Troybilt 12A-753B063 Owner’s Manual

0 TRO- V:BILT --

Operator's Manual

Wide-CutTM 33"

Combination Mower

Models 753B

E753B

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-cov-

ered or grass-covered land unless the engine's exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting 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 State of California the above is required by law
(Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code). Other states may have similar laws. Federal laws apply on federal lands. A spark arrester

for the muffler is available by contacting the service department at Troy-Bilt LLC, P.O. Box 361131 Cleveland, Ohio 44136-0019.

TROY-BILT LLC, P.O. BOX 361131, CLEVELAND, OH 44136-0019

PRINTED IN USA FORM NO. 770-10602A

(01/2002)

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Content Page

Safety ................................................................... 1

Assembly................................................................. 4

Features and Controls....................................................... 9

Operation ................................................................ 12

Maintenance .............................................................. 17

Lubrications............................................................... 25

Off-Season Storage ........................................................ 25

Troubleshooting ........................................................... 28

Parts List................................................................. 29

Warrany Information........................................................ BackCover

FINDINGMODELNUMBER

This Operator's Manual is an important part of your new Wide-Cut TM 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 infor-

mation from it in the space provided below. This information is very important if you need help from our Customer
Support Department or an authorized dealer.

You can locate the model number by looking at the rear surface of the tine shield. A sample model plate is ex-
plained below. For future reference, please copy the model number and the serial number of the equipment in

the space below

Copy Model Number Here

OTRItV BILT. TROY-BILT LLC

www.troybilt.com CLEVELAND, 0H44136

_. 866-840-6483_

P. 0. BOX 361131

330-558-7220

Copy Serial Number Here

ENGINEINFORMATION

The engine manufacturer is responsible for all engine-related issues with regards to performance, power-rating,

specifications, warranty and service. Please refer to the engine manufacturer's Owner's/Operator's Manual packed
separately with your unit for more information.

CALLINGCUSTOMERSUPPORT

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.

your unit's model number and serial number ready when you call. See previous section to locate this in-

Call 1- [phone] or 1- [phone] to reach a Customer Support representative. Please have
formation. You will be asked to enter the serial number in order to process your call.

Safety

SafetyAlertSymbol

WARNING:

_, his is a safety alert symbol. It is used in this

The engine exhaust from this product contains

chemicals known to the State of California

to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproduc-
tive harm.

IMPORTANT

Safe Operation Practicesfor Walk-Behind Mowers

This cuttingmachine is capable of amputating hands and feet andthrowing objects. Failure to observethe

following safetyinstructions could result in serious injury or death.

hazards. Wheneveryou seethis symbol, readand obeythe

safety messagethat follows it. Failureto obey the safety

message could result in personal injury or property
damage.

Owner's Manual to alert you to potential

I. GENERALOPERATION

1.

Read,understand,andfollow all in-
structionson the machineandin the

manuals.Bethoroughlyfamiliar with
thecontrolsandthe proper useof

themower beforestarting.

.

Donot put handsor feet nearor
under rotatingparts.Keepclearof

themower bladeand discharge
openingatall times.

3. Onlyallow responsibleindividuals,
whoarefamiliar with the instruc-

tions,to operatethe mower.

4. Clearthe areaof objectssuchas
rocks,toys,wire, bones,sticks, etc.,

which couldbe pickedupand
thrown bythe blade.

5. Besurethe areais clearof other
peoplebeforemowing.Stopmower

if anyoneentersthearea. Keepby-
standersat least25 feetawayfrom

the areaof operation.

6. Do not operatethe mowerwhen
barefootorwearingopensandals.

Alwayswearsubstantialfootwear.

.

Donot pull mower backwards
unlessabsolutelynecessary.Look
downand behindbeforeandwhile

moving backwards.

8. Do not operatethe mowerwithout
properguards,plates,grasscatcher

or othersafetyprotectivedevicesin
place.

9. Referto providedinstructions for
properoperationand installationof

accessories.Onlyuseaccessories
approvedby GardenWay

Incorporated.

10. Stop thebladewhencrossinggravel
drives,walks, orroads.

11. Stop theengineand disconnectthe
sparkplugwirefrom the sparkplug

wheneveryou leavethe unit,before
cleaningthe moweror unclogging

the chute.

12. Shutthe engineoff, wait until the
blade comesto a completestop,and

disconnectthespark plugwire be-

fore installingor removingthe

mulchercoverorthe optionalgrass

catcher. Makecertainthatthegrass
catcherissecurelyattachedbefore

operatingthe mower.Emptythe

grass catcheraftereach use-

decomposingdebriscouldgenerate

enoughheatto catchfire.

13. Mow indaylightor goodartificial

light.

14. Do not operatethemowerwhile

underthe influenceof alcoholor
drugs.

Section1: Safety

15.

Neveroperatemowerin wet grass.

Alwaysbesureof your footing; keep
a firm hold onthe handleandwalk;

never run.

16.

Disengagethe WheelDriveLeveron

self-propelledmodelsbeforestarting
theengine.

17.

If the unitshouldstart to vibrateab-
normally,stop the engineanddis-
connectthe sparkplug wire. Then

checkimmediatelyfor thecause.
Vibrationis generallyawarning of

trouble.

18. Alwayswearsafetygogglesorsafety
glasseswith side shieldswhenoper-

ating mower.

19. Watchfor trafficwhen operating
near,or when crossingroadways.

20. Neverattemptto carrychildrenor
otherpassengerson themower.

Theycouldfall off and beseriously
injured,or theycould interferewith

thesafeoperationofthe mower.

21. Checkthe operationofthe Operator

PresenceControlBarbeforeeach
use.Seethe MaintenanceSectionof

this manualfor instructions. If the
enginerunslongerthanthree sec-

ondsafter the OperatorPresence
Control Baris released,the system

is not working properly. Immediately
contactyour local servicedealeror

thefactory TechnicalService

Departmentfor instructions. Donot
usethe moweruntilthe mechanism

is repaired.

22. The moweris equippedwitha safety
dischargechute,comeswith special

mulchercovers,andoffersan op-

tionalgrass catcher. Thesafetydis-
chargechute must beworking prop-

erly atalltimes. Neverattemptto
disconnectorotherwisecausethis

dischargechuteto ceaseworking. If

used,mulchercoveror grass

catcherattachmentmust beinstalled
properlyandfunction correctly. Do
not useyour equipmentotherwise.

23. Neverruntheenginein an enclosed
area.Engineexhaustcontainscarbon

monoxide,adeadlygasthat is odor-

less,colorless,andtasteless.Always

runtheengineoutdoorsand make

surethereisadequateventilation.

II. SLOPEOPERATION IV.SERVICE

Slopesarea majorfactorrelatedto
slipandfall accidentswhichcanresult

in severeinjury. All slopesrequire
extracaution.Ifyoufeel uneasyona

slope,donotmowit.

DO:

Mow acrossthefaceof slopes;never
upanddown. Exerciseextremecau-

tion whenchangingdirection on
slopes.Avoid slopesgreaterthan

150.
Removeobjectssuch asrocks,tree

limbs,etc.

Watchfor holes,ruts, or bumps.Tall
grass canhideobstacles.

DONOT:

Donot mowneardrop-offs,ditches,
or embankments.Theoperatorcould

loosefooting or balance.

Donot mowexcessivelysteepslopes.
Donot mowon wet grass.Reduced

footing could causeslipping. 5.

III. CHILDREN

Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheopera-
torisnotalerttothe presenceofchil-

dren.Childrenare oftenattractedtothe
mowerandtothe mowingactivity.

Neverassumethatchildrenwill remain
whereyoulastsawthem.

1. Keepchildren out ofthe mowing
areaand underthewatchful careof

a responsibleadult.

.

Bealertandturn moweroff if chil-
drenenterthearea.

3.

Beforeandwhile movingbackwards,
look behindanddown for small

children.

4. Neverallow childrento operatethe
mower.

5. Useextracarewhenapproaching
blind corners,shrubs,trees,or other

objectsthat mayobscurevision.

1. Useextracare in handlinggasoline
andotherfuels.Theyareflammable

andtheir vaporsare explosive.
a) Useonlyan approvedcontainer.
b) Neverremovegascap or add

fuelwhentheengineis running.
Allowengineto coolbeforerefu-

eling.Donot smoke.

c) Neverrefuelthe machine

indoors.

d) Neverstore the machineor fuel

containerinsidewherethereis
an openflame,such asawater

heater,etc.

e) Movemowerawayfrom any

gasolinefumes beforestarting
theengine.

2. Neverrunan engineinside aclosed
area.

3. Nevermakeadjustmentsorrepairs
with theenginerunning. Disconnect

thesparkplug wire and keepthe
wireawayfrom the plugto prevent

accidentalstarting.

4.

Keepall nuts andbolts,especially
thebladeattachmentbolts,tight and

keepequipmentin goodcondition.
Nevertamperwithsafety devices.

Checktheir operationregularly.

6. Keepmowerfree of grass,leavesor
otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanupoil or

fuelspillage.Allow mowerto cool
beforestoring.

7. Afterstriking an object,stopthe en-
gineanddisconnectthesparkplug

wire. Inspectthe mowerandrepair,
if necessary,before restarting.

8. Neverattemptto makemowercut-
ting heightadjustmentswhilethe

engineis running.

9. Grasscatchercomponentsaresub-
jectto wear, damageanddeteriora-

tion, which couldexposemoving
parts or allowobjectsto bethrown.

Frequentlycheckcomponentsand
replacewith factory recommended

parts,whennecessary.

Section1: Safety

13.

Toaccessthe undersideof the

mower,tip the mowerrearward.Do
nottip the mowerforwardor on ei-

ther of its sides, unlessspecifically

advisedto dosoin this manual.

10. Mower bladesaresharp andcan
cut.Wrapthe bladeorwear gloves,

and useextracautionwhenservic-
ing them.

11. Do notchangethe enginegovernor
settingor overspeedthe engine.

12. Do nottouch enginepartswhich
may behotfrom operation.Allow

partsto cool completelybeforein-
specting,cleaningor repairingthe
mower.

14.

Maintainorreplacesafetyand in-
structionaldecals. Referto the sep-

aratePartsCatalogfor replacement
decalinformation.

15. For unitsequippedwith electric
start:

a) Batteriesproduceexplosive

gases.Keepsparks,flame,
cigarettes,etc.,away. Ventilate

theareawhenchargingthe bat-
tery.Donotchargethebatteryin

anairtightspace.

SAFETYDECALS

Makecertainallsafetydecalsonthis equipmentarekeptcleanandin good condition. Thedecalsareshown (at reducedsizes)
below. If you needareplacementdecal,pleasereferto the PartsCatalogthat accompaniedthis Manual.

b) Donot useabatterycharger

otherthan the oneprovidedwith

the mower.

c) Thebatterycontainstoxic mate-

rials. Donot damagethe battery

case.If the caseis brokenor

damaged,avoidcontactwiththe
batterycontents.

d) Properlydisposeof adamaged

or worn outbattery.Checkwith
localauthorities for properdis-

posalmethods.

e) Donot short circuit the battery.

Severeburnsandfire can result.

Ontop, rearof engineplatform

OnControlPanel(for electricstartmodel)

,CAUTION

Beneathbelt/pulley

cover

OnControlPanel(for recoilstartmodel)

Onleft sideof

mowerdeck

Assembly

ASSEMBLYSTEPS

To preventpersonalinjuryor property

damage, do not attempt to start the
engine until all assembly steps are

complete and you have read and
understand the safety, controls and

operatinginstructionsinthismanual.

INTRODUCTION

Pleasecarefullyfollow theseassembly

stepsto properlyprepareyour machine
for use. Werecommendthatyou read

this Sectionin its entirety beforebegin-

ningassembly.
NOTE:All referencesto left, right,front

and rearof the machinearedetermined

bystandingbehindthehandlebarsand

facingthe direction offorward travel.

INSPECTIONAFTERDELIVERY

Inspectthe shipping crateand machine
immediatelyafterdelivery. Makesure
neitherthe carton northe contentshave

beendamaged.
If youfind or suspectanydamage,con-

tact thecarrier(trucking company)

immediately. Informthem of thespecific
damageandthatyou wish to filea claim.

To protectyour rights, besure to put
this in writing to thecarrier within 15

days. Thecarrierwill letyou knowhow

to proceedwith your claim. Pleaseletus

knowif you needanyassistance.

TOOLS/MATERIALSNEEDED:

• WireCutter

• 7/16" Wrench

• 3/8" Wrench

• Two 1/2" Wrenches

• Scissorsor PenKnife

• Needle-nosePliers

• Motor Oil(seeStep 5)

• TireGauge

IMPORTANT:MOTOROIL MUSTBE
ADDEDTOTHEENGINEBEFOREIT IS

STARTED.FOLLOWINSTRUCTIONSIN
THIS"ASSEMBLY"SECTION.

STEP1: Unpacking Mower

NOTE:LEFTand RIGHTsidesofthe unit

areasviewedfrom the operator'sposi-
tion behindthehandlebars.

1. Cutmetalstraps, if present,securing
unitto pallet.Leaveuniton palletduring

assembly(tosafelyremoveunit from
pallet,wait untilyou havecompletedas-

semblysteps1-4).

2. Removeanyprotectivepackaging

from aroundthe handlebars.Cutthe
plastictie strapsholdingthefour long

control rodsto the handlebars.Donot

removethe two long handlebarstruts

that areattachedto thetop of the
handlebars.

STEP2: Attach Handlebars
to EngineDeck

1. Removetheplasticties holdingthe

wheeldriverod (F,Figure2-7) to the left
handlebarandthe bladedrive rod (C,

Figure2-7)to the right handlebar.Put

the rods aside.

NOTE:Fourscrews(D, Figure2-2)are
usedto connectthe handlebarsto the

enginedeck. At thefactory, these
screwsarethreadedinto lock nuts

weldedto the backsidesofthe deck.

2. Removeandsavethe four 5/16"-18

x 3/4"screwsmentionedinthe NOTE
above.

3. Fromthe front ofthe unit,tilt the
right-sidehandlebarupoverthe air

cleanercoverandlift the otherhandlebar

upward. Rotatethe handlebarsoverthe

engineandpositionthe handlebarends

(E,Figure2-2)againstthesidesof the

enginedeck.

Figure2-1

E

_ r D D

i

Figure2-2:Attachhandlebarsandstruts
toenginedeck.

4. Swingthe handlebarstruts (A,Figure
2-2) forward andalign thehandlebar
ends(E,Figure2-2) withthe holesin the

enginedeck. Looselyinstall two5/16"-

18x 3/4"hexflange screwsremoved

earlier(D) into the rearholes.

5. Alignthe looseends ofthe handlebar
struts (A,Figure2-2) overthe front

holes in thehandlebarends. Attachthe

struts and handlebarswithtwo more
5/16"-18x3/4" hexflangescrews.
Securelytightenallfour screws.

6. Securelytightenthe screws(B, Figure
2-1) atthe upperendsof the struts.

STEP3: Electric Start Model
A. SecureWireHarness

1. Atthe unattachedendof theelectrical
wire harness,there arefour wiresat-
tachedto a largeplasticconnectorand

two wires attachedto a small plastic
connector.

2. Plugthelargeconnectorintothe bot-
tom of theignition keyswitchthat islo-
catedonthe undersideofthe handlebar

console(not pictured).

3. Usetwo cabletiesto securethewire
harnessto the right handlebarandaway

from any movingparts. Placethe tiesan
equaldistanceapart.

B. AttachWire Leadsto Battery

1. Thebatteryis locatedatthe rear,

right-side ofthe enginedeck.

2. Atthelower end of the electrical
wiring harness,locatea redwire lead

andablackwirelead.

• Plugterminal on red(positive)wire into
redterminal (U, Figure2-3)on battery.

• Plugterminalon black(negative)wire
into blackterminal(V).

3. Ifapplicable,attachwire harnessto

enginedeckusingJ-clips (W, Figure
2-4) asshown. BendJ-clips overto
secure.

Black(GroundLead) V (-)

Red

(Positive

Lead)

(+) U

Figure2-3: Connectwireterminalsto
batteryterminals.

W

Chargebatteryonlywith chargersup-
pliedwith machine.Donotshortcircuit

batterywires. Removeany jewelry be-
fore workingon ornear the batteryor

electricstartsystem.

Failure to follow these instructions
couldresultin personalinjuryor prop-
ertydamage.

C. Chargethe Battery

Chargeanewbatteryfor 24-48 hoursto
ensureafull charge. If the mowermust

be usedimmediately,the batterymay
haveenoughof a chargeto starttheen-

gine.If not, theenginecanbestarted
with the ropepullstarter. NOTE:Charge

the batteryafter theinitial useof the

mowerto helpensure it isfully charged.

If batteryis removed, do not operate

enginewithout insulatingpositive (+)

battery cable terminal with electrical
tape orsparkingfrom batterycells can

result.

1. To chargethe battery,locatethe plas-

tic connector(T, Figure2-5) thathangs
from thewire harnessbelowthe handle-

barconsole.

2. Plugtheconnectoron the battery
charger(Z, Figure2-5) intothe connec-

tor onthewireharness(T).

Section2: Assembly

Controlrodsare adjusted at the fac-

tory andshouldnot requireadditional
adjustmentduringassembly.Afteras-

sembling unit, control rod
adjustment should be checked (and

re-adjusted,ifnecessary)accordingto
informationin Maintenance Section.

Failureto follow this instructioncould
result in severe personal injury or

propertydamage.

3. Plugthebatterycharger intoa 120V
groundedwall outlet. NOTE:The battery

chargeris designedfor useindoors and
should not beexposedto rainor snow.

4. Chargebatteryfor 24-48hours.

5. Aftercharging,unplugbattery
chargerfrom wall outlet,then unplug

chargerfrom wire harness.

STEP4: Attach Control Rods
A. AttachWheel DriveControlRod

1. Locatethe wheeldrivecontrol rod(F,
Figures2-6 & 2-7) that wasremoved

from theleft handlebarin Step2.This

rod hasa swivelblock (H, Figure2-6) on
oneend.

2. At left sideofenginedeck,insert

swivel block(H,Figures2-6 & 2-7) on
wheeldrivecontrol rod into wheeldrive

control arm (U,Figure2-6).

W

Figure2-4: AttachwireharnesswithJ-
clips.

T

Z

To grounded

wall outlet

Figure2-5

H A,B _G

Figure2-6:Left-handcontrolrodsdetail.

Section2: Assembly

BB

Figure2-6A:Attachwheeldrivecontrolrod
tolever.

3. Adda5/16" washer(A,Figure2-6)
andattachwith a hairpinclip (B).

4. At upperend ofcontrol rod,insert
angledend intoWheel DriveControl

lever(V,Figure2-6A)andattachwith a
cotterpin (BB). Bendendsof cotter pin

overrod to secure.

B. AttachOperatorPresenceControl
Rod

V

C

F

1. Locatecontrol rod (E,Figures.2-6
and2-7) attachedat upperendto

OperatorPresenceControllever(W,
Figure2-7).

2. At bottom ofcontrol rod,insert
swivelblock (G, Figures2-6 &2-7) into
control arm (T,Figure2-6).

3. Addone5/16"washerandattachwith
cotterpin. Bendendsof cotter pinto se-

cure.

C. AttachBladeDriveControlRod

1. Locatethe bladedrive control rod (C,
Figure2-7) thatyou removedin Step2.

Insertoneend of control rod into blade

drivebracket(D,Figure2-7). Add one
5/16"washerandattachwith hairpin clip

(cc).

2. Insertupperend of rod into bottom
endof BladeDriveControllever(J,

Figure2-7). Add one5/16"washerand
attachwith cotter pin (AA). Bendendsof

cotterpin to secure.

D. AttachandAdjustGearSelectLever
NOTE:The retainingplate (N, Figure2-7)

mentionedinthe following steps isse-
curedto the rearofthe mowerwith two

screws(0, Figure2-7) and 1/4"-20 lock-
nuts. Removethe retainingplate and

saveit, alongwith thetwo screws,be-
foreproceedingwithassembly.

6

G N

Figure2-7:Rearviewofcontrolrods.

0

M

f

K

Pin(K)mustbeinthisdetent

whentransmissionneutralis --_

adjusted.

Figure2-8: Detail- GearSelectLeverin Neutral(N) position.

2

Section2: Assembly

1. Holdlowerpart of gearselectlever

(I, Figure2-9) againstbracket(M).
Position retainingplate (N), removed

earlier,as shown in Figure2-9(plate
belowbracket). Secureplatewith two

1/4"-20x 1/2"screws (0) and 1/4"-20
Iocknuts.

6. Slidegrip(B, Figure2-8) backonto
gearselectlever(I).

7. Rotategearselectlever(I, Figures2-
8 & 2-9) clockwise untilspur (K - short

rod) ongearselectrod stops in theneu-
tral positiondetenton theshift pattern

quadrant(Figure2-8).

8. At bottom ofcontrol rod,threadshift
link (P,Figure2-9) partiallyinto ball-

joint (Y).

9. Moveshift arm (X,Figure2-9) from
sideto sideas necessaryinto each

transmissiongeardetent until transmis-
sion isin neutral.

NOTE:Movingshift arm(X) alltheway
tothe left,andthen onenotch backto

theright, should puttransmissioninto
neutral.Whentransmissionis in neutral,

unitwill movefreelywhenpushedwhile
holdingtheOperatorPresenceControl

lever(W, Figure2-7) down.Iftransmis-
sionis NOTin neutral,therewill bea

slight dragon thewheelswhen pushing
unit.

10. Whenshift arm (X)is in neutral po-
sition, rotateshift link (P)towardend of

gearselectleverrod (I). Adjustlength
of shift link (P) asnecessaryto fit into

hole in bottomof gearselectlever(I).
NOTE:Pin(K) on GearSelectLever(I)

must beheld inthe neutralposition
detentonthe shift quadrant(see Figure

2-8) whileshift link(P, Figure2-9) is
adjusted.

11. Inserthookedendof shift link (P,
Figure2-9) into holein bottomend of

gearselectlever(I) andsecurewith cot-
ter pin(Q). Bendendsof cotterpin.

NOTE:Itmay benecessaryto lift gear
selectlever (I) to install shift link (P).

12. Removeunitfrom shippingcrate.
Toremove,holddown Operator

PresenceControllever(W, Figure2-7)
which releasesthe wheelbrake.

13. Withunit onlevelground,hold
downOperatorPresenceControllever

(W, Figure2-7)andpush unitforward

and backward.Thewheelsshould move
freely. Ifnot, adjustlengthof shift link

(P,Figure2-9)as necessary.

14. Putthe GearSelectLeverin neutral
(N), releaseall ofthe control leversand

try to pushtheunit forwardand back-
ward. Thewheelsshouldnotturn. If

they do turn, an adjustmentis neces-
sary. DONOTOPERATETHEUNIT

UNTILTHEWHEELBRAKEMECHANISM
HASBEENADJUSTEDANDISWORK-

INGPROPERLY.See"WheelBrake

Adjustment"in Section5 "Maintenance."

Do not use the mower if the wheels

continue to turn after releasing the
Operator Presence Control and the

WheelDriveControl.
Severe personal injury or property

damagecouldresult if this instruction
isnotfollowed.

: ;° I

I .,I I I

I I

I / o I I

I I
I I

o4

J.

Figure2-9:Detail- TransmissionNeutralAdjustment.

STEP6: Check Tire Pressure

Unit is shippedwithout oil in engine
crankcase.Donotstart engineuntil oil

has beenadded. Severeengine dam-
age will result it thisinstructionis not

followed.

STEP5: Add Motor Oil to Engine

1. Movemowerto a levelarea.Press

and hold OperatorPresenceControl

lever(W,Figure2-7)to movemower.

2. Addmotoroil accordingtothe speci-

ficationsandinstructionsprovidedinthe
separateEngineOwner'sManualthat was

includedintheunit's literaturepackage.

• Keepoil levelatthe FULLmarkon the

dipstick to avoidenginedamage.

• Changeoilaccordingtoscheduleand

instructionsin Section5 "Maintenance."

1. Useatire gaugeto checkthe air
pressureinthe reartires. Theair pres-

sureshould bebetween15-20PSI(20

PSImaximum).

2. Keepbothtires equallyinflatedto
help preventmachinefrom pulling to

oneside.

STEP7: After Assembling and
Before UsingUnit

1. Readthis entire Owner'sManualfor
propersafety,operationand mainte-

nanceinformation.

2. Makesurespark plug wire is con-

nectedto spark plugbeforestarting unit.

,

FeaturesandControls

IMPORTANT: THE MOWER IS

Before operating mower, be sure to
read all safety, controlsandoperating

instructions in this Manual and on

decalslocatedonmachine.
Severe personal injury or property

damage couldresultit this instruction

isnotfollowed.

EQUIPPED WITH A BLADE-BRAKE-
CLUTCHCONTROLSYSTEMWHICH IS

DESIGNED TO STOP THE MOWER
BLADESWITHIN THREE(3) SECONDS

AFTERRELEASEOF THE OPERATOR
PRESENCECONTROL. THIS SYSTEM

WILL STOPTHEBLADESBUTNOTTHE
ENGINE.THEREFORE,YOUCANDISEN-

GAGETHE BLADEDRIVEAT ANYTIME
WITHOUT HAVING TO STOP AND
RESTARTTHEENGINE.THIS FEATURE

IS PARTICULARLYUSEFULWHENYOU

NEEDTO CROSSGRAVELDRIVESOR
ROUGHTERRAIN AND YOU DO NOT

WANT THE SPINNING BLADES
TO STRIKE STONES OR HIDDEN

OBSTACLES.

MOWERFEATURESAND
CONTROLS

This sectiondescribesthevarious

featuresand controls on the unit. Refer
to the nextsection"Operation"for

detailedoperatinginstructions. Also,
readthe separateEngineOwner's

Manualfor a detailedexplanationofthe
proper useof the enginecontrols.

Operator Presence Control

TheOperatorPresenceControllever

(A, Figure3-1) regulatesthe operationof

the rearwheel brakeandthe separate

BladeDriveControl. Alwaysengagethis
control beforeengagingthe separate

bladedriveor wheeldrivecontrols.

Alwaysdisengagethis control before

startingtheengine.

ToengagetheOperatorPresence

Control,pressand holdthe leveragainst

the handlebargrip. Doingso releases
the brakeon therearwheels,allowing

the wheelsto turn. The engagedposition

alsopermitstheseparateBladeDrive
Controlto lock inits engagedposition

(allowsthe mowerbladesto turn).

Releasingthe lever(disengaged
position) appliesthe rearwheelbrake
andquicklystopsthe wheels.Releasing

the leverwill alsodisengagethe Blade

DriveControl,which will applya brake

that stopsthe bladeswithinthree (3)
seconds.

Blade Drive Control

Usethis lever(B, Figure3-1)to en-

gagedriveto themower blades.

Toengagetheblades,first engagethe

OperatorPresenceControl(A,Figure3-

1). Then,push thespring-loadedBlade
DriveControllever(B)forward until it

stays in theengagedposition.

Tostop the blades,releasethe

OperatorPresenceControl(A). Doingso

will disengagethe BladeDriveControl

(B) andautomaticallyapplythe brake

that stopsthe blades.

AlwaysdisengagetheBladeDrive

Controlbeforestartingtheengine. This
helpsto ensurethatthe bladeswill not

start turning whentheenginestarts.

NOTE:Pushingthe BladeDriveControl

forward will engagethebladeseven
thoughtheOperatorPresenceControlis

notengaged.However,this procedureis
NOTRECOMMENDEDasyou must main-

tainconstantpressureon thelever(re-

leasingleverdisengagesblades).Always

engagethe OperatorPresenceControl

beforeengagingtheBladeDriveControl.

The blade-brake-clutchcontrolsystem
shouldstop the mower bladeswithin

three (3) secondsafter release of the
OperatorPresenceControl.

If the bladesdo notstopwithin three
(3) seconds, put the Engine Throttle

Control in the STOP position.
Disconnectthe sparkplugwire and do

not operatethe moweruntil the blade-
brake-clutchcontrol systemhas been

repaired.

Figure3-1

B- BLADE

DRIVECONTROL

Engage

A-OPERATOR

PRESENCECONTROL

C- GEAR

SELECTLEVER

Disengage

Engage

Section3: FeaturesandControls

Operating Symbols Varioussymbolsareusedon the mowerto indicatecontrol settings(your modelmaynot haveall of the

symbols).Thesesymbolsareshown belowwith a descriptionof their meaning.

ENGINE ENGINE ENGINE

FAST SLOW CHOKE ENGAGE DISENGAGE STOP START RUN

Gear Select Lever

Usethislever(C,Figure3-1)to select

anyof four forwardgroundspeeds(1 -

Slow,2and3 - Medium,4 - Fast),N
(Neutral)and R(Reverse).Thegearshift

patternisshown in Figure3-2.

Toavoiddamagingthetransmis-

sion, donotshiftgearswhenthe

mowerismoving.

Forforward travel,useoneof thefour

numberedsettings.Toselectreverse,

shift to neutralandthenpull upon the

lever.Turnthe leverto theR (reverse)
positionandreleasethe lever.

Putthe leverin N(neutral)to manu-

ally pushthe mowerandwhenthe

moweris not in use.

Figure3-2:
Shiftpattern

onconsole.

PresenceControlalong with the Wheel
DriveControl.

Whenstarting theengine,theWheel

DriveControlshouldbedisengaged(re-
leased).Thishelpsto ensurethatthe

wheelswill not startturning whenthe
enginestarts.

Do notengagetheWheel DriveControl

without first engaging the Operator

Presence Control. Doing so could
resultin wear or damageto the wheel

brakemechanism.

A- OPERATOR

PRESENCECONTROL

Disengage

Engage

trated) onthe right sideofthe mower
deckshowthecutting heightsettings

rangingfrom A (highest)to G(lowest).

Figure3-4

Mulcher Cover

Themulchercover (F,Figure3-5) is

pre-installedatthe factory. It must be
kept in placewhenusingthe unit asa

mulchingmower. The mulchercoveris

designedto keepthe dischargechute

raisedupwhileyou mow. Whenthe

cover isremovedfor side-discharge

mowing,the dischargechutelowers.

Referto "4. SelectMulching or Side-

DischargeMowing"in the Operation

Sectionfor mulchercoverinstallation
instructions.

Wheel Drive Control

Usethislever(D, Figure3-3) to en-

gageanddisengagedrive to thewheels.

Toengagethewheels,first selecta

forward or reversegearwith theGear

SelectLeverandsqueezetheOperator
PresenceControl(A,Figure3-3). Then,

squeezetheWheelDriveControllever

(D)againstthe handlebargrip. The

ground speedcan bevariedby increas-

ing or decreasingpressureon the lever.

Toavoidsuddenacceleration,slowly
squeezetheleverwhenfirstengaging
thewheels.

Releasethe WheelDriveControlto

disengagethewheels.Thewheelswill

graduallyslow to a stop. NOTE:Tostop
the wheelsquickly, releasethe Operator

J Engage

Disengage

D- WHEEL

DRIVECONTROL

Figure3-3

Cutting HeightControl Lever

Usethis lever(E, Figure3-4)to adjust

thecutting heightfrom 1to 4 inches.

Notethat actualcutting heightswill vary

accordingto soil conditions.

Turnthe leverclockwiseto raisethe

heightor counterclockwiseto lowerthe
height. A decalandpointer (notillus-

Figure3-5

Section3: FeaturesandControls

Engine Throttle Control

This lever(G,Figure3-6) is usedto

adjust enginespeedsandto stopthe en-
gine. Always run engineat fastspeed

settingfor bestmowerperformance.
Thethrottlesettings areshown below.

I_1 CHOKE-Usewhen

_._ SLOW- Usewhenidling

Ignition/Starter Switch -

(Electric Start Model)

Thisthree-positionswitch (H, Figure

3-6) is usedto startand stop the
engineonelectricstart models. Theig-

nitionkeysettings areshown below.Do
notturn the keyuntilyou havereadthe

OperationSectioninthis Manual.

Alwaysremoveignition keywhen

leavingmower unattendedorwhen n-

specting,cleaningor servicing mower.

startinga cold engine.

FAST- Use during mower

operation.

engine.

STOP- Stopsengine.

H- IGNITION/STARTER

SWITCH

Figure3-6

Engine Recoil Starter

Therecoilstarter (I, Figure3-7) is

usedto "pull-start" the engine. Detailed

instructionsfor usingtherecoil starter
arefound in theOperationSectionof this

Manualandin the EngineOwner's
Manual.Donot pull therecoil starter

untilyou havereadthe Operation

Section.

I - RECOIL

STARTER

Figure3-7

G- THROTTLECONTROL

J

10

STOP- Stopsengine.

RUN- Afterstarting,key

returnsto run position.

START - Starts engine.
Releasekey when engine

starts.