Troybilt E999, 999, 12A-999K063 Owner’s Manual
OPERATOR'S MANUAL
21" Self-Propelled
Mower
Model Number
999
IMPORTANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on ornear any unimproved forest-
covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land unless the engine's exhaust system is equipped with a spark attester 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 through your nearest engine authorized
service dealer or contact the service department, P.O. Box 361131 Cleveland, Ohio 44136-0019.
TROY-BILT LLC P.O. BOX 361131 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-0019
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
FORM NO. 769-00020
(12/01)
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Content Page
Important Safe Operation Practices ................................................................... 3
Slope Gauge ...................................................................................................... 6
Assembling Your Lawn Mower ........................................................................... 7
Know Your Lawn Mower .................................................................................... 8
Operating Your Lawn Mower ............................................................................. 9
Making Adjustments .......................................................................................... 11
Maintaining Your Lawn Mower ........................................................................... 13
Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 17
Parts List ............................................................................................................ 18
FINDINGMODELNUMBER
This Operator's Manual isan important part of your new lawn mower. It wilt help you assemble, prepare and
maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says.
Before you start assembling your new equipment, please locate the model plate on the
equipment and copy the information from it in the space provided below. The information on the
model plate is very important if you need help from our Customer Support Department or an
authorized dealer.
You can locate the model number by looking down at the rear of the deck. A sample model plate is
explained below. For future reference, please copy the model number and the serial number of the
equipment inthe space below.
Copy the model number here:
Copy the serial number here:
WWW,_'oybilLCOm ;_w__ oH 4_1_
__ B66=840=64B_
330-558-722_0
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.
Call 1- (330) 558-7220 or 1- (866)-840-6483 to reach a Customer Support representative.
Please have your unit's model number and serial number ready when you call. See previous
section to locate this information. You will be asked to enter the serial number in order to
process your call.
SECTION1: IMPORTANTSAFEOPERATIONPRACTICES
WARNING: This symbol points out important safety instructions which, if not followed, could
endanger the personal safety and/or property of yourself and others. Read and follow all instructions in
this manual before attempting to operate this machine. Failure to comply with these instructions may
result in personal injury. When you see this symbol - heed its warning.
WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this
manual. As with any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can
result in serious injury. This machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects.
Failure to observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death.
GeneralOperation
1. Read this operator's manual carefully in its entirety
before attempting to assemble this machine. Read,
understand, and follow all instructions on the machine
and in the manual(s) before operation. Be completely
familiar with the controls and the proper use of this
machine before operating it. Keep this manual in a safe
place for future and regular reference and for ordering
replacement parts.
2. This machine is a precision piece of power equipment,
not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme caution at all
times. Your unit has been designed to perform one job: to
mow grass. Do not use it for any other purpose.
3. Never allow children under 14 years old to operate this
machine. Children 14 years old and over should read and
understand the operation instructions and safety rules in
this manual and should be trained and supervised by a
parent. Only responsible individuals who are familiar with
these rules of safe operation should be allowed to use
this machine.
4. Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is to
be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones, toys and
other foreign objects which could be tripped over or
picked up and thrown by the blade. Thrown objects can
cause serious personal injury. Plan your mowing pattern
to avoid discharge of material toward roads, sidewalks,
bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discharging material
against a wall or obstruction which may cause
discharged material to ricochet back toward the operator.
5. To help avoid blade contact or athrown object injury, stay
in the operator zone behind the handles and keep
children, bystanders, helpers and pets at least 75 feet
from the mower while itis in operation. Stop machine if
anyone enters the area.
6. Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles during
operation and while performing an adjustment or repair to
protect your eyes. Thrown objects which ricochet can
cause serious injury to the eyes.
7. Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-fitting
slacks and shirts. Shirts and pants that cover the arms
and legs and steel-toed shoes are recommended. Never
operate this machine in bare feet, sandals, slippery or
light weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.
8. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the
cutting deck. Contact with the blade can amputate hands
and feet.
9. A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade
contact or thrown object injuries.
10. Many injuries occur as a result of the mower being pulled
over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or tripping.
Do not hold on to the mower if you are falling; release the
handle immediately.
11. Never pull the mower backtoward you while you are
walking. Ifyou must back the mower away from a wall or
obstruction first look down and behind to avoid tripping
and then follow these steps:
a. Step back from the mower to fully extend your
arms.
b. Be sure you are well balanced with sure footing.
c. Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way
toward you.
d. Repeat these steps as needed.
12. Do not operate the mower while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs.
13. Do not engage the self-propelled mechanism on units so
equipped while starting engine.
14. The blade control handle is a safety device. Never
attempt to bypass its operation. Doing so makes the
safety device inoperative and may result in personal
injury through contact with the rotating blade. The blade
control handle must operate easily in both directions and
automatically return to the disengaged position when
released.
15. Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be sure of
your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal
injury. If you feel you are losing your footing, release the
blade control handle immediately and the blade will stop
rotating within three seconds.
16. Mow only indaylight or in good artificial light. Walk, never
run.
17. Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or
roads.
18. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop
the engine and check immediately for the cause.
Vibration is generally awarning of trouble.
19. Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to a
complete stop before removing the grass catcher or
uncloggingthechute.Thecuttingbladecontinuesto
rotateforafewsecondsaftertheengineisshutoff.Never
placeanypartofthebodyinthebladeareauntilyouare 5.
surethebladehasstoppedrotating.
20.Neveroperatemowerwithoutpropertrailshield, 6.
dischargecover,grasscatcher,bladecontrolhandleor
othersafetyprotectivedevicesinplaceandworking.
Neveroperatemowerwithdamagedsafetydevices.
Failuretodeso,canresultinpersonalinjury.
21.Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcancauseaburn.De
nottouch. Service
22. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by
the manufacturer. Failure to de so, can result in personal
injury.
23. If situations occur which are net covered in this manual,
use care and good judgment. Contact your dealer for
assistance. Telephone 1-877-282-8684 for the name of
your nearest dealer.
SlopeOperation
Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents
which can result in severe injury. Operation on slopes
requires extra caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do net
mow it. For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part
of this manual to measure slopes before operating this unit on
a sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees,
de not mow it.
DO:
1. Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down.
Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on
slopes.
2. Watch for holes, ruts, rocks, hidden objects, or bumps
which can cause you to slip or trip. Tall grass can hide
obstacles.
3. Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause
serious personal injury. If you feel you are losing your
balance, release the blade control handle immediately,
and the blade will stop rotating within 3 seconds.
Do Not:
t. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments, you
could lose your footing or balance.
2. De net mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on
the slope gauge.
3. Do net mow on wet grass. Unstable footing could cause
slipping.
Safe HandlingOfGasoline:
1. To avoid personal injury or property damage use extreme
2. Wash your skin and change clothes immediately.
3. Use only an approved gasoline container.
4. Never fill containers inside avehicle or on a truck or
5. When practical, remove gas-powered equipment from
6. Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel tank or
7. Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources
8. Never fuel machine indoors because flammable vapors
9. Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is hot
10. Never ever fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no mere than Y2inch
11. Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.
12. If gasoline is spilled, wipe iteft the engine and equipment.
13. Never store the machine or fuel container insidewhere
Children
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the
presence of children. Children are often attracted to the
mower and the mowing activity. They do net understand the
dangers. Never assume that children will remain where you
last saw them.
1. Keep children out of the mowing area and under the
watchful care of a responsible adult other than the
operator.
2. Be alert and turn mower off if achild enters the area.
3. Before and while moving backwards, lookbehind and
down for small children.
4. Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,
doorways, shrubs, trees, or other objects that may
14. To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass, leaves,
15. Allow a mower to cool at least 5 minutes before storing.
GeneralService:
1. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ventilated
2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain
obscure your vision of a child who may run into the
mower.
Keep children away from hot or running engines. They
can suffer burns from a hot muffler.
Never allow children under 14 years old to operate a
power mower. Children 14 years old and over should
read and understand the operation instructionsand
safety rules in this manual and should be trained and
supervised by a parent.
care inhandling gasoline. Gasoline is extremely
flammable and the vapors are explosive. Serious
personal injury can occur when gasoline isspilled on
yourself or your clothes which can ignite.
trailer bed with a plastic liner. Always place containers on
the ground away from your vehicle before filling.
the truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If this is not
possible, then refuel such equipment on a trailer with a
portable container, rather than from a gasoline dispenser
nozzle.
container opening at all times until fueling iscomplete. Do
net use a nozzle lock-open device.
of ignition.
will accumulate in the area.
or running. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes
before refueling.
below bottom of filler neck to provide space for fuel
expansion.
Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes before starting
the engine.
there isan open flame, spark or pilot light as on a water
heater, space heater, furnace ,clothes dryer or other gas
appliances.
or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel spillage and
remove any fuel soaked debris.
area. Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an
odorless and deadly gas.
the blade and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect
the spark plug wire and ground against the engine to
prevent unintended starting.
3. Checkthebladeandenginemountingboltsatfrequent
intervalsforpropertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade
fordamage(e.g.,bent,cracked,worn)Replaceblade
withtheoriginalequipmentmanufacture's(O.E.M)blade
only,listedinthismanual."Useofparfswhichdonot
meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmayleadto
improperperformanceandcompromisesafety!"
4. Mowerbladesaresharpandcancut.Wrapthebladeor
weargloves,anduseextracautionwhenservicingthem.
5. Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstighttobesurethe
equipmentisinsafeworkingcondition.
6. Nevertamperwithsafetydevices.Checktheirproper
operationregularly.
7. Afterstrikingaforeignobject,stoptheengine,disconnect
thesparkplugwireandgroundagainsttheengine.
Thoroughlyinspectthemowerforanydamage.Repair
thedamagebeforestar_ingandoperatingthemower.
8. Neverattempttomakeawheelorcuttingheight
adjustmentwhiletheengineisrunning.
9. Grasscatchercomponents,dischargecover,andtrail
shieldaresubjecttowearanddamagewhichcould
exposemovingpar_sorallowobjectstobethrown.For
safetyprotection,frequentlycheckcomponentsand
replaceimmediatelywithoriginalequipment
manufacturer's(O.E.M)partsonly,listedinthismanual.
"Useofpartswhichdonotmeettheoriginalequipment
specificationsmayleadtoimproperperformanceand
compromisesafety!"
10.Donotchangetheenginegovernorsettingoroverspeed
theengine.Thegovernorcontrolsthemaximumsafe
operatingspeedoftheengine.
11.Maintainorreplacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as
necessary.
12.Observeproperdisposallawsandregulations.Improper
disposaloffluidsandmaterialscanharmthe
environment.
,_ WARNING - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: Restrict the use of this power machine to persons who read,
NOTE: Not all safety labels shown may apply to your lawn mower.
understand and follow the warnings and instructions in this manual and on the machine.
\
SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE
A POWER POLE
A CORNER OF A BUILDING
OR A FENCE POST
!
I
I
!
15°
o
_ WARNING
_ Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). A ridingmower could
O
c. _ and you could slip, resulting in serious injury.
o_c_ overturn and cause serious injury, If operating a walk-behind mower on such a slope, it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing
._ x: Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes, never across the face of slopes.
o Operate WALK-BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes, never up and down slopes.
_ o
_D
SECTION3: ASSEMBLINGYOURLAWNMOWER
IMPORTANT:This unit is shipped without gasoline or oil
in the engine. Be certain to service engine with gasoline
and oil as instructed in the separate engine manual
before operating your mower.
NOTE: Reference to right or left hand side of the mower
is observed from the operating position.
Wing Nut
RemovingUnitFromCarton
• Remove staples, break glue on top flaps, or cut
tape at carton end and peel along top flap to open
carton.
• Remove loose parts if included with unit (i.e.,
operator's manual, oil, etc.)
• Cut along corners, lay carton down flat, and remove
packing material.
• Roll or slide unit out of carton and check carton
thoroughly for loose parts.
LoosePartsinCarton
• Grass Bag
• Grass Bag Adapter
• Side Discharge Chute
• Hardware Pack
Handle Mounting_
Bracket
• Remove the hairpin clips from the outer hole inthe
weld pins on the handle mounting brackets. Usinga
pair of pliers, squeeze one leg of the lower handle
against the handle mountingbracket. Insert the
hairpin clip into the inner hole onthe weld pin.
Repeat on other side. See Figure 3.
• After moving the hairpin clip, insert the carriage bolt
from hardware pack in the upper hole on the handle
mounting bracket and secure with plasticwing nut
from the hardware pack. Repeat onother side.
_Handle Assembly
Figure 2
DisconnectingSparkPlugWire
• Before setting up your lawn mower, disconnect the
spark plug wire from the spark plug and ground
against the engine. See Figure 1.
Spark
Wire
Spark
/Plug
II
Figure 1
SettingUpYourLawnMower
• Remove grass bag and other loose parts from unit
and set it aside.
• Lift up and pull back on the upper handle to raise
the handle into the operating position. Make
certain the lower handle is seated securely into the
handle mounting brackets. Tighten the wing nuts
on each side of the handle (carriage bolts must be
seated properly into the handle). See Figure 2.
NOTE: Your mower is shipped with the handle in the
higher height position. If you wish to lower the height of
the handle, refer to the Adjustment Section at this time.
Lower_
_lnner Hole
Wing
Handle Mountingf Clip
Bracket
Figure 3
Fasten the cables to the lower handle with the two
cable ties found on the lower handle. Be sure to
insert the post on the cable ties into the holes
provided on the lower handle. These holes may be
found on either the inside or outside of the handles.
Pull the cable ties tight and trim off the excess.
See Figure 4.
Cable Tie
Handle
Figure 4
NOTE: Make certain the drive cable is routed around
the outside and above the lower handle so it does not
interfere with attaching the grass bag.
The rope guide, which is connected to the support
rod, is located on the right side of lower handle.
Starter
Rope
See Figure 5.
With the spark plug wire disconnected and
grounded, hold the blade control handle against the
upper handle, and pull the starter rope out of the
engine. Release the blade control handle. Slip the
starter rope into the rope guide.
SECTION4: KNOWYOURLAWNMOWER
Guide
Figure 5
Read this operator's manual and safety rules before
operating your lawn mower. Compare the illustrations
in Figure 6 with your lawn mower to familiarize yourself
with the location of various controls and adjustments.
Save this manual for future reference.
WARNING: The operation of any lawn
mower can result in foreign objects being
thrown into the eyes, which can damage
your eyes severely. Always wear safety
glasses while operating the mower, or
while performing any adjustments or
repairs on it.
RecoilStarter
The recoil starter isattached to the right lower handle.
Stand behind the unit and pull the recoil starter to start
the unit. See Figure 6.
BladeControlHandle
The blade control handle is located on the upper handle
of the mower. The blade control handle must be
depressed in order to operate the unit. Release blade
control handle to stop engine and blade. See Figure 6.
is a safety device. Never attempt to bypass
WARNING: This blade control mechanism
its operations.
Rear CuttingHeightAdjustmentLever
The rear cutting height adjustment lever is located
above the left rear wheel. To adjust the cutting height,
refer to the Adjustment Section in this manual.
See Figure 6.
DriveClutchControl
The drive clutch control is located on the upper handle.
Squeeze the drive control to engage the drive system.
Release the clutch control to disengage the drive
system. Release the clutch control to slow down when
approaching an obstacle, making a turn, or stopping.
See Figure 6.
FrontWheelCasterLocks
The caster locks are located on top of each caster
wheels. Refer to the Adjustment Section.
ShiftLever
The shift lever is located on the drive clutch control
housing on the upper handle. This lever isused to
select the forward speed of the mower. When changing
speed selection, release the drive clutch control. See
Figure 6.
NOTE: Move the shift lever only when the engine is
running. Changing the shift lever setting with the
engine off can cause damage to the mower.
GrassBag
The grass bag is equipped with a bag-fill indicator to
add convenience to your work. While the mower is
running, air will flow through the bag and intothe "sail."
If the grass catcher is empty, air flows through easily
pushing the sail up. If the grass catcher is full, air does
not flow through it allowing the sail to fall. So the
position of the sail acts as a bag-fill indicator signifying
when to empty the grass bag. See Figure 6.
Blade Control
Handle
Grass Bag
Rear Cutting Height
&.djustment Lever
Front Wheel
Caster Locks
Mulching
Plug
Discharge '
Height Adjuster
Figure 6
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