Section 6: Making Adjustments; Leveling The Deck - Cub Cadet CLT-538 Operator's Manual

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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 on page 20 of this
manual for proper blade sharpening instructions.
Mulching
Some models NOT all come equipped with a mulch kit
which incorporates special blades, already standard on
your 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
recommendations 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.

SECTION 6: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

WARNING:
adjustments while the engine is running,
except where specified in the operator's
manual.

Leveling the Deck

NOTE:
Check the tractor's tire pressure before
performing any deck leveling adjustments. Refer to
Tires on page 20 for information regarding tire pressure.
Front To Rear
The front of the cutting deck is supported by a stabilizer
bar that can adjusted to level the deck from front to rear.
The front of the deck should be between 1/4-inch and
3/8-inch lower than the rear of the deck. Adjust if
necessary as follows:
With the tractor parked on a firm, level surface,
place the deck lift lever in the top notch (highest
position) and rotate the blade nearest the discharge
chute so that it is parallel with the tractor.
Measure the distance from the front of the blade tip
to the ground and the rear of the blade tip to the
ground.
The first measurement taken should be between
1/4" and 3/8" less than the second measurement.
Determine the approximate distance necessary for
proper adjustment and proceed, if necessary.
Never attempt to make any
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.
NOTE:
It is not necessary to remove the discharge
chute to operate the mower with the mulch kit installed.
NOTE:
The mulch kit is installed on models equipped
with a 42-inch deck. It is packed separately (with an
instruction sheet) in the crate on models equipped with
a 46-inch deck.
To operate the cutting deck without mulching, simply
remove the mulch plug by unthreading the plastic wing
nut and removing the cupped washer, which fastens it
to the cutting deck. This will allow the clippings to
discharge out the side.
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 out of the
STOP position.
Locate the jam nut and lock nut found on the front
side of the stabilizer bracket. See Figure 9. After
loosening the jam nut:
Tighten the lock nut to raise the front of the deck;
Loosen the lock nut to lower the front of the deck.
Retighten the jam nut loosened earlier after proper
adjustment is achieved.
16
Figure 9

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