Mountfield 550 SP owner manual Maintenance

GB ENGLISH GB

can be used for ‘Mulching’ i.e. the blade finely cuts up the grass during mowing. The grass then falls into the lawn where it is allowed to rot.

This provides the lawn with nourishment.

To remove the plug, press in the catch (R - fig. 6). On reinstalling the plug ensure that both pins are pressed firmly into the holes so that the plug snaps in place.

2. COLLECTION

Assemble the grass collector provided (fig. 5). Open the flap, remove the plug and instead hook the collector onto the rear of the machine.

When mowing, the grass is collected in the collec- tor.

Empty the grass onto the compost heap or spread it over borders as fertiliser. The machine is also ideal for collecting up leaves in the autumn.

3. REAR EJECTION

REAR WHEEL DRIVE (*)

Engage the drive by pressing the clutch loop J towards the handle. Disengage the drive by releas- ing the clutch loop J (fig. 7).

CUTTING HEIGHT

Do not set the cutting height so low that the blade(s) come into contact with uneven ground.

The mower has single-lever control for adjusting the cutting height. Pull the lever out, and set the cutting height to one of the nine positions best suited to your lawn (fig. 8).

MAINTENANCE

Use the mower without the plug or the grass col- lector (flap closed). The grass is released behind the machine without being cut up.

STARTING THE ENGINE

1.Place the lawnmower on flat, firm ground. Do not start in long grass.

2.Make sure the spark plug cable is connected to the spark plug.

3.Press in the Start/Stop loop G towards the han- dle. NOTE! The Start/Stop loop G must be kept pressed in to prevent the engine stopping (fig. 7).

4.Grasp the starter handle and start the engine by pulling briskly on the starter cord.

5.For the best mowing results, the engine should always be driven at full throttle.

STOPPING THE ENGINE

The engine may be very warm immedi- ately after it is shut off. Do not touch the silencer, cylinder or cooling flanges. This can cause burn injuries.

Release the Start/Stop loopG (fig. 7) to stop the engine.

If the start/stop loop ceases to work, stop the engine by removing the spark plug cable from the spark plug. Immediately take the lawn mower to an authorised workshop for repair.

IMPORTANT – Regular, careful maintenance is essential for keeping the safety level and origi- nal performance of the machine unchanged in time.

Wear strong working gloves during any cleaning, maintenance or adjustment operation on the machine.

Should it be necessary to access the lower part, only tilt the machine from the side shown in the engine handbook; following the relative instruc- tions.

CLEANING

Carefully clean the machines with water after each cut; remove the grass debris and mud accumulat- ed inside the chassis to avoid their drying and thus making the next start-up difficult.

The paintwork on the inside of the chassis may peel off in time due to the abrasive action of the cut grass; in this case, intervene promptly by touching up the paintwork using a rustproof paint to prevent the formation of rust that would lead to corrosion of the metal.

Remove the transmission casing by removing the screws S (fig. 9) and clean around the transmission and drive belts with a brush or compressed air once or twice a year.

Once every season, the drive wheels should be cleaned internally. Remove both wheels.

Clean the gear wheel and the wheel gear rim of grass and dirt using a brush or compressed air (fig. 10).

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