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18 sectiOn 5— OperatiOn
Mowing
WARNING! To help avoid blade contact or a
thrown object injury, keep bystanders, helpers,
children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine
while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone
enters the area.
The following information will be helpful when using the cutting
deck with your tractor:
WARNING! Plan your mowing pattern to avoid
discharge of materials toward roads, sidewalks,
bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discharging
material against a wall or obstruction which may
cause discharged material to ricochet back toward
the operator.
Do not mow at high ground speed, especially if a mulch kit
or grass collector is installed.
For best results it is recommended that the first two laps be
cut with the discharge thrown towards the center. After the
first two laps, reverse the direction to throw the discharge
to the outside for the balance of cutting. This will give a
better appearance to the lawn.
Do not cut the grass too short. Short grass invites weed
growth and yellows quickly in dry weather.
Mowing should always be done with the engine at full throttle.
Under heavier conditions it may be necessary to go back
over the cut area a second time to get a clean cut.
Do NOT attempt to mow heavy brush and weeds and
extremely tall grass. Your tractor is designed to mow lawns,
NOT clear brush.
Keep the blades sharp and replace the blades when
worn. Refer to Cutting Blades in the Service section of this
manual for proper blade sharpening instructions.
Mulching
Select models come equipped with a mulch kit which
incorporates special blades, already standard on the tractor, in a
process of recirculating grass clippings repeatedly beneath the
cutting deck. The ultra-fine clippings are then forced back into
the lawn where they act as a natural fertilizer.
Observe the following points for the best results when mulching:
Never attempt to mulch if the lawn is damp. Wet grass
tends to stick to the underside of the cutting deck
preventing proper mulching of the clippings.
Do NOT attempt to mulch more than 1/3 the total height of
the grass or approximately 1-1/2 inches. Doing so will cause
the clippings to clump up beneath the deck and not be
mulched effectively.
Maintain a slow ground speed to allow the grass clippings
more time to effectively be mulched.
Always position the throttle control lever in the FAST
(rabbit) position and allow it to remain there while
mowing. Failing to keep the engine at full throttle places
strain on the tractor’s engine and does not allow the
blades to properly mulch grass. Ground speed should be
controlled using the speed control lever.
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NOTE: It is not necessary to remove the discharge chute to
operate the mower with the mulch kit installed.
WARNING! Never operate the mower without the
discharge chute properly attached.
To operate the cutting deck without mulching, simply remove
the mulch plug by unthreading the plastic wing nut which
fastens it to the cutting deck. This will allow the clippings to
discharge out the side. See Fig. 5-2.
Headlights
On some models, the lamps are ON whenever the tractor’s
engine is running. On other models, the lamps are ON
whenever the ignition key is moved into the lights position,
with the engine running.
On all models, the lamps turn OFF when the ignition key is
moved to the STOP position.
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Figure 5-2
18 sectiOn 5— OperatiOn