Troy-Bilt Wide-Cut F753B Operator's Manual

0 TRtII BILT --

Operator's Manual

Wide-CutTM 33"

Combination Mower

Models 753B

F753B

(fuel tank styles vary by engine model)

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. 770-10602E

(03/2003)

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Content Page

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

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

Features and Controls....................................................... 8

Operation ................................................................ 11

Maintenance .............................................................. 16

Off-Season Storage ........................................................ 24

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

Troubleshooting ........................................................... 27

Parts List................................................................. 28

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

OTRItV BILT. TROY-BILT LLC

P. 0. BOX 361131

www.troybilt.com CLEVELAND, 0H44136

330-558-7220

_. 866-840-6483_

Copy Model Number Here

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.

Call 1- [phone] or 1- [phone] 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 in-
formation. You will be asked to enter the serial number in order to process your call.

Safety

WARNING:

The engine exhaust from this product contains

chemicals known to the State of California

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

SafetyAlertSymbol

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

Owner's Manual to alert you to potential

hazards. Wheneveryou seethis symbol, readandobeythe

safety messagethat follows it. Failureto obey the safety

message could result in personal injury or property
damage.

IMPORTANT

Safe Operation Practicesfor Walk-Behind Mowers

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

following safety instructionscould result in serious injury or death.

I. GENERALOPERATION

1.

.

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

manuals.Bethoroughlyfamiliar with
thecontrols andthe proper useof

themower beforestarting.
Donot put handsorfeet nearor

under rotatingparts. Keepclear of
themower bladeand discharge

openingatall times.

3. Onlyallow responsibleindividuals,
whoarefamiliar with the instruc-

tions,to operatethe mower.

4. Clearthe areaof objectssuch as
rocks,toys, wire, bones,sticks, etc.,

which could be pickedupand
thrown by the blade.

.

5. Besurethe areais clearof other
peoplebeforemowing.Stop mower

if anyoneentersthearea. Keepby-
standersat least25 feetawayfrom

the areaofoperation.

6. Do not operatethe mowerwhen
barefootor wearingopensandals.

Alwayswearsubstantialfoot wear.

Donot pull mower backwards
unlessabsolutelynecessary.Look
downand behindbeforeandwhile

moving backwards.

8. Do not operatethe mowerwithout
properguards,plates,grasscatcher

or other safetyprotectivedevicesin
place.

9. Referto providedinstructionsfor
properoperationand installationof

accessories.Onlyuseaccessories
approvedby GardenWay

Incorporated.

10. Stopthebladewhencrossinggravel
drives,walks, or roads.

11. Stoptheengineand disconnectthe
sparkplug wire from thesparkplug

wheneveryou leavethe unit, before
cleaningthe moweror unclogging

the chute.

12. Shutthe engineoff, wait untilthe
blade comesto a completestop, and

disconnectthespark plugwire be-

fore installing or removingthe

mulchercoveror the optionalgrass

catcher. Makecertainthat thegrass
catcheris securelyattachedbefore

operatingthe mower.Emptythe

grass catcheraftereachuse-

decomposingdebriscouldgenerate

enoughheatto catchfire.

13. Mow in daylightor goodartificial

light.

14. Do not operatethemowerwhile

underthe influenceofalcoholor
drugs.

Section1: Safety

15.

16.

17.

Neveroperatemowerin wet grass.

Alwaysbesureof your footing; keep
a firm hold onthe handleandwalk;

never run.

Disengagethe WheelDriveLeveron

self-propelledmodelsbeforestarting
theengine.

If the unitshould startto vibrateab-
normally,stop theengineanddis-
connectthe sparkplug wire. Then

checkimmediatelyfor thecause.
Vibrationis generallyawarning of

trouble.

18. Alwayswearsafetygogglesor safety
glasseswith sideshieldswhenoper-

ating mower.

19. Watchfor traffic whenoperating
near,or whencrossingroadways.

20. Neverattemptto carrychildrenor
otherpassengerson themower.

Theycouldfall off and beseriously
injured,or theycould interferewith

thesafeoperationof the mower.

21. Checkthe operationof the Operator

PresenceControlBarbeforeeach
use.Seethe MaintenanceSectionof

this manualfor instructions. If the
enginerunslongerthanthreesec-

ondsafter theOperatorPresence
Control Baris released,the system

is not working properly. Immediately
contactyour localservicedealeror

thefactory TechnicalService

Departmentfor instructions. Donot
usethe moweruntilthe mechanism

is repaired.

22. Themoweris equippedwitha safety
dischargechute,comeswith special

mulchercovers,and offers an op-

tionalgrass catcher. Thesafetydis-
chargechute mustbeworking prop-

erly atalltimes. Neverattemptto
disconnector otherwisecausethis

dischargechuteto ceaseworking. If

used,mulchercover or grass

catcherattachmentmust beinstalled
properlyandfunction correctly. Do
not useyour equipmentotherwise.

23. Neverrun theenginein an enclosed
area.Engineexhaustcontainscarbon

monoxide,adeadlygasthat is odor-

less,colorless,andtasteless.Always

runtheengineoutdoorsand make

surethere is adequateventilation.

II. SLOPEOPERATION IV.SERVICE

Slopesarea majorfactorrelatedto
slipandfall accidentswhichcanresult

in severeinjury. All slopesrequire
extracaution.Ifyoufeel uneasyona

slope,donotmowit.

DO:

Mow acrossthefaceof slopes;never
upand down. Exerciseextremecau-

tion whenchangingdirection on
slopes.Avoid slopesgreaterthan

150.
Removeobjectssuch asrocks,tree

limbs,etc.

Watchfor holes,ruts, or bumps.Tall
grass can hideobstacles.

DONOT:

1. Useextracare in handlinggasoline
andotherfuels.Theyareflammable

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

fuelwhen the engineis running.
Allowengineto coolbeforerefu-

eling.Do not smoke.

c) Neverrefuelthe machine

indoors.

d) Neverstore themachineor fuel

containerinsidewhere there is
an openflame,such asawater

heater,etc.

e) Movemowerawayfrom any

gasolinefumes beforestarting
theengine.

2. Neverrunan engineinside aclosed
area.

III. CHILDREN

Tragicaccidentscanoccurifthe opera-
torisnotalerttothepresenceofchil-

dren.Childrenare oftenattractedtothe
mowerandtothe mowingactivity.

Neverassumethatchildrenwill remain
whereyoulastsawthem.

1. Keepchildren out of the mowing
areaand underthe watchful careof

a responsibleadult.
Bealertandturn moweroff if chil-

drenenterthearea.

.

3.

4. Neverallow children to operatethe
mower.

5. Useextracarewhen approaching
blind corners, shrubs,trees,or other

objectsthat mayobscurevision.

Beforeandwhile movingbackwards,
look behindand down for small

children.

3. Nevermakeadjustmentsor repairs
with the enginerunning. Disconnect

thesparkplug wire and keepthe
wireawayfrom the plugto prevent

accidentalstarting.
Keepall nuts andbolts,especially

thebladeattachmentbolts,tight and
keepequipmentin goodcondition.

Nevertamperwith safety devices.
Checktheir operationregularly.

6. Keepmowerfree of grass,leavesor
otherdebris build-up. Cleanup oil or

fuelspillage.Allow mowerto cool
beforestoring.

7. Afterstriking an object,stop the en-
gineand disconnectthe sparkplug

wire. Inspectthe mowerand repair,
if necessary,beforerestarting.

8. Neverattemptto makemowercut-
ting heightadjustmentswhilethe

engineis running.

9. Grasscatchercomponentsaresub-
jectto wear, damageanddeteriora-

tion, which couldexposemoving
parts or allowobjectsto bethrown.

Frequentlycheckcomponentsand
replacewith factory recommended

parts,when necessary.

Donot mowneardrop-offs, ditches,
or embankments.Theoperatorcould

loosefooting or balance.

4.

Donot mowexcessivelysteepslopes.
Donot mowon wet grass.Reduced

footing could causeslipping. 5.

Section1: Safety

13.

10. Mower bladesaresharp andcan
cut.Wrap the bladeor weargloves,

and useextracautionwhenservic-
ing them.

11. Do notchangetheenginegovernor
settingor overspeedthe engine.

12. Do nottouch enginepartswhich
may behot from operation.Allow

partsto cool completelybeforein-
specting,cleaningor repairingthe
mower.

14.

Toaccessthe undersideof the

mower,tip the mower rearward.Do
nottip the mowerforward or on ei-

ther of its sides,unlessspecifically

advisedto do so in this manual.
Maintainor replacesafetyand 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.Do not chargethebatteryin

anairtight space.

b) Donot usea batterycharger

otherthan the oneprovidedwith

the mower.

c) Thebatterycontainstoxic mate-

rials. Do notdamagethe battery

case.If thecaseis brokenor

damaged,avoidcontactwith the
batterycontents.

d) Properlydisposeof adamaged

or worn outbattery.Checkwith
localauthorities for proper dis-

posalmethods.

e) Donot short circuit the battery.

Severeburnsandfire can result.

SAFETYDECALS

Makecertainall safetydecalsonthis equipmentare keptcleanandin good condition. Thedecalsareshown (at reducedsizes)
below. If you needa replacementdecal,pleasereferto the PartsCatalogthataccompaniedthis Manual.

Onleftside ofmowerdeck

OnControlPanel(for electricstartmodel)

Beneathbelt/pulleycover

OnControlPanel (for recoilstartmodel)

DANQER

Ondischargechute

Assembly

ASSEMBLYSTEPS

To preventpersonal injury or 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 entiretybeforebegin-

ningassembly.

STEP1: Unpacking Mower

NOTE:LEFTand RIGHTsides ofthe unit

areasviewedfrom the operator'sposi-
tion behindthehandlebars.

1. Cutstraps, if present,securingunit
to pallet. Leaveuniton pallet during as-
sembly(to safelyremoveunit from pal-

let, wait until youhavecompletedas-
semblysteps 1-4).

2. Removeanyprotectivepackaging
from aroundthe handlebars.Cutthe

plastictie strapsholdingthecontrol rods
and struts tothe handlebars.

NOTE:All referencesto left, right,front

and rearof the machineare determined

bystandingbehindthehandlebarsand

facingthe direction offorward travel.

INSPECTIONAFTERDELIVERY

Inspectthe shippingcrateand machine
immediatelyafterdelivery. Makesure
neitherthe carton/cratenor the contents

havebeendamaged.
If you find or suspectany damage,con-

tact thecarrier(truckingcompany)

immediately. Informthem of thespecific
damageandthatyou wish to file a claim.

To protectyour rights, besureto put
this in writing to thecarrierwithin 15

days. Thecarrierwill letyou knowhow

to proceedwithyour claim. Pleaseletus

knowif you needany assistance.

STEP2: Attach Handlebars
to Engine Deck

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

enginedeck. At the factory, two of these
screws (front) arethreadeddirectlyinto

lock nuts weldedto thebacksidesof the
deck.The remainingtwo screws (rear)

securethe lowerhandleto the deck.

1. Removeandsavethe two 5/16"-18 x
3/4"screws (front) mentionedin the

NOTEabove.

2. Loosen,but do NOTremove,the two
5/16"-18x 3/4" screws(rear). Leavethe

cardboardinsertfound betweenthe left-
hand handlebarandenginedeck,in
place.

3. Carefullypivotthehandlebarsover

• Wire Cutter

• Two7/16" Wrenches

• 3/8" Wrench

• 1/2" Wrench

• Scissorsor PenKnife

theengineandpositionthe handlebar

TOOLS/MATERIALSNEEDED: ends(E, Figure2-2) againstthe sides of

theenginedeck.Do not alloow thehan-
dlebarsto rubagainsttheenginewhile

pivoting them.

4. Looselysecurethe right-handhandle-
barendto the deck byreinsertingthe

screw(D, Figure2-2) removedearlier.

• Needle-nosePliers

Donot securethe left-handhandleat

• Tire Gauge this pointin assembly.

5. Removethecardboardinsertfrom
betweentheleft-handhandlebarand

enginedeck

8. Removethenut from the lower screw
(B,Figure2-1) which securesthecon-

soleto thehandlebaron theleft-hand

Figure2-1

D D ,

i

Figure2-2:Attachhandlebarsandstruts
toenginedeck.

sideof the unit.

7. Positiona handlebarstrut's smaller
hole (A, Figure2-1) overthescrew(B,

Figure 2-1) on the INSIDEofthe con-

sole,with the strut's flat sideagainstthe
console.

8. Usingthe nut removedearlier,secure
thestrut to theconsole/handlebar.

9. Align theloose endof theleft-hand
handlebarstrut (A,Figure2-2) overthe

front holein the handlebarend.Secure
thestrut and handlebartothedeckwith

the5/16"-18x3/4" screw(D, Figure2-2)

removedearlier.

10. Removethe screw (front) that is
looselysecuringthe right-handhandle-

barendto the deck.and repeat6-9 on

the right-handsideof the unit.

11. On bothsidesofthe unit, securely
tightenthe screws(D, Figure2-2)atthe

lowerends of the handlebarbeforetight-
eningthescrews (B & F,Figure2-1) on

theconsole.

Section2: Assembly

STEP3 ATTACHINGTHEBATTERY
CABLES(MODEL F753B)

Thepositive batteryterminal is marked
Pos.(+). Thenegativebatteryterminalis
markedNeg.(-).

Themowerisshipped with thepositive
(Red)cablesecuredto the positiveter-

minal (+) onthe battery.Attachthe
ground (Black)cableto the negativeter-
minal (-) onthe battery,asfollows:

1. Removethe plasticbatterycover (G,
Figure.2-3) byunthreadingthe two wing

nuts (H, Figure. 2-3) which secure it to

the batteryhold-down rods (I, Figure.2-

3)

2. Remove the hex bolt and hex nut

from the groundcable/ heavyblackwire

(E,Figure.2-3).

3. Securetheground cableto thenega-
tive batteryterminal (-) with the bolt and

hexnut just removed.

IMPORTANT:

• If the batteryis putinto serviceafter

the dateshownontop of battery,
chargethe batteryasinstructedin the

Maintenencesectionof this manual
prior to operatingthetiller.

STEP4: Attach Control Rods
A. AttachWheelDriveControlRod

1. Locatethewheel drivecontrol rod(F,
Figures2-4A & 2-7) and removethe an-

gledendfrom theleft handlebarby re-
movingthe hairpinclip whichsecuresit

to theWheelDriveControllever(V,

Figure2-4A)

2. Atleft sideof enginedeck,insert
swivelblock (H,Figures2-4 & 2-5) on
wheeldrive control rod into wheeldrive

control arm (U, Figure2-4).

3. Adda5/16"washer(A, Figure2-4)
andsecurewith a hairpinclip (B).

4. Atupperend ofcontrol rod,re-insert

the angledend into the Wheel Drive

Controllever(V,Figure2-4A) and re-

attach with hairpinclip (BB) removed

earlier.

B.AttachOperatorPresenceControl
Rod

1. LocatetheOperatorPresenceControl
rod (E, Figures.2-4and 2-5). At bottom

ofcontrol rod, insert swivelblock (G,
Figures2-4 & 2-5) into control arm (T,

Figure2-4).

H

Black

(NegativeCable)

H

Red /

(PositiveCable)

Figure2-3: Connectwireterminalstobatteryterminals.

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.

2. Addone5/16"washerand secure

with hairpinclip.

C.AttachBladeDriveControlRod

1. Locatethe bladedrivecontrol rod (C,
Figure2-5). Insertoneendof control rod

into bladedrivebracket(D,Figure2-5).

Add one5/16"washerandattachwith

hairpinclip (CC).

2. Insertthe otherendof rod into bot-

tom endof BladeDriveControl lever(J,

Figure2-5). Add one5/16"washerand

attachwith hairpin clip (AA).

D. AttachandAdjustGearSelectLever
NOTE:The retainingplate(N,Figure2-5)

mentionedin thefollowing stepsis se-

curedto the rearofthe mowerwith two
screws (O, Figure2-5) and1/4"-20 lock-

nuts.Removethe retainingplateand

saveit, along with thetwo screws,be-
fore proceedingwith assembly.

W

H A,B _G

Figure2-4:Left-handcontrolrodsdetail.

Section2: Assembly

BB

Figure2-4A:Attachwheeldrivecontrolrod
tolever.

1. Removethevinyl grip (B,Figure2-6)
from the gearselectlever (I). Placethe

woodedgeagainsttheedgeofthe grip
andslowly pull off the grip.

2. Insertnylon bushing(Z, Figure2-6)
up into console(L).

3. Slidespringandwashers(J) down
ontogearselectlever.

4. Insertgearselectlever(I) upthrough
nylonbushing(Z)in handlebarconsole
(L).Guidepin (K)ongearselectleverinto

grooveinshift quadrant(P).

5. Holdlower part of gearselectlever(I,
Figure2-7) againstbracket(M). Position

retainingplate(N), removedearlier, as
shown in Figure2-7(platebelow

bracket). Secureplatewith two 1/4"-20x
1/2"screws(0) and1/4"-20 Iocknutsre-

movedearlier.

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

7. Rotategearselectlever(I, Figures2-
6 & 2-7) clockwiseuntilspur (K - short

rod) ongearselectrod stops in theneu-
tral position detenton theshift pattern

quadrant(Figure2-6).

8. Moveshift arm (X, Figure2-7)from
sideto sideas necessaryintoeachtrans-

missiongeardetentuntil transmissionis
in neutral.

NOTE:Movingshift arm(X) allthe wayto
theleft, andthen onenotch backtothe

right, should puttransmissioninto neu-
tral. Whentransmissionis in neutral,unit

will movefreely whenpushedwhilehold-
ingthe OperatorPresenceControllever

(W, Figure2-5) down.If transmissionis
NOTin neutral,therewill beaslight drag

on the wheelswhenpushingunit.

W

J

V

F

G N

Figure2-5:Rearviewofcontrolrods.

0

M

C

f

2

K

Pin(K)mustbe inthisdetent

whentransmissionneutralis --_

adjusted.

Figure2-6: Detail - GearSelectLeverin Neutral(N) position.

6

Section2: Assembly

9. Whenshift arm (X)is in neutralposi-

tion, rotateshift link (P)toward endof
gearselectlever rod (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(seeFigure
2-6) while shift link(P, Figure2-7) is

adjusted.

10. Inserthookedendof shift link (P,
Figure2-7) into holein bottom end of

gearselectlever (I) andsecurewith
hairpinclip (Q).

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

11. Removeunitfrom shippingcrate.
Toremove,hold down Operator

PresenceControllever (W, Figure2-5)
which releasesthewheelbrake.

12. Withunit on levelground,hold
downOperatorPresenceControllever

(W, Figure2-5) and pushunitforward
and backward.Thewheelsshouldmove

freely.If not, adjust length of shift link
(P, Figure2-7)as necessary.

13. Putthe GearSelectLeverin neutral
(N), releaseall of the control leversand

try to pushthe unitforward and back-
ward. Thewheelsshould notturn. If

they doturn, an adjustmentisneces-
sary. DONOTOPERATETHEUNIT

UNTILTHEWHEELBRAKEMECHANISM
HASBEENADJUSTEDAND ISWORK-

INGPROPERLY.See"WheelBrake

Adjustment"in Section5 "Maintenance."

STEP5: Secure Wire Harness

1. Atthe unattachedendof theelectrical
wire harness,therearefour wires at-
tachedto a largeplasticconnectorand
two wires attachedto a small plastic

connector.. Plugthelargeconnector
intothe bottom ofthe ignitionkeyswitch

that is locatedonthe undersideofthe
handlebarconsole(notpictured).

3. Usetwo cableties to securethewire

STEP6: Check Motor Oil Level

1. Movemowerto a levelarea.Press
and hold OperatorPresenceControl

lever(W,Figure2-5) to movemower.

2. Themoweris shippedwith oil in the
engine.However,youMUSTcheckthe

oil levelaccordingto theinstructionspro-

videdintheseparateEngineOwner's

Manualincludedinthe unit'sliterature
packagebeforestartingthemower.

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 f o

Figure2-7:Detail- TransmissionNeutralAdjustment.

• Keepoil levelatthe FULLmarkon the
dipstick to avoidenginedamage.

• Changeoil accordingtoscheduleand
instructionsin Section5 "Maintenance."

STEP7: Check Tire Pressure

1. Useatire gaugeto checktheair

pressurein the reartires. The air pres-

sureshould bebetween15-20 PSI (20

PSImaximum).

2. Keepbothtires equallyinflatedto

helppreventmachinefrom pullingto
oneside.

STEP8: After Assemblingand

Before UsingUnit

1. ReadthisentireOwner'sManualfor

harnessto theright handlebarandaway o.
from any movingparts. Placethe ties propersaTety,operationand mainte-

anequaldistanceapart, nanceinformation.

2. Makesuresparkplug wire iscon-

nectedto sparkplug beforestarting unit.

FeaturesandControls

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

instructions in this Manual and on

decalslocatedonmachine.
Severe personal injury or property

damage couldresult it this instruction

isnotfollowed.

IMPORTANT: THE MOWER IS

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 sectiondescribesthe various

featuresand controlson the unit. Refer
to the nextsection "Operation"for

detailedoperatinginstructions. Also,
readthe separateEngineOwner's

Manualfor adetailedexplanationofthe
proper useofthe enginecontrols.

Operator Presence Control

TheOperatorPresenceControllever

(A, Figure3-1) regulatesthe operationof

the rearwheelbrakeandtheseparate

BladeDriveControl. Alwaysengagethis
control beforeengagingtheseparate

bladedriveor wheeldrivecontrols.

Alwaysdisengagethis control before

startingthe engine.

Toengagethe OperatorPresence

Control,pressand holdthe leveragainst

the handlebargrip. Doingso releases
the brakeontherearwheels,allowing

the wheelsto turn. Theengagedposition

alsopermits the separateBladeDrive
Controlto lock in its engagedposition

(allowsthe mowerbladesto turn).

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

the leverwill alsodisengagethe Blade

DriveControl,which will apply a brake

that stops the bladeswithinthree (3)
seconds.

Blade Drive Control

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

gagedriveto themower blades.

Toengagethe blades,first engagethe

OperatorPresenceControl(A,Figure3-

1). Then,pushthe spring-loadedBlade
DriveControllever(B)forward until it

stays in theengagedposition.

Tostop the blades,releasethe

OperatorPresenceControl(A). Doingso

will disengagethe BladeDriveControl

(B) andautomaticallyapplythe brake

that stops the blades.

AlwaysdisengagetheBladeDrive

Controlbeforestarting the engine. This
helpsto ensurethatthe bladeswill not

startturning whenthe enginestarts.

The blade-brake-clutchcontrolsystem
shouldstop the mower blades within

three (3) secondsafter release of the
OperatorPresenceControl.

If the bladesdo not stopwithin 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.

B- BLADE

DRIVECONTROL

Disengage

Engage

C- GEAR

SELECTLEVER

A-OPERATOR

PRESENCECONTROL

Disengage

Engage

Figure3-1

Section3: FeaturesandControls

Operating Symbols Varioussymbolsare usedon the mowerto indicatecontrol settings (your modelmay nothaveall of the

symbols).Thesesymbolsareshown below with a descriptionof their meaning.

ENGINE ENGINE ENGINE

FAST SLOW CHOKE ENGAGE DISENGAGE STOP START RUN

Gear Select Lever

Usethis lever (C,Figure3-1) to select

anyof four forward groundspeeds(1 -

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

patternisshown in Figure3-2.

Toavoiddamagingthetransmis-

sion, donotshiftgearswhenthe

mowerismoving.

Forforward travel,useoneof the four

numberedsettings.Toselectreverse,

shift to neutralandthenpull upon the

lever.Turnthe leverto theR (reverse)
positionand releasethe lever.

Putthe leverin N (neutral)to manu-

ally pushthe mowerand whenthe

moweris not in use.

PresenceControlalong with theWheel
DriveControl.

Whenstarting theengine,theWheel

DriveControlshouldbedisengaged(re-
leased).This helpsto ensurethat the

wheelswill not start turning whenthe
enginestarts.

Do notengagetheWheel DriveControl

without first engaging the Operator

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

brakemechanism.

Figure3-2:
Shiftpattern

onconsole.

A- OPERATOR

PRESENCECONTROL

Disengage

Engage

Wheel Drive Control

Usethis lever (D, Figure3-3)to en-

gageanddisengagedriveto the wheels.

Toengagethe wheels,first selecta

forward or reversegearwith theGear

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

squeezetheWheelDriveControllever

(D)againstthe handlebargrip. The

ground speedcanbevariedby 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 Height Control 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. Adecalandpointer (notillus-

trated) onthe right sideofthe mower
deckshow the cutting heightsettings

rangingfrom A(highest)to G(lowest).

Figure3-4

Mulcher Cover

Themulchercover (F,Figure3-5) is

pre-installedatthe factory. It must be
kept in placewhen using the unit asa

mulchingmower. The mulchercoveris

designedto keepthedischargechute

raisedupwhile you mow. Whenthe

cover is removedfor side-discharge

mowing,the dischargechutelowers.

Referto "4. SelectMulching or Side-

DischargeMowing"in the Operation

Sectionfor mulchercoverinstallation
instructions.

Figure3-5

Section3: FeaturesandControls

Engine Throttle Control

This lever(G,Figure3-6) is usedto

adjust enginespeedsandto stopthe en-
gine. Alwaysrun engineat fastspeed

settingfor bestmower performance.
Thethrottle settings areshown below.

H- IGNITION/STARTER

SWITCH

G- THROTTLECONTROL

J

I_1 CHOKE-Usewhen

startinga coldengine.

FAST- Use during mower

operation.

Figure3-6

_._ SLOW- Usewhenidling

engine.

STOP- Stopsengine.

Ignition/Starter Switch -

(Electric Start Model)

Thisthree-positionswitch (H, Figure

3-6) is usedto startand stop the
engineon electric start models. Theig-

nitionkeysettings areshown below.Do
notturn the keyuntilyou havereadthe

OperationSectioninthis Manual.

Alwaysremoveignition keywhen

leavingmower unattendedor when n-

specting,cleaningor servicing mower.

Engine Recoil Starter

Therecoilstarter (I, Figure3-7)is

usedto "pull-start" the engine. Detailed

instructionsfor usingtherecoilstarter
arefound in theOperationSectionof this

Manualandin the EngineOwner's
Manual.Donot pull the recoilstarter

untilyou havereadthe Operation

Section.

I - RECOIL

STARTER

STOP- Stopsengine.

RUN- Afterstarting, key

returnsto run position.

Figure3-7

START - Starts engine.
Releasekey when engine

starts.

10

Operation

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

instructions in this Manual and on

decalslocatedonmachine.
Severe personal injury or property

damage couldresult if this instruction

isnotfollowed.

BEFOREOPERATINGMOWER

1. Pre-OperaUon Checklist

With the sparkplug wiredisconnected
from thespark plug,performthefollow-

ing checksandservicesbeforeeachuse:

1. ReviewSection1:"Safety"andSection
3, "FeaturesandControls"in this man-

ual. ReadtheseparateEngineOwner's
Manualprovidedwith theunit.

2.Checkunitfor looseor missinghard-
ware.Tightenor replaceasneeded.

3. With the uniton levelground,check
theengineoil level accordingto the

instructionsin the EngineOwner's

Manual. Theoil levelshould beat the
FULLmarkonthe dipstick or up tothe

top ofthe oil fill holeon engineswith-
out a dipstick.

4. Checkall leversfor freedomof move-

ment.Readjustor repairas needed
beforestarting engine.

5. Checkthatall guards andshieldsare
in placeandproperly secured.

6. Inspecttheareato mowedandre-

moveanydebris which couldbe

pickedup andthrown bythe mower

blades.

7. Checkthatthe mulchercoveris prop-
erlyinstalledin the dischargeopening

(seeinstructions in this Section).
Removethe mulchercoverto usethe

side-dischargemowingfeature.

8. Onelectricstart models,checkthat
all wiring connectionsarecleanand

tight.

9. Checktheair pressurein the rear
tires (15-20 PSI). Keeptires inflated

equally.

GASOLINEIS HIGHLYFLAMMABLEAND
ITS VAPORSAREEXPLOSIVE.To help

preventseverepersonalinjuryor prop-
ertydamage:

• Follow gasoline safety rules in

Section1: "Safety" of this Manualand
in the separate Engine Owner's

Manual.

• Neverremovethe gasolinefill cap or
add fuel when indoorsor when engine

is runningor still hot.Allow engineto
coolat leastthree (3) minutesbefore

refueling.

• Keep smokingmaterials, sparksor
flamesfar awayfromfuel tank andfuel

container.

• Store gasoline in an approvedfuel
containerandin a well-ventilatedarea.

Storeit safely outof the reachof chil-
dren. Do notstore gasolinewhereva-

porscan reachan opensparkor flame
or where ignition sourcesare present

(suchas hot water or space heaters,

furnaces,clothesdryers, stoves,elec-
tric motors,etc.).

• Fill tankto 1/2"below bottomoffiller
neckto allowfor fuel expansion.Wipe

up spilled gasoline immediately and

movemowerawayfromgasolinefumes
before starting engine. Securely re-

place caps on fuel tank and fuel
container.

10.Removethefuelcap andcheckthe

levelof gasolineaccordingto the in-

structions in the EngineOwner's

Manual.Cleanaroundfuel fill area
beforeremovingfuel cap. Donot

checkfuel level or addfuelwhile in-
doorsor if engineis running or hot.

Allow engineto cool for three (3)

minutes. Fillthe tankwith fresh,

cleanunleadedgasolinewith a mini-

mum octanerating of 77. Leave1/2"
ofspacefor fuel expansion.Donot

mix oil with gasoline.Donot use

gasolinewhich containsMethanol.

SeetheEngineOwner'sManualfor

instructions and precautionsregard-

ingthe useofgasolinesthat are
blendedwith alcoholsor ethers

(calledoxygenatedor reformulated

gasolines). Securelyreplacecapson
fuel tankandfuel container.

11.Attach sparkplug wireto spark plug
after completingabovechecklist.

2. Set Mower Cutting Height

To avoid personalinjury, do notadjust

cuttingheightwhile wheels or blades

are turning. Release all handlebar

controlsandwait for all motionto stop
beforeadjustingcuttingheight.

1. Releaseall controls beforeadjusting
thecutting height.

2. Adjustthecutting heightfrom 1to 4
inchesby rotatingthe CuttingHeight

Controllever(Figure3-4) eitherclock-
wiseto raisethe heightor counterclock-

wiseto lowerthe height. Notethat ac-
tualcutting heightswill vary according

to grassandsoil conditions. A decaland
pointeron the right side of themower

deckindicatesthe height setting.

3. In heavyor tall grass,it is usually
betterto makethefirst cut at a higher

settingandthen makeasecondcut at
thedesiredheight. In roughterrain, a

highersetting is recommendedasit will

minimizethe chancesof the bladestrik-

ing the ground or hidden obstructions.

11