Rear Discharge
Door
Pivot Rod
Grass
Catcher 
Figure 7
and off the pivot bar. Release the rear dis- charge door.
WARNING: Never operate the mower unless the hooks on the grass catcher are seated on the pivot rod, and the rear discharge door rests firmly against the top of the grass catcher.
CONVERTING TO SIDE DISCHARGE
If your unit is equipped with a side discharge deflector, you can convert to a side dis- charge mower as follows:
•Remove the grass catcher as previously de- scribed.
•On the side of the mower deck, lift the hinged mulching plug. See Figure 8.
•Slide the two hooks on the side discharge deflector under the hinge pin on the hinged mulching plug assembly.
•Lower the hinged mulching plug.
NOTE: Do not remove the hinged mulch- ing plug at any time, even when you are not mulching.
WARNING: All mowers are equipped with a rear protective guard. The guard helps eliminate projectiles thrown by the blade from injuring the operator.
DO NOT REMOVE THIS GUARD.
Hinged Mulching Plug
Side
Chute
Deflector
Figure 8
CONVERTING TO MULCHER
•Remove the grasscatcher.
•If the unit was set up for side discharge, lift the hinged mulching plug on the side of the deck and remove the side discharge chute. Lower the hinged mulch plug. See Figure 8.
CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower without chute deflector, mulching plug or an approved grass catcher in place. The deflector will deflect a projectile thrown by the blade into the lawn.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
•Check all nuts and bolts for correct tight- ness.
CONTROLS
Read this owner’s manual and safety rules before operating your lawn mower. Compare Figure 9 with your lawn mower to familiarize yourself with the location of various controls and adjustments. Save this manual for future reference.
WARNING: The operation of any lawn mower can result in foreign objects being thrown into the oper- ator’s eyes thus causing severe eye damage. Always wear safety glasses while operating the mower, or while performing any adjust- ments or repairs on it.
Drive Control Handle
This mower is equipped with Smart Speed™ transmission which enables the drive control handle to adjust the mowing speed automat- ically with your walking. The drive control handle is located on the upper handle. Push the handle forward to engage drive, pull it backwards to stop. The farther the handle is pushed forward, the faster the mower will propel.
Blade Control Handle
The blade control handle is located on the upper handle of the mower. See Figure 9. The blade control handle must be de- pressed in order to operate the unit. Release the blade control handle to stop the engine and blade.
WARNING: The blade control han- dle is a safety device. Never at- tempt to bypass its operations.
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