MTD 549 manual Stopping Engine, Mulching, Using Your Lawn Mower, Bagging Grass Clippings

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.

Mulching

For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass. New or thick grass may require a narrower cut. If the grass has grown in excess of 4”, mulching is not recommended. Mow using the side discharge to reduce the grass height to 3.25” maximum before mulching.

Using Your Lawn Mower

•You can use your mower as a mulching mower or a rear bagger.

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

WARNING: If the mower strikes a foreign object, stop the engine. Remove spark plug wire from the spark plug and thoroughly inspect for any damage. Repair the damage promptly before restarting and operating the mower.

•For best results, do not cut wet grass. New grass or thick grass may require a narrower cut.

•For a healthy lawn, always cut off one-third or less of the total length of the grass.

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 of this manual. Grass clippings will automatically collect in the bag as you run the mower.

•Operate the mower till the grass bag is full.

•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.

SECTION 6: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

WARNING: Do not at any time make any adjustments without first stopping engine and disconnecting spark plug wire.

Handle Height Adjustment

Your mower is shipped with the handle in the higher height position. To lower the height proceed as follows:

•Remove the starter rope from the rope guide.

•Remove the upper handle by removing the hand knobs and carriage bolts. Lay the upper handle out of the way, being careful not to bend or kink the cables.

•Remove the hairpin clips from the weld pins on the handle brackets and remove the wing nuts and carriage bolts from the upper hole on the handle mounting bracket. Press out on the legs of the lower handle and remove lower handle from the mower.

•Turn lower handle around so the notch on the bottom of the lower handle is facing forward. See Figure 11A.

•Reassemble the handle, placing the bottom holes in the handle over the weld pins in the handle mounting bracket.

•Place the hairpin clips in the inner holes in the weld pins and insert the carriage bolts the upper hole on the handle mounting bracket and secure with plastic wing nuts. Repeat on the other side.

		Height
		Adj.
	Notch	Lever
	Lower
	Handle
A		B

Figure 11

•Reassemble the upper handle to the lower handle.

•Attach the starter rope as instructed in the Assembly Section.

Cutting Height Adjustment

For rough or uneven lawns, move the height adjustment lever to a higher position. This will help stop scalping of the grass.

An adjusting plate and thumb lever at each wheel position provides cutting height adjustment. Each adjusting plate has nine height positions. Height of cut will change when you move the thumb lever from one position to another.

•Simply depress the lever towards the wheel and move the lever assembly to desired position. See Figure 11B. All wheels must be placed in the same relative position.

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