Driving Forward Or Backward; Stopping The Machine; Side Discharge Or Mulch Grass; Installing The Discharge Cover - Toro 71242 Operator's Manual

Driving Forward or Backward

The throttle control regulates the engine speed as measured
in RPM (revolutions per minute). Place the throttle control
in the Fast position for best performance.
To go forward or backward, release the parking brake; refer
to Releasing the Parking Brake, page 13. Place your foot on
the traction control pedal and slowly press on the top of the
traction control pedal to move forward or on the bottom of
the traction control pedal to move backward (Fig. 14). The
farther you move the traction control pedal in either
direction, the faster the machine will move in that direction.
To slow down, release the pressure on the traction control
pedal.
Important
To avoid transmission damage, always
release the parking brake before moving the traction control
pedal.
Figure 14
1. Traction control pedal
2. Forward

Stopping the Machine

To stop the machine, release the traction control pedal,
disengage the PTO, and turn the ignition key to Off to stop
the engine. Also set the parking brake if you leave the
machine unattended; refer to Setting the Parking Brake,
page 13. Remember to remove the key from the ignition
switch.
Caution
Children or bystanders may be injured if they
move or attempt to operate the tractor while it is
unattended.
Always remove the ignition and KeyChoice keys
and set the parking brake when leaving the
machine unattended, even if just for a few minutes.
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3. Backward

Side Discharge or Mulch Grass

Danger
Without the grass deflector, discharge cover, or
complete grass catcher assembly mounted in place,
you and others are exposed to blade contact and
thrown debris. Contact with rotating mower
blade(s) and thrown debris will cause injury or
death.
Never remove the grass deflector from the
mower because the grass deflector routes
material down toward the turf. If the grass
deflector is ever damaged, replace it
immediately.
Never put your hands or feet under the mower.
Never try to clear discharge area or mower
blades unless you move the PTO to Off and
rotate the ignition key to Off. Also remove the
key and pull the wire off the spark plug(s).
The mower has a hinged grass deflector that disperses
clippings to the side and down toward the turf.
To mulch grass clippings you must install the discharge
cover (optional on some models) into the opening in the
side of the mower; refer to Installing the Discharge Cover,
page 18.

Installing the Discharge Cover

To convert from side discharge to a mulching mower,
install the discharge cover into the opening at the side of
the mower.
1. Shut the engine off and remove the ignition key.
2. Lift the grass deflector and slide the tabs on top of the
discharge cover under the grass deflector retaining rod.
Rotate the discharge cover down over the opening, and
onto the lower lip of the mower (Fig. 15).
3. Secure the discharge cover to the lower lip of the
mower with bolts and nuts (Fig. 15).
Note: Do not overtighten the nuts which could distort the
cover and cause blade contact.
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