•Depress the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control and stop the tractor.
•Lightly depress the drive pedal.
To change the direction of travel to reverse when operating with cruise control, depress the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control and bring the tractor to a complete stop. Place the shift lever in the REVERSE position, check that the area behind is clear then slowly depress the drive pedal.
ENGAGING THE PTO
Engaging the PTO transfers power to the cutting deck or other (separately available) attachments. To engage the PTO, proceed as follows:
•Move the throttle control lever to the FAST (rabbit) position.
Models with manual PTO
•Grasp the PTO lever and pivot it all the way forward into the engaged (ON) position.
Models with electric PTO
•Pull the PTO knob outward into the engaged (ON) position. See Figure 9.
Front View | Pull Out | Push In |
OFF
ON
Figure 9
NOTE: Keep the throttle lever in the FAST (rabbit) position for the most efficient use of the cutting deck or other (separately available) attachments.
IMPORTANT: The engine or electric PTO clutch will automatically shut off if the PTO is engaged with the drive pedal in position for reverse travel. Refer to SAFETY INTERLOCK SWITCHES earlier in this section.
•To disengage the PTO , push the PTO knob in, or move the PTO lever to the “Blade Stop” position. This will cut off power to deck or other attachments.
USING THE LIFT LEVER
To raise the cutting deck, move the lift lever to the left, then place it in the notch best suited for your application. Refer to SETTING THE CUTTING HEIGHT earlier in this section.
MOWING
WARNING: To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, keep bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone enters the area.
This tractor is equipped with a high quality cutting deck. The following information will be helpful when using the cutting deck with your tractor.
•Do not mow at high ground speed, especially if a mulch kit or grass collector is installed.
WARNING: Plan your mowing pattern to avoid discharge of materials toward roads, sidewalks, bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discharging material against a wall or obstruction which may cause discharged material to ricochet back toward the operator.
•For best results it is recommended that the first two laps be cut with the discharge thrown towards the center. After the 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 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: Never move the key into the Start position while the engine is running. Doing so may cause damage to your engine’s electric starter.
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