Mulching

Model 1515 & 1517 lawn tractors come equipped with a mulch kit which incorporates special blades, already standard on your 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.

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

Carriage Screw

Bell

Washer

Plastic Wing Nut

Mulch Plug

Figure 11

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 Figure 11.

SECTION 6: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

WARNING: Never attempt to make any adjustments while the engine is running, except where specified in the operator’s manual.

WARNING: Disconnect the spark plug wire(s) and ground against the engine before performing any adjustments, repairs or maintenance.

Carburetor

NOTE: Carburetor adjustments should be made only after the engine has warmed up.

The engines on Cub Cadet 1515 & 1517 are equipped with a Walbro fixed main jet carburetor.

Walbro carburetors have a low idle speed screw and a low idle fuel adjusting needle.

The carburetor is designed to deliver the correct fuel-to- air mixture to the engine under all operating conditions. The main fuel jet is calibrated at the factory and is not adjustable. The low idle fuel adjusting needle is also set at the factory and normally does not need adjustment.

If the engine is hard to start, runs roughly, or stalls at low idle speed, it may be necessary to adjust or service the carburetor.

Turning the low idle adjusting needle in (clockwise) decreases the supply of fuel to the carburetor. This gives a leaner fuel-to-air mixture. Turning the adjusting needle out (counterclockwise) increases the supply of fuel to the carburetor. This gives a richer fuel-to-air mixture. Setting the needle midway between the lean and rich position will usually give the best results.

Low Idle

Speed Adjustment Screw

Low Idle

Fuel Adjustment Needle

Figure 12

16