FM Owner’s Manual
CUTTING OPERATION
CAUTION: Shut off the blades when crossing gravel drives, walks or roads and under all conditions where thrown objects might be a hazard.
CLEARING A CLOGGED CUTTING DECK: Turn engine off and wait for blade to stop completely. Disconnect spark plug wire.
Wearing durable gloves, remove clog. Danger, the clog may contain sharp materials. Reconnect spark plug wire.
CAUTION: Use extreme care when operating the blades. Inspect the work area for foreign objects that could cause damage to the unit or injure the operator if struck by the blade. Never operate the blades with bystanders in the work area.
GENERAL OPERATION: To engage the blades, depress the operator’s left hand control lever against operator’s handle. The blade is disengaged by releasing this lever. (See Fig. 1.1) To engage the wheel drive press down on the brake lever, lift the operator’s right hand control lever against operator’s handle. The drive is disengaged by releasing this lever.(See Fig. 1.2) Ground speed can be varied by shifting gears as described on page 12. To begin cutting, engage the blade lever, allow the blade to spin up to speed, and engage the wheel drive to begin moving forward into the material to be cut. NOTE: Do not engage blades during transport between work sites. The blade should remain disengaged at all times when work is not being performed. The best performance is achieved when cutting in dry conditions. If the deck becomes choked with grass or debris during operation, back unit off of debris allowing machine to clear itself and continue cutting, or shut the unit off and clear the clog by hand (See above). A drop in engine RPM or a noticeable change in engine sound is usually a good indicator of a clogged discharge or other interference.
Under most conditions cutting should be done in second or third gear. Fourth gear should be reserved for conditions where grass is thinned out or not as tall. The quality of the cut produced is directly related to the unit's ground speed during cutting. If the quality of the cut is not satisfactory (i.e. material left standing) you should shift into a lower gear during cutting. For improved control in confined areas, this machine can be pushed forward or backward by releasing the drive lever and shifting to neutral located at the bottom of the operator's
CUTTING HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
CAUTION: DO NOT make cutting height adjustment when engine is running. Cutting height can be adjusted from 1.5" to 4" by placing spacers above or below caster spindles. For easiest adjustment change the height on one side at a time. To change cutting height, tilt the unit back, remove lynch pin, remove all spacers then set if off to the side, remove caster rig, add or subtract spacers, reinstall caster rig, place remainder of spacers if any, then reinsert lynch pin (see figure
NOTE: Be sure that the spacers are even on both casters. Running the deck out of level will result in poor cut quality and increased belt wear.
Part No 520187 | 11 |
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