Yard-Man 247.371060 Owner's Manual

YaRD-MaN

OWNER'S GUIDE

20" MULCHING

PUSH MOWER

MODELNO.

247.371060

Factory No.

11A-106C402

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-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.

MTD PRODUCTS INC. P.O. BOX 368022 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-9722

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

FORM NO. 770-10213

(12/98)

SECTION 1: FINDING MODEL NUMBER

This owner's guide is an important part of your new lawn mower. It will help you assemble, prepare and

maintain your mower. Please read and understand what it says.
Before you start assembling the mower for its first use, please locate its model plate and copy the
information on to this owner's guide. The information on the model plate is very important if you need
help from your dealer or the MTD customer support department.

• Every mower has a model plate. You can locate it by standing behind the unit in the operating

position and looking down at the cutting deck.

• The model plate will look like this:

XXX-X-XXX-X-XXX XXXXXXXXXXX

l

CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136

This is where your model number will be.

This is where your sedal number will be.

Copy the model number here:

Copy the serial number here:

SECTION 2: CALLING WARRANTY SERVICE

• LOCATE MOWER MODEL NUMBER AND SER|AL NUMBER -- Record this information in the

space provided. To find your unit's specific model number and serial number, see previous section.

• If you are having difficulty assembling this product or have any questions regarding the controls,

operation or maintenance of this unit, please call Customer Support Department.

• Customer Support can be reached by dialing: 1- (330) 220-4MTD

(4683)

or

1- (800)-000-7310

• Please have your mower's model number and serial number ready when you call.

• Although both numbers are important, you will be asked to enter only your mower's serial number
before your call can be processed.

SECTION 3: 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 YOUR LAWN
MOWER. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY. WHEN

YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL, HEED ITS WARNING.

DANGER: Your lawn mower 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 lawn mower is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to
observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death.

1, GENERAL OPERATION

• Read this owner's guide carefully in itsentirety 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.

• Your rotary mower 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.

• Never allow children under 14 years old to operate a

power mower. Children 14 years old and over should

only operate mower under close parental supervision.

Only responsible individuals who are familiar with
these rules of safe operation should be allowed to

use your mower.

• Keep the area of operation clear of all persons,

particularly small children and pets. Stop engine
when they are in the vicinity of your mower to help
prevent blade contact or thrown object injury.
Although the area of operation should be completely
cleared of foreign objects, an object may have been
overlooked and could be accidentally thrown by the
mower in any direction and cause serious personal

injury to the operator or any others allowed in the

area.

• 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 picked

up and thrown by the mower in any direction and
cause serious personal injury to the operator or any
others allowed in the area, Plan your mowing pattern
to avo)d discharge of materiat toward roads,
sidewalks, bystanders and the like. To help avoid a
thrown objects in ury, keep children, bystanders and

helpers at least 75 feet from the mower wh e it is in

operation.

• Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles during
operation or while performing an adjustment or repair,

to protect eyes from foreign objects that may be

thrown from the machine in any direction.

• 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. Do not wear loose fitting clothes or

jewelry. They can be caught in moving pads. Never

operate a unit in bare feet, sandals, or sneakers.

• Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating pads.
Keep clear of discharge opening at all times as the
rotating blade can cause injury.

• Many =njuries occur when the mower is pulled over
the foot during a fall. Do not hang on to the mower if

you are falling; release the handle immediately.

• Never pull the mower toward you while you are
walking. If you must back the mower away from a wall
or obstruction first look down and behind, 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.

• Do not operate the mower while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.

• Disengage the self-propelled mechanism or ddve
clutch on units so equipped before starting the

engine.

• 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.

• Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be

sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious
personal injury. Keep a firm hold on the handle and
walk, never run. Mow only in daylight or in good
art_icial light.

• Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or
roads.

• If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally,
stop the engine and check immediately for the cause.
Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.

• Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to
a complete stop before removing the grass catcher or

unclogging the chute. The cutting blade continues to
rotate for a few seconds after the engine is shut off.
Never place any part of the body in the blade area
until you are sure the blade has stopped rotating.

• Never operate mower without proper guards, grass
catcher, plates or other safety protective devices in

place.

• Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a
burn. Do not touch.

• Only use accessories approved for this machine by

the manufacturer. Read, understand, and follow all

instructions provided with the approved accessory.

• If situations occur which are not covered in this
manual, use care and good judgment. Contact your

dealer for assistance.

• Do not adjust throttle control with the engine running.

2. SLOPE OPERATION

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
as shown on the slope gauge, do not operate this mower,

3

DO:

• Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down.
Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on

slopes.

• Watch for holes, ruts, hidden objects, or bumps. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.

• Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can

cause serious personal injury.

DO NOT:

3.

• Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments.
The operator could loose footing or balance.

• Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as
shown on the slope gauge.

• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced footing could

cause slipping.

CHILDREN

• After striking a foreign obect, stop the engine,
remove the wire from the spark plug, and thoroughly
inspect the mower for any damage. Repair the
damage before starting and operating the mower.

• Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height
adjustment while the engine is running.

• Grass catcher components are subject to wear,

damage and deterioration, which could expose
moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For safety
protection, frequently check components and replace
with manufacturer's recommended parts, when

necessary.

• Mower blades are sharp and can cut. Wrap the
blade(s) or wear gloves, and use extra caution when

servicing them.

• Do not change the engine governor setting or

overspeed the engine. Excessive engine speeds are

dangerous.

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. Never assume that children

will remain where you last saw them.

• Keep children out of the mowing area and under the
watchful care of a responsible adult other than the
operator.

• Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the area.

• Before and while moving backwards, _sek behind and
down for small children.

• Never allow children under age 14 to operate the
mower.

• Use extreme care when approaching blind comers,

shrubs, trees, or other objects that may obscure your

vision of a child or hazard.

4. SERVICE

• Use extreme care in handling gasoline and other
fuels. They are extremely flammable and the vapors

are explosive.

• Use only an approved gasoline container.

• Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is

running. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes
before refueling.

• Replace gasoline cap securely and wipe off any
spilled gasoline before starting the engine as it may
cause a fire or explosion.

• Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other

sources of ignition.

• Never refuel machine indoors because flammable
vapors willaccumulate in the area.

• Never store the machine or fuel container inside
where there is an open flame or spark such as a gas
water heater, space heater, or furnace.

: Never run an engine inside a closed area.

To redLv:e fire hazard, keep mower free of grass,

leaves or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel
spillage. Allow mower to cool at least 5 m nutes

before storing.

• Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain
the blade and all moving parts have stopped.

Disconnect the spark plug wire, and keep the wire
away from the spark ptug to prevent accidental
starting.

• Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at

frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually
inspect blade for damage le.g., bent, cracked).
Replace with blade which meets original equipment
specifications.

• Keep art nuts, botts, and screws tight to be sure the

equipment is in safe working condition.

• Never tamper with safety devices. Check their proper

operation regularly.

WARNING - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY:

Restrict the use of this power machine to
persons who read, understand and follow

the warnings and instructions in this

manual and on the machine.

ER

Figure 1

WARNING: To reduce the risk of
injury, do not operate mower

unless rear trailing shield is in its

proper place.

4

03

USE THIS PAGE AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE SLOPES WHERE YOU MAY NOT OPERATE SAFELY.

SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE _ mI

.

U

A CORNER OF A BUILDING _ ' ,, ,, ,, f "

OR A FENCE POST I_ i I ,, o " "

•,° I

, _5o _o O

...-_-'T_.O£'\_".. "° I

oo,.OO ?.-- 800 tjO I

oo

oIii

|

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 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 in serious injury.
Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes, never across the face of slopes.

Operate WALK-BEHIND mowers across the face of slopes, never up and down slopes.

SECTION 5" UNPACKING

Removing Unit From Carton

• 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., owner's manual, etc.).

• Cut along dotted lines and lay carton down flat.

• Remove packing material.

• Roll or slide unit out of carton. Check carton thoroughly for loose parts.

SECTION 6: SETTING UP

IMPORTANT: This unit is shipped WITHOUT GASOLINE or OIL. 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 isobserved from the operating position.

Tools Required

Pair of pliers (not necessary, but helpful)

Assembling Mower

• Remove any packing material which may be between the upper and lower handles for shipping
purposes.

• Disconnect spark plug wire from the spark plug and ground it against the engine. On engines with a
rubber boot, attach rubber boot to a bolt on the engine to ground, See Figure 2.

Spark Plug Wire

Spark Plug

r:l_-

)i

JI

"V" Slot

On Engine

Jg

Wire

(Engine with Rubber Boot) (Engine without Rubber Boot)

Figure 2