Assembly; Operation; Maintenance - Murray 20408x34A Instruction Manual

ASSEMBLY

NOTE: Illustrations and pictorials begin on
page 2.
Unpacking instructions (Figure 1)
The mower was fully assembled at the factory.
When the mower was put in the carton, the
handle was put in the storage position. To put
the handle in the operating position, follow the
steps below.
1. Remove the mower from the carton.
2. Put the lower handle (1) in the operating
position.
3. Remove the hair pins (2) from the lower pin.
Attach the hair pins (2) to the upper pins
(5).
4. Put the upper handle (3) in the operating
position. Tighten the knobs (4).
5. (Figure 14) To attach the recoil–start grip
(1) to the rope guide (2), twist the rope
through the rope guide (2) mounted on the
right side of the handle.
NOTE: If you cannot attach the
recoil–start grip because the rope is too
short, hold the engine stop lever against
the handle. Slowly pull the recoil–start
grip.
CAUTION: Be careful when you fold or raise
the handle. Do not damage the cables. A
cable that is bent will not work correctly. Be-
fore you use the unit, replace a bent or dam-
aged cable.
How To Assemble The Grass Bag
1. Slide the frame assembly (4) into the ends
of the support tube (3).
2. (Figure 3) Attach the clips (5) to the frame
assembly (4).
3. (Figure 4) Close the top cover (6). When
operating the mower with the grass bag, the
top cover (6) must be in the closed operat-
ing position.
How To Mount The Grass Bag (Figure 4)
1. To mount the grass bag on the mower, raise
the rear door (1). Hold the handle (2) of the
grass bag. Put the grass bag in the operating
position. Lower the rear door (1).
IMPORTANT: Make sure the rods, on each
side of the frame assembly, are mounted in
the notches (3) of the handle brackets (4).
How To Prepare The Engine
Note: Engine does not contain OIL or PET-
ROL.
WARNING: Follow the engine
manufacturer's instructions for the
type of petrol and oil to use. Al-
ways use a safety petrol container. Do not
smoke when adding petrol to the engine.
When inside an enclosure, do not fill with
petrol. Before you add petrol, stop the en-
gine. Let the engine cool for several min-
utes.
See the engine manufacturer's instructions for
the type of petrol and oil to use. Before you use
the unit, read the information on safety,
operation, maintenance, and storage.
F–99415
Mulching finely cuts the grass so that the grass
can be easily recycled. Because the nutrients
are returned to the soil, the lawn will need less
fertilizer. To correctly mulch the lawn, follow the
tips below.
S
The grass must be dry. If the grass is wet, it will
be difficult to cut and cause heavy clumps of
grass.
S
The grass must not be too tall. The maximum
height to effectively cut is 4 1/2 inches. Set the
height adjusters so that only the top third of the
grass is cut.
S
If the grass is more than 4 1/2 inches high, two
mowings will be necessary. For the first mow-
ing, set the height adjusters in the highest posi-
tion. Then, lower the height adjusters for the
second mowing.
S
Keep a sharp edge on the blade. A blade that
is not sharp will cause the ends of the grass to
become brown.
S
Clean the underside of the mower housing.
Grass and other debris can keep the mower
from working correctly.
If the quality of cut is marginal, try the follow-
ing:
S
Set the height adjusters at a higher cutting
height.
S
Cut the grass more frequently.
S
Operate the mower at a slower ground speed.
S
Overlap the cutting swaths instead of cutting a
full swath with each pass.
S
Mow across the marginal areas a second time.

OPERATION

NOTE: Illustrations and pictorials begin on
page 2.
Engine Stop Lever (Figure 6)
Release the engine stop lever (1) and the
engine and the blade will automatically stop. To
run the engine, hold the engine stop lever (1) in
the Operating position (2)
Before you start the engine, operate the engine
stop lever (1) several times. Make sure the
cable moves easily.
How To Stop The Engine (Figure 6)
To stop the engine, release the engine stop
lever (1). Disconnect the wire from the spark
plug to prevent the engine from starting.
If the engine will not stop, hold a screwdriver
against the spark plug and against the engine
cooling fins. The spark will go to ground and the
engine will stop. Before you start the engine,
check the engine stop cable. Make sure the
engine stop cable is assembled correctly. Before
you operate the unit, replace a bent or damaged
engine stop cable.
How To Start The Engine
WARNING: The blade will rotate
when the engine runs.
1. Check the oil.
2. Fill the fuel tank with regular unleaded petrol.
See "How To Prepare The Engine".
3. Make sure the spark plug wire is connected
to the spark plug.
8
4. (Figure 8) Some models have a primer but-
ton (1) on the front or side of the engine.
Push the primer button (1).. Every time you
push the primer button (1), wait two sec-
onds. For the number of times required to
push the primer button (1), see the engine
manufacturer's instructions.
NOTE: Do not use the primer button to
start a warm engine.
5. (Figure 9) Stand behind the mower. Use one
hand to hold the engine stop lever (1) in the
operating position as shown. Use the other
hand to hold the recoil–start grip (2).
6. Rapidly pull the recoil–start grip (2). Slowly
return the recoil–start grip (2).
7. If the engine does not start in 5 or 6 tries,
See the "Trouble Shooting Chart" Instruc-
tions.
How To Operate The Mower
WARNING: Check the condition of
the grass bag for wear or deteriora-
tion. If worn or damaged, replace
the parts only with approved factory re-
placement parts. For replacement parts,
see the parts list in this book.
To completely fill the grass bag, operate the
engine with the throttle control in the FAST
position.
How To Empty The Grass Bag (Figure 4)
WARNING: Before you remove the
grass bag, stop the engine. Before
you remove any grass from the
mower housing, disconnect the wire from
the spark plug.
1. (Figure 4) Raise the door (1) to a vertical
position.
2. Lift the frame assembly (2) over the two
handle notches (3).
3. (Figure 5) Open the top cover (5). Empty
the grass from the bag.
4. (Figure 4) To mount the grass bag on the
mower, raise the door (1). Put the two rods
of the frame assembly into the two notches
(3).
5. Lower the door (1).

MAINTENANCE

NOTE: Illustrations and pictorials begin on
page 2.
Use the following maintenance section to keep
your unit in good operating condition. All the
maintenance information for the engine is in the
engine manufacturer's instructions. Before you
start the engine, read this book.
WARNING: Before you make an in-
spection, adjustment (except
carburettor), or repair, disconnect
the wire from the spark plug.
Lubrication
1. For maximum performance, lubricate the
wheels and all pivot points with engine oil
every 25 hours.
2. To lubricate the engine, refer to the engine
manufacturer's instructions.
NOTE: Do not lubricate the engine stop
cable. Lubricants will damage the cable and
prevent the cable from moving freely. Re-
place the cable if bent or damaged.