MTD 970 Lawn Mower User Manual


 
11
to slip and fall. New grass or thick grass may
require a narrower cut.
For a healthy lawn, always cut off one-third or less
of the total length of the grass. Lawn should be
trimmed in fall as long as there is growth.
IMPORTANT:
Move the shift lever only when the engine
is running. Changing the shift lever setting with the
engine off can cause damage to the mower.
Mulching
For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass. New or
thick grass may require a narrower cut. If the grass has
grown in excess of 4”, mulching is not recommended.
Mow using the side discharge to reduce the grass
height to 3.25” maximum before mulching.
Bagging Grass Clippings
You can use the grass catcher bag to collect clippings
while you are operating the mower.
Attach grass catcher following instructions on page
8 of this manual. Grass clippings will automatically
collect in the bag as you run the mower.
Operate the mower till the grass bag is full.
Stop engine completely by releasing the blade
control handle. Make sure that the unit has come to
a complete stop.
While holding the grass bag by both the rear handle
and the lower handle, lift the grass bag straight up
off the adapter. The chute door will move the rope
out of the way of the bag.
Continue to hold the lower handle and raise the
rear of the grass bag up toward your chest. The
grass bag will open and the grass clippings will
disperse. When replacing the grass bag, be sure
the top of the bag rests on the wire support
between the handles.
SECTION 6: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
Handle Height
Your mower is shipped with the handle in the higher
height position. To lower the height, proceed as follows:
Remove the starter rope from the rope guide.
Remove the wing nuts and carriage bolts securing
the upper handle. Remove and lay the upper
handle out of the way, being careful not to bend or
kink the cables.
Remove the hairpin clips from the weld pins on the
handle brackets and remove the wing nuts and
carriage bolts from the upper hole on the handle
mounting bracket.
Press out on the legs of the lower handle and
remove lower handle from the mower.
Turn lower handle around so the notch on the
bottom of the lower handle is facing forward.
See Figure 11.
Figure 11
Reassemble the handles, placing the bottom holes
in the handle over the weld pins in the handle
mounting bracket.
Place the hairpin clips in the inner holes in the weld
pins and insert the carriage bolts through the upper
hole on the handle mounting bracket and secure
with plastic wing nuts.
Reassemble the upper handle to the lower handle.
Attach the starter rope as instructed on page 8.
Cutting Height
Your mower is shipped with the cutting height in the
lowest position. The cutting height adjustment lever is
located above the left rear wheel. To adjust the cutting
height, proceed as follows:
WARNING: If the mower strikes a foreign
object, stop the engine. Remove spark plug
wire from the spark plug and thoroughly inspect
for any damage. Repair the damage promptly
before restarting and operating the mower.
WARNING: Do not at any time make any
adjustments without first stopping engine and
disconnecting spark plug wire.
Notch
Lower Handle