Mulching Mowing Tips

OPERATION

MOWING TIPS

eDo not use tire chains when mower housing is attached to unit

eRun the engine at FAST speed position.

•Control forward ground speed with shift control lever in accordance with type and quantity of grass being mowed. The more grass to be cut, a slower forward ground speed should be used. When cutting light grass, forward ground speed can be increased By observing cutting action of your mower, you can determine the forward g round speed_

eYour mower may tend to leave unmowed strips when long and tender gr ass is being mowed Tender grass has a high internal moisture content and is easily depressed by lawn tractor wheels, and may not always spring back in time to be cut. To overcome this condition, we advise mowing lawn in a counterclockwise direction, overlapping previous cut, which allows lifting action of rotating blades to lift grass into cutting path.

eWhen mowing large areas, start in a clockwise direction so clippings will discharged away from shrubs, fences, driveways, etc After one or two rounds, mow in coun- terclockwise direction until finished (see Fig 12).,

eBe sure your mower is adjusted properly, front-to-rear and side-to-side, (see To Level Mower Deck in Service

•and Adjustments section)

eOnly cut grass that is dry

eMow grass often Short grass clippings wilt decay fast e Keep blades sharp. Sharp blades vviflcut better.

eYour tractor is very maneuverable and can be reversed to back out of dead ends.

To mulch grass with a mulching mower, you wilt need to do several things differently than with a conventional mower.

You must change your mowing habits in order to maximize effectiveness of your mulching mower. This could mean siowing down the pace that you currently use to mow your fawn to allow the mulcher extra time to cut and recut the clippings into a fine mulch_The volume of grass that is under the deck of a mulcher is greater at any time than it is with a conventional lawn mower_

WHEN MULCHING LAWN FOR THE FIRST T1ME-

•Set cutting height at highest setting and mow in one direction._

eUpon completion of first mowing, lower the cutting height to middle setting and mow a second time at 90 ° to first cut or in a cfiss-cross pattern. You can also recur in same direction by overlapping the center of the mower over the wheel tracks of the first cut.

,_ CAUTION:whiteand backingLook.downDisengageandbehindmowerbefore blades before backing upo

FIG. 12

RETRAINING LAWN TO BE CUTWITH MULCHING MOWER-

•Mow your lawn frequently

eFor a mulching mower to performbest, we recommend that you remove about ! "to 1-1/2" of grass with each cut if your grass is very thick or lush, you may want to remove as little as tt2" on final cut to produce the best possible result. This could mean that you must mow your lawn every 3-5days under certain growing conditions

•If the height of the grass should get out of control, we recommendthat you follow instructions for first time mulch- ing to bring lawn back to a manageable height. The opti- mum grass height isdependent on grass type and immediate local growing conditions, Consult your local agricultural extension office for this information.

•Keep your engine running at full speed (throttle at fast) 11 you slow downthe engine running speed you will slow bfade speed as well, which will impair the ability of the mower to cut grass properly.

•After mewing your lawn, check under the mower deck to be sure it is clean and free of grass buildup. Do not allow the grass to build up because it will impair ability of mower to cut properly,.

•Keep the blade sharp It needs to be kept sharp and free from nicks to keep from damaging the grass tips while cutting grass quickly and efficiently

eKeep your lawn watered, fertilized frequently, and free of debris,

•Mulching mower will not perform properly in wet grass Cut only when it is dry..

NOTE: To convert from mulching to conventional Iawnmowing see TO REMOVE MULCHING PLUG in CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES section ot this manual.