To Start Engine & Engage Blade

end of the spark plug wire inside the rubber boot is fastened securely over the spark plug’s metal tip.

•Prime engine as instructed in the engine manual.

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

•Grasp starter handle and pull rope out slowly until engine reaches start of compression cycle (rope will pull slightly harder at this point). Let the rope rewind slowly. Repeat till the engine starts.

WARNING: The blade will be rotating whenever the engine is running. Keep your hands and feet away from a rotating blade.

To Stop Engine & Blade

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

•Disconnect the spark plug wire and ground it against the engine.

WARNING: Wait for the blade to stop completely before doing any work on the mower or to remove the grass catcher.

Using Rotary Mower

WARNING: Never operate your mower without either the rear door or the entire grass catcher assembly firmly secured.

•Be sure that lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire, or other objects which could damage lawn mower or engine. Such objects could be accidentally 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.

•For a healthy lawn, never cut more than one-third of the total length of the grass at any one cutting.

•This mower is set at full throttle for best performance.

WARNING: If the mower strikes a foreign object, stop the engine. Remove wire from spark plug, thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage, and repair the damage before restarting and operating the mower. Extensive vibration of the mower during operation is an indication of damage.

NOTE: For shipping purposes your mower is set with the wheels in a low cutting height position. For best results, raise the cutting position to the height which is best suited for your lawn. See cutting height adjustment section on next page.

Using as Mulcher

For mulching grass, remove the grass catcher from the mower. The rear discharge opening should be closed.

•For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass because it tends to stick to the underside of the deck, preventing proper mulching of grass clippings.

•New or thick grass may require a narrower cut. The ground speed should be adjusted to the condition of the lawn. If mowing has been delayed and the grass has been allowed to grow in excess of 4", mulching is not recommended. Mow using the grass bag to reduce the grass height to 3-1/4" maximum before mulching.

Bagging Grass Clippings

You can use the grass catcher bag to collect clippings while you are operating the mower.

•Attach grass catcher following instructions on page 8 . Grass clippings will automatically collect in the bag as you run the mower. Operate the mower till the grass bag is full. Refer to page 10 for description of flow indicator, if so equipped.

•Stop engine completely by releasing the blade 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.