MTD 1438, 1842 warranty Mowing, Mulching, Headlights

Mowing

WARNING! 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 mow at high ground speed, especially if a 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 Service section of this manual for proper blade sharpening instructions.

Mulching

Select models come equipped with a mulch kit which incorporates special blades, already standard on the tractor, in a process of recirculating grass clippings repeatedly beneath the cutting deck. The ultra-fine clippings are then forced back into the lawn where they act as a natural fertilizer.

Observe the following points for the best results when mulching:

•Never attempt to mulch if the lawn is damp. Wet grass tends to stick to the underside of the cutting deck preventing proper mulching of the clippings.

•Do NOT attempt to mulch more than 1/3 the total height of the grass or approximately 1-1/2 inches. Doing so will cause the clippings to clump up beneath the deck and not be mulched effectively.

•Maintain a slow ground speed to allow the grass clippings more time to effectively be mulched.

•Always position the throttle control lever in the FAST (rabbit) position and allow it to remain there while mowing. Failing to keep the engine at full throttle places strain on the tractor’s engine and does not allow the blades to properly mulch grass. Ground speed should be controlled using the speed control lever.

NOTE: It is not necessary to remove the discharge chute to operate the mower with the mulch kit installed.

WARNING! Never operate the mower without the discharge chute properly attached.

To operate the cutting deck without mulching, simply remove the mulch plug by unthreading the plastic wing nut which fastens it to the cutting deck. This will allow the clippings to discharge out the side. See Fig. 5-2.

Figure 5-2

Note: If your rider is not equipped with a mulch kit, one can be purchased. See the Attachments & Accessories section of this manual for more information.

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.

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Section 5— Operation