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13
OPERATION
MOWING TIPS
• Mower should be properly leveled for best mowing per-
for mance. See “TO LEVEL MOWER HOUSING” in the
Service and Adjustments section of this manual.
• The left hand side of mower should be used for trim-
ming.
• Drive so that clippings are discharged onto the area
that has been cut. Have the cut area to the right of the
machine. This will result in a more even dis tri bu tion of
clippings and more uniform cutting.
• When mowing large areas, start by turning to the right so
that clippings will discharge away from shrubs, fences,
drive ways, etc. After one or two rounds, mow in the
opposite direction making left hand turns until finished
(See Fig. 8).
00272
FIG. 8
TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 6)
When starting the engine for the first time or if the engine
has run out of fuel, it will take extra cranking time to move
fuel from the tank to the engine.
• Sit on seat in operating position, depress clutch/brake
pedal and set parking brake.
• Place gear shift lever in neutral (N) position.
• Move attachment clutch to “DISENGAGED” position.
• Move throttle control to choke position.
NOTE: Before starting, read the warm and cold starting
procedures below.
• Insert key into ignition and turn key clockwise to “START”
position and release key as soon as engine starts.
Do not run starter continuously for more than fifteen
sec onds per minute. If the engine does not start after
several attempts, move throttle control to fast position,
wait a few minutes and try again. If engine still does
not start, move the throttle control back to the choke
position and retry.
WARM WEATHER STARTING (50° F and above)
• When engine starts, move the throttle control to the
fast position.
• If grass is extremely tall, it should be mowed twice to
reduce load and possible fire hazard from dried clip-
pings. Make first cut relatively high; the second to the
desired height.
• Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet grass will plug
mower and leave undesirable clumps. Allow grass to
dry before mowing.
• Always operate engine at full throttle when mow-
ing to assure better mowing performance and proper
dis charge of ma te ri al. Regulate ground speed by se-
lect ing a low enough gear to give the mower cut ting
per for mance as well as the quality of cut desired.
• When operating attachments, select a ground speed
that will suit the terrain and give best performance of
the at tach ment being used.
ADD GASOLINE
• Fill fuel tank to bottom of filler neck. Do not overfill.
Use fresh, clean, regular un lead ed gasoline with a
minimum of 87 octane. (Use of leaded gasoline will
increase carbon and lead oxide deposits and reduce
valve life). Do not mix oil with gasoline. Purchase fuel
in quan ti ties that can be used within 30 days to assure
fuel freshness.
CAUTION: Wipe off any spilled oil or
fuel. Do not store, spill or use gasoline
near an open flame.
IMPORTANT: WHEN OPERATING IN TEMPERATURES
BELOW32°F(0°C), USE FRESH, CLEAN WINTER GRADE
GAS O LINE TO HELP INSURE GOOD COLD WEATHER
START ING.
CAUTION: Alcohol blended fuels (called gasohol
or using ethanol or methanol) can attract moisture
which leads to sep a ra tion and for ma tion of acids
during storage. Acidic gas can damage the fuel sys-
tem of an engine while in storage. To avoid engine
problems, the fuel system should be emptied before
stor age of 30 days or longer. Drain the gas tank,
start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and
carburetor are empty. Use fresh fuel next season.
See Storage In struc tions for additional information.
Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in
the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur.
• For cold weather operation you should change oil for
easier starting (See “OIL VISCOSITY CHART” in the
Maintenance sec tion of this manual).
• To change engine oil, see the Maintenance section in
this manual.
• The attachments and ground drive can now be used. If
the engine does not accept the load, restart the engine
and allow it to warm up for one minute using the choke
as described above.
COLD WEATHER STARTING ( 50° F and below)
• When engine starts, allow engine to run with the
throttle control in the choke position until the engine
runs roughly, then move throttle control to fast posi-
tion. This may require an engine warm-up period from
several seconds to several minutes, depending on the
tem per a ture.
• The attachments can also be used during the engine
warm-up period.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold
temperatures (below 32 F) the carburetor fuel mixture may
need to be adjusted for best engine performance. See “TO
ADJUST CARBURETOR” in the Service and Adjustments
section of this manual.