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Section 4: Operation
This speedis mosteffectiveon short,
thin grass.
3. Pull the WheelDriveBail (B, Figure
4-7) up againstthe handlebarto power
the rear wheelsand moveforward.
NOTE:Release the WheelDrive Bailand
continue to holdthe OperatorPresence
Control Bail (A, Figure4-7) to pause
during mowing with the enginerunning,
or to maneuverin tight or difficult
conditions.
Turning the Mower
1. Forshortturns, releasethe Wheel
DriveBail (B, Figure4-7) but continue to
hold the OperatorPresenceControl Bail
(A). This disengages the wheel drive, but
the engine continues t o run.
2. Pressdown on the handlebarto raise
the front end slightly.
3. Pushthe handlebaropposite the
direction to which you want to turn.
4. Forlonger,widerturns, there is no
needto disengagethe poweredwheels.
Figure4-7: Disengaging the wheelswith
enginerunning.
MOWINGTIPS ANDHINTS
Mow WhenLawn Is Dry
Do not mow grass when itis wet. Wet
grass is difficult to mow and clumps
together inside the mower housing. This
causesinefficient o peration and an
unevencut. Additionally,wet clippings
stick together in unsightly clumpsontop
of thelawn which causes inefficient
absorption of nutrients back intothesoil.
Avoid Midday Mowing
If possible, m ow in the lateafternoon or
early evening to avoid exposing newly cut
grass to thedryingeffects of direct
sunlight.
Never Cut LowerThan One-ThirdGrass
Height In OnePass
If possible, m ow
1
often enoughor
....
_-
high enoughto
_. U\\|L_,__
avoid cutting off
__'
morethan 1/3 of
the grass height.
Forexample,if you
are maintainingyour lawnat 2", mow
beforeit reaches3".
Removingmore than 1/3 of total grass
bladelength may exposetender, shaded
stems to the drying effects of the sun and
wind and producea dull, brown-looking
lawn. Cutting off too much leaf areais
also a shockto the root system and it
maytake weeksto repair the damage.
Cleon Mower Frequently
Cleanthe mowing housingfrequently to
removeanygrass build-up. Referto the
cleaninginstructions in Section 5.
Vary Cutting Pattern
Varythe cutting
pattern from week
to week. Oneweek
mow horizontally.
Mow verticallythe following week. This
helps preventwear patterns and soil com-
paction.
Side-DischargeMowing
Whenin Side-Discharge mode, try cutting
in a circularpattern withthe chute
inward, facing the uncut area. This
resultsin lessclumping by recutting the
clippings for a finer,cleaner appearance.
AvoidSharpTurns
Sharpturns may producean unevencut.
If possible,follow naturalground
contours or usegentle, sweepingturns
for a better looking lawn.
Mow Long6rass Twice
ifthe grass
is 5" long or
"" = "'"%.
oncem°re'atCUtitthe
_ ''
"'''
''
''''I"_
highest
setting and then mow it again at the
desiredheight. This method may
producetoo many clippings to usethe
mulchereffectively. Usethe Grass
Catcherto removethe grass clippings.
Use ExtremeCautionon Slopes
When operating on
sloping ground,
exerciseextreme
caution and usegood
common senseto
avoidpossible
personalinjuryor property damage.
To avoidinjuryor property damage:
• Maximumsafe operating angleis 15o.
• Exceeding maximum safe operating
angle may cause tipping or loss of
footing.
• Do not mowwet slopes.
• Mow across slopes, notup anddown.
• Exercise extreme caution when
changing directiononslopes.
Do not mow steep slopes! Avoid slopes
greaterthan 15 degrees,or wherever
footing is unsure. If a slope is difficult to
stand on, it is probablytoo steepto mow
(in such a case,it may be bestto
establisha ground cover that doesn't
require mowing).
Do not mow on slopes whenthe ground
is wet. Mow acrossthe face of slopes,
neverup and down. Slow downand
exerciseextreme caution when changing
direction on slopes. Keepthe Wheel
Drive Bail engaged to ensureeasier
operationand better control of the mower
EmptyGrassCatcher WhenFull
Emptyingthe GrassCatcherwhen it is full
results in better collection and mower
performance. E mptythe bag assoon as
the bag isfilled. SeeBagging Modefor
more informationon the GrassGauge
feature.
13
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