switc hes and shields are attac hed and functioning properly . Do not operate unless they are functioning properly .

Operation

• Nev er r un an engine in an enclosed area.

• Only operate in g ood light, k ee ping a w a y from

holes and hidden hazards .

Training

• R ead the Operator’ s Man ual and other training material. If the operator(s) or mec hanic(s) can not read English it is the o wner’ s responsibility to explain this material to them.

• Become familiar with the safe operation of the equipment, operator controls , and safety signs .

• All operators and mec hanics should be trained. T he o wner is responsible for training the users .

• Nev er let c hildren or untrained people operate or ser vice the equipment. Local regulations ma y restrict the ag e of the operator .

• T he o wner/user can prev ent and is responsible for accidents or injuries occur ring to himself or herself , other people or proper ty .

Preparation

• Ev aluate the ter rain to deter mine what accessories and attac hments are needed to properly and safely perfor m the job . Only use accessories and attac hments appro v ed b y the man ufacturer .

• W ear appropriate clothing including hard hat, safety glasses and hearing protection. Long hair , loose clothing or jew elr y ma y g et tangled in mo ving par ts .

• Inspect the area where the equipment is to be used and remo v e all objects suc h as roc ks , to ys and wire whic h can be thro wn b y the mac hine .

• Be sure all dri v es are in neutral and parking brak e is eng ag ed before star ting engine . Only star t engine from the operator’ s position.

• Be sure of y our footing while using this mac hine , especially when bac king up . W alk, don ’ t r un. Nev er operate on w et g rass . R educed footing could cause slipping .

• Slo w do wn and use extra care on hillsides . Be sure to tra v el side to side on hillsides . T urf conditions can affect the mac hine’ s stability . Use caution while operating near drop-offs .

• Slo w do wn and use caution when making tur ns and when c hanging directions on slopes .

• Nev er raise dec k with the blades r unning .

• Nev er operate with the PTO shield, or other

guards not securely in place . Be sure all interloc ks are attac hed, adjusted properly , and functioning properly .

• Nev er operate with the disc harg e deﬂector raised, remo v ed or altered, unless using a g rass catc her .

• Do not c hang e the engine g o v er nor setting or o v erspeed the engine .

• Stop on lev el g round, diseng ag e dri v es , eng ag e parking brak e (if pro vided), shut off engine before lea ving the operator’ s position for any reason including emptying the catc hers or unclog ging the c hute .

• Stop equipment and inspect blades after striking objects or if an abnor mal vibration occurs . Mak e necessar y re pairs before resuming operations .

• K ee p hands and feet a w a y from the cutting unit.

• Look behind and do wn before bac king up to be sure of a clear path.

• K ee p pets and b ystanders a w a y .

• Slo w do wn and use caution when making tur ns

and crossing roads and sidew alks . Stop blades if not mo wing .

• Be a w are of the mo w er disc harg e direction and do not point it at any one .

• Do not operate the mo w er under the inﬂuence of alcohol or dr ugs .

• Use care when loading or unloading the mac hine into or from a trailer or tr uc k.

• Use care when approac hing blind cor ners , shr ubs , trees , or other objects that ma y obscure vision.

ser vicing them. Only re place blades . Nev er straighten or w eld them.

• K ee p hands and feet a w a y from mo ving par ts . If possible , do not mak e adjustments with the engine r unning .

• K ee p all par ts in g ood w orking condition and all hardw are tightened. R e place all w or n or damag ed decals .

Toro Mower Safety

T he follo wing list contains safety infor mation speciﬁc to T oro products and other safety infor mation y ou m ust kno w .

T his product is capable of amputating hands and feet and thro wing objects . Alw a ys follo w all safety instr uctions to a v oid serious injur y or death.

T his product is designed for cutting and recycling g rass or , when equipped with a g rass bag g er , for catc hing cut g rass . Any use for pur poses other than these could pro v e dang erous to user and b ystanders .

Maintenance and storage

• Diseng ag e dri v es , set parking brak e , stop engine and remo v e k ey or disconnect spark plug wire . W ait for all mo v ement to stop before adjusting, cleaning or re pairing .

• Clean g rass and debris from cutting unit, dri v es , m ufﬂers , and engine to help prev ent ﬁres . Clean up oil or fuel spillag e .

• Let engine cool before storing and do not store near ﬂame .

• Shut off fuel while storing or transpor ting . Do not store fuel near ﬂames or drain indoors .

• P ark mac hine on lev el g round. Set parking brak e . Nev er allo w untrained personnel to ser vice mac hine .

• Use jac k stands to suppor t components when required.

• Carefully release pressure from components with stored energ y .

• Disconnect the batter y or remo v e spark plug wire before making any re pairs . Disconnect the neg ati v e ter minal ﬁrst and the positi v e last. R econnect the positi v e ﬁrst and neg ati v e last.

General Operation

• Be sure the area is clear of other people before mo wing . Stop the mac hine if any one enters the area.

• Do not touc h equipment or attac hment par ts whic h ma y be hot from operation. Allo w to cool before attempting to maintain, adjust or ser vice .

• Use only T oro appro v ed attac hments . W ar ranty ma y be v oided if used with unappro v ed attac hments .

• Chec k carefully for o v erhead clearances (i.e . branc hes , doorw a ys , electrical wires) before operating under any objects and do not contact them.

Slope Operation

All slopes and ramps require extra caution. If y ou feel uneasy on a slope , do not mo w it.

• R emo v e obstacles suc h as roc ks , tree limbs , etc . from the mo wing area.

• W atc h for holes , r uts or bumps . T all g rass can hide obstacles .

• Use care when c hec king blades . W rap the blade(s) or w ear glo v es , and use caution when

• Use caution near drop-offs , ditc hes , or embankments . T he mac hine could suddenly

tur n o v er if a wheel g oes o v er the edg e of a cliff or ditc h, or if an edg e ca v es in.

• Use extra care with g rass catc hers or other attac hments . T hese can c hang e the stability of the mac hine .

• K ee p all mo v ement on slopes slo w and g radual. Do not mak e sudden c hang es in speed or direction.

• Mo w slopes side to side .

• Do not mo w slopes g reater than 15 deg rees .

Service

• Nev er store the mac hine or fuel container inside where there is an open ﬂame , suc h as near a w ater heater or fur nace .

• K ee p n uts and bolts tight, especially the blade attac hment bolts . K ee p equipment in g ood condition.

• Nev er tamper with safety devices . Chec k safety systems for proper operation before eac h use .

• Use only g en uine re placement par ts to ensure that original standards are maintained.

• Chec k brak e operation frequently . Adjust and ser vice as required.

Slope Chart

Safety and Instructional Decals

Safety decals and instr uctions are easily visible to the operator and are located near any area of potential dang er . R e place any decal that is damag ed or lost.

68-8340

1-523552

95-2814

43-8480

1. Warning—wear hearing protection.

66-1340

98-0776

98-4387

98-5954

Battery Symbols

Some or all of these symbols are on your battery

1. Explosion hazard 6. Keep bystanders a safe

2. No re, open ame, or smoking.

3. Caustic liquid/chemical burn hazard

4. Wear eye protection

5. Read the Operator’s

Manual.

distance from the battery.

7. Wear eye protection; explosive gases can cause blindness and other injuries

8. Battery acid can cause blindness or severe burns.

9. Flush eyes immediately with water and get medical help fast.

10. Contains lead; do not discard.

105-4109

105-4110

105-7798

104-8185

106-0635

106-0699

104-8186

Manufacturer’s Mark

1. Indicates the blade is identied as a part from the original machine manufacturer.

104-8569

110-2067

110-2068

1. Read the Operator’s Manual .

112-8720

106-5515

1. Keep bystanders a safe distance from the machine.

2. Do not allow bystanders to be hit by thrown objects.

3. Do not operate the mower with the deector up or removed. 9. To park, squeeze the drive levers and rotate the neutral locks

4. Stop the engine and pick up debris before operating. 10. To drive, rotate the neutral locks and slowly release the drive

5. Mower can cut hands or feet. 11. To place the machine in neutral, squeeze the drive levers and

6. Engine—stop

7. Engine—run

8. Hour meter

forward.

levers.

rotate the neutral locks backward.

12. Power take-off (PTO)

110-4953

1. Fast

2. Continuous variable setting 3. Slow 4. Choke

Product Overview

Figure 2

1. Side discharge chute 4. Gas tank

2. Mower deck 5. Controls

3. Engine

6. Front caster

Throttle Control

T he throttle control has tw o positions: F ast and Slo w .

Choke

Use the c hok e to star t a cold engine .

Operator Presence Control (OPC) Levers

W hen y ou squeeze the OPC lev ers ag ainst the handles , the OPC system senses that the operator is in the nor mal operating position. W hen y ou release the OPC lev ers , the OPC system senses that the operator has left the nor mal operating position, and the system will stop the engine if either the speed control lev er is not in the neutral position or the blade control (PTO) switc h is eng ag ed.

Blade Control Switch (PTO)

Controls

Become familiar with all the controls ( Figure 3 ) before y ou star t the engine and operate the mac hine .

Figure 3

1. Throttle control 7. Neutral lock

2. Speed control lever 8. Operator Presence Control

3. Choke 9. Handle

4. Ignition switch

5. Hour meter

6. Blade control switch (PTO)

levers (OPC)

10. Drive Lever

11. Fuel shut-off valve

T he blade control switc h (PTO) is used to eng ag e the electric clutc h to dri v e the mo w er blades with the OPC lev ers pressed ag ainst the handles . Pull the switc h up to eng ag e the blades . T o diseng ag e the blades , brieﬂy release the OPC lev ers .

Ignition Switch

T his switc h is used to star t the mo w er engine and has three positions: Star t, R un and Of f .

Speed Control Lever

T his mac hine has a v ariable speed control with a neutral position. T his controls ho w fast or slo w the mac hine will tra v el forw ard.

Drive Levers

R elease dri v e lev ers to eng ag e forw ard traction operation and squeeze the lev ers until an increase in force is felt to g o into neutral position and contin ue to squeeze to g o in rev erse . Squeeze right side of dri v e lev er to tur n right and left side to tur n left.

Neutral Lock

Squeeze dri v e lev ers bac k until an increase in force is felt and mo v e loc ks to the rear for neutral loc k.

Fuel Shut-off Valve

48 inc h mo w ers:

Close the fuel shut-off v alv e (under fuel tank ) when transpor ting or storing mo w er .

Hour Meter

Sho ws the total hours the mac hine has been operated. T his operates only when the mo w er blades are operating .

T he hour meter will ﬂash 3 hours before and after a ser vice inter v al. T he ser vice inter v als are set for the ﬁrst 8 hours , ev er y 100 hours there after , and ev er y 400 hours .

Note: Mak e sure maintenance is done at all recommended inter v als sho wn in the R ecommended Maintenance Sc hedule .

Attachments/Accessories

A selection of T oro appro v ed attac hments and accessories are a v ailable for use with the mac hine to enhance and expand its capabilities . Contact y our A uthorized Ser vice Dealer or Distributor or g o to www .T oro .com for a list of all appro v ed attac hments and accessories .

Width with deector down Length Height with handle in

lowest position Weight

52 inc h mo w ers:

Width with deector down Length Height with handle in

lowest position Weight

63–1/2 inches (161 cm) 83–3/4 inches (213 cm) 41–1/2 inches (106 cm)

692 lb (314 kg)

67–5/8 inches (171.7 cm)

83–3/4 inches (213 cm) 41–1/2 inches (106 cm)

731 lb (332 kg)

Specications

Note: Speciﬁcations and design are subject to

c hang e without notice .

36 inc h mo w ers:

Width with deector down Length Height with handle in

lowest position Weight

40 inc h mo w ers:

Width with deector down Length Height with handle in

lowest position Weight

51–1/8 inches (130 cm) 84–1/2 inches (215 cm) 41–1/2 inches (106 cm)

677 lb (307 kg)

55–1/2 inches (141 cm) 81–1/3 inches (207 cm) 41–1/2 inches (106 cm)

677 lb (307 kg)

Operation

Adding Fuel

Use Unleaded R egular Gasoline suitable for automoti v e use (85 pump octane minim um). Leaded regular g asoline ma y be used if unleaded regular is not a v ailable .

Important: Nev er use methanol, gasoline containing methanol, or gasohol containing mor e than 10% ethanol because the fuel system could be dama ged. Do not mix oil with gasoline.

In cer tain conditions, gasoline is extr emel y ﬂamma ble and highl y explosi v e. A ﬁr e or explosion fr om gasoline can bur n y ou and other s and can dama ge pr oper ty .

• Fill the fuel tank outdoor s, in an open ar ea, when the engine is cold. W ipe up an y gasoline that spills.

• Nev er ﬁll the fuel tank inside an enclosed trailer .

• Do not ﬁll the fuel tank completel y full. Add gasoline to the fuel tank until the lev el is 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 13 mm) belo w the bottom of the ﬁller neck. T his empty space in the tank allo ws gasoline to expand.

• Nev er smok e when handling gasoline, and stay a w ay fr om an open ﬂame or wher e gasoline fumes may be ignited by a spar k.

• Stor e gasoline in an appr o v ed container and k eep it out of the r each of childr en. Nev er buy mor e than a 30-day suppl y of gasoline.

In cer tain conditions during fueling , static electricity can be r eleased causing a spar k which can ignite the gasoline v apor s. A ﬁr e or explosion fr om gasoline can bur n y ou and other s and can dama ge pr oper ty .

• Al w ays place gasoline container s on the g r ound a w ay fr om y our v ehicle bef or e ﬁlling .

• Do not ﬁll gasoline container s inside a v ehicle or on a tr uck or trailer bed because interior car pets or plastic tr uck bed liner s may insulate the container and slo w the loss of an y static charge.

• W hen practical, r emo v e gas-po w er ed equipment fr om the tr uck or trailer and r efuel the equipment with its wheels on the g r ound.

• If this is not possible, then r efuel such equipment on a tr uck or trailer fr om a por ta ble container , rather than fr om a gasoline dispenser nozzle.

• If a gasoline dispenser nozzle must be used, k eep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel tank or container opening at all times until fueling is complete.

Gasoline is har mful or f atal if s w allo w ed. Long-ter m exposur e to v apor s can cause serious injur y and illness.

• A v oid pr olonged br eathing of v apor s.

• K eep f ace a w ay fr om nozzle and gas tank or conditioner opening .

• K eep gas a w ay fr om ey es and skin.

• Do not operate without entir e exhaust system in place and in pr oper w or king condition.

Using Stabilizer/Conditioner

Use a fuel stabilizer/conditioner in the mac hine to pro vide the follo wing beneﬁts:

• K ee ps g asoline fresh during storag e of 90 da ys or less . F or long er storag e it is recommended that the fuel tank be drained.

• Cleans the engine while it r uns

• Eliminates gum-lik e v ar nish buildup in the fuel

system, whic h causes hard star ting

Important: Do not use fuel additi v es containing methanol or ethanol.

Add the cor rect amount of g as stabilizer/conditioner to the g as .

Note: A fuel stabilizer/conditioner is most effecti v e when mix ed with fresh g asoline . T o minimize the c hance of v ar nish de posits in the fuel system, use fuel stabilizer at all times .

Filling the Fuel Tank

1. Shut the engine off and set the parking brak e .

2. Clean around fuel tank cap and remo v e the cap . Add unleaded regular g asoline to fuel tank, until the lev el is 1/4 to 1/2 inc h (6 to 13 mm) belo w the bottom of the ﬁller nec k. T his space in the tank allo ws g asoline to expand. Do not ﬁll the fuel tank completely full.

3. Install fuel tank cap securely . Wipe up any g asoline that ma y ha v e spilled.

Checking the Engine Oil Level

Figure 4

1. Warning—wear hearing protection.

Operating the Parking Brake

Alw a ys set the parking brak e when y ou stop the mac hine or lea v e it unattended. Before eac h use , c hec k the parking brak e for proper operation.

If the parking brak e does not hold securely , adjust it. R efer to Ser vicing the P arking Brak e .

Childr en or bystander s may be injur ed if they mo v e or attempt to operate the machine while it is unattended.

Al w ays r emo v e the ignition k ey and set the par king brak e when lea ving the machine unattended, ev en if just f or a few min utes.

Before y ou star t the engine and use the mac hine , c hec k the oil lev el in the engine crankcase; refer to Chec king Oil Lev el in Engine Maintenance .

Note: Deter mine the left and right sides of the mac hine from the nor mal operating position.

Think Safety First

Carefully read all the safety instr uctions and decals in the safety section. Kno wing this infor mation could help y ou or any b ystanders a v oid injur y .

T he use of protecti v e equipment for eyes , hearing, feet and head is recommended.

T his machine pr oduces sound lev els in ex cess of 85 dB A at the operator’ s ear and can cause hearing loss thr ough extended periods of exposur e.

W ear hearing pr otection when operating this machine.

Setting the Parking Brake

Pull the parking brak e lev er rearw ard ( Figure 5 ).

Figure 6

1. Ignition switch 3. Choke

2. Throttle lever

Figure 5

1. Parking brake lever (in the released position)

2. Parking brake lever (in the engaged position)

Releasing the Parking Brake

Push the parking brak e lev er forw ard.

Starting and Stopping the Engine

Starting the Engine

1. Connect the wires to the spark plugs .

2. Open the fuel v alv e .

3. Mo v e the speed control lev er to neutral.

4. Set the neutral loc ks .

5. Set the parking brak e .

6. Mo v e the throttle control to fast and mo v e the c hok e lev er to the on position before star ting a cold engine ( Figure 6 ).

Note: A w ar m or hot engine ma y not require c hoking . T o star t a w ar m engine , mo v e throttle control to the fast position.

7. T ur n the ignition k ey to the star t position to energize the star ter . W hen the engine star ts , release the k ey .

Note: Do not eng ag e the star ter for more than 5 seconds at a time . If the engine fails to star t, allo w for a 15 second cool-do wn period betw een attempts . F ailure to follo w these instr uctions can bur n out the star ter motor .

8. W hen engine star ts , mo v e the throttle control betw een the fast and slo w position and mo v e the c hok e lev er to the off position. Allo w the engine to w ar m up and then mo v e the throttle control to the fast position.

Stopping the Engine

1. Mo v e dri v e lev ers to neutral and set neutral loc ks .

2. Mo v e the throttle lev er to slo w ( Figure 6 ).

3. Mo v e the speed control lev er to neutral and release the OPC lev ers to diseng ag e the mo w er .

4. If the engine has been w orking hard or is hot, let the engine idle for 30 to 60 seconds before tur ning the engine off .

5. T o stop the engine , tur n the ignition k ey to off .

Important: Mak e sur e fuel shut of f v alv e is closed bef or e transpor ting or storing machine, as fuel leaka ge may occur . Bef or e storing machine, pull wir e of f spar k plug(s) to pr ev ent possibility of accidental star ting .

Operating the Neutral Locks

Alw a ys set the neutral loc k when y ou stop the mac hine . Set the parking brak e if it is left unattended.

Setting the Neutral Lock

Operating the Mower Blade

1. Squeeze the dri v e lev ers bac k until an increase in force is felt.

2. Place thumbs on the upper par t of the loc ks and mo v e them bac k ( Figure 7 ).

Figure 7

1. Handle 4. Drive lever

2. Neutral lock 5. Full speed forward position

3. Neutral position

6. Reverse position

Releasing the Neutral Lock

Control (PTO)

T he blade control knob (PTO) is used in conjunction with the Operator Presence Control (OPC) lev ers to eng ag e and diseng ag e the mo w er blades .

Engaging the Mower Blades (PTO)

1. T o eng ag e blades , squeeze the Operator Presence Control (OPC) lev ers ag ainst handle g rips ( Figure 9 ).

2. Pull the blade switc h (PTO) up and release it while holding the OPC lev ers ag ainst handle g rip .

1. Squeeze the dri v e lev ers bac k until an increase in force is felt.

2. Place thumbs on the upper par t of loc ks and mo v e them forw ard until the pins are in the forw ard slot ( Figure 8 ).

Figure 8

1. Handle 4. Pin in full speed forward position

2. Neutral lock 5. Handle

3. Drive lever 6. Forward slot

Figure 9

1. Handle

2. Operator Presence Control levers (OPC)

3. Blade control switch (PTO)

4. Drive Lever

Disengaging the Mower Blades (PTO)

R elease the Operator Presence Control (OPC) lev ers to stop the blades ( Figure 9 ).

Note: T he engine will kill if the OPC lev ers are released with the mo w er r unning and the speed control lev er is not in neutral position.

The Safety Interlock System

1. Set the neutral loc ks and place speed control lev er in neutral. Star t the engine; refer to Star ting and Stopping the Engine .

If safety inter lock s witches ar e disconnected or dama ged the machine could operate unexpectedl y causing per sonal injur y .

• Do not tamper with the inter lock s witches.

• Check the operation of the inter lock s witches dail y and r eplace an y dama ged s witches bef or e operating the machine.

Understanding the Safety Interlock System

T he safety interloc k system is designed to prev ent the mo w er from star ting unless:

• T he blade control switc h (PTO) is off .

• T he speed control lev er is in neutral.

T he safety interloc k system is designed to kill the engine when:

• T he Operator Presence Control (OPC) lev ers are released with the mo w er eng ag ed and/or the speed control is out of neutral.

2. Without holding the Operator Presence Control (OPC) lev ers , pull the blade control knob (PTO) up . T he engine should kill.

3. With engine r unning, hold do wn the OPC lev ers . Pull the blade control switc h (PTO) up . T he dri v e belt should eng ag e and the mo w er blades begin rotating .

4. R elease the OPC lev ers . T he engine should kill.

5. With the engine r unning, mo v e the speed control lev er forw ard. R elease the OPC lev ers . T he engine should kill.

6. With the engine r unning, set the parking brak e and hold do wn the OPC lev ers . Mo v e the speed control lev er forw ard. T he engine should kill.

7. If all the abo v e conditions are not met ha v e an A uthorized Ser vice Dealer re pair the safety system immediately .

Driving the Machine Forward and Backward

• T he speed control lev er is shifted out of neutral without holding OPC lev ers or with the brak e eng ag ed.

• T he blade control switc h (PTO) is pulled up without holding the OPC lev ers .

Testing the Safety Interlock System

T est the safety interloc k system before y ou use the mac hine eac h time . If the safety system does not operate as described, ha v e an A uthorized Ser vice Dealer re pair the safety system immediately .

W hile testing the safety inter lock system, the machine may mo v e f orw ard and cause per sonal injur y or pr oper ty dama ge.

• P erf or m the safety inter lock test in an open ar ea.

• Ensur e no one is standing in fr ont of the machine while perf or ming the safety inter lock test.

T he throttle control regulates the engine speed as measured in RPM (rev olutions per min ute). Place the throttle control in the fast position for best perfor mance .

T he forw ard speed of the mac hine can be increased or decreased b y mo ving the speed control lev er while the mac hine is in motion.

Driving Forward

1. R elease the parking brak e .

2. T o g o forw ard, mo v e the speed control lev er to desired speed.

3. R elease the neutral loc k. R efer to R eleasing the Neutral Loc k.

4. Slo wly release the dri v e lev ers to mo v e forw ard ( Figure 10 ).

T o g o straight, release dri v e lev ers equally ( Figure 10 ).

T o tur n, squeeze the dri v e lev er on the side and direction y ou w ant to tur n ( Figure 10 ).

Figure 10

1. Drive lever 2. Speed control lever

Childr en or bystander s may be injur ed if they mo v e or attempt to operate the machine while it is unattended.

Al w ays r emo v e the ignition k ey and set the par king brak e when lea ving the machine unattended, ev en if just f or a few min utes.

Pushing the Machine by Hand

T he b y-pass v alv es allo w the mac hine to be pushed b y hand without the engine r unning .

Driving Backward

F rom neutral position, slo wly squeeze the dri v e lev ers to mo v e rearw ard ( Figure 10 ).

Bringing the Machine to the Neutral Position

Alw a ys set the neutral loc k and parking brak e when y ou stop the mac hine .

1. Squeeze the dri v e lev ers to neutral position.

2. Set the neutral loc ks . R efer to Operating Neutral Loc ks .

3. Mo v e speed control lev er to neutral position. Note: T he speed control lev er can also be

used to bring the mo w er to neutral position and then set the neutral loc ks .

Stopping the Machine

Important: Al w ays push the machine

by hand. Nev er to w the machine because h y draulic dama ge may occur .

To Push the Machine

1. Diseng ag e the PTO , mo v e the motion control lev ers to the neutral loc k ed position and set the parking brak e .

2. Open the b y-pass v alv e on both pumps b y tur ning them counter cloc kwise 1 to 2 tur ns . T his allo ws h y draulic ﬂuid to b y-pass the pumps and the wheels to tur n ( Figure 11 ).

Note: R otate the b y-pass v alv es a maxim um of 2 tur ns so the v alv e does not come out of the body causing ﬂuid to r un out.

1. T o stop the mac hine , squeeze the dri v e lev ers to neutral position and eng ag e neutral loc ks .

2. Mo v e speed control lev er into neutral.

3. Stop the engine b y tur ning the ignition k ey to off .

4. W ait for all mo ving par ts to stop before lea ving the operating position. Set the parking brak e .

Figure 11

1. Pump by-pass valve

3. R elease the parking brak e .

4. Push the mac hine to the desired location.

5. Set the parking brak e .

6. Close the b y-pass v alv es , but do not o v er tighten them.

Important: Do not star t or operate the machine with the by-pass v alv es open. Dama ge to system may occur .

Transporting Machines

Use a hea vy-duty trailer or tr uc k to transpor t the mac hine . Ensure that the trailer or tr uc k has all necessar y brak es , lighting, and marking as required b y la w . Please carefully read all the safety instr uctions . Kno wing this infor mation could help y ou, y our family , pets or b ystanders a v oid injur y .

T o transpor t the mac hine:

1. If using a trailer , connect it to the to wing v ehicle and connect the safety c hains .

2. If applicable , connect the trailer brak es .

3. Load the mac hine onto the trailer or tr uc k.

4. Stop the engine , remo v e the k ey , set the brak e , and close the fuel v alv e .

5. Use the metal tie do wn loops on the mac hine to securely fasten the mac hine to the trailer or tr uc k with straps , c hains , cable , or ropes ( Figure 12 ).

W ithout the g rass deﬂector , discharge co v er , or complete g rass catcher assembl y mounted in place, y ou and other s ar e exposed to blade contact and thr o wn de bris. Contact with r otating mo w er blade(s) and thr o wn de bris will cause injur y or death.

• Nev er r emo v e the g rass deﬂector fr om the mo w er because the g rass deﬂector r outes material do wn to w ard the turf. If the g rass deﬂector is ev er dama ged, r eplace it immediatel y .

• Nev er put y our hands or feet under the mo w er .

• Nev er tr y to clear discharge ar ea or mo w er blades unless y ou r elease the bail and the po w er tak e of f (PT O) is of f. R otate the ignition k ey to Of f. Also r emo v e the k ey and pull the wir e(s) of f the spar k plug(s).

Adjusting the Height-of-Cut

T he height-of-cut can be adjusted from 1 to 4-1/2 inc h (25 to 114 mm) in 1/4 inc h (6 mm) increments . Adjustment is done b y relocating four hair pin cotter pins in different hole location and b y adding or remo ving spacers .

Figure 12

1. Traction unit tie down loop

Side Discharging or Mulching the Grass

T his mo w er has a hing ed g rass deﬂector that disperses clippings to the side and do wn to w ard the turf .

Note: All height-of-cut pins need at least one spacer or damag e can occur to bushing if none are used.

Note: All height-of-cut pins can use tw o spacers maxim um.

1. Select hole in height-of-cut post and n umber of spacers cor responding to the height-of-cut desired ( Figure 13 ).

2. Using the lift handle , raise side of dec k and remo v e hair pin cotter ( Figure 13 ).

3. Add or remo v e spacers if needed and then align holes and inser t hair pin cotter ( Figure 13 ).

Note: Spare height-of-cut spacers ma y be stored on posts and retained b y a hair pin cotter .

Important: All f our hair pin cotter pins must be in the same hole location and with the cor r ect n umber of spacer s f or a lev el cut.

Figure 13

1. Carrier Frame

2. Hairpin Cotter

3. Back height-of-cut post

4. Spacers

5. Front height-of-cut post

Adjusting the Anti-Scalp Rollers

T he anti-scalp rollers need to be adjusted in the proper hole location for eac h height-of-cut position. T here needs to be 3/8 inc h (10 mm) minim um clearance abo v e the g round.

Note: If the anit-scalp rollers are adjusted too lo w it can cause ex cess w ear of the rollers .

1. After adjusting height-of-cut, c hec k the anti-scalp rollers so that there is a minim um of 3/8 inc h (10 mm) clearance abo v e the g round ( Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 ).

2. If adjustment is needed, remo v e the bolt, w ashers and n ut ( Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 ).

Figure 14

40 inch, 48 inch, and 52 inch Mower Decks

1. Mower deck 4. Anti-Scalp Rollers

2. Bolt

3. Spacer

Figure 15

40 inch, 48 inch, and 52 inch Mower Decks

1. Mower deck 4. Bushing

2. Bolt 5. Anti-Scalp Rollers

3. Spacer 6. Nut

5. Nut

3. Select a hole position so the anti-scalp rollers are a minim um of 3/8 inc h (10 mm) off the g round ( Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 ).

4. Install the bolt and n ut ( Figure 14 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 ).

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