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Engaging the Drive
WARNING
Avoid sudden starts, excessive speed and sudden stops.
1.
Start the engine as instructed earlier in this
section and move the throttle control into
the FAST position.
2.
Refer to Figure 3-1 for the
following instructions.
R R
N N
STOP
STOP
F F
Figure 3-1
3.
To travel FORWARD:
a.
Move the speed control lever
forward to about one third of full
speed (position 2) until you are
fully familiar with the operation of
the mower.
b.
Hold both steering levers and
release the neutral latch levers from
the neutral lock position.
c.
Slowly release the steering levers
and the mower will move ahead in
a straight line. To turn the mower,
squeeze the steering lever on the
side to which you want to turn.
d.
To stop the mower's forward motion,
squeeze both steering levers until
the mower stops and place the
neutral latch levers into the neutral
lock position.
Important: Squeezing the left steering
control only will create a counter-clockwise
pivot or U-turn and applying the right
steering control only will create a clockwise
pivot or U-turn. Applying both levers will
stop the machine without turning.
4.
To travel in REVERSE:
DANGER
Look behind the mower before and during reverse operation.
Stop the mower blades before operating in reverse.
a.
Disengage the blades.
b.
Stop the mower's forward motion
by squeezing both steering levers to
the neutral position.
WARNING
To avoid possible bodily injury and to prevent damage to
the transmission, the mower must be completely stopped
before attempting to shift from forward to reverse or
reverse to forward.
c.
Check that the area behind is clear.
d.
Slowly squeeze the steering levers
and the mower will begin to
move backward.
10
S
3 — c
ection
ontrolS
Do not leave the operator's position without first disengaging
the PTO. If leaving the mower unattended, also turn the
engine off and remove the ignition key.
Engaging the Blades
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.
1.
Move the throttle control lever to the
FAST position.
2.
Engage the operator presence levers.
3.
Pull up on the PTO knob until it engages and
the blades start rotating.
Operating On Slopes
Refer to the SLOPE GAUGE in the Safe Operation
Practices section to help determine slopes where
you may safely operate the mower.
Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15°/25% (a
rise of approximately 2-1⁄2 feet every 10 feet). The mower
could overturn and cause serious injury.
•
Mow across the face of slopes; never up
and down.
•
Exercise extreme caution when changing
direction on slopes.
•
Watch for holes, ruts, rocks, hidden objects,
or bumps which can cause you to slip or trip.
Tall grass can hide obstacles.
•
Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall
can cause serious personal injury.
•
Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or
embankments, you could lose your footing
or balance.
•
Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees
as shown on the slope gauge.
•
Do not mow on wet grass. Unstable footing
could cause slipping.
Setting Deck Height
To adjust the deck height, adjust the clevis pin
location in the deck adjustment pins and the deck
lift adjustment collars.
1.
Securely grasp one of the three handles on
the deck (see Figure 3-2 for location) and
lift slightly to remove the cotter pin (a). See
Figure 3-3.
& o
peration
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
Figure 3-2
(b)
(c)
Figure 3-3
2.
Raise or lower the deck on the deck
adjustment pin (b) and in combination with
the deck lift adjustment collar (c), find the
desired height.
3.
Insert the cotter pin (a) back into the deck
adjustment pin (b) at the desired position.
4.
Repeat these steps for the other three deck
adjustment pins (b) making sure the height is
the same for all four deck adjustment pins (b).
Mowing
The following information will be helpful when
operating your mower.
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.
•
Be sure area is clear of rocks, sticks, toys, wire,
or other objects that could be thrown by the
mower. Survey the entire area to be mowed.
Make sure that the accessories and attachments
would be suitable for use on the terrain.
•
Use care when approaching blind corners,
shrubs, trees or other objects that could
obstruct vision.
•
To mow grass and produce a striped pattern:
•
Pick a point on the opposite side of
the area to be mowed (post, tree,
shrub, etc).
•
If on a hillside, start at the bottom
so that the turns are uphill rather
than downhill.
•
Align the mower so as to head
directly toward the object on the
far side.
•
Slowly increase the speed of the
machine to match cutting conditions,
terrain, and operator familiarity with
the controls and keep the machine
headed directly toward the alignment
object. Do not go fast as to reduce
cut quality or to be uncomfortable in
controlling the speed and direction of
the machine.
•
When approaching the other end
of a strip, slow down or stop before
turning. A U-turn is recommended.
(a)
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