Clutch-Brake Pedal; Parking Brake; Shift Lever; Safety Interlock System - MTD 650 Operator's Manual

SpeedControl L ever
The speed control lever,
located on the right side of
the center console, allows
you to regulate the ground
speed of the lawn tractor.
To use, depress the clutch-
brake pedal and move the
lever out of the parking
brake notch and forward to
increase the tractor's
ground speed. When a
desired speed has been
reached, release the lever
into an appropriate notch to
maintain that speed.
To slow the tractor's
ground speed, depress the clutch-brake pedal and
move the speed control lever rearward and release it
into a notch.
Clutch-brake Pedal
The clutch-brake pedal is located on the left side of the
lawn tractor, along the running board. Depress the
clutch-brake pedal part way down when slowing the
tractor by changing speeds (Refer to SpeedControlLever).
Depress the pedal all the way down to engage the disc
brake and bring the tractor to a complete stop.
NOTE:
The pedal must be depressed to start the
engine. Refer to SafetyInterlock Switches on page 11.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, fully depress the clutch-brake
pedal. Move the speed control lever all the way to the
rear and release it into the parking brake position.
Release the clutch-brake pedal to allow the parking
brake to engage.
To release the parking brake, depress the clutch-brake
pedal and move the speed control lever out of the
notches to the desired position. Release the speed
control lever and the clutch-brake pedal.
NOTE:
The parking brake must be set if the operator
leaves the seat with the engine running or the engine
will automatically shut off.
IMPORTANT:Always set the parking brake when
leaving the tractor unattended.
ShiftLever
F
The shift lever is
located in the center of
the console and has
three positions, F
(Forward), N (Neutral)
and R (Reverse). See
Figure 4. The clutch- Shift
brake pedal must be Knob
fully depressed and the
tractor must not be in
motion when the moving shift lever.
N
R
IMPORTANT:Never force the shift lever. Doing so may
result in serious damage to the tractor's transmission.
NOTE:
If difficulty is encountered while attempting to
shift, release the clutch-brake pedal slightly before fully
depressing the pedal again.
DeckEngagement / Lift Lever
Found on the right side of the tractor, the deck
engagement/lift lever is used to set the mowing deck's
cutting height and engage the power to the cutting deck
or other (separately available) attachments. To
operate, move the lever to the right and forward, before
placing it a notch for your desired cutting height. Moving
the lever to the right and all the way rearward placing it
into the BLADES STOP position disengages power to
the cutting deck/attachment.
NOTE:
The deck engagement/lift lever must be in the
disengaged (BLADES STOP) position when starting
the engine, when traveling in reverse and if the operator
leaves the seat.
SECTION 5: OPERATING THELAWNTRACTOR
SafetyInterlock System
,_ WARNING: Read, understand, and follow
all instructions and warnings on the machine
and in this manual before operating.
This tractor is equipped with a safety interlock system
for the protection of the operator. If the interlock system
should ever malfunction, do not operate the tractor.
Contact an authorized MTD service dealer. The safety
interlock system prevents the engine from cranking or
starting unless the parking brake is engaged, and the
deck engagement/lift lever is in the disengaged
(BLADES STOP) position.
• The engine will automatically shut off if the operator
leaves the seat before engaging the parking brake.
11