5
GET THE MOWER READY

Handlebar Height Adjustment

Adjust handlebar height for a comfortable operating position (page 3).

Smart Drive™ Control

The Smart Drive control can be
adjusted up or down into any
one of five positions.
Do not attempt to adjust the
position of the Smart Drive
control while the mower is in
motion.
Slide the multi-position adjuster
to the left to unlock the control,
move the Smart Drive control
up or down into the most comfortable position, and then release the
multi-position adjuster and allow it to engage.

Clip Director®

Adjust the Clip Director knob in any one of the ten positions to achieve
the desired mowing results.
To adjust the Clip Director knob, pull the knob downward and towards
the rear of the mower. The knob adjusts a sliding door from the fully
open BAG position to the fully closed MULCH position.
Some grass accumulation in the discharge opening is normal when
the Clip Director is fully closed. To remove this grass, close the
discharge guard, fully open the Clip Director, engage the blade control
lever, and start the engine.
If a high resistance is noticed when moving the Clip Director knob
from side-to-side, excessive grass may have built up on top of the
sliding door.
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTION
Always release the blade control lever and disconnect the spark plug
cap (page 12) before lifting the discharge guard to view or clean
around the sliding door. This will prevent contact with the rotating
blades and prevent objects from being thrown into the discharge area.

Sliding Door Position

The sliding door can be positioned to produce different mowing
results. If the preferred sliding door position is unknown, install the
grass bag and begin mowing with the Clip Director knob all the way to
the BAG position. Check the appearance of the lawn. As the knob is
moved towards the MULCH position, more grass will be recycled back
into the lawn. Adjust the Clip Director knob until the desired result is
achieved.

Rear Discharge

To discharge clippings to the rear, remove the grass bag and position
the Clip Director knob in the BAG range. Maximum rear discharge will
occur when the Clip Director knob is all the way to the left (BAG)
position. As the Clip Director knob is moved toward the right (MULCH)
position, less grass will be discharged through the rear discharge
guard.

Fallen Leaves

Use the Clip Director to shred and collect fallen leaves for disposal.
Set the front wheels so they are one or two settings higher than the
rear. Set the Clip Director in position #9 (not quite full mulching), and
adjust the setting from this point for best results.
CONTROL
MULTI-
POSITION
ADJUSTER
SMART DRIVE
CONTROL
CLIP DIRECTOR KNOB
SLIDING DOOR
(fully closed)
DISCHARGE
GUARD
BAGGING OR REAR DISCHARGE
AND SOME MULCHING
SLIDING DOOR
(50% open)
CLIP DIRECTOR KNOB
FULL BAGGING OR
REAR DISCHARGE FULL MULCHING
KNOB (MULCH POSITION)
KNOB (BAG POSITION)
SLIDING DOOR
(fully open) SLIDING DOOR
(fully closed)