Engaging The Blades - MTD Series 600 Operator's Manual

_ ARNING: Do not mow on inclines with a slope in
excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2
feet every 10 feet). The tractor could overturn and
cause serious injury.
Mow up and down slopes, NEVER across.
Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on
slopes.
Watch for holes, ruts, bumps, rocks, or other hidden
objects. Uneven terrain could overturn the machine. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.
Avoid turns when driving on a slope. Ira turn must be
made, turn down the slope. Turning up a slope greatly
increases the chance of a roll over.
Avoid stopping when driving up a slope. If it is necessary
to stop while driving up a slope, start up smoothly and
carefully to reduce the possibility of flipping the tractor
over backward.
Setting The CruiseControl
1. Place the shift lever in the FORWARD position, then slowly
depress the drive pedal until the desired speed is achieved.
2. Lightly depress the cruise control button.
3. While continuing to hold the cruise button in, lift your
foot from the drive pedal (you should feel the cruise latch
engage).
Once engaged, the cruise control button and the drive pedal
will lock in the "down" position, and the tractor will maintain the
same forward speed.
NOTE: Cruise control can not be engaged at the tractor's
fastest ground speed. If the operator should attempt to do so,
the tractor will automatically decelerate to the fastest optimal
mowing ground speed.
Disengage the cruise control using one of the following
methods:
1. Depress the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control
and stop the tractor.
2. Lightly depress the drive pedal.
To change to the reverse direction when operating with cruise
control, depress the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control
and bring the tractor to a complete stop. Then place the shift
lever in the REVERSE position and depress the drive pedal.
Using the Deck Lift [ever
To raise the cutting deck, move the deck lift lever to the left, then
place it in the notch best suited for your application. Refer to
Setting The Cutting Height earlier in this section.
Engaging the Blades
Engaging the PTO (Blade Engage) transfers power to the cutting
deck or other (separately available) attachments. To engage the
blades, proceed as follows:
1. Move the throttle control lever to the FAST (rabbit)
position.
2. Grasp the PTO (Blade Engage) lever and pivot it all the
way forward into the engaged (ON) position.
IMPORTANT: The engine will automatically shut off if the PTO
lever is engaged with the shift lever in position for reverse travel.
Refer to Safety Interlock Switches earlier in this section.
Mowing
_ ARNING:To help avoid blade contact or a
thrown object injury, keep bystanders, helpers,
children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine
while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone
enters the area.
The following information will be helpful when using the cutting
deck with your tractor:
WARNING: Plan your mowing pattern to avoid
discharge of materials toward roads, sidewalks,
bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discharging
material against a wall or obstruction which may
cause discharged material to ricochet back toward
the operator.
Do not mowat high ground speed, especially ira mulch kit
or grass collector is installed.
For best results it is recommended that the first two laps be
cut with the discharge thrown towards the center. After the
first two laps, reverse the direction to throw the discharge
to the outside for the balance of cutting. This will give a
better appearance to the lawn.
Do not cut the grass too short. Short grass invites weed
growth and yellows quickly in dry weather.
Mowing should always be done with the engine at full
throttle.
Under heavier conditions it may be necessary to go back
over the cut area a second time to get a clean cut.
Do NOT attempt to mow heavy brush and weeds and
extremely tall grass. Your tractor is designed to mow lawns,
NOT clear brush.
Keep the blades sharp and replace the blades when worn.
Refer to Cutting Blades in the Maintenance & Adjustment
section of this manual for proper blade sharpening
instructions.
Headlights
On some models, the lamps are ON whenever the tractor's
engine is running. On other models, the lamps are ON
whenever the ignition key is moved into the lights position,
with the engine running.
On all models, the lamps turn OFF when the ignition key is
moved to the STOP position.
SECTION S -- OPERATION
17