Using The Mower; To Empty Grass Catcher - Troy-Bilt 13A-344-563 Operator's Manual

Stopping Mower
• Release blade engagement pedal all the way.
• Release the "Go" Pedal and depress the brake
pedal.
• When the mower comes to a complete stop, place
the shift lever in neutral.
• Engage the parking brake by pulling up on the
parking brake knob.
• Turn ignition key to OFF position and remove key.
NOTE: Do not leave the key in the ON position when
you are not operating the mower. Such action will drain
the battery dead.

To Empty Grass Catcher

• Stop the mower completely, pull up on the
parking brake knob and take the ignition key out.
Get off the operator's seat.
• Pivot the hood assembly up. Pull up the
grasscatcher bag by the handle and take it to the
proper disposal site. See Figure 10 .
• Hold the bag away from your body. Push down
on the bag lever and let the bottom section of
the bag fall downwards. The grass clippings
will be disposed of from the bottom. See Figure
10 .
• Tap the bag on the ground so that the three legs
of the bag press against the ground. The bag
lever should snap close while you push the bag
downwards.
• Replace the bag on to the mower making sure
the bag is placed on the flange on top of the
discharge chute. Pivot the hood assembly down.
Grass Catcher
Bag
Figure 10

Using The Mower

Observe safety rules listed on pages 3-5 of this manual
for safe operation of your mower.
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Bag Handle
Mulching
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Push
here
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Hood
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Assembly
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13
Before mowing, make sure that the cutting deck is
leveled. For deck adjustment, refer to page 16.
You can engage the blade by pressing on the blade
engagement pedal with your left foot while sitting
on the operator's seat.
When mowing an area for the first time, watch out
for objects lying on the grass. If you strike a foreign
object, stop the engine. Remove wire from spark
plug and thoroughly inspect the mower for any
damage. Repair the damage before operating it
again.
Avoid scalping the lawn by adjusting the cutting
height upwards and/or sharpening the blades.
Mow at full throttle. Learn the terrain on which you
are mowing. For best mowing results, mow only
when the grass is dry.
The recommended mowing pattern is given below:
Mow grass often and in regular intervals so that you
can cut only 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing.
To empty grass bag, stop the mower completely,
engage the parking brake, and turn the ignition off.
This will prevent the hot engine exhaust gas from
browning the grass.
Many communities no longer haul grass clippings
to landfills. Composting the clippings from your
grass catcher is a viable solution. For this you will
have to empty the grass catcher at the designated
composting site.
Your rider mower is equipped with a mulching plug
to mulch the grass and recycle into the lawn instead
of collecting in the grasscatcher bag.
Mulch only when the grass is dry. Mulching wet
grass may damage the underside of the deck
because wet grass tends to stick to it. Clean deck
thoroughly if you mulch wet grass.
For effective mulching, overlap mowing paths so
that the clippings are distributed evenly.