Toro 74710 TimeCutter SS 3225 Operator's Manual

FormNo.3394-169RevC

TimeCutter

®

SS3225Riding

Mower

ModelNo.74710—SerialNo.315000001andUp

Registeratwww.T oro.com.
OriginalInstructions(EN)

*3394-169*C

Important:Thisengineisnotequippedwithaspark

G014523

1

arrestermufer.ItisaviolationofCaliforniaPublic
ResourceCodeSection4442touseoroperatetheengine
onanyforest-covered,brush-covered,orgrass-covered
land.Otherstatesorfederalareasmayhavesimilarlaws.

ThissparkignitionsystemcomplieswithCanadianICES-002

Introduction

Thismachineisaride-on,rotary-bladelawnmowerintended
tobeusedbyhomeownersinresidentialapplications.Itis
primarilydesignedforcuttinggrassonwell-maintainedlawns.
Itisnotdesignedforcuttingbrush,mowinggrassandother
growthalongsidehighways,orforagriculturaluses.

WARNING

CALIFORNIA

Proposition65Warning

Thisproductcontainsachemicalorchemicals

knowntotheStateofCaliforniatocausecancer,

birthdefects,orotherreproductiveharm.

Theengineexhaustfromthisproduct

containschemicalsknowntotheStateof

Californiatocausecancer,birthdefects,

orotherreproductiveharm.

GrossHorsepower

Thegrossornethorsepowerofthisenginewaslaboratory
ratedbytheenginemanufacturerinaccordancewiththe
SocietyofAutomotiveEngineers(SAE)J1940.Ascongured
tomeetsafety,emission,andoperatingrequirements,
theactualenginetorqueonthisclassofmowerwillbe
signicantlylower.

Gotowww .Toro.comtoviewspecicationsonyourmower
model.

Readthisinformationcarefullytolearnhowtooperateand
maintainyourproductproperlyandtoavoidinjuryand
productdamage.Youareresponsibleforoperatingthe
productproperlyandsafely.

YoumaycontactTorodirectlyatwww .Toro.comforproduct
safetyandoperationmaterials,accessoryinformation,help
ndingadealer,ortoregisteryourproduct.

Wheneveryouneedservice,genuineT oroparts,oradditional
information,contactanAuthorizedServiceDealerorToro
CustomerServiceandhavethemodelandserialnumbersof
yourproductready.Figure1identiesthelocationofthe
modelandserialnumbersontheproduct.Writethenumbers
inthespaceprovided.

Figure1

Undertheseat

1.Modelandserialnumberplate

Writetheproductmodelandserialnumbersinthespace
below:

ModelNo.

SerialNo.

Thismanualidentiespotentialhazardsandhassafety
messagesidentiedbythesafetyalertsymbol(Figure2),
whichsignalsahazardthatmaycauseseriousinjuryordeath
ifyoudonotfollowtherecommendedprecautions.

©2015—TheToro®Company
8111LyndaleAvenueSouth
Bloomington,MN55420

Contactusatwww.Toro.com.

2

PrintedintheUSA.

AllRightsReserved

Figure2

1.Safetyalertsymbol.

Thismanualuses2wordstohighlightinformation.
Importantcallsattentiontospecialmechanicalinformation
andNoteemphasizesgeneralinformationworthyofspecial
attention.

Contents

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

SafeOperatingPractices...........................................4

ToroRidingMowerSafety........................................6

SlopeIndicator.......................................................7

SafetyandInstructionalDecals.................................8

ProductOverview.........................................................12

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

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

AddingFuel...........................................................14

CheckingtheEngine-OilLevel.................................15

BreakinginaNewMachine......................................15

ThinkSafetyFirst...................................................15

StartingtheEngine.................................................16

OperatingtheBlades...............................................17

StoppingtheEngine...............................................17

DrivingtheMachine...............................................17

StoppingtheMachine.............................................19

AdjustingtheHeight-of-Cut....................................20

PositioningtheSeat................................................20

AdjustingtheMotion-ControlLevers........................20

PushingtheMachinebyHand..................................21

TransportingtheMachine........................................21

LoadingtheMachine..............................................22

OperatingTips......................................................24

Maintenance.................................................................25

RecommendedMaintenanceSchedule(s)......................25

PremaintenanceProcedures........................................25

RaisingtheSeat......................................................25

Lubrication...............................................................25

GreasingtheBearings.............................................25

EngineMaintenance..................................................26

ServicingtheAirCleaner.........................................26

ServicingtheEngineOil..........................................27

ChangingtheEngineOilandFilter...........................28

ServicingtheSparkPlug..........................................29

FuelSystemMaintenance...........................................30

ReplacingtheIn-LineFuelFilter...............................30

ElectricalSystemMaintenance....................................31

ChargingtheBattery...............................................31

ServicingtheFuses.................................................33

DriveSystemMaintenance.........................................33

CheckingtheTirePressure......................................33

ReleasingtheElectricBrake.....................................34

CoolingSystemMaintenance......................................34

CleaningtheEngineScreen......................................34

CleaningtheEngine-CoolingFinsand

Shrouds.............................................................34

MowerMaintenance...................................................35

ServicingtheCuttingBlades.....................................35

LevelingtheMowerDeck........................................37

RemovingtheMower..............................................39

InstallingtheMower...............................................40

ReplacingtheGrassDeector..................................40

MowerBeltMaintenance............................................41

ServicingtheMowerBelt.........................................41

Cleaning...................................................................42

WashingtheUndersideoftheMower........................42

Storage........................................................................43

CleaningandStorage..............................................43

Troubleshooting...........................................................44

Schematics...................................................................46

3

Safety

Improperuseormaintenancebytheoperatororowner
canresultininjury.Toreducethepotentialforinjury,

complywiththesesafetyinstructions,andpayattentionto
thesafetyalertsymbol,whichmeansCaution,Warning,or

Danger—“personalsafetyinstruction.”Failuretocomply
withtheinstructionsmayresultinpersonalinjuryor
death.

SafeOperatingPractices

•Neverleavearunningmachineunattended.Alwaysturn

offblades,setparkingbrake,stopengine,andremovekey
beforedismounting.

•Turnoffbladeswhennotmowing.Stoptheengine,wait

forallpartstocometoacompletestopandremovethe
keybeforecleaningthemachine,removingthegrass
catcheroruncloggingthedischargechute.

•Operatethemachineonlyindaylightorgoodarticial

light.

•Donotoperatethemachinewhileundertheinuence

ofalcoholordrugs.

Thisproductiscapableofamputatinghandsandfeetand
throwingobjects.Alwaysfollowallsafetyinstructionsto
avoidseriousinjuryordeath.

ThefollowinginstructionsareadaptedfromANSIstandard
B71.1-2012.AllthelanguagewithinthisANSIstandard
appliestothismachine;however,duetotheapplicationof
thestandardacrossmanydifferenttypesofproductssome
statementscanseemgeneralormisleading.Intheseinstances,
Torohasrenedthestatementtoconveythemeaningofthe
standardwhilebettermatchingtheproductthisOperator's
Manualpertains.Safetyinformationinadditiontothe
instructionsfoundintheANSIstandardbelowcanbefound
inToroRidingMowerSafetyattheendofthissection.

GeneralOperation

•Read,understand,andfollowallinstructionsinthe

operator'smanualandonthemachinebeforestarting.

•Donotplacehandsorfeetnearrotatingpartsorunder

themachine.Keepclearofthedischargeopeningatall
times.

•Allowonlyresponsibleadultswhoarefamiliarwiththe

instructionstooperatethemachine.

•Cleartheareaofobjectssuchasrocks,toys,wire,etc.,

whichcouldbepickedupandthrownbytheblade.

•Besuretheareaisclearofotherpeoplebeforemowing.

Stopthemachineifanyoneentersthearea.

•Watchfortrafcwhenoperatingnearorcrossing

roadways.

•Useextracarewhenloadingorunloadingthemachine

intoatrailerortruck.

•Alwaysweareyeprotectionwhenoperatingthemower.

•Dataindicatesthatoperators,age60yearsandabove,are

involvedinalargepercentageofridingmower-related
injuries.Operatorsshouldevaluatetheirabilitytooperate
theridingmowersafelyenoughtoprotectthemselvesand
othersfromseriousinjury.

•Alwaysfollowtherecommendationsforanyapplication

ofcounterweights.

•Lightningcancausesevereinjuryordeath.Iflightning

isseenorthunderisheardinthearea,donotoperate
themachine;seekshelter.

SlopeOperation

Slopesareamajorfactorrelatedtolossofcontroland
tip-overaccidents,whichcanresultinsevereinjuryordeath.
Operationonallslopesrequiresextracaution.Ifyoucannot
backuptheslopeorifyoufeeluneasyonit,donotmowit.

•Donotmowslopesgreaterthan15degrees.

•Watchforditches,holes,rocks,dips,andrisesthatchange

theoperatingangle,asroughterraincouldoverturnthe
machine.

•Nevercarrypassengers.

•Donotmowinreverseunlessabsolutelynecessary.

Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebacking
up.

•Beawareofthemowerdischargedirectionanddonot

pointitatanyone.Avoiddischargingmaterialagainsta
wallorobstruction.Materialmayricochetbacktoward
theoperator.Stoptheblade(s)whencrossinggravel
surfaces.

•Donotoperatethemachinewithoutdeector,discharge

coverorentiregrasscollectionsysteminplaceand
working.

•Bealert,slowdownandusecautionwhenmakingturns.

Lookbehindandtothesidebeforechangingdirections.

•Choosealowgroundspeedsoyouwillnothavetostop

whileoperatingonaslope.

•Donotmowslopeswhengrassiswet.Slippery

conditionsreducetractionandcouldcauseslidingand
lossofcontrol.

•Alwayskeepthedrivewheelsengagedwhengoingdown

slopes.

•Reducespeedanduseextremecautiononslopes.

•Donotmakesuddenturnsorrapidspeedchanges.

•Removeormarkobstaclessuchasrocks,treelimbs,etc.

fromthemowingarea.Tallgrasscanhideobstacles.

•Avoidsuddenstartswhenmowinguphillbecausethe

mowermaytipbackwards.

4

•Beawarethatlossoftractionmayoccurgoingdownhill.

Weighttransfertothefrontwheelsmaycausedrive
wheelstoslipandcauselossofbrakingandsteering.

•Alwaysavoidsuddenstartingorstoppingonaslope.If

tireslosetraction,stopthemachine,disengagetheblades
andproceedslowlyofftheslope.

•Useextremecarewithgrasscatchersorotherattachments.

Thesecanchangethestabilityofthemachineandcause
lossofcontrol.

•Donottrytostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfoot

ontheground.

•Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditches,steepbanksor

water.Wheelsdroppingoveredgescancauserollovers,
whichmayresultinseriousinjury,deathordrowning.

•Useawalkbehindmowerand/orahandtrimmernear

drop-offs,ditches,steepbanksorwater.

TowingSafety

•Donotattachtowedequipmentexceptatthehitchpoint.

•Followtheattachmentmanufacturer'srecommendation

forweightlimitsfortowedequipmentandtowingon
slopes.Towedweightmustnotexceedtheweightofthe
machine,operator,andballast.Usecounterweightsor
wheelweightsasdescribedintheattachment,orinthe
pullingmachineOperator’sManual.

•Neverallowchildrenorothersinorontowedequipment.

•Onslopes,theweightofthetowedequipmentmaycause

lossoftraction,increasedriskofrollover,andlossof
control.Reducethetowedweightandslowdown.

•Stoppingdistanceincreaseswiththeweightofthetowed

load.Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop.

•Makewideturnstokeeptheattachmentclearofthe

machine.

Children

Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheoperatorisnotalerttothe
presenceofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedtothe
machineandthemowingactivity.Neverassumethatchildren
willremainwhereyoulastsawthem.

•Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaandunderthe

watchfulcareofanotherresponsibleadult,notthe
operator.

•Bealertandturnthemachineoffifchildrenenterthe

area.

•Beforeandwhilebackingorchangingdirection,look

behind,down,andside-to-sideforsmallchildren.

•Nevercarrychildren,evenwiththebladesoff.Theymay

falloffandbeseriouslyinjuredorinterferewithsafe
machineoperation.

•Childrenwhohavebeengivenridesinthepastmay

suddenlyappearinthemowingareaforanotherrideand
berunoverorbackedoverbythemower.

•Neverallowchildrentooperatethemachine.

•Useextracarewhenapproachingblindcorners,shrubs,

trees,theendofafenceorotherobjectsthatmayobscure
vision.

Service

SafeHandlingofGasoline:

Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamage,useextracare
whenhandlinggasolineandotherfuels.Theyareammable
andthevaporsareexplosive.

•Extinguishallcigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersources

ofignition.

•Useonlyanapprovedcontainer.

•Neverremovethegascaporaddfuelwhentheengineis

running.Allowtheenginetocoolbeforerefueling.

•Neverrefuelthemachineindoors.

•Neverstorethemachineorfuelcontainerinsidewhere

thereisanopename,suchasnearawaterheateror
furnace.

•Neverllcontainersinsideavehicleoronatruckor

trailerwithaplasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainersonthe
groundawayfromyourvehiclebeforelling.

•Removegas-poweredequipmentfromthetruckortrailer

andrefuelitontheground.Ifthisisnotpossible,then
refuelsuchequipmentwithaportablecontainer,rather
thanfromagasolinedispensernozzle.

•Keepthenozzleincontactwiththerimofthefueltank

orcontaineropeningatalltimesuntilthefuelingis
complete.Donotuseanozzlelock-opendevice.

•Iffuelisspilledonclothing,changeclothingimmediately.

•Neveroverllthefueltank.Replacegascapandtighten

securely.

GeneralService:

•Neveroperateamachineinsideaclosedarea.Engine

exhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,whichisanodorless,
deadlypoisonthatcankillyou.

•Keepnutsandboltstight,especiallythebladeattachment

bolts.Keepequipmentingoodcondition.

5

•Neverinterferewiththeintendedfunctionofasafety

deviceortoreducetheprotectionprovidedbyasafety
device.Checktheirproperoperationregularly.

•Keepthemachinefreeofgrass,leaves,orotherdebris

build-up.Cleanupoilorfuelspillagefuelsoakeddebris.
Allowthemachinetocoolbeforestoring.

•Stopandinspecttheequipmentifyoustrikeanobject.

Repair,ifnecessary,beforerestarting.

•Nevermakeanyadjustmentsorrepairswiththeengine

running.

•Grasscatchercomponentsaresubjecttowear,damage

anddeterioration,whichcouldexposemovingpartsor
allowobjectstobethrown.Frequentlycheckcomponents
andreplacewithmanufacturers'recommendedparts,
whennecessary.

•Mowerbladesaresharpandcancut.Wraptheblade(s)or

wearthickly-paddedgloves,anduseextracautionwhen
servicingthem.

•Checkforproperbrakeoperationfrequently .Adjustand

serviceasrequired.

•Maintainorreplacesafetyandinstructiondecalsas

necessary.

•UseonlygenuineTororeplacementpartstoensurethat

originalstandardsaremaintained.

ToroRidingMowerSafety

ThefollowinglistcontainssafetyinformationspecictoToro
productsorothersafetyinformationthatyoumustknowthat
maynotbeincludedintheANSIstandards.

•Stoptheengine,movethemotioncontrolleversto

neutralandoutwardtotheparkposition,disengagethe
bladecontrolswitch,removethekeyanddisconnectthe
sparkplugwire(s)beforeperforminganyservice,repairs,
maintenanceoradjustments.

•Keephands,feet,hair,andlooseclothingawayfrom

attachmentdischargearea,undersideofmowerandany
movingpartswhileengineisrunning.

•Donottouchequipmentorattachmentpartswhichmay

behotfromoperation.Allowtocoolbeforeattempting
tomaintain,adjustorservice.

•Batteryacidispoisonousandcancauseburns.Avoid

contactwithskin,eyes,andclothing.Protectyourface,
eyes,andclothingwhenworkingwithabattery.

•Batterygasescanexplode.Keepcigarettes,sparksand

amesawayfrombattery.

•Ifloadingthemachineontoatrailerortruck,useasingle,

full-widthramponly.Therampangleshouldnotexceed
15degrees.

•Removingstandardoriginalequipmentpartsand

accessoriesmayalterthewarranty,traction,andsafety
ofthemachine.FailuretouseoriginalToropartscould
causeseriousinjuryordeath.Makingunauthorized
changestotheengine,fuelorventingsystem,mayviolate
EPAandCARBregulations.

•Replaceallpartsincluding,butnotlimitedto,tires,belts,

blades,andfuelsystemcomponentswithoriginalToro
parts.

6

SlopeIndicator

G011841

Figure3

Thispagemaybecopiedforpersonaluse.

1.Themaximumslopeyoucansafelyoperatethemachineonis15degrees.Usetheslopecharttodeterminethedegreeofslope
ofhillsbeforeoperating.Donotoperatethismachineonaslopegreaterthan15degrees.Foldalongtheappropriateline
tomatchtherecommendedslope.

2.Alignthisedgewithaverticalsurface,atree,building,fencepole,etc.

3.Exampleofhowtocompareslopewithfoldededge.

7

SafetyandInstructionalDecals

Safetydecalsandinstructionsareeasilyvisibletotheoperatorandarelocatednearanyareaofpotential
danger.Replaceanydecalthatisdamagedorlost.

93-7009

1.Warning—don'toperatethemowerwiththedeectorupor
removed;keepthedeectorinplace.

2.Cutting/dismembermenthazardofhandorfoot,mower
blade—stayawayfrommovingparts.

106-8717

1.Readtheinstructionsbeforeservicingorperforming
maintenance.

2.Checktirepressureevery25operatinghours.

3.Greaseevery25operatinghours.

4.Engine

Manufacturer'sMark

1.Indicatesthebladeisidentiedasapartfromtheoriginal
machinemanufacturer.

119-8814

1.Parkingposition4.Neutral

2.Fast5.Reverse

3.Slow

110-6691

1.Thrownobjecthazard—keepbystandersasafedistance
fromthemachine.

2.Thrownobjecthazard,mower—donotoperatewithoutthe
deector,dischargecover,orgrasscollectionsystemin
place.

3.Cutting/dismembermentofhandorfoot—stayawayfrom
movingparts.

114-1606

1.Entanglementhazard,belt—keepallguardsinplace.

119-8815

1.Parkingposition4.Neutral

2.Fast5.Reverse

3.Slow

8

BatterySymbols

Someorallofthesesymbolsareonyourbattery

1.Explosionhazard

2.Nore,opename,or
smoking.

3.Causticliquid/chemical
burnhazard

4.Weareyeprotection9.Flusheyesimmediately

5.ReadtheOperator's

Manual.

6.Keepbystandersasafe
distancefromthebattery.

7.Weareyeprotection;
explosivegasescan
causeblindnessandother
injuries

8.Batteryacidcancause
blindnessorsevereburns.

withwaterandgetmedical
helpfast.

10.Containslead;donot
discard.

119-8871

Certainmodelsonly

1.Height-of-cut

131-4036

1.Maximumdrawbarpull36
kg(80lb)

2.ReadtheOperator's
Manual.

1.Bypassleverpositionfor
pushingthemachine

121-2989

2.Bypassleverpositionfor
operatingthemachine

9

121-0771

1.Choke4.Slow

2.Fast

3.Continuousvariablesetting

131–3947

5.Powertake-off(PTO),Bladecontrolswitch

1.Trim—slow

2.Tow—medium

3.Mow—fast

10

132-0869

1.Warning—readthe
Operator'sManual.

2.Warning—beforeservicing,
engagetheparkingbrake,
removethekeyandthe
sparkplugconnection.

3.Cuttinghazardofhand,
mowerblade;pinching
hazardofhand,belt—keep
handsandfeetawayfrom
movingparts;keepall
guardsandshieldsinplace.

4.Thrownobject
hazard—keepbystanders
awayfromthemachine;
removedebrisfromthe
areabeforemowing;keep
thedeectorshielddown.

5.Ramptipping
hazard—whenloading
ontoatrailer,donotuse
dualramps;onlyusea
singlerampwideenough
forthemachineandthat
hasaninclinelessthan
15degrees;backupthe
ramp(inreverse)anddrive
forwardofftheramp.

6.Bodilyharmhazard—no
riders;lookbehindyou
whenmowinginreverse.

7.Tippinghazardon
slopes—donotuseon
slopesnearopenwater;do
notuseonslopesgreater
than15degrees.

11

ProductOverview

Figure5

ControlPanel

Figure4

1.Footrest8.Engine

2.Deector

3.Height-of-cutlever

4.Motion-controllever

5.Smart-speedlever

6.Controlpanel

7.Operatorseat

9.Fuel-tankcap

10.Reardrivewheel

11.Washouttting

12.Mowerdeck

13.Frontcasterwheels

Controls

BecomefamiliarwithallofthecontrolsinFigure4and

Figure5beforeyoustarttheengineandoperatethemachine.

1.Throttle/Choke

2.Ignitionswitch

3.Blade-controlswitch
(powertake-off)

IgnitionSwitch

Theignitionswitchhas3positions:Off,Run,andStart.The
keywillturntoStartandmovebacktoRunuponrelease.
TurningthekeytotheOffpositionwillstoptheengine;
however,alwaysremovethekeywhenleavingthemachine
topreventsomeonefromaccidentallystartingtheengine
(Figure5).

Throttle/ChokeControl

Thethrottleandchokearecombinedintoonecontrollever.
Thethrottlecontrolstheenginespeedandithasacontinuous
variablesettingfromSlowtoFast.Engagethechokeby
movingtheleverpasttheFastsettinguntilitstops(Figure5).

Itmaybenecessarytoholdtheleveragainstthestop,inthe
chokeposition,whiletryingtostarttheengine.

Note:Awarmorhotenginemaynotrequirechoking.

Blade-ControlSwitch(PowerTake-off)

Theblade-controlswitch,representedbyapowertake-off
(PTO)symbol,engagesanddisengagespowertothemower
blades(Figure5).

Motion-ControlLeversandPark
Position

Themotion-controlleversarespeed-sensitivecontrolsof
independent-wheelmotors.Movingaleverforwardor
backwardturnsthewheelonthesamesideforwardorin
reverse;wheelspeedisproportionaltotheamountthelever
ismoved.Movethecontrolleversoutwardfromthecenter

12

totheparkpositionandexitthemachine(Figure15).Always

G014521

1

g028019

1

positionthemotion-controlleversintotheparkposition
whenyoustopthemachineorleaveitunattended.

SmartSpeed™ControlSystemLever

TheSmartSpeed™Control-Systemlever,locatedbelowthe
operatingposition,givestheoperatorachoicetodrivethe
machineat3speedranges—trim,tow ,andmow(Figure6).

Figure6

1.Smart-speedlever

HourMeter

Thehourmeterrecordsthenumberofhourswhenthe
operatorisintheseatandtheignitionswitchisintheON
position(Figure8).

Figure8

1.Hourmeterlocationbehindtheseat

Fuel-PresenceWindow

Thefuelwindowlocatedontheleft-handsideofthemachine,
canbeusedtoverifythepresenceofgasolineinthetank
(Figure7).

Figure7

1.Fuel-presencewindow

Height-of-CutLever

Theheight-of-cutleverallowstheoperatortolowerand
raisethedeckfromtheseatedposition.Whentheleveris
movedup(towardtheoperator),thedeckisraisedfromthe
ground,andwhenmoveddown(awayfromtheoperator),it
isloweredtowardtheground.Onlyadjusttheheight-of-cut
whilethemachineisnotmoving(Figure4).

13

Operation

Note:Determinetheleftandrightsidesofthemachine

fromthenormaloperatingposition.

AddingFuel

•Forbestresults,useonlyclean,fresh(lessthan30days

old),unleadedgasolinewithanoctaneratingof87or
higher((R+M)/2ratingmethod).

•Ethanol:Gasolinewithupto10%ethanol(gasohol)

or15%MTBE(methyltertiarybutylether)byvolume
isacceptable.EthanolandMTBEarenotthesame.
Gasolinewith15%ethanol(E15)byvolumeisnot
approvedforuse.Neverusegasolinethatcontains
morethan10%ethanolbyvolume,suchasE15
(contains15%ethanol),E20(contains20%ethanol),or
E85(containsupto85%ethanol).Usingunapproved
gasolinemaycauseperformanceproblemsand/orengine
damagewhichmaynotbecoveredunderwarranty.

•Donotusegasolinecontainingmethanol.

•Donotstorefueleitherinthefueltankorfuelcontainers

overthewinterunlessafuelstabilizerisused.

•Donotaddoiltogasoline.

DANGER

Incertainconditionsduringfueling,static
electricitycanbereleasedcausingasparkwhich
canignitethegasolinevapors.Areorexplosion
fromgasolinecanburnyouandothersandcan
damageproperty.

•Alwaysplacegasolinecontainersontheground
awayfromyourvehiclebeforelling.

•Donotllgasolinecontainersinsideavehicleor
onatruckortrailerbedbecauseinteriorcarpets
orplastictruckbedlinersmayinsulatethe
containerandslowthelossofanystaticcharge.

•Whenpractical,removegas-poweredequipment
fromthetruckortrailerandrefueltheequipment
withitswheelsontheground.

•Ifthisisnotpossible,thenrefuelsuch
equipmentonatruckortrailerfromaportable
container,ratherthanfromagasolinedispenser
nozzle.

•Ifagasolinedispensernozzlemustbeused,
keepthenozzleincontactwiththerimofthe
fueltankorcontaineropeningatalltimesuntil
fuelingiscomplete.

DANGER

Incertainconditions,gasolineisextremely
ammableandhighlyexplosive.Areorexplosion
fromgasolinecanburnyouandothersandcan
damageproperty.

•Fillthefueltankoutdoors,inanopenarea,
whentheengineiscold.Wipeupanygasoline
thatspills.

•Neverllthefueltankinsideanenclosedtrailer.

•Donotllthefueltankcompletelyfull.Add
gasolinetothefueltankuntilthelevelis6to13
mm(1/4to1/2inch)belowthebottomofthe
llerneck.Thisemptyspaceinthetankallows
gasolinetoexpand.

•Neversmokewhenhandlinggasoline,andstay
awayfromanopenameorwheregasoline
fumesmaybeignitedbyaspark.

•Storegasolineinanapprovedcontainerand
keepitoutofthereachofchildren.Neverbuy
morethana30-daysupplyofgasoline.

•Donotoperatewithoutentireexhaustsystemin
placeandinproperworkingcondition.

WARNING

Gasolineisharmfulorfatalifswallowed.Long-term
exposuretovaporscancauseseriousinjuryand
illness.

•Avoidprolongedbreathingofvapors.

•Keepfaceawayfromnozzleandgastankor
conditionerbottleopening.

•Avoidcontactwithskin;washoffspillagewith
soapandwater.

UsingStabilizer/Conditioner

Useafuelstabilizer/conditionerinthemachinetoprovide
thefollowingbenets:

•Keepsgasolinefreshduringstorageof90daysorless.

Forlongerstorageitisrecommendedthatthefueltank
bedrained.

•Cleanstheenginewhileitruns

•Eliminatesgum-likevarnishbuildupinthefuelsystem,

whichcauseshardstarting

Important:Donotusefueladditivescontaining
methanolorethanol.

Addthecorrectamountofgasstabilizer/conditionerto
thegas.

Note:Afuelstabilizer/conditionerismosteffective
whenmixedwithfreshgasoline.T ominimizethechance

14

ofvarnishdepositsinthefuelsystem,usefuelstabilizer

g027243

A

B

E

D

C

atalltimes.

FillingtheFuelTank

Note:Ensurethattheengineisshutoffandthemotion

controlsareintheparkedposition.

ThinkSafetyFirst

OperatingSafety

Pleasecarefullyreadallofthesafetyinstructionsanddecals
inthesafetysection.Knowingthisinformationcouldhelp
you,yourfamily ,pets,orbystandersavoidinjury.

Note:Youcanusethefuelwindowtoverifythepresenceof
gasolinebeforellingthetank(Figure9).

Important:Donotoverllfueltank.Fillthefueltank
tothebottomofthellerneck.Theemptyspaceinthe
tankallowsthefueltoexpand.Overllingmayresultin
fuelleakage,damagetotheengine,ordamagetothe
emissionssystem.

DANGER

Mowingonwetgrassorsteepslopescancause
slidingandlossofcontrol.

Wheelsdroppingoveredgescancauserollovers,
whichmayresultinseriousinjury,death,or
drowning.

Alossoftractionisalossofsteeringcontrol.

Toavoidlossofcontrolandpossibilityofrollover:

•Donotmowneardrop-offsornearwater.

•Donotmowslopesgreaterthan15degrees.

•Reducethespeedanduseextremecautionon
slopes.

•Whenmowingslopes,graduallyworkfrom
lowertohigherareasontheincline.

•Avoidsuddenturnsorrapidspeedchanges.

•Turnup,intoaninclinewhenchanging
directionsonslopes.Turningdowntheslope
reducestraction.

Figure9

CheckingtheEngine-OilLevel

Beforeyoustarttheengineandusethemachine,check
theoillevelintheenginecrankcase;refertoCheckingthe

Engine-OilLevel(page27).

BreakinginaNewMachine

Newenginestaketimetodevelopfullpower.Mowerdecks
anddrivesystemshavehigherfrictionwhennew,placing
additionalloadontheengine.Allow40to50hoursof
break-intimefornewmachinestodevelopfullpowerand
bestperformance.

•Attachmentschangethehandlingcharacteristics
ofthemachine.Useextracautionwhenusing
attachmentswiththemachine.

Figure10

1.Safezone—usethe
TimeCutterhere

2.Useawalk-behindmower
and/orhandtrimmernear
drop-offsandwater.

3.Water

15