MTD 601 User manual

Brand: MTD

Model: 601

Category: Lawnmowers

Type: User manual

This manual is also suitable for

769-01645A

Safety • Assembly • Operation • Adjustment • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Parts Lists • Warranty

OF AOAL

Automatic Lawn Tractor- Model Series 601

iMPORTANT

READ SAFETY RULES AND iNSTRUCTiONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION

Warning: Thisunitisequippedwithaninternalcombustionengineandshouldnotbeusedon or nearanyunimprovedforest-covered,brush-

coveredor grass-coveredlandunlesstheengine'sexhaustsystemisequippedwitha sparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalor statelaws(if any).

If a sparkarresterisused,it shouldbemaintainedineffectiveworkingorderbytheoperator.IntheStateofCaliforniatheaboveisrequiredbylaw

(Section4442oftheCaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Otherstatesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.A sparkarrester

forthemufflerisavailablethroughyournearestengineauthorizedservicedealeror contacttheservicedepartment,RO.Box361131Cleveland,

Ohio44136-0019.

PRINTEDIN U.S.A. MTD LLC, P.O. BOX 361131 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-0019 FORMNO.769-01645A

01/26/2006

This Operator's Manual is an important part of your new lawn tractor, it will help you assemble,

prepare and maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says.

Table of Contents

Slope Gauge ....................................................... 3

Safe Operation Practices ................................... 4

Setting UpYour Lawn Tractor ............................ 8

Operating Your Lawn Tractor ........................... 12

Adjusting Your Lawn Tractor ............................ 20

Maintaining Your Lawn Tractor ........................ 24

Off-Season Storage /Attachments ................. 30

Safety Labels .................................................... 31

Trouble Shooting .............................................. 32

Parts List ........................................................... 34

Finding and Recording Model Number

BEFOREYOU STARTASSEMBLING

YOURNEW EQUIPMENT,

please locatethe modelplate onthe equipmentand copythe

informationtothe sample modelplate providedtothe right.

Youcan locatethe modelplate by looking beneathethe seat.

This informationwill be necessaryto usethe manufacturer's

website and/or obtainassistancefromthe CustomerSupport

Departmentor an authorizedservice dealer.

Model Number

www.mtdproducts.com

Serial Number

MTD LLC

P.O= BOX 361131

CLEVELAND, OH 44136

330-220-4683

800-800-7310

Customer Support

Please do NOTretum the unit to the retailer from which it was

purchased, without first contacting Customer Support.

Ifyou have difficultyassemblingthis productor have anyquestions regardingthe controls, operation,or maintenanceof this

unit,youcanseek help from the experts.Choosefrom the options below:

1. Visit mtdproducts.com. Click on theService & Support menuoption.

2. Phonea Customer Support Representative at 1 (800) 800-7310.

3. The engine manufacturer is responsiblefor all engine-relatedissueswith regardsto performance, power-rating,specifica-

tions,warranty and service. Pleasereferto theengine manufacturer'sOwner's/Operator's Manual,packedseparatelywith

your unit,for moreinformation.

MTD/n_er_@_i®a_ Award Wi_n i_g ?rd_s_ts O_r Com?_ay

Product Menu

o_r_,qo_ _ Suppo_±

Product. Registration

?riv®cy Pd_y

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Sightandholdthis levelwith a verticaltree...

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15°

Practices

WARNING

This symbol points

out importantsafety

instructionswhich, if

notfollowed, could

endangerthe personal

safetyand/or property

ofyourself and others.

Readand follow all

I instructionsinthis man-

ualbeforeattemptingto

operatethis machine.

tFailureto complywith

hese instructionsmay

resultin personalinjury.

When youseethis

symbol.

HEED iTS WARNING

Your

Responsibility

Restrictthe use

of this powermachine

to personswho read,

understand

andfollow thewarnings

and instructions

in this manual

WARNING: EngineExhaust,some of itsconstituents,andcertain vehiclecompo-

nentscontain or emit chemicals knownto Stateof Californiato cause cancerand

birth defectsor other reproductiveharm.

DANGER: Thismachinewas builtto beoperatedaccordingto the rulesfor safe operationin this

manual.As with anytypeof powerequipment,carelessnessor erroronthe part ofthe operatorcan

result in seriousinjury.This machine iscapable of amputatinghands andfeet andthrowing objects.

Failureto observethe followingsafety instructionscould resultinserious injury or death.

Children

1. Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheoperatoris not

alerttothepresenceofchildren.Childrenareoften

attractedto themachineandthemowingactivity.

Theydo notunderstandthedangers.Neverassume

thatchildrenwillremainwhereyoulastsawthem.

a. Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaandin

watchfulcareofa responsibleadultotherthan

theoperator.

b. Bealertandturnmachineoff ifa childenters

thearea.

c. Beforeandwhilebacking,lookbehindand

downforsmallchildren.

d. Nevercarrychildren,evenwiththeblade(s)

shutoff.Theymayfalloffandbeseriously

injuredor interferewithsafemachineoperation.

e. Useextremecarewhenapproachingblind

corners,doorways,shrubs,treesorother

objectsthat mayblockyourvisionofachild

whomayrunintothemachine.

f. Toavoid back-overaccidents, always

disengagethe cuttingblade(s) before

shiftingintoReverse.ifequipped,the

"Reverse CautionMode"shouldnotbe

usedwhenchildrenor others are around.

g. Keepchildrenawayfromhotor running

engines.Theycansufferburnsfroma hot

muffler.

h. Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedto

preventunauthorizedoperation.

2. Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldto operate

themachine.Children14yearsoldandovershould

readand understandtheoperationinstructionsand

safetyrulesinthis manualandshouldbetrainedand

supervisedbya parent.

Operation

Safe Handlingof Gasoline:

1. Toavoid personalinjuryor propertydamageuse

extremecareinhandlinggasoline.Gasolineis

extremely flammableand the vapors areexplo-

sive. Seriouspersonalinjurycanoccurwhengasoline

isspilledonyourselfor yourclotheswhichcanignite.

Washyourskinandchangeclothesimmediately.

a. Useonlyanapprovedgasolinecontainer.

b. Neverfillcontainersinsideavehicleor ona

truckor trailerbedwitha plasticliner.Always

placecontainerson thegroundawayfrom

yourvehiclebeforefilling.

c. Whenpractical,removegas-powered

equipmentfromthetruckor trailerand refuelit

ontheground.Ifthis isnotpossible,then

refuelsuchequipmenton a trailerwitha

portablecontainer,ratherthanfroma gasoline

dispensernozzle.

d. Keepthenozzlein contactwiththerimof

thefueltankor containeropeningatall

timesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Donotusea

nozzlelock-opendevice.

e. Extinguishallcigarettes,cigars,pipesand

othersourcesofignition.

f. Neverfuelmachineindoors.

g. Neverremovegascaporaddfuelwhilethe

engineishotor running.Allowenginetocool

atleasttwominutesbeforerefueling.

h. Neveroverfillfueltank.Filltanktonomore

than1/2inchbelowbottomoffillerneckto

allowspaceforfuelexpansion.

i. Replacegasolinecapandtightensecurely.

j. If gasolineis spilled,wipe itoff theengine

andequipment.Moveunittoanotherarea.

Wait5 minutesbeforestartingtheengine.

k. Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefreeof

grass,leaves,orotherdebrisbuild-up.Clean

upoil orfuelspillageand removeanyfuel

soakeddebris.

I. Neverstorethemachineorfuelcontainer

insidewherethereisanopenflame,spark

orpilotlightason a waterheater,space

heater,furnace,clothesdryerorothergas

appliances.

m. Allowa machinetocoolatleastfiveminutes

beforestoring.

GeneralOperation:

1. Read,understand,andfollowall instructionsonthe

machineandin themanual(s)beforeattemptingto

assembleandoperate.Keepthismanualina safe

placeforfutureandregularreferenceandforordering

replacementparts.

2. Befamiliarwith allcontrolsandtheirproperoperation.

Knowhowtostopthe machineanddisengagethem

quickly.

3, Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsold tooperate

this machine.Children14yearsoldandovershould

readandunderstandtheoperationinstructionsand

safetyrulesinthis manualandshouldbetrainedand

supervisedbya parent.

4. Neverallowadultstooperatethis machinewithout

properinstruction.

5. Tohelpavoidbladecontactora thrownobjectinjury,

keepbystanders,helpers,childrenand petsat least

75feet fromthemachinewhileitis inoperation.Stop

machineifanyoneentersthearea.

6. Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentisto

be used.Removeall stones,sticks,wire,bones,toys,

andotherforeignobjectswhichcouldbe pickedup

andthrownbytheblade(s).Thrownobjectscancause

seriouspersonalinjury.

7. Planyourmowingpatterntoavoiddischargeof

materialtowardroads,sidewalks,bystandersandthe

like.Also,avoiddischargingmaterialagainstawallor

obstructionwhichmaycausedischargedmaterialto

ricochetbacktowardtheoperator.

8. Alwayswearsafetyglassesor safetygogglesduring

operationandwhileperformingan adjustmentor

repairtoprotectyoureyes.Thrownobjectswhich

ricochetcancauseseriousinjurytotheeyes.

9. Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fitting

slacksandshirts.Loosefittingclothesandjewelry

canbecaughtinmovableparts.Neveroperatethis

machinein barefeetor sandals.

10.Beawareofthemowerandattachmentdischarge

directionanddo notpointitatanyone.Donotoperate

themowerwithoutthedischargecoverorentiregrass

catcherin itsproperplace.

11.Donotputhandsor feetnearrotatingpartsor under

thecuttingdeck.Contactwiththeblade(s)can

amputatehandsandfeet.

12.A missingor damageddischargecovercancause

bladecontactorthrownobjectinjuries.

13.Stoptheblade(s)whencrossinggraveldrives,walks,

or roadsandwhilenotcuttinggrass.

14.Watchfortrafficwhenoperatingnearor crossing

roadways.Thismachineisnotintendedforuseon

anypublicroadway.

15.Donotoperatethe machinewhileundertheinflu-

enceofalcoholordrugs.

16.Mowonlyin daylightor goodartificiallight.

17.Nevercarrypassengers.

18.Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftingintoreverse.

Backupslowly.Alwayslookdownandbehindbefore

andwhilebackingtoavoida back-overaccident.

19.Slowdownbeforeturning.Operatethe machine

smoothly.Avoiderraticoperationandexcessive

speed.

20.Disengageblade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengine

andwaituntiltheblade(s)cometoa completestop

beforeremovinggrasscatcher,emptyinggrass,

uncloggingchute,removinganygrassor debris,or

makinganyadjustments.

21.Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.Always

turnoff blade(s),placetransmissionin neutral,set

parkingbrake,stopengineand removekeybefore

dismounting.

22.Useextracarewhenloadingorunloadingthe

machineintoa trailerortruck.Thisunitshouldnot

bedrivenupor downramp(s),becausethe unit

couldtipover,causingseriouspersonalinjury.The

unitmustbepushedmanuallyon ramp(s)toloador

unloadproperly.

23.Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcancausea

burn.Donottouch.

24.Checkoverheadclearancescarefullybeforedriving

underlowhangingtreebranches,wires,dooropen-

ingsetc.,wheretheoperatormaybe struckor pulled

fromthe unit,whichcouldresultinseriousinjury.

25.Disengageallattachmentclutches,depressthe

brakepedalcompletelyandshiftintoneutralbefore

attemptingtostartengine.

26.Yourmachineisdesignedto cutnormalresidential

grassofa heightno morethan10".Donotattemptto

mowthroughunusuallytall,drygrass(e.g.,pasture)

or pilesofdryleaves.Drygrassor leavesmay

contacttheengineexhaustand/orbuildup onthe

mowerdeckpresentinga potentialfirehazard.

27.Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedfor

thismachinebythemachinemanufacturer.Read,

understandandfollowall instructionsprovidedwith

theapprovedaccessoryor attachment.

28.Dataindicatesthat operators,age60 yearsand

above,are involvedin a largepercentageofriding

mower-relatedinjuries.Theseoperatorsshould

evaluatetheirabilitytooperatethe ridingmower

safelyenoughto protectthemselvesandothersfrom

seriousinjury.

29.If situationsoccurwhicharenotcoveredinthis

manual,usecareandgoodjudgment.Contactyour

customerservicerepresentativeforassistance.

........................................................................................

WARNING

This symbol points

out importantsafety

instructionswhich, if

notfollowed,could

endangerthe personal

safety and/or property

ofyourself and others.

Readand followall

instructions inthis man-

ual beforeattemptingto

operatethis machine.

Failureto comply with

these instructionsmay

result in personalinjury.

Whenyou seethis

symbol.

HEED ITS WARNING

Your

Responsibility

Restrictthe use

ofthis powermachine

to personswho read,

understand

and follow the warnings

and instructions

inthis manual

Thissymbolpoints

outimportantsafety

instructionswhich,if

notfollowed,could

endangerthepersonal

isafetyand/orproperty

ofyourselfandothers.

Readandfollowall

instructionsinthisman-

ualbeforeattemptingto

Ioperatethismachine.

I Failuretocomplywith

theseinstructionsmay

i resultinpersonalinjury.

Whenyouseethis

symbol.

i HEED ITSWARNING

Your

i Responsibility

Restrictthe use

of this power machine

to personswho read,

understand

and followthewarnings

and instructions

in this manual

Slope Operation:

Slopesare a majorfactorrelatedtolossofcontroland

tip-overaccidentswhichcanresultin severeinjuryor

death.All slopesrequireextracaution.If youcannot

backuptheslopeor ifyoufeeluneasyonit, do notmow

it.

Foryoursafety,usetheslopegaugeincludedaspartof

thismanualto measureslopesbeforeoperatingthisunit

ona slopedor hillyarea.Iftheslopeisgreaterthan15

degreesasshownon theslopegauge,do notoperate

thisunitonthatareaor seriousinjurycouldresult.

DO:

1. Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exercise

extremecautionwhenchangingdirectiononslopes.

2. Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhidden

objects.Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.

Tallgrasscanhideobstacles.

3. Useslowspeed.Choosea lowenoughspeed

settingsothatyouwillnothaveto stopor shiftwhile

ontheslope.Tiresmaylosetractiononslopeseven

thoughthebrakesarefunctioningproperly.Always

keepmachineingearwhengoingdownslopesto

takeadvantageofenginebrakingaction.

4. Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsfor

wheelweightsorcounterweightstoimprovestability.

5. Useextracarewithgrasscatchersorotherat-

tachments.Thesecanchangethestabilityofthe

machine.

6. Keepall movementon theslopesslowand gradual.

Donotmakesuddenchangesin speedor direction.

Rapidengagementor brakingcouldcausethefront

ofthemachineto liftand rapidlyflipoverbackwards

whichcouldcauseseriousinjury.

7. Avoidstartingor stoppingon a slope.If tireslose

traction,disengagetheblade(s)andproceedslowly

straightdowntheslope.

Do Not:

1. Donotturnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turn

slowlyandgraduallydownhill,ifpossible.

2. Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditchesor embankments.

Themowercouldsuddenlyturnoverif awheelisover

theedgeofa cliff,ditch,or ifan edgecavesin.

3. Donottry tostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfoot

ontheground.

4. Donotusea grasscatcheronsteepslopes.

5. Donotmowonwetgrass.Reducedtractioncould

causesliding.

6. Donotshifttoneutralandcoastdownhill.Over-speed-

ingmaycausetheoperatortolosecontrolofthe

machineresultingin seriousinjuryordeath.

7. Donottowheavypullbehindattachments(e.g.loaded

dumpcart,lawnroller,etc.)on slopesgreaterthan

5 degrees.Whengoingdownhill,theextraweight

tendsto pushthetractorandmaycauseyoutoloose

control.(e.g.tractormayspeedup,brakingandsteer-

ingabilityarereduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeand

causetractortooverturn).

Towing:

1. Towonlywitha machinethathasa hitchdesignedfor

towing.Donotattachtowedequipmentexceptatthe

hitchpoint.

2. Followthemanufacturersrecommendationforweight

limitsfortowedequipmentandtowingon slopes.

3. Neverallowchildrenor othersin oron towedequip-

ment.

4. Onslopes,theweightof thetowedequipmentmay

causelossoftractionandlossofcontrol.

5. Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop.

6. Donotshifttoneutralandcoastdownhill.

Service

1. Neverrunanengineindoorsorina poorlyventilated

area.Engineexhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,an

odorless,anddeadlygas.

2. Beforecleaning,repairing,or inspecting,makecertain

theblade(s)andall movingpartshavestopped.

Disconnectthesparkplugwireandgroundagainstthe

engineto preventunintendedstarting.

3. Periodicallychecktomakesurethebladescometo

completestopwithinapproximately(5) fiveseconds

afteroperatingthebladedisengagementcontrol.Ifthe

bladesdo notstopwithinthethis timeframe,yourunit

shouldbe servicedprofessionallybyanauthorized

MTDServiceDealer.

4. Checkbrakeoperationfrequentlyasitissubjectedto

wearduringnormaloperation.Adjustand serviceas

required.

5. Checktheblade(s)andenginemountingboltsat

frequentintervalsforpropertightness.Also,visually

inspectblade(s)fordamage(e.g.,excessivewear,

bent,cracked). Replacetheblade(s)withtheoriginal

equipmentmanufacturer's(O.E.M.)blade(s)only,

listedinthis manual."Useof partswhichdonotmeet

theoriginalequipmentspecificationsmayleadto

improperperformanceandcompromisesafety!"

6. Mowerbladesaresharp.Wrapthebladeor wear

gloves,anduseextracautionwhenservicingthem.

7. Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstighttobesurethe

equipmentis insafeworkingcondition.

8. Nevertamperwiththesafetyinterlocksystemor other

safetydevices.Checktheirproperoperationregularly.

9. Afterstrikingaforeignobject,stoptheengine,

disconnectthesparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainst

theengine.Thoroughlyinspectthemachineforany

damage.Repairthedamagebeforestartingand

operating.

10.Neverattempttomakeadjustmentsor repairstothe

machinewhiletheengineisrunning.

11.Grasscatchercomponentsandthedischarge

coveraresubjecttowearanddamagewhichcould

exposemovingpartsor allowobjectstobethrown.

Forsafetyprotection,frequentlycheckcomponents

andreplaceimmediatelywithoriginalequipment

manufacturer's(O.E.M.)partsonly,listedinthis

manual."Useofpartswhichdonotmeettheoriginal

equipmentspecificationsmayleadto improper

performanceandcompromisesafety!"

12.Donotchangetheenginegovernorsettingsor

over-speedtheengine.Thegovernorcontrolsthe

maximumsafeoperatingspeedoftheengine.

13.Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as

necessary.

14.Observeproperdisposallawsand regulationsfor

gas,oil,etc.toprotecttheenvironment.

This symbol points

out importantsafety

instructionswhich, if

notfollowed,could

endangerthe personal

safetyand/or property

of yourselfand others.

Readandfollow all

instructionsin this man-

ual beforeattemptingto

operatethis machine.

Failureto complywith

these instructionsmay

result in personalinjury.

When yousee this

symbol.

HEED iTS WARNING

Your

Responsibility

Restrictthe use

ofthis powermachine

to personswho read.

understand

and followthe warnings

and instructions

in this manual

Tractor

Use extreme care

whenhandling

gaso nelGasoline

extremely flammable

and the vapors are

explosive: Never fuel

machine indoors

or while the engine

is hotor running,

Extinguish cigarettes,

cigars, pipes, and

othersourcesof

ignitionl

NOTE: This Operators

Manual Coversa range

ofproduCtspecifications

for VariousmodelS:

Characteristics and

ifeaturesdiscussed

and/or illustratedin

s manualmay not

applicabletoall models:

MTD LLC reservesthe

rightto change product

specifications,(Jesigns

andequipment without

notice andwithout incur-

i[ing obligatiOnl

RubberBoot

Figure 1

NOTE:ThisOperatorsManualcoversa rangeofproduct

specificationsforvariousmodels.Characteristicsandfea-

turesdiscussedand/orillustratedinthis manualmaynot

beapplicabletoall models.MTDLLCreservesthe right

tochangeproductspecifications,designsandequipment

withoutnoticeandwithoutincurringobligation.

Attaching the Battery Cables

NOTE:ThepositivebatteryterminalismarkedPos.(+).

Thenegativebatteryterminalis markedNeg.(-).

•Thepositivecable(heavyredwire)issecuredtothe

positivebatteryterminal(+)witha hexboltandhex

nutatthefactory.Beforeattachingthenegativecable,

removethebatterybyremovingthepositivecable

andhold-downstrap.Notethedateon thesideofthe

battery.Ifthebatteryis putintoserviceafterthisdate,

chargethebatteryasinstructedin theMaintaining

YourLawnTractorsectionofthis manualpriorto

operatingthetractor.

• Securebatterybackontothetractorwiththehold-

downstrap.Reattachthepositivecable(heavyred

wire)tothepositivebatteryterminal(+)withthebolt

andnut.Makecertainthattherubberbootcoversthe

terminalto helpprotectit fromcorrosion.

• Removethehexboltandwingnutfromthenegative

cable.

• Removetheblackplasticcover,ifpresent,fromthe

negativebatteryterminalandattachthenegative

cable(heavyblackwire)tothenegativebattery

terminal(-) withtheboltandnut.

• Makecertainthehold-downstrapisin positionover

thebattery,securingitin place.SeeFigure1.

Gas and Oil Fill-up

Thegasolinetank islocatedunderthehoodandhasa

capacityofeithertwoor threegallons.Donotoverfill.

WARNING: Use extreme care

when handling gasoline.Gasoline

isextremely flammable and the

vapors are explosive. Never fuel

machine indoorsor while the

engine is hot or running. Extin-

guish cigarettes, cigars, pipes,

and other sources of ignition.

Servicetheenginewithgasolineandoil asinstructedin

theseparateEngineOperator/OwnerManualpackedwith

yourtractor.Readinstructionscarefully.

IMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwith motoroil inthe

engine.However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbefore

operating.Becarefulnottooverfill.

Shipping Brace Removal f

WARNING:Make surethe riding

mower's engineis off, removethe

ignitionkey, and set the parking

brake before removing the ship-

pingbrace.

•Locatetheshippingbrace,ifpresent,andaccompany-

ingwarningtagfoundon therightsideofthemower,

betweenthedischargechuteand thecuttingdeck.

See Figure2.

•Whileholdingthedischargechutewithyourleft hand,

removetheshippingbracewithyourrighthandby

graspingitbetweenyourthumbandindexfingerand

rotatingitclockwise.

WARNING: The shipping brace,

used for packagingpurposes

only, must be removedand dis-

carded before operating your

riding mower.

WARNING: The mowing deck is

capableof throwing objects. Fail-

ure to operate the ridingmower

without the dischargecover in the

proper operating position could

result inserious personal injury

and/or property damage.

Attaching The Steering Wheel

Ifthesteeringwheelforyourtractordid notcome

attached,thehardwareforattachingit hasbeenpacked

withinthesteeringwheel,beneaththe steeringwheel

cap.Carefullypry offthesteeringwheelcapand remove

thehardware.

NOTE:Therearetwodifferentstylesof steeringwheel

cap.SeeFigure3.Stylesvary by model.

1. With thewheels of the tractor pointingstraight

forward, placethesteeringwheeloverthesteering

shaft.

2. Placethewasher(withthecuppedsidedown)over

thesteeringshaftandsecurewiththehexbolt.See

Figure3.

3. Placethesteeringwheelcapoverthecenterofthe

steeringwheelandpushdownwarduntilit"clicks"into

place.

Figure 2

Figure 3

TractOr

WARNING

Make surethe riding

mower's engine is

off, removethe igni-

tion key, and set the

parkingbrake before

removingthe shipping

brace.

The shipping brace,

used for packaging

purposes only, must

be removedand

discardedbefore

operatingyour riding

mower.

The mowing deck is

capableofthrowing

objects. Failureto

operate the riding

mower withoutthe

dischargecover in

the properoperating

position could result

in serious personal

injuryand/or property

damage.

WARNING

Beforeoperatingthis

machine,makesure

the seat is engaged in

the seat stop;stand

behindthemachine

andpu,backonseat

fu,yengaged

intostop:

NOTE: Forsh pping rea:

s0nsl Seatsareeither

fastenedto the tractor

seat's pivotbraCketWitt

a plastiCtie, or mounted

backwardtothe pivot

bracket. Ineither case;

free the seatform its

shippingp0sitionand

removethe two Box

screws(or knobsion

models so equipped)

fromthebottom of seat

beforeproceedingwith

applicableinstructions:

Attaching The Seat

Seatstylesvarybytractormodelandtherearethree

differentstylesavailable:

•StandardAdjustment

•QuickAdjustment&

•KnobAdjustment

If theseatforyourtractordid notcomeattached,referto

Figure4, Figure5,and Figure6 toidentifyyourtractor's

seatstyleandfollowtheapplicableinstructionsbelowto

attachit.

Figure 4

NOTE:Forshippingreasons,seatsareeitherfastened

tothetractorseat'spivotbracketwitha plastictie,or

mountedbackwardtothepivotbracket.Ineithercase,

freetheseatformitsshippingpositionand removethe

twohexscrews(or knobs,onmodelssoequipped)from

thebottomof seatbeforeproceedingwithapplicable

instructionsbelow.

Standard Adjustment Seat

1. Positiontheshoulderscrews(foundonthe baseof the

seat)insidetheslotopeningsintheseatpivotbracket.

Figure4.

2. Slidetheseatslightlyrearwardintheseatpivot

bracket,liningupthe rearslotsinthepivotbracket

withtheremainingtwo holesintheseat'sbase.

3. Selectdesiredpositionfortheseat,andsecurewith

thetwohexscrewsremovedearlier.SeeFigure4.

Quick Adjustment Seat

NOTE:Ifyourseatwasshippedmountedbackwardson

theseatpivotbracket,pulloutthetabfoundonthe seat

stopandholdit openwhileslidingtheseatoff theseat

pivotbracket.SeeFigure5.

Figure 5 1. Lineuptheplasticseatspacerswiththeslotsin seat

pivotbracket.

2. Slideseatinuntilfrontseatspacerengagestheseat

stop.SeeFigure5.

WARNING" Before operating this

machine, make sure the seat is

engaged inthe seat stop, stand

behind the machine and pull back

on seat until fully engaged into

stop.

Figure 6

Knob Adjustment Seat

1. Positiontheshoulderscrews(foundonthe baseof the

seat)insidetheslotopeningsintheseatpivotbracket.

Figure6.

2. Slidetheseatslightlyrearwardintheseatpivot

bracket,liningupthe rearslotsinthepivotbracket

withtheremainingtwo holesintheseat'sbase.

3. Selectdesiredpositionfortheseat,andsecurewith

thetwoknobsremovedearlier.SeeFigure6.

NOTE:Referto Mulching on page19formoredetailed

information.

Ifyou'dprefertooperatethecuttingdeckwithoutmulch-

ing,simplyremovethemulchplugbyunthreadingthe

plasticwingnutwhichfastensittothecuttingdeck.This

willallowtheclippingstodischargeoutofthedischarge

openingduringoperation.SeeFigure7.

Figure 7

LaWn

Tractor

WARNING

i i i i i i ii

ii i _iI_ ii

Know Your Lawn Tractor

NOTE:Any reference

in this manualto the

RIGHTor LEFTside of

thetractor isobserved

from operator'sposition.

@ @

/" "_ L

NOTE:Steeringwheelnotshownforclarity

Figure 8

A PTO(BladeEngage)Lever G ThrottleLever

PTO(BladeEngage)Knobt H CruiseControlButton

B Ammeter/SystemsIndicatorMonitort I IgnitionSwitchModule

C ChokeKnobt J BrakePedal

D ParkingBrakeButton K DrivePedal

E ShiftLever L DeckLiftLever

F CupHolder M SeatAdjustmentLevert

NOTE:Anyreferencein If soequipped

thismanualto theRIGHTor LEFTsideofthetractoris observedfromoperator'sposition.

Throttle Control Lever

Thethrottlecontrolleverislocatedon therightsideof

thetractor'sdashpanel.Thislevercontrolsthespeed

oftheengineand,on somemodels,whenpushedall

thewayforward,thechokecontrolalso.Whenset ina

givenposition,thethrottlewill maintaina uniformengine

speed.SeeFigure9.

IMPORTANT:Whenoperatingthetractorwiththecutting

deckengaged,becertainthatthethrottleleverisalways

inthe FAST(rabbit)position.

Choke Control

Onsomemodels,movingthe

throttleleverallthewayforward

activatestheengine'schoke

control.Onall othermodels,the

chokecontrolcanbefoundon

theleftsideofthedashpanel

andisactivatedbypullingthe

knoboutward.Activatingthe

chokecontrolclosesthechoke

plateonthecarburetorandaidsinstartingtheengine.

RefertoStarting The Enginein this sectionofthe

manualfordetailedstartinginstructions.

Brake Pedal r

Thebrakepedalislocatedon /

therightfrontsideofthetractor_

abovethedrivepedalalongthe

runningboard.Thebrakepedal

canbeusedforsuddenstops

or settingtheparkingbrake.

NOTE:Thebrakepedalmust

befullydepressedtoactivate

thesafetyinterlockswitch

whenstartingthetractor.

Ignition Switch Module

fFast

Position

Slow

Position

Choke

Position

Fast

Position

Slow ---_

Position

Figure 9

Normal

Mode

Start

Position

Figure 10

IMPORTANT:Priortooperatingthetractor,referto both

SafetyinterlockSwitches andStarting The Engine

inthissectionofthemanualfordetailedinstructions

regardingthe ignitionSwitchModuleandoperatingthe

tractorin REVERSECAUTIONMODE.

WARNING: Never leave a running

machine unattended. Always

disengage PTO,move shift lever

intoneutral position, set parking

brake, stop engine and remove

key to prevent unintended

starting.

Tostarttheengine,insertthekeyintothe ignitionswitch

andturnclockwisetothe STARTposition.Releasethe

keyintotheNORMALMOWINGMODEpositiononce

theenginehasfired.

Tostoptheengine,turntheignitionkeycounterclockwise

totheOFFposition.SeeFigure10.

Drive Pedal

Thedrivepedalislocatedbelowthe

brakepedalon therightfrontsideof

thetractoralongthe runningboard.

Depressthedrivepedalwithyourright

footwhenthetractorshiftleveris in

eitherFORWARDor REVERSEtocaus_

thetractortomove.Groundspeedis

alsocontrolledwiththedrivepedal.The

furtherdownthepedalisdepressed,the

fasterthetractorwilltravel.Thepedal

willreturntoitsoriginalpositionwhenit'._

notdepressed.

IMPORTANT:Alwayssettheparkingbrakewhenleaving

thetractorunattended.

Your LaWn i

iiii?ii!:ii ¸C:L i!iiC !i ¸

WARNING

rleave a running

unattended.

Alwaysdisengage

PTO,move shift lever

nto neutral position,

set Parking brake, stop

engine and remove key

to prevent unintended

starting:

IMPORTANT

PriortooReratingthe

tractor,refer to both

Safety interlock

Switches and Starting

The Engine in this

seCtion ofthe manual

for detailed instructions

regardingthe Ign tion

SwitCh ModUleand

operatingthetractoi in

REVERSECAUTION

MODE:

TractOr

NOTE: The PTO(Blade

Engage)knob must be

inthe disengaged (OFF)

positionwhen starting

theengine,when

travelingin reverseand

ifthe operatorleaves

theseat.

NOTE: The PTO (Blade

Engage) levermust be

n the disengaged (OFF)

positionwhen starting

theengine,when

traveling _nreverseand

ifthe operatorleaves

theseat.

AMPS

systemisnotgeneratingsufficientamperage.Referto

theMAINTENANCEsectionofthis manualfortheproper

batterychargingprocedureor havethechargingsystem

checkedbyyourservicedealer.

PTO (Blade Engage) Lever

ON 1z!

PTO

PTO /BLADE ENGAGE

Figure 11

Ammeter

Theammetermeasurestheelectricaloutputofthe

engine'schargingsystem.Undernormaloperating

conditions,withengineatfullthrottle,theammeter

shouldindicatepositivecharge. SeeFigure11.

Systems Indicator Monitor (if

Equipped)

LCD

Locatedinthecenterofthetractor'sconsole,the

systemsindicatormonitorrecords,anddisplayson its

LCD,hoursoftractoroperationwhenevertheignition

keyisrotatedoutoftheSTOPposition.

TheIndicatorMonitorwillalsoremindtheoperatorof

maintenanceintervalsforchangingtheengineoil.The

LCDwillalternatelyflashtherecordedhours,"CHG"and

"OIL"forfiveminutes,afterevery50 hoursof recorded

operationelapse.Themaintenanceintervallastsfor

twohours(from50-52,100-102,150-152,etc.).The

LCDwillalsoflashasdescribedaboveforfiveminutes

everytimethetractor'senginehasbeenstartedduring

thismaintenanceinterval.Beforetheintervalexpires,

changethecrankcaseoil levelasinstructedin this

Operator'sManual.

Onmodelsequippedwitha manualPTO(BladeEngage),

thePTO(BladeEngage)leverislocatedontheleft sideof

thedashboardnexttothesteeringwheel.MovethePTO

(BladeEngage)leverforwardtoengagethepowertothe

cuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)attachments;

movethePTO(BladeEngage)leverrearwardtodisen-

gagethepowertotheattachments.

NOTE:ThePTO(BladeEngage)levermustbeinthe

disengaged(OFF)positionwhenstartingtheengine,

whentravelingin reverseand iftheoperatorleavesthe

seat.

Electric PTO (Blade Engage) Knob (if

Equipped)

Toengagethepowerto

thecuttingdeckor other |

(separatelyavailable)attach-

mentson modelsequipped L_

withanelectricPTO,pull

outwardonthePTO(Blade

Engage)knob.PushthePTO

(BladeEngage)knobinward

todisengagethe powertothe

cuttingdeck.

Brake

If theBrakelightilluminateswhenattemptingtostartthe

tractor'sengine,depressthebrakepedal.

PTO (Blade Engage)

if thePTOlightilluminateswhenattemptingtostartthe

tractor'sengine,movePTOleverintothedisengaged

(OFF)position.

Oil

It isnormalfortheOil lighttoilluminatewhiletheengine

iscranking duringstart-up,butifitilluminate'sduring

operation,while the engine isrunning,stopthe

tractorimmediatelyandcheckthecrankcaseoillevelas

instructedinthisOwner'sManual.

NOTE:ThePTO(BladeEngage)knobmustbein the

disengaged(OFF)positionwhenstartingtheengine,

whentravelingin reverseand iftheoperatorleavesthe

seat.

Seat Adjustment Lever (If Equipped)

Toadjusttheseatforwardorbackwardon unitsequipped

witha quick-adjustseat,slidethe seatadjustmentlever

totheleftand repositiontheseattothedesiredposition.

Oncea comfortablepositionisfound,releasetheseat

adjustmentleverto lockthe seatinplace.Refertothe

AdjustingYourLawnTractorsectiondthis manualfor

moredetailedinstructionson all seatadjustments.

Battery Deck Lift Lever

It isnormalfortheBatterylightto illuminatewhilethe Foundon yourtractor'srightfender,thedecklift leveris

engineiscrankingduringstart-up,butifitilluminate's usedtochangethe heightofthecuttingdeck.Touse,

duringoperation,while the engine isrunning, the movethelevertotheleft,thenplaceinthenotchbest

batteryisinneedofa chargeortheengine'scharging suitedforyourapplication.

Parking Brake Button

Tosettheparkingbrake,fully

depressthe brakepedaland

pushtheparkingbrakebuttonin.

Holdthebuttoninwhiletaking

yourfootoffthe brakepedal.Both

theparkingbuttonandthebrake

pedalwillthenstaydepressed.

Toreleasetheparkingbrake,

depressthe brakepedalslightly.

Theparkingbrakebuttonwillthen

returntoitsoriginalposition.

NOTE:Theparkingbrakemustbesetif theoperator

leavestheseatwiththeenginerunningor theenginewill

automaticallyshutoff.

IMPORTANT:Alwayssettheparkingbrakewhenleaving

thetractorunattended.

Cruise Control Button

Thecruisecontrolbuttonis

locatedonthetractordash

paneltotheleft oftheignition

switch.Pushthecruisecontrol

buttonwhiletravelingforwardat a

desiredspeed.Whileholdingthe

buttonin, releasepressurefrom

thedrivepedal.Thiswillengage

thecruisecontrolandallowthe

tractorto remainatthatspeed

withoutapplyingpressuretothe

drivepedal.Depressthebrake

pedalor thedrivepedaltodeactivatecruisecontrol.

RefertoSetting the Cruise Control laterinthis section

themanualfordetailedinstructionsregardingthecruise

controlfeature.

NOTE:CruisecontrolcanNOTbeengagedatthe

tractor'sfastestgroundspeed.Iftheoperatorshould

attempttodoso,thetractorwillautomaticallydecelerate

tothefastestoptimalmowinggroundspeed.

Shift Lever

Theshiftleverislocatedonthe

leftsideofthefenderand has

threepositions,FORWARD,

NEUTRALand REVERSE.The

brakepedalmustbedepressed

andthetractormustnotbein

motionwhenthemovingshift

lever.

IMPORTANT:Neverforcethe

shiftlever.Doingsomayresultin

seriousdamagetothetractor's

transmission.

/' f

Safety Interlock Switches

Thistractorisequippedwitha safetyinterlocksystem

fortheprotectionoftheoperator.Iftheinterlocksystem

shouldevermalfunction,do notoperatethetractor.

Contactan authorizedMTDservicedealer.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheengine

fromcrankingorstartingunlesstheparkingbrake

isengaged,andthe PTO(BladeEngage)knob(or

lever)isin thedisengaged(OFF)position.

• Theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff iftheoperator

leavestheseatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.

Models with Manual PTO (Blade Engage)

• Theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff iftheoperator

leavesthetractor'sseatwiththe PTO(BladeEngage)

leverin theengaged(ON)position,regardlessof

whethertheparkingbrakeisengaged.

• WiththeignitionkeyintheNORMALMOWING

position,theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff ifthe

PTO(BladeEngage)leveris movedintotheengaged

(ON)positionwiththeshiftleverinReverse.

Models with Electric PTO (Blade Engage)

• TheelectricPTO(BladeEngage)clutchwillautomati-

callyshutoff iftheoperatorleavesthetractor'sseat

withthePTO(BladeEngage)knobintheengaged

(ON)position,regardlessofwhethertheparking

brakeisengaged.

• WiththeignitionkeyintheNORMALMOWING

position,theelectricPTO(BladeEngage)clutchwill

automaticallyshutoffif thePTO(BladeEngage)knob

ismovedintotheengaged(ON)positionwiththeshift

leverin Reverse.

Reverse

WARNING: Donot operate the

tractor ifthe interlocksystem

is malfunctioning, This system

was designed for your safety and

protection.

Caution Mode

WARNING: Use extreme caution

while operating the tractor in

the REVERSECAUTION MODE.

Alwayslook down and behind

before and while backing. Do not

operate the tractor when children

or others are around, Stop the

tractor immediatelyif someone

enters the area.

Operating

ur LaWni

Tractor

WARNING

Do not operatethe

tractor if the interlock

system ismalfunction-

ing. This system was

designed for your

safety and protection.

Use extreme caution

while operating the

tractor inthe REVERSE

CAUTION MODE.

Always look down and

behind beforeand

while backing. Do not

operate the tractor

when children or oth-

ers are around. Stop

the tractor immediately

f someone enters the

area.

WARNING

Keep hands and feet

away from the dis-

charge opening of the

cuttingdeck.

Donot operate the

tractor ifthe interlock

system ismalfunction-

ing.This systemwas

designedfor your

safety and protection.

indicator

Light

Stop

Position ©

Reverse

.Push Button

Reverse

Caution Mode

Position

Start

Position

Figure 12

TheREVERSECAUTIONMODEpositionofthekey

switchmoduleallowsthetractortobe operatedin

reversewiththeblades(PTO)engaged.

IMPORTANT:Mowingin reverseisnot recommended.

Tousethe REVERSECAUTIONMODE:

IMPORTANT:TheoperatorMUSTbe seatedinthe

tractorseat.

1. Starttheengineaspreviouslyinstructedinthis

Operator'sManual.

2. TurnthekeyfromtheNORMALMOWING(Green)

positiontotheREVERSECAUTIONMODE(Yellow)

positionofthekeyswitchmodule. SeeFigure12.

3. DepresstheREVERSEPUSHBUTTON(Orange,

TriangularButton)atthetop,rightcornerofthekey

switchmodule.Theredindicatorlightatthetop,left

cornerof thekeyswitchmodulewillbeONwhile

activated.See Figure12.

4. Onceactivated(indicatorlightON), thetractorcan

bedrivenin reversewiththecuttingblades(PTO)

engaged.

5. Alwayslookdownand behindbeforeandwhile

backingtomakesureno childrenarearound.

6. Afterresumingforwardmotion,returnthekeytothe

NORMALMOWINGposition.

IMPORTANT:TheREVERSECAUTIONMODEwill

remainactivateduntil:

a. Thekeyisplacedin eithertheNORMALMOW-

INGpositionor STOPposition.

b. Theoperatorleavestheseat(ModelswithElectric

PTOONLY).

c. Theoperatorengagestheparkingbrakebyfully

depressingthebrakepedalandholdingitdown

whilegentlypushingthe parkingbrakebutton

inward(Modelswith ManualPTOONLY).

AVOID SERIOUS iNJURY OR DEATH

• GO UPANDDOWNSLOPES,NOTACROSS.

• AVOIDSUDDENTURNS.

• DO NOT OPERATETHEUNITWHEREIT COULDSLIPOR TIP.

• IF MACHINESTOPSGOINGUPHILL,STOPBLADE(S)AND

BACKDOWNHILLSLOWLY.

• DO NOT MOWWHEN CHILDRENOR OTHERSARE AROUND.

• NEVERCARRYCHILDREN,EVENWITHBLADESOFF.

• LOOK DOWNAND BEHINDBEFOREANDWHILEBACKING.

• KEEPSAFETYDEVICES(GUARDS,SHIELDS,AND

SWITCHES)INPLACEANDWORKING.

• REMOVEOBJECTSTHATCOULD BETHROWNBYTHE

BLADE(S).

• KNOW LOCATIONANDFUNCTIONOF ALL CONTROLS.

• BE SUREBLADE(S) ANDENGINEARE STOPPEDBEFORE

PLACING HANDSOR FEETNEAR BLADE(S).

• BEFORELEAVINGOPERATOR'SPOSITION,DISENGAGE

BLADE(S), PLACETHE SHIFTLEVERINNEUTRAL,ENGAGE

BRAKELOCK,SHUTENGINEOFFANDREMOVEKEY.

READ OPERATOR'S MANUAL

Engaging the Parking Brake

Toengagetheparkingbrake:

1. Fullydepressthebrakepedalandholdit downwith

yourfootwhilegentlypushingtheparkingbrakebutton

inward.

2. Holdtheparkingbrakebuttoninwhileremovingyour

footfromthe brakepedal.

3. Onceengaged,theparkingbrakebuttonandthebrake

pedalwilllockin the"down"position.

Todisengagetheparkingbrake:

1. Slightlydepressthebrakepedal.

NOTE:Theparkingbrakemustbeengagediftheoperator

leavestheseatwiththeenginerunningor theenginewill

automaticallyshutoff.

Setting the Cutting Height

1. Selecttheheightpositionofthecuttingdeckbyplacing

thedecklift leverin anyofthe sixdifferentcutting

heightnotchesonthe rightsideofthefender.

2. Adjustthedeckwheelssothattheyare between

1A-inchandV2-inchabovethegroundwhenthetractor

isona smooth,flatsurfacesuchasadriveway.

,_ WARNING: Keep handsand feet Stopping the Engine

awayfrom the dischargeopening

of the cuttingdeck. ,_ WARNING: If you strike a foreign

NOTE:Thedeckwheelsarean anti-scalpfeatureofthe A object, stop the engine, discon-

deckandarenotdesignedto supporttheweightofthe _ nect the spark plug wire(s) and

cuttingdeck. ground against the engine.

Referto Levelingthe Deckonpage20ofthis manual Thoroughly inspectthe machine

formoredetailedinstructionsregardingvariousdeck for any damage. Repair the

adjustments, damage before restarting and

Starting the Engine operating

1. Ifthebladesareengaged,placethePTO(Blade

_ WARNING: Do not operate the Engage)knob(orlever)inthedisengaged(OFF)

tractor ifthe interlocksystem is position.

malfunctioning. This system was 2. TurntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOP

designed for your safety and position.

protection. 3. Removethekeyfromthe ignitionswitchtoprevent

unintendedstarting.

NOTE:RefertotheTRACTORSET-UPon page8 ofthis

manualforGasolineandOilfill-upinstructions. Driving The Tractor

1. Insertthetractorkeyintotheignitionswitch.

2. PlacethePTO(BladeEngage)knob(or lever)in the A_ WARNING: Avoid sudden starts,

disengaged(OFF)position. _ ex-cessive speed and sudden

3. Engagethetractor'sparkingbrake, stops.

4. Activatethechokecontrol.

5. TurntheignitionkeyclockwisetotheSTARTposition. WARNING: Do not leave the seat

Aftertheenginestarts,releasethekey.Itwill returnto of the tractor without first placing

theONposition, the PTO(Blade Engage) knob (or

lever) in the disengaged (OFF)

IMPORTANT:DoNOTholdthekeyin theSTARTposi-

tionfor longerthantensecondsata time.Doingsomay position, depressing the brake

causedamagetoyourengine'selectricstarter, pedal and engaging the parking

brake, if leaving the tractor

6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethechokecontrol

andplacethethrottlecontrolinthe FASTposition, unattended, also turn the ignition

key off and remove the key.

NOTE:DoNOTleavethechokecontrolonwhileoperat-

ingthetractor.Doingsowill resultina "rich"fuelmixture 1. Depressthebrakepedaltoreleasetheparkingbrake

andcausetheengineto runpoorly, andletthe pedalup.

2. MovethethrottleleverintotheFAST(rabbit)position.

IMPORTANT:DoNOTusetheshiftlevertochangethe

directionoftravelwhenthetractoris inmotion.Always

usethebrakepedalto bringthetractortoacomplete

stopbeforeshifting.

3. Tomoveforward,placetheshiftleverinthe FOR-

WARDposition,thenslowlydepressthedrivepedal

untilthedesiredspeedisachieved.

Operating

Your LaWn

WARNING

ifyou strike a foreign

object, stop the

engine, disconnect

the spark plugwire(s)

and groundagainst

the engine. Thoroughly

inspectthe machine

for any damage. Repair

:hedamage before

restarting and operat-

ing.

Avoidsudden starts,

ex-cessive speed and

sudden stops.

Do not leave the seat

of the tractor without

first placingthe PTO

(Blade Engage) knob

(or lever)in the disen-

gaged (OFF) position,

depressing the brake

pedal and engaging

the parkingbrake, if

leaving the tractor

unattended, also turn

the ignitionkey off and

remove the key.

Operating

Your Lawn

WARNING

Do not mow on inclines

with aslope in excess

of 15degrees (a rise

of approximately 2-1/2

feet every 10feet). The

tractor couldoverturn

and cause serious

injury.

To help avoid blade

contact or athrown

object injury, keep

bystanders, helpers,

children and pets at

least75 feet from the

machine while it is in

operation.Stop ma=

chine if anyone enters

the area.

4. Tomovein reverse,placetheshiftleverinthe

REVERSEposition,checkthat theareabehindis

clearthenslowlydepressthedrivepedal.

Driving On Slopes

RefertotheSLOPEGAUGEon page3 tohelpdeter-

mineslopeswhereyoumayoperatethetractorsafely.

_ WARNING" Do not mow on

inclineswith aslope in excess

of 15degrees(a rise of approxi-

mately 2-1/2 feet every 10feet).

The tractor could overturn and

cause serious injury.

• Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross.

• Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirection

on slopes.

• Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,or otherhidden

objects.Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.

Tallgrasscanhideobstacles.

• Avoidturnswhendrivingona slope.Ifa turnmust

be made,turndowntheslope.Turningupa slope

greatlyincreasesthechanceofa rollover.

• Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.If itis

necessarytostopwhiledrivingup aslope,startup

smoothlyandcarefullyto reducethepossibilityof

flippingthetractoroverbackward.

Setting The Cruise Control

1. PlacetheshiftleverintheFORWARDposition,

thenslowlydepressthedrivepedaluntilthedesired

speedisachieved.

2. Lightlydepressthecruisecontrolbutton.

3. Whilecontinuingtoholdthecruisebuttonin,liftyour

footfromthedrivepedal(youshouldfeelthecruise

latchengage).

Onceengaged,thecruisecontrolbuttonandthedrive

pedalwilllockinthe"down"position,andthetractorwill

maintainthesameforwardspeed.

NOTE:Cruisecontrolcannotbe engagedatthe

tractor'sfastestgroundspeed.Iftheoperatorshould

attempttodoso,thetractorwillautomaticallydecelerate

tothefastestoptimalmowinggroundspeed.

Disengagethecruisecontrolusingoneofthefollowing

methods:

1. Depressthebrakepedaltodisengagethecruise

controlandstopthetractor.

2. Lightlydepressthedrivepedal.

Tochangeto thereversedirectionwhenoperatingwith

cruisecontrol,depressthebrakepedalto disengagethe

cruisecontroland bringthetractortoacompletestop.

ThenplacetheshiftleverintheREVERSEpositionand

depressthedrivepedal.

Engaging the Blades

EngagingthePTO(BladeEngage)transferspowertothe

cuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)attachments.

Toengagetheblades,proceedasfollows:

1. MovethethrottlecontrollevertotheFAST(rabbit)

position.

Models with Manual PTO

2. a. Graspthe PTO(BladeEngage)leverandpivotit all

thewayforwardintotheengaged(ON)position.

Models with Electric PTO

b. PullthePTO(BladeEngage)knoboutwardintothe

engaged(ON)position.

3. Keepthethrottleleverinthe FAST(rabbit)position

forthemostefficientuseofthecuttingdeckor other

(separatelyavailable)attachments

IMPORTANT:Theengine(onmodelswitha manualPTO)

orelectricPTOclutch(on modelswith anelectricPTO)

willautomaticallyshutoff ifthePTOisengagedwiththe

shiftleverinpositionforreversetravelwiththeignition

keyinthe NORMALMOWINGposition.Referto Safety

InterlockSwitchesearlierinthissection.

Using the Deck Lift Lever

Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethedecklift levertothe

left,thenplaceitinthenotchbestsuitedforyourapplica-

tion.RefertoSettingTheCuttingHeightearlierinthis

section.

Mowing

_ARNING: To help avoid blade

contact or a thrown object injury,

keep bystanders, helpers, children

and petsat least 75 feet from the

machine while it is in operation.

Stop machine ifanyone enters the

area.

Thefollowinginformationwillbehelpfulwhenusingthe

cuttingdeckwithyourtractor:

_ARNING: 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.

• Donotmowathighgroundspeed,especiallyifa

mulchkit orgrasscollectoris installed.

• Forbest resultsit isrecommendedthatthefirsttwo

lapsbecutwiththedischargethrowntowardsthe

center.Afterthefirsttwolaps,reversethedirectionto

throwthedischargetotheoutsideforthebalanceof

cutting.Thiswillgivea betterappearancetothe lawn.

• Donotcut thegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvites

weedgrowthandyellowsquicklyin dryweather.

• Mowingshouldalwaysbe donewiththeengineat full

throttle.

Underheavierconditionsitmaybenecessaryto go

backoverthecut areaa secondtimetogeta clean

cut.

• DoNOTattempttomowheavybrushandweedsand

extremelytallgrass.Yourtractorisdesignedtomow

lawns,NOTclearbrush.

• Keepthebladessharpand replacethebladeswhen

worn.Referto Cutting Blades inthe Maintaining

YourLawnTractorsectionofthis manualforproper

bladesharpeninginstructions.

Mulching (If Equipped)

Selectmodelscomeequippedwitha mulchkitwhich

incorporatesspecialblades,alreadystandardonthe

tractor,ina processof recirculatinggrassclippings

repeatedlybeneaththecuttingdeck.Theultra-fine

clippingsarethenforcedbackintothe lawnwherethey

actasa naturalfertilizer.

Figure 13

Observethefollowingpointsforthebestresultswhen

mulching:

• Neverattemptto mulchifthelawnisdamp.Wetgrass

tendstosticktotheundersideofthecuttingdeck

preventingpropermulchingoftheclippings.

DoNOTattempttomulchmorethan1/3thetotal

heightofthegrassorapproximately1-1/2inches.

Doingsowillcausetheclippingstoclumpupbeneath

thedeckandnotbe mulchedeffectively.

• Maintaina slowgroundspeedtoallowthegrass

clippingsmoretimetoeffectivelybemulched.

• Alwayspositionthethrottlecontrolleverin theFAST

(rabbit)positionandallowitto remaintherewhile

mowing.Failingtokeeptheengineatfullthrottle

placesstrainon thetractor'sengineanddoesnot

allowthebladestoproperlymulchgrass.

NOTE:It isnotnecessaryto removethedischargechute

tooperatethemowerwiththemulchkitinstalled.

Tooperatethecuttingdeckwithoutmulching,simply

removethemulchplugbyunthreadingtheplasticwing

nutwhichfastensittothecuttingdeck.Thiswillallowthe

clippingstodischargeouttheside.SeeFigure13.

Headlights

• Thelampsare ONwhenevertheignitionkeyismoved

outoftheSTOPposition.

• ThelampsturnOFFwhenthe ignitionkeyismovedto

theSTOPposition.

0perat ing

WARNING

Planyour mowing pat-

tern to avoid discharge

of materials toward

roads, sidewalks, by-

standers and the like.

Also, avoid discharging

_aterial against a wall

_robstruction which

may cause discharged

aterial to ricochet

back toward the

operator.

Tract

Novor tte ptto

make any adjust:

merits while the

iengine isrunning,

!exceptwhere speci,

fled in the operator's

manual:

NOTE:Checkthe

tractor's tirepressure

i beforeperforming

anydeck leveling

adjustments.Referto

Tireson page26for

informationregarding

tire pressure.

Loosen........... _ghten

\to lowerdeck to raise deck/

k,,._. .j

Figure 14

Front To Rear

Thefrontofthecuttingdeckissupportedbya stabilizer

barthatcanadjustedtolevelthedeckfromfrontto rear.

Thefrontofthedeckshouldbebetween1/4-inchand

3/8-inchlowerthantherearofthedeck.Adjustifneces-

saryasfollows:

1. Withthetractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,place

thedeckliftleverinthetopnotch(highestposition)

androtatethebladenearestthedischargechuteso

thatitisparaIMwiththetractor.

2. Measurethedistancefromthefrontofthe bladetipto

thegroundandtherearofthebladetiptotheground.

Thefirstmeasurementtakenshouldbebetween

1/4"and 3/8"lessthanthesecondmeasurement.

Determinetheapproximatedistancenecessaryfor

properadjustmentandproceed,ifnecessary,tothe

nextstep.

3. Fromthefrontofthetractor,loosenthehexlocknut

oneachendof thedeck hangerrod,andturnaway

fromtheinnerhexnuts.SeeFigure14.

4. Tightentheinnerhexnutsfrontagainstthefront

hangerbracketto raisethefrontofthedeck;loosen

thehexnutstolowerthefrontofthedeck.

NOTE:Modelswitha 42-inchdeckhaveonlyONEjam

nut,washer,and locknut.

Figure 15

_ ARNING: Never attempt to

make any adjustments while

the engine isrunning, except

where specified in the operator's

manual.

Leveling the Deck

NOTE:Checkthetractor'stirepressurebeforeperform-

inganydeck levelingadjustments.RefertoTires on

page26 forinformationregardingtirepressure.

5. Retightenthetwo locknutsagainsttheinnerhexnuts

whenproperadjustmentisachieved.

Side to Side

If thecuttingdeckappearsto bemowingunevenly,a side

tosideadjustmentcanbeperformed.Adjustif necessary

asfollows:

1. Withthetractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,place

thedecklift leverinthetopnotch(highestposition)

androtatebothbladessothattheyareperpendicular

withthetractor.

2. Measurethedistancefromtheoutsideoftheleftblade

tiptothegroundandthedistancefromtheoutsided

therightbladetiptotheground.Bothmeasurements

takenshouldbeequal.Ifthey'renot,proceedtothe

nextstep.

3. Loosen,butdo NOTremove,thehexcapscrewon

theleftdeckhangerbracket.SeeFigure15.

4. Balancethedeckbyusingawrenchtoturnthe

adjustmentgear (foundimmediatelybehindthehex

capscrewjust loosened)clockwise/uporcounter-

clockwise/down.Thedeckis properlybalancedwhen

bothbladetipmeasurementstakenearlierareequal.

5. Retightenthehexcapscrewontheleft deckhanger

bracketwhenproperadjustmentisachieved.

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MTD 601 User manual

Brand: MTD

Model: 601

Category: Lawnmowers

Type: User manual

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769-01645A

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MTD 601 User manual

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