Yard Machines 070 Series manual Adjustment, Lubrication, Maintenance

WARNING: Your mower is designed to cut normal residential grass of a height no more than 10". Do not attempt to mow through un- usually tall, dry grass (e.g., pasture) or piles of dry leaves. Debris may build up on the mower deck or contact the engine exhaust presenting a potential fire hazard.

For the best results when mulching:

•Clear lawn of debris. Be sure that the lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire or other foreign objects which could damage the lawnmower. Such objects could be accidentally thrown out by the mower in any di- rection and cause serious personal injury to the operator and others as well as damage to property and surrounding objects.

•Do not cut wet grass. For effective mulching do not cut wet grass because it tends to stick to the under- side of the deck preventing proper mulching of the grass clippings.

•Cut no more than 1/3 the length of the grass. The recommended cut for mulching is 1/3 the length of the grass. Ground speed will need to be adjusted so the clippings can be dispersed evenly into the lawn. For especially heavy cutting in thick grass it may be necessary to use one of the slowest speeds in order to get a clean well mulched cut. When mulching long grass you may have to cut the lawn in two passes, lowering the blade another 1/3 of the length for the second cut and perhaps cutting in a different pattern than was used the first time. Overlapping the cut a lit- tle on each pass will also help to clean up any stray clippings left on the lawn. The mower should always be operated at full throttle to get the best cut and al- low it to do the most effective job of mulching.

•Clean underside of deck. Be certain to clean the underside of the cutting deck after each use to avoid a build-up of grass, which would prevent proper mulching.

•Mulching Leaves. The mulching of leaves can also be beneficial to your lawn. When mulching leaves make sure they are dry and are not laying too thick on the lawn. Do not wait for all the leaves to be off the trees before you mulch.

•It is recommended keeping driveways and sidewalks on the operators right while moving. Continue mow- ing using this pattern, having the left side of your lawnmower next to the uncut grass. Mulching with the cutting area of the mower on the lawn avoids grass clippings in undesirable areas.

WARNING: If you strike a foreign object, stop the engine. Remove wire from spark plug, thoroughly inspect the mower for any dam- age, and repair the damage before restarting and operating the mower. Extensive vibration of the mower during operation is an indica- tion of damage. The unit should be promptly inspected and repaired.

ADJUSTMENT

CAUTION: DO NOT AT ANY TIME MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENT TO LAWNMOWER WITHOUT FIRST STOPPING THE ENGINE AND DISCONNECTING THE SPARK PLUG WIRE.

CAUTION: Before changing mowing height stop mower and disconnect spark plug cable.

Carburetor Adjustment

Minor carburetor adjustment may be required to compensate for differences in fuel, temperature, alti- tude and load. Refer to the separate engine manual packed with your mower for carburetor adjustment information.

LUBRICATION

CAUTION: DISCONNECT SPARK PLUG WIRE BEFORE SERVICING.

WHEELS - If your mower is equipped with ball bear- ing wheels, lubricate at least once a season with a light oil, all other types require no lubrication. How- ever, if the wheels are removed for any reason, lubricate the surface of the axle bolt and the inner surface of the wheel with light automotive oil.

ENGINE - Follow engine manual for lubrication in-

structions.

BLADE CONTROL - Lubricate the pivot points on the blade control handle and the brake cable at least once a season with light oil. The blade control must operate freely in both directions.

MAINTENANCE

Cutting Blade

WARNING: Be sure to disconnect and ground the spark plug wire before working on the cut- ting blade to prevent accidental engine starting. Protect hands by using heavy gloves or a rag to grasp the cutting blade.

•Tip mower as specified in separate engine manual. If it is not specified tip with carburetor up.

•Remove the bolt and blade support which holds the blade and adapter to the engine crankshaft. Remove the blade and adapter from the crankshaft. See Figure 13.

WARNING: Periodically inspect the blade adapter for cracks, especially if you strike a for- eign object. Replace when necessary.

For best results your blade should be sharp. The blade may be resharpened by removing it and either grinding or filing the cutting edge keeping as close to the origi- nal bevel as possible. It is extremely important that

each cutting edge receives an equal amount of grind-

ing to prevent an unbalanced blade. Improper blade

balance will result in excessive vibration causing even-

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