4
Operating
Your Lawn
Tractor
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 ma- chine if anyone enters the area.
Plan your mowing pat- tern to avoid discharge of materials toward roads, sidewalks, by- standers and the like. Also, avoid discharging material against a wall or obstruction which may cause discharged material to ricochet back toward the operator.
Engaging the Blades
Engaging the PTO (Blade Engage) transfers power to the cutting deck or other (separately available) attach- ments. To engage the blades, proceed as follows:
1.Move the throttle control lever to the FAST (rabbit) position.
2.Grasp the PTO (Blade Engage) lever and pivot it all the way forward into the engaged (ON) position.
3.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 PTO (Blade Engage) lever must be in the disengaged (OFF) position when starting the engine, when traveling in reverse, and if the operator leaves the seat. Refer to Safety Interlock Switches on page 12.
Using the Deck Lift Lever
To raise the cutting deck, move the deck 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.
The following information will be helpful when using the cutting deck with your tractor:
WARNING: Plan your mowing pattern to avoid discharge of materials toward roads, side- walks, bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discharging material against a wall or obstruction which may cause discharged material to ricochet back toward the operator.
•Do not mow at high ground speed, especially if a mulch kit or grass collector is installed.
•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.
WARNING
AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH
•GO UP AND DOWN SLOPES, NOT ACROSS.
•AVOID SUDDEN TURNS.
•DO NOT OPERATE THE UNIT WHERE IT COULD SLIP OR TIP.
•IF MACHINE STOPS GOING UPHILL, STOP BLADE(S) AND BACK DOWNHILL SLOWLY.
•DO NOT MOW WHEN CHILDREN OR OTHERS ARE AROUND.
•NEVER CARRY CHILDREN, EVEN WITH BLADES OFF.
•LOOK DOWN AND BEHIND BEFORE AND WHILE BACKING.
•KEEP SAFETY DEVICES (GUARDS, SHIELDS, AND SWITCHES) IN PLACE AND WORKING.
•REMOVE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE THROWN BY
THEBLADE(S).
•KNOW LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF ALL CON- TROLS.
•BE SURE BLADE(S) AND ENGINE ARE STOPPED BEFORE PLACING HANDS OR FEET NEAR
BLADE(S).
•BEFORE LEAVING OPERATOR’S POSITION, DISEN- GAGE BLADE(S), PLACE THE SHIFT LEVER IN NEUTRAL, ENGAGE BRAKE LOCK, SHUT ENGINE OFF AND REMOVE KEY.
READ OPERATOR’S MANUAL
•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 on page 21 of this manual for proper blade sharpening instructions.
14
