first two laps, reverse the direction to throw the discharge to the outside for the balance of cutting. This will give a better appearance to the lawn.

•Do not cut the grass too short. Short grass invites weed growth and yellows quickly in dry weather.

•Mowing should always be done with the engine at full throttle.

•Under heavier conditions it may be necessary to go back over the cut area a second time to get a clean cut.

•Do NOT attempt to mow heavy brush and weeds and extremely tall grass. Your tractor is designed to mow lawns, NOT clear brush.

•Keep the blades sharp and replace the blades when worn. Refer to Cutting Blades in the Service section of this manual for proper blade sharpening instructions.

Headlights

•On some models, the lamps are ON whenever the tractor’s engine is running. On other models, the lamps are ON whenever the ignition key is moved out of the STOP position.

•On all models, the lamps turn OFF when the ignition key is moved to the STOP position.

NOTE: On models using the four-position key switch, the headlights will be activated when the key is moved into the Run/ Lights position. See Fig. 4-3A in the Controls & Features section for an illustration of the lights-on position on all four-position key switch models.

Mulching (If so equipped)

Select models come equipped with a mulch kit which incorporates special blades, already standard on the 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.

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 Fig. 5-2.

Figure 5-2

Section 5 — Operation

 

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