6
Maintaining Your Tractor
WARNING
Batteries give off an explosive gas while charging. Charge the battery in a well ventilated area and keep away from an open flame or pilot light as on a water heater, space heater, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas appli- ances.
Be sure to shut the engine off, remove ignition key, and disconnect the spark plug wire(s) to prevent unintended starting before removing the mower deck.
Tires
WARNING: Never exceed the maxi- mum inflation pressure shown on the sidewall of tire.
The recommended operating tire pressure is:
•Approximately 10 psi for the rear tires
•Approximately 14 psi for the front tires
IMPORTANT: Refer to the tire sidewall for exact tire manufacturer’s recommended or maximum psi. Do not overinflate. Uneven tire pressure could cause the cutting deck to mow unevenly.
Battery
The battery is sealed and is
•Always keep the battery cables and terminals clean and free of corrosive
•After cleaning the battery and terminals, apply a light coat of petroleum jelly or grease to both terminals.
•Always keep the rubber boot positioned over the positive terminal to prevent shorting.
IMPORTANT: If removing the battery for any reason, disconnect the NEGATIVE (Black) wire from it’s terminal first, followed by the POSITIVE (Red) wire. When
Charging
If the tractor has not been put into use for an extended period of time, charge the battery with an automotive- type
WARNING: Batteries give off an ex- plosive gas while charging. Charge battery in a well ventilated area and keep away from an open flame or pilot light as on a water heater, space heat- er, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas
appliances.
Jump Starting
WARNING: When removing or installing the battery, follow these in- structions to prevent the screwdriver
from shorting against the frame.
IMPORTANT: Never jump your tractor’s dead battery with the battery of a running vehicle.
1.Connect end of one jumper cable to the positive terminal of the good battery, then the other end to the positive terminal of the dead battery.
2.Connect the other jumper cable to the negative terminal of the good battery, then to the frame of the unit with the dead battery.
WARNING: Failure to use this procedure could cause sparking, and the gas in ei- ther battery could explode.
Cleaning the Battery
Clean the battery by removing it from the tractor and washing with a baking soda and water solution. If neces- sary, scrape the battery terminals with a wire brush to remove deposits. Coat terminals and exposed wiring with grease or petroleum jelly to prevent corrosion.
Battery Failures
Some common causes for battery failure are:
• incorrect initial activation | • undercharging |
• overcharging | • corroded connections |
• freezing |
|
These failures are NOT covered by your tractor’s warranty.
Cutting Deck Removal
To remove the cutting deck, proceed as follows:
1.Disengage the PTO (Blade Engage) and engage the parking brake.
2.Place the deck gauge wheels in their highest setting (lowest deck setting).
3.Lower the deck by moving the deck lift lever into the bottom notch on the right fender.
4.Looking at the cutting deck from the left side of the tractor, locate the deck support pin on the rear left side of the deck. See Figure 22.
50" Mower Deck Shown
Deck Support
Pin
Figure 22
5.Pull the deck support pin outward to release the deck from the deck lift arm.
6.Move to the right side of the tractor and pull the deck support pin outward to release the deck from the RH lift arm.
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