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Operation
WARNING
The mowing deck is capable of throwing objects. Never operate the mower deck with- out the chute deflector in the down position Failure to do so could result in serious personal injury and/or property damage.
•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 on page 25 of this manual for proper blade sharpening instructions.
IMPORTANT: When stopping the tractor for any reason while on a grass surface, always
*Place the shift lever in neutral,
• Engage the parking brake,
• Shut engine off and remove the key.
Doing so will minimize the possibility of having your lawn ‘‘browned’’ by hot exhaust from your tractor’s running engine.
Mulching
The i1000 series tractor decks are equipped with a mulching kit. The mulch kit which incorporates special blades, already on your tractor, in a process of recirculating grass clippings repeatedly beneath the cutting deck. The
Observe the following points for 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
•Maintain a slow ground speed to allow the grass clippings more time to effectively be mulched.
•Always position 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 chute deflector to operate the mower with the mulch plug installed.
•The mulch plug installed at the factory was removed earlier in the “Setting up your Lawn Tractor” section. To reinstall the mulching plug, proceed as follows:
Installing Mulching Plug on 46" Decks ONLY
•Raise and hold the chute deflector in up position.
•Locate the 1/4 inch hole in the top of the mulching plug. With the hole facing upward insert the mulching plug fully into the discharge opening of the deck.
•Align the mulching plug hole with the hole in the top of the deck discharge. Insert the carriage bolt through the top of the deck and the mulching plug and secure with the wing nut. Refer to Figure 2 on page 9
Installing Mulching Plug on 50” Decks ONLY
•Pivot the chute deflector up to access the deck discharge opening.
•Locate two notches in the chute deflector hinge bracket above the deck discharge opening.
•Insert the mulch plug into the deck discharge opening. Make sure the two tabs on the top of the plug are in the notches of the hinge bracket. Lightly tap on the plug with your hand to assure that the tabs fit snugly into the notches.
•While holding the mulching plug in position, fully lower the chute deflector.
WARNING: The mowing deck is capable of throwing objects. Never operate the mower deck without the chute deflector in its down position, even with the mulching plug installed. Failure to do so could result in serious personal injury and/or property damage.
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