MTD 440 Thru E459 manual Starting Engine, Stopping Engine, Using Your Lawn Mower

Starting Engine

WARNING: Be sure no one other than the operator is standing near the lawn mower while starting engine or operating mower.

Never run engine indoors or in enclosed, poorly ventilated areas. Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an odorless and deadly gas.

Keep hands, feet, hair and loose clothing away from any moving parts on engine and lawn mower.

When starting the unit for the first time, face the mower against a solid object such as a wall, fence, etc. Start the unit and if it shows any signs of motion while the drive clutch control is still disengaged, shut the engine off immediately.

•Make sure that the drive clutch control is adjusted so the drive belt is as loose as possible.

•Move throttle control lever (if equipped) toward the “rabbit” position.

•Push the primer three times. Wait two seconds between each push. In temperatures below 55° F, prime five times. Do not prime to restart a warm engine after a short shutdown.

•Standing behind the mower, depress the blade control handle and hold it against the upper handle.

•Electric Start: Turn the ignition key to the right to start the engine. Release the key after the engine starts.

•Recoil Start: Grasp starter handle and pull rope out slowly until engine reaches the start of compression cycle (rope will pull slightly harder at this point). Let the rope rewind slowly. Pull rope with a rapid, continuous, full arm stroke. Keeping a firm grip on the starter handle, let the rope rewind slowly.

Stopping Engine

•Release blade control handle to stop the engine and the blade.

•Disconnect spark plug wire and move away from spark plug to prevent accidental starting.

Using Your Lawn Mower

•Do not operate the mower without the mulching cover, the grass catcher bag, or the discharge chute properly installed.

•Be sure that the lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire, or other objects which could damage lawn mower or engine. Such objects could be accidently thrown by the mower in any direction and cause serious personal injury to the operator and others.

•For best results, do not cut wet grass because it tends to stick to the underside of the mower, preventing proper discharge of grass clippings,

poor mulching conditions, and could cause you to slip and fall. New grass, thick grass, or wet grass may require a narrower cut.

•For a healthy lawn, always cut off one-third or less of the total length of the grass. Lawn should be trimmed in fall as long as there is growth.

•Always operate your mower with the engine in the full throttle (rabbit) position for the most effective mulching or bagging of the cut grass.

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

Bagging Grass Clippings

You can use the grass catcher bag to collect clippings while you are operating the mower. Attach the grass catcher following instructions on page 10 of this manual. The grass clippings will automatically collect in the bag as you run the mower. Operate the mower till the grass bag is full. Do NOT allow the bag to overfill with grass clippings.

•Stop the engine completely by releasing the control handle.

•Make sure that the unit has come to a complete stop.

•Lift discharge door and pull grass bag up and away from the mower to dispose of the grass clippings See Figure 19.

Figure 19

Adjusting Cutting Height

Refer to height adjustments section of this manual on page 17 for instruction on how to adjust the cutting height and the handle height.

•For best results in mowing, keep the cutting height position high until it is determined which height is best for your lawn.

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