Making Adjustments - MTD 500 Series Operator's Manual

For a healthier lawn, never cutoffmore than one-third
ofthe total l ength o fthegrass. Your
l awn should be cut
in the fall as long as there is growth. This mower is
designed to be operated at full throttle to give you the
best cut and do the most effective job of mowing or
mulching.
A
WARNING: ff you strike a foreign object,
stop the engine. Remove wire from the
spark plug, thoroughly inspect the mower
for any damage, and repair the damage
before restarting and operating the
mower. Extensive vibration of the mower
during operation is an indication of
damage. The unit should be promptly
inspected and repaired.
Mulching
For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass because it
tends to stickto the underside of the deck, preventing
proper mulching of grass clippings. New or thick grass
may require a narrower cut. The ground speed should
be adjusted to the condition of the lawn. If mowing has
been delayed and the grass has been allowed to grow
in excess of 4", mulching is not recommended. Mow
using the side discharge to reduce the grass height to 3
1/4" maximum before mulching.
SECTION 7: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
WARNING: 0o not at any time make any
adjustments without first stopping engine
and disconnecting spark plug wire.
Cutting Height A djustment
_ LeHelgvEht Adjustment
Figure 15
An adjusting plate and spring lever at each wheel
position provides cutting height adjustment. Each
adjusting plate has nine height positions. When the
spring lever is moved from one location to another the
height of cut will be changed. Simply depress the lever
towards wheel and move lever assembly to desired
position. See Figure 15.
IMPORTANT:All wheels must be placed in the same
relative position. For rough or uneven lawns, move the
height adjustment lever to a higher position. This will
help stop scalping of the grass.
HandleHeightAdjustment
Your mower is shipped with the handle in the higher
height position. To lower the height proceed as follows:
Remove the starter rope from the rope guide.
Remove the upper handle by removing the hand
knobs and cerriage bolts. Lay the upper handle out
of the way, being careful not to bend or kink the
cables.
Remove the hairpin clips from the weld pins on the
handle brackets. Press out on the legs of the lower
handle. Remove lower handle from the mower.
Turn lower handle around so the notch on the
bottom of the lower handle is facing forward.
Reassemble, placing the bottom holes in the
handle over the weld pins in the handle mounting
bracket. See Figure 16.
Reassemble the upper handle to the lower handle.
Place the hairpin clipsin the inner holes in the weld
pins and attach the starter rope as instructedin the
Assembly Section.
\
Notch
Lower Handle
Figure 16
Engine Adjustments
See the separate engine manual packed with your unit
for adjustments to the engine.
13