Yazoo Red Rider User manual

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W!ARNING' 95 out of .100. mowi ng accidents are caused by the way

. the machine IS operated. ""'"'

That's why you shouldn't even start the ignition of your new riding mower until you've . )

read and thoroughly understand this Owner's Manual (particularly the safety rules).

This riding mower is a heavy piece of machinery that is only as safe as its operator. You

make the rules, so make mowing safety a habit in your family.
Owner's Responsibility

. Insist on a safety demonstration from your Yazoo . Never carry passengers. And don't allow anyone

dealer. (particularly children) to remain in the area you're

. Read this Owner's Manual thoroughly and under- about to mow.

stand how your mower works. Make sure you know. If someone should approach you, or if you need .!.
how to stop your engine quickly. Know where the to get off your mower for any reason, shut off your I

brakes are. engine completely-including blade drive and

. Before you start your mower, detach the spark plug ignition. Do this. manually, even though your mower

wire and disengage the blade drive. Then inspect has a cut-off switch.
beneath the cutting section, making sure all blade. Do not alter or remove the safety guards or safety

nuts are tight, and no foreign object is caught devices.

: underneath. Finally, check the entire mower and . Never operate your Yazoo rider at more than a

! make sure that all nuts, bolts and parts are secure. 15-degree angle of bank. Most engines don't lubri-

i . Adjust the cutting height while ttle mower is on a cate themselves properly at an a~gle greater than

level, firm surface. 15 degrees. Remember, too, that If you go over a

. Inspect t~e Intended mowing area and .plck u.p any so allow plenty of margin to take care of the

st°!1es, ~tlcks, bottle caps or other foreign objects unexpected. Most riding mower accidents happen
which might be thrown by a mower. on slopes of more than 15 degrees.

. Check all fluid levels-oil, gas, battery. . On slopes, mow across, not up and down. To

. Make sure blade is disengaged and shift into control your Yazoo on slopes, use the foot brake

neutral before starting mower. as necessary. ,"~

. The grass catcher bag must be properly installed . Never let a child operate a mower. And never let .~.J

in order to operate efficiently. When installing the anyone else operate your mower, unless he or she
bag make sure that the side with the tightly woven has received a complete course of instruction­fabric is next to the engine. This will allow proper including a safety demonstration-on how the
air circulation for most efficient operation and also mower operates and has read and understands the

protect the motor from dust and grass accumulation. Operator's Manual.

. When mowing without the grass catcher, the grass. Do not race the engine; this is not only dangerous,

chute (part number 306-023) must be removed. it's harmful. Don't alter governor settings.

After removi~g. the grass ch~t.e make sure that the. Never mow at night or other times when visibility

chute guard IS In proper position. If your mower . I '
does not have a spring action chute guard, the IS ow.

grass chute must be replaced with a chute guard . Never run the mower indoors where carbon
(part number 306-024). Failure to have a properly monoxide fumes can collect.

installed ch~te guard c.ould ~esult in injury from . Handle gasoline with care. Never add fuel to a
thrown de~rls .and engine failure due t~ grass running engine. When you run out of gas, allow
accumulation In the shroud of the engine. your engine several minutes to cool down before

. 0 . refueling. Gasoline spilled on a hot engine is a

While peratlng: fire hazard.

. Wear sensibl.e cl<?thing-l~ng pants; boots or heavy. Allow the engine to cool before storing rider in

shoes that will grip, even In wet weather; ~afety any enclosure such as a garage or storage shed.

glasses to protect the eyes from low hanging . .

branches; and thin gloves (like golfers') for a sure . To reduce p<?tentlal fIre hazard, keep your mower

grip. Also, don't wear anything that's so loose that free fro~ ~ulld-ups.of grass, grease, leaves and

it might get caught on something. accumulations of dirt.

. If your mower ever vibrates excessively or sounds

unusual, shut off your engine, disconnect the Maintain your Yazoo properly at all

spark plug and disengage the blade driv~. Then-:- times. Check parts frequently and

and only th.en-iook u!1derneath the cutting s.ectlon follow our maintenance and storage'

I for something caught In ttie blade, or something .

:' that has been loosened or bent. Ins ruc Ions.

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. . . root or bump, the angle of the mower will change,

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",- ASSEMBLY

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CAUTION: Always disconnect spark plug wire Activating Battery:
and place wire where it cannot contact spark plug CAUTION: There have been isolated cases of battery

. to pre,=ent accidE:'ntal sta~ting when setting-up, acid boiling out onto the battery compartment deck.

adjusting or making repairs to mower. To prevent this the following rules should be followed.

Your Yazoo Red Rider was carefully inspected .

and placed in a carton designed to protect it from . R~move vent caps from all.cells and ,~III each ,?ell

damage during shipment. WI.t~ electr~lyte (battery fluid) to the marked

It was shipped completely assembled. All you minimum line.

will have to do is check the oil level, fill the gasoline. After filling allow the battery to stand for half an
tank with unleaded regular gasoline and activate the hour. Check level of fluid, it should be up to the ring

battery. We recommend that you have your dealer at the bottom of the filler necks, add more fluid if

activate the battery before taking delivery. necessary. Replace vent caps loosely, rinse off any

spillage and wipe dry.

ACTIVATING BATTERY: . Connect wires from battery charger to terminals

WARNING: Always wear protective clothing such on battery. Red, positive (":t-) to positi~e termi~al

as rubber gloves, apron and goggles when working and black, negatIVe (-) wIre to negatIVe terminal.
with battery fluid. Battery fluid is an acid and . Boost the battery on quick charger at low amp

is very corrosive. Avoid contact with eyes, skin (about 5-15 amps) for 5-10 mtnutes.

or cl~t~~iery fluid is spilled, flush area with water. . Battery should read at least 1260 on hydrometer

.

Spilled fluid will damage the paint on your mower when Installe~.. .

- if not washed off immediately. . After battery IS charged, If needed, top off with

(\, Keep out of reach of children. Call physician distilled water, not to exce~d maximum line. Tighten

'- immediately if the fluid gets into anyone's eyes vent caps, clean up any spillage and replace on

or if swallowed. mower in same position in which it was shipped.

If swallowed; drink large quantities of water . Replace hold down clamp.

or milk. Follow with milk of magnesia, beaten eggs . . . . .

or vegetable oil. Call a physician. . Connect positIVe (+) cable to positIVe (+) terminal.

If in the eyes: flush with water for at least

15 minutes and call a physician. WARNING: Positive battery cable must be connected

first to prevent sparks from accidental grounding.
WARNING: GASSES PRODUCED BY THE . Connect negative (-) cable to negative (-) terminal.
BATTERY WHEN CHARGING ARE EXP.LOSIVE . The mower is now ready for use.

AND POISONOUS. Charge battery only In a well
ventilated area. Do not inhale gasses. Do not charge
near an open flame and be careful to avoid causing IMPORTANT!
any sparks when attaching or removing cables. Do not Fuel shut-off valve
smoke when charging battery.

Battery Removal

The battery should be removed to prevent paint
damage when activating and charging. Before remov-

ing carefully note the position of the battery in the i

mower, the position of the positive and negative -- :
terminals and how the positive and negative cables To avoid gasoline spilling or entering the
are attached to these terminals. After the battery crankcase close the shut-off valve when

is charged it must be returned to the same position transporting or servicing your mower, or

and the cables connected in exactly the same way. whe.never it is likely that the engine miqht ~

. Remove cables from terminals. be tilted. Turn the shut-off valve clockwise to;.

- close, counter clockwise to open. If possible,

C- , . Remove hold-down clamp from battery. after closing the valve, run the motor until

. Remove battery from mower. it cuts off in order to burn all the fuel from

the carburetor.

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OPERATION "~

WARNING: Before starting mower, detach spark Do not fill the fuel tank while the engine is running.

plug and inspect beneath the cutting head. Make Avoid spilling gasoline on a hot engine. This can
sure blade retaining nuts are tight and no foreign cause an explosion and serious injury. Store
object is caught underneath. gasoline in a clean, approved container in a cool

ventilated place. Keep out of the reach of children.

Caution: Fill the crankcase with proper oil before

starting engine. See that oil level is maintained
at the proper level.

Controls '"

The lever to your left when seated on the mower
controls the cutting height. Squeeze the handle

and move the lever to anyone of five settings.

Cutting height varies from 1 ~ II to 3~~ I

Throttle

The lever on the left side of the dashboard is

the throttle. All the way to rear is off, all the way

forward is the choke position. In between are

Always wear safety glasses or eye shields operating positions from idle to fast.

during mower operation. We recommend standard
safety glasses or a Wide Vision Safety Mask over

spectacles.

DO NOT wear loose clothing that might
become tangled in the mower's moving parts. DO
wear work shoes or boots and light gloves such as

those worn by golfers for a firm grip.. ~ !

DO NOT run your lawnmower without an .J

in covered position.

NEVER carry passengers on this mower.
Don't allow anyone (~articularly children) to remain
in the area you are about to mow.

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, Starter

The starter key is located on the right side of the
dashboard. A back-up recoil starter is located on

top of the motor.

tCutting Height Adjustment

Iapproved grass collector in place or deflector'

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Before Starting Engine

. Check oil before each use while mower is on

a level surface. Fill with SAE30 oil or equivalent.

. Fill fuel tank with regular automotive gasoline.

Do not mix with any additives. Lead-free gasoline
is recommended. Gear Shift Lever

Warning: Exhaust gases contain Carbon Monoxide Caution: Always bring the mower to a complete

which is an odorless and d~adlY poison. Prop.er. stop before shifting from forward to reverse, or !'
care must be taken to provl'de adequate ventilation reverse to a forward gear. Sudden changes of )
when running an engine indoors. direction could throw you from the mower.

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