Yard Machines 429 User Manual
Operator’s Manual
21” Rear Dischar ge
Push Mower
Model Series
410 through 429
IMPORTANT: Read safety rules and instructions carefully before operating equipment.
Warning:
covered, brush-covered 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 through your nearest engine authorized
service dealer or contact the service department, P.O. Box 368022 Cleveland, Ohio 44136-9722.
ECO # 2844
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-
MTD PRODUCTS INC. P.O. BOX 368022 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-9722
FORM NO.
770-10110B.fm
(1/2001)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Page
Important Safe Operation Practices ..................................................................3
Slope Gauge .....................................................................................................6
Assembling Your Lawn Mower...........................................................................7
Know Your Lawn Mower ....................................................................................10
Operating Your Lawn Mower .............................................................................11
Making Adjustments ..........................................................................................12
Maintaining Your Lawn Mower...........................................................................13
Off-Season Stoarge...........................................................................................15
Troubleshooting.................................................................................................15
Parts List............................................................................................................16
Shroud Chart .....................................................................................................18
FINDING MODEL NUMBER
This Operator’s Manual is an important part of your new lawn 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 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 standing at the operating position and 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 in the space below.
(Model Number)
CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136
(Serial Number)
MTD PROD UCTS INC
Copy the model number here:
Copy the serial number here:
CALLING CUSTOMER SUPPORT
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) 220-4MTD (4683) or 1- (800)-800-7310 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 .
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SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES
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 exhau st, some of its constituents, and certain v ehi cle c om pon ents c onta in o r e mit
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 ru les fo r s afe o pera tio n i n this m an ual . As wi th
any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury. This
machine is capable of amputatin g hands a nd feet and thr owing object s. Failure t o observe the following saf ety instru ctions could result in ser ious inj ury or death.
General Operation
1. Read this operator’s manual carefully in its entirety
before attempting to assembl e this mac hine. Read ,
understand, and f ollow all instructi ons on th e machi ne
and in the manual(s) before operation. Be com pletely
familiar with the controls and the p roper use of this
machine before operating it. Keep this manual in a safe
place for future and regular refe rence and for orderi ng
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 fo r any othe r purpose.
3. Never allow childre n under 14 y ears old to operate this
machine. Children 14 ye ars old and over should read and
understand the op eration in struction s and s afety r ules in
this manual and s hould be trained an d superv ised by a
parent. Only responsibl e individuals wh o are familiar with
these safe operatio n rules s hould us e this m achine.
4. Thoroughly inspect the area wh ere the equipment i s to
be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones, toy s and
other foreign obje cts which could b e tripped over or
picked up and throw n by the b lade. Thro wn obje cts can
cause serious personal inj ury. Plan your mowing patt ern
to avoid discharge of materi al toward ro ads, sid ewalks,
bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discha rging mat erial
against a wall or obst ruction which may ca use discharged
material to ricochet b ack toward the operat or.
5. To help avoid blade contact or a thro wn object injury, stay
in the operator zo ne behin d the han dles and keep
bystanders, helpers , childre n and pet s at leas t 75 feet
from the machin e while it is in op eration . Stop mac hine if
anyone enters the a rea.
6. Always wear safet y glasses or safety goggles during
operation and while p erforming an adju stment or repair to
protect your eyes. Thrown objects which ricochet can
cause serious inj ury to the eyes.
7. Wear sturdy, rough-sol ed work shoes a nd close-fi tting
slacks and shirts. Sh irts and pants tha t cover the arms
and legs and steel-toed shoes are recommen ded. Never
operate this machine in bare feet, sa ndals, slippery or
light weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.
8. Do not put hands o r feet near rotating p arts or und er the
cutting deck. Contact with the blade can amputate hands
and feet.
9. A missing or damaged discharg e cover can cause b lade
contact or thrown o bject in juries.
10. Many injuries occur as a resul t of the mower being pul led
over the foot duri ng a fall caused by slip ping or tri pping.
Do not hold on to the mow er if you are falling; release the
handle immediatel y.
11. Never pull the mowe r back to ward yo u while y ou are
walking. If you must back the mower away from a wall or
obstruction first look do wn and beh ind to av oid trippi ng
and then follow th ese step s:
a. Step back from the mower to fu lly exte nd your
arms.
b. Be sure you are well balance d with sure footing.
c. Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way
toward you.
d. Repeat these steps as neede d.
12. Do not operate the m ower whi le under t he influe nce of
alcohol or drugs.
13. Do not engage the self-prope lled mec hanism on units
so equipped while starting engine.
14. The blade control handle is a safety device. Never
attempt to bypas s its operat ion. Doi ng so m akes the
safety device inoperat ive and may result in per sonal
injury through contact with the rotating blade. The blade
control handle m ust opera te easily i n both di rections and
automatically return to the di sengaged positio n when
released.
15. Never operate the mow er in wet gra ss. Always be sure of
your footing. A s lip and fa ll can c ause se rious person al
injury. If you fee l you are lo sing yo ur footi ng, releas e the
blade control han dle immedi ately an d the bla de will stop
rotating within three second s.
16. Mow in daylight o r good arti ficial l ight. Walk, never r un.
17. Stop the blade wh en crossin g gravel drives, wa lkways
or roads.
18. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop
the engine and check immedia tely for the cause .
Vibration is gener ally a warn ing of tro uble.
19. Shut the engine off and wa it until t he bla de come s to a
complete stop before removi ng the grass catcher or
unclogging the c hute. The cutting blade co ntinue s to
rotate for a few second s after th e engine is shut off.
Never place any part of the body in the blade area until
you are sure the blade has stopped rot ating.
20. Never operate mower w ithout pr oper trail shield ,
discharge cover , grass c atcher, blad e cont rol handl e or
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other safety protec tive dev ices in p lace and working.
Never operate mower with damaged sa fety devices.
Failure to do so, ca n result i n persona l injury .
21. Muffler and engine beco me hot and can cause a burn. Do
not touch.
22. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by
the original equi pment manuf acturer (O.E.M). Failu re to
do so can result in personal inju ry.
23. If situations occur which are not covered in this manua l,
use care and good judgment. Cont act your dealer for
assistance. Tel ephone 1- 800-800-731 0 for the name of
your nearest dealer.
Slope Operation
Slopes are a major f actor re lated to slip and fall accid ents
which can result in seve re inju ry. Opera tion on s lopes
requires extra cauti on. If you feel une asy on a slope, do not
mow it. Before opera ting this unit on a slope or h illy ar ea, use
the slope gauge on page 6 to measu re slopes . If the s lope is
greater than 15 de grees, do not mow it.
Do:
1. Mow across the face of sl opes; never up and down.
Exercise extreme cauti on when changing d irection on
slopes.
2. Watch for holes, ru ts, rocks, hidden ob jects, o r bumps
which can cause you to s lip or tri p. Tall grass c an hide
obstacles.
3. Always be sure of your footi ng. A slip and fall can ca use
serious personal in jury. If y ou feel y ou are lo sing yo ur
balance, release the blade c ontrol han dle imm ediately ,
and the blade w ill stop rotating wi thin 3 se conds.
Do Not:
1. Do not mow near d rop-offs, d itches o r embank ments,
you could lose your foot ing or bal ance.
2. Do not mow slopes greater th an 15 degre es as shown on
the slope gauge.
3. Do not mow on wet grass. U nstable footing c ould cau se
slipping.
Children
Tragic accident s can occu r if the o perator is not al ert to the
presence of childre n. Chil dren are of ten attrac ted to the
mower and the mowi ng activ ity. They do not unde rstand the
dangers. Never assum e that c hildren wil l remain where you
last saw them.
1. Keep children out of t he mow ing area a nd under the
watchful care of a responsi ble adul t other than the
operator.
2. Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the area.
3. Before and while moving backw ards, look behin d and
down for small ch ildren.
4. Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,
doorways, shrubs, tree s, or othe r objects th at may
obscure your vision of a child who may run into the
mower.
5. Keep children away fro m hot or runni ng engin es. They
can suffer burns from a hot muffler.
6. Never allow childre n under 14 y ears old to operate a
power mower. Child ren 14 ye ars old a nd over shou ld
read and understand t he ope ration inst ructions a nd
safety rules in this manual and sho uld be tra ined and
supervised by a parent.
Service
Safe Handling Of Gasoline:
1. To avoid personal injury or pro perty damage use extre me
care in handling gasolin e. Gasol ine is e xtremely
flammable and the v apors are explosiv e. Serious
personal injury c an occur w hen gas oline is spilled o n
yourself or your c lothes which can ignit e.
2. Wash your skin and chan ge clothe s imme diatel y.
3. Use only an appro ved gaso line con tainer.
4. Never fill contain ers insi de a veh icle or o n a truck or
trailer bed with a p lastic liner. Al ways place containers o n
the ground away from your v ehicle b efore filli ng.
5. If possible, remo ve gas-p owered equi pment fro m the
truck or trailer and re fuel it on the groun d. If this is not
possible, then re fuel such e quipment on a trailer with a
portable container, ra ther than from a gasoli ne dispenser
nozzle.
6. Keep the nozzle i n contact w ith the rim of the fuel tank or
container opening a t all times until fue ling is complete. D o
not use a nozzle l ock-open device.
7. Extinguish all ciga rettes, c igars, pip es and othe r sources
of ignition.
8. Never fuel machin e indoors becaus e flammable vapors
will accumulate in the area.
9. Never remove gas ca p or a dd fuel wh ile the e ngine is hot
or running. Allow e ngine to c ool at l east two m inutes
before refueling.
10. Never over fill fue l tank. Fi ll tank to no mor e than ½ inch
below bottom of fil ler neck to provi de space for fuel
expansion.
11. Replace gasoline cap and tighten s ecurely.
12. If gasoline is spi lled, wi pe it off the engin e and
equipment. Move unit to a nother area. Wait 5 minute s
before starting the en gine.
13. Never store the machine or fuel cont ainer inside whe re
there is an open flame, spark or pilot light as on a w ater
heater, space heater , furnace, cloth es dryer or other g as
appliances.
14. To reduce fire hazard, k eep mower free of gras s, leav es,
or other debris bui ld-up. C lean up o il or fue l spillage and
remove any fuel soaked debris .
15. Allow a mower to coo l at least 5 minutes before stori ng.
General Service:
1. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ven tilated
area. Engine exhau st conta ins carb on monox ide, an
odorless and dea dly gas .
2. Before cleaning, re pairing, o r inspec ting, mak e certain
the blade and al l moving p arts hav e stopped . Disconn ect
the spark plug wir e and ground aga inst the engine to
prevent unintended starting .
3. Check the blade a nd engine mountin g bolts at frequ ent
intervals for proper tightne ss. Also, visual ly inspect blade
for damage (e.g., b ent, crac ked, worn) Re place bl ade
with the original equip ment manufacture’s (O. E.M.) blade
only, listed in this manual. “Use of parts whi ch do no t
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meet the original equipment specific ations m ay lead to
improper performance and com promise sa fety!”
4. Mower blades are s harp and can cut. Wrap the b lade or
wear gloves, and u se extra caution when se rvicing the m.
5. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the
equipment is in safe work ing cond ition.
6. Never tamper with safety devices. Check their proper
operation regularly.
7. After striking a foreign o bject, stop the engine, dis connect
the spark plug wire and grou nd agains t the engine.
Thoroughly inspect the mower for any da mage. R epair
the damage before st arting and operat ing the mow er.
8. Never attempt to ma ke a w heel or c utting hei ght
adjustment while the engin e is runn ing.
9. Grass catcher componen ts, discharge cover, and trail
shield are subject to wear and dama ge which could
expose moving pa rts or allo w objec ts to be thrown. For
safety protection, frequentl y check componen ts and
replace immediatel y with original equipm ent
manufacturer’s (O.E.M.) p arts only , listed in this ma nual.
“Use of parts which do not m eet the ori ginal eq uipment
specifications ma y lead t o imprope r performan ce and
compromise safety!”
10. Do not change t he engine governor setting o r overs peed
the engine. The go vernor co ntrols th e maxim um safe
operating speed o f the engi ne.
11. Maintain or replac e safety and ins truction labels, a s
necessary.
12. Observe proper disp osal law s and regulation s. Improp er
disposal of flui ds and mate rials ca n harm th e
environment.
Your Responsibility
• Restrict the use of this power machine to persons who read, understand and follow the warnings and instru ctions in
this manual and on the machine.
1299 AC
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SECTION 2: SLOPE GAUGE
OR A FENCE POS T
A CORNER OF A BUILDING
A POWER POLE
SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE
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WARNING
15°
feet). On steeper inclines, a riding mower could overturn and cause serious injury. If operating a walk-
behind mower on such a slope, it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip, resulting
Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10
in serious injury. Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes, never across the face of slopes.
USE THIS PAGE AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE SLOPES WHERE YOU MAY NOT OPERATE SAFELY.
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