Poulan Self Propelled Rotary Lawn Mower 2010 01 Mowers Consumer Walk Behinds Owners Manual OM, MOWER, 01,

193733 to the manual 747e6332-dcdb-4819-8505-a884d9cf778b

2014-07-31

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SAFETY RULES
ASSEMBLY
OPERATION
MAINTENANCE
SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENTS
STORAGE
TROUBLESHOOTING

SELF-PROPELLED ROTARY

LAWN MOWER

WARNING: This lawn mower is equipped with an internal com bus tion engine and

should not be used on or near any un im proved forest-covered, brush-covered or

grass-cov ered land unless the engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a spark

arrester meeting applicable local or state laws (if any). If a spark arrester is used, it

should be maintained in effective working order by the operator.

In the state of California the above is required by law (Section 4442 of the California

Public Resources Code). Other states may have similar laws. Federal laws apply

on federal lands. A spark arrester for the mufﬂ er is available through your nearest

authorized service center.

193733 Rev. 8 01.20.10 BY Printed in U.S.A.

Safety Rules .................2-3

Assembly......................4-7

Operation....................8-15

Storage.....................25-26

Troubleshooting........26-27

SAFETY RULES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

IMPORTANT: This cutting machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing ob-

jects. Failure to observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death.

Look for this symbol to point out im por -

tant safety precautions. It means

CAU TION!!! BECOME ALERT!!!

YOUR SAFE TY IS INVOLVED.

WARNING: In order to prevent ac ci den tal

starting when setting up, trans port ing, ad-

just ing or making repairs, always dis con nect

spark plug wire and place wire where it can not

come in contact with plug.

WARNING: Engine exhaust, some of its

constituents, and certain vehicle com po -

nents contain or emit chem i cals known to

the State of Cal i for nia to cause can cer and

birth defects or oth er re pro duc tive harm.

WARNING: Battery posts, terminals and

related accessories contain lead and lead

compounds, chemicals known to the State

of Cal i for nia to cause can cer and birth

defects or oth er re pro duc tive harm. Wash

hands after handling.

CAUTION: Mufﬂ er and

other engine parts become

extremely hot during

operation and remain hot

after engine has stopped.

To avoid severe burns on

contact, stay away from these areas.

I. GENERAL OPERATION

• Read, understand, and follow all

in struc tions on the machine and in the

manual(s) before starting. Be thor ough ly

familiar with the controls and the proper

use of the machine before starting.

• Do not put hands or feet near or under

rotating parts. Keep clear of the dis-

charge opening at all times.

• Only allow responsible individuals, who

are familiar with the in struc tions, to oper-

ate the machine.

• Clear the area of objects such as rocks,

toys, wire, bones, sticks, etc., which

could be picked up and thrown by blade.

• Be sure the area is clear of other people

before mowing. Stop ma chine if anyone

enters the area.

• Do not operate the mower when bare-

foot or wearing open sandals. Al ways

wear substantial foot wear.

• Do not pull mower backwards unless

absolutely nec es sary. Always look down

and behind before and while moving

backwards.

• Never direct discharged material toward

anyone. Avoid discharging material against

a wall or obstruction. Material may richo-

chet back toward the operator. Stop the

blade when crossing gravel surfaces.

• Do not operate the mower without

proper guards, plates, grass catcher or

oth er safety protective devices in place.

• See manufacturer’s instructions for

proper operation and installation of

accessories. Only use accessories ap-

proved by the manufacturer.

• Stop the blade(s) when crossing grav el

drives, walks, or roads.

• Stop the engine (motor) whenever you

leave the equip ment, before clean ing the

mower or unclogging the chute.

• Shut the engine (motor) off and wait until

the blade comes to complete stop before

removing grass catcher.

• Mow only in daylight / good artiﬁ cial light.

• Do not operate the machine while under

the inﬂ uence of alcohol or drugs.

• Never operate machine in wet grass.

Always be sure of your footing: keep a

ﬁ rm hold on the handle; walk, never run.

• Disengage the self-propelled mech-

a nism or drive clutch on mowers so

equipped before starting the engine.

• If the equipment should start to vi brate

abnormally, stop the engine (motor) and

check immediately for the cause. Vibra-

tion is generally a warning of trouble.

• Always wear safety goggles or safe ty glass-

es with side shields when op er at ing mower.

II. SLOPE OPERATION

Slopes are a major factor related to slip &

fall accidents which can result in severe in-

jury. All slopes require extra caution. If you

feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it.

DO:

• Mow across the face of slopes: nev er

up and down. Exercise extreme caution

when changing direction on slopes.

Maintenance.............16-19

Service and

Adjustments..............19-24

Loss of power 1. Rear of lawn mower 1. Raise cutting height.

housing or cutting blade

dragging in heavy grass.

2. Cutting too much grass. 2. Raise cutting height.

3. Dirty air ﬁ lter. 3. Clean/replace air ﬁ lter.

4. Buildup of grass, leaves, 4. Clean underside of mower

and trash under mower. housing.

5. Too much oil in engine. 5. Check oil level.

6. Walking speed too fast. 6. Cut at slower walking speed.

Poor cut – 1. Worn, bent or loose blade. 1. Replace blade. Tighten

uneven blade bolt.

2. Wheel heights uneven. 2. Set all wheels at same

height.

3. Buildup of grass, leaves 3. Clean underside of

and trash under mower. mower housing.

Excessive 1. Worn, bent or loose blade. 1. Replace blade. Tighten

vibration blade bolt.

2. Bent engine crankshaft. 2. Contact a qualiﬁ ed service

center.

Starter rope 1. Engine ﬂ ywheel brake is on 1. Depress control bar to

hard to pull when control bar is released. upper handle before

pulling starter rope.

2. Bent engine crankshaft. 2. Contact a qualiﬁ ed service

center.

3. Blade adapter broken. 3. Replace blade adapter.

4. Blade dragging in grass. 4. Move lawn mower to cut

grass or to hard surface.

Grass catcher 1. Cutting height too low. 1. Raise cutting height.

not ﬁ lling 2. Lift on blade worn off. 2. Replace blade.

(If so equipped) 3. Catcher not venting air. 3. Clean grass catcher.

Hard to push 1. Grass is too high or wheel 1. Raise cutting height.

height is too low.

2. Rear of lawn mower 2. Raise rear of lawn mower

housing or cutting blade housing one (1) setting

dragging in grass. higher.

3. Grass catcher too full. 3. Empty grass catcher.

4. Handle height position not 4. Adjust handle height to suit.

right for you.

Loss of drive 1. Belt wear. 1. Check/replace drive belt.

or slowing of 2. Belt off of pulley. 2. Check/reinstall drive belt.

drive speed 3. Drive cable worn or broken. 3. Replace drive cable.

4. “Loose” drive control system. 4. Adjust drive control.

PROBLEM CAUSE CORRECTION

TROUBLESHOOTING - See appropriate section in manual unless directed

to an authorized Service Center.

CYLINDER

• Remove spark plug.

• Pour one ounce (29 ml) of oil through

spark plug hole into cylinder.

• Pull starter handle slowly to dis trib ute oil.

• Replace with new spark plug.

BATTERY (IF EQUIPPED)

Disconnect the battery from the engine

connector and charge battery 48 hours.

OTHER

• Do not store gasoline from one sea son

to another.

• Replace your gasoline can if your can

starts to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your

gasoline will cause problems.

• If possible, store your unit indoors and

cover it to protect it from dust and dirt.

• Cover your unit with a suitable pro tec tive

cover that does not retain mois ture. Do

not use plastic. Plas tic cannot breathe,

which allows con den sa tion to form and

will cause your unit to rust.

IMPORTANT: Never cover mower while

engine and exhaust areas are still warm.

CAUTION: Never store the lawn mow er

with gaso line in the tank in side a build ing

where fumes may reach an open ﬂ ame

or spark. Allow the engine to cool before

storing in any en clo sure.

ENGINE

FUEL SYS TEM

IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent gum

deposits from forming in essential fuel system

parts such as carburetor, fuel ﬁ lter, fuel hose,

or tank during storage. Alcohol blended fuels

(called gasohol or using ethanol or methanol)

can attract moisture which leads to separa-

tion and formation of acids during storage.

Acidic gas can damage the fuel system of

an engine while in storage.

• Drain the fuel tank.

• Start the engine and let it run until the

fuel lines and car bu re tor are empty.

• Never use engine or carburetor cleaner

prod ucts in the fuel tank or permanent

damage may occur.

• Use fresh fuel next season.

NOTE: Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable al-

ternative in min i miz ing the formation of fuel

gum deposits during stor age. Add stabilizer

to gasoline in fuel tank or storage container.

Always follow the mix ratio found on stabilizer

container. Run engine at least 10 min utes

after adding stabilizer to allow the stabilizer

to reach the car bu re tor. Do not drain the gas

tank and car bu re tor if using fuel stabilizer.

ENGINE OIL

Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace

with clean oil. (See “ENGINE” in the Main-

tenance section of this manual).

Does not start 1. Dirty air ﬁ lter. 1. Clean/replace air ﬁ lter.

2. Out of fuel. 2. Fill fuel tank.

3. Stale fuel. 3. Drain fuel tank and reﬁ ll tank

with fresh, clean gasoline.

4. Water in fuel. 4. Drain fuel tank and reﬁ ll tank

with fresh, clean gasoline.

5. Spark plug wire is 5. Connect wire to plug.

disconnected.

6. Bad spark plug. 6. Replace spark plug.

7. Loose blade or broken 7. Tighten blade bolt or

blade adapter. replace blade adapter.

8. Control bar in released 8. Depress control bar to

position. handle.

9. Control bar defective. 9. Replace control bar.

10.Fuel valve lever (if so 10.Turn fuel valve lever

equipped) in OFF position. to the ON position.

11. Weak battery (if equipped). 11. Charge battery.

12.Disconnected battery 12.Connect battery to engine.

connector (if equipped).

PROBLEM CAUSE CORRECTION

TROUBLESHOOTING - See appropriate section in manual unless directed

to an authorized Service Center.

CONGRATULATIONS on your purchase of a new Lawn Mower. It has been designed, en gi -

neered and manu fac tured to give you the best pos sible de penda bil ity and per form ance.

Should you experience any prob lems you can not easily remedy, please contact your

nearest authorized service center. They have com pe tent, well trained tech ni cians and

the proper tools to service or repair this unit.

• Read the SAFETY RULES and this Operator's Manual in its entirety before you at-

tempt to assemble or operate your new lawn mower to insure proper operation and to

prevent injury to yourself and others. Save this manual for future reference.

• Your new lawn mower has been assembled at the factory with the exception of those

parts left unassembled for shipping purposes. To ensure safe and proper operation

of your lawn mower, all parts and hardware you assemble must be tightened securely.

Use the correct tools as necessary to ensure proper tightness.

• All parts such as nuts, washers, bolts, etc., necessary to complete the assembly have

been placed in the parts bag.

• Remove obstacles (rocks, tree limbs, etc.)

• Watch for holes, ruts, or bumps. Tall

grass can hide obstacles.

DO NOT:

• Do not trim near drop-offs, ditches or

embankments. The operator could lose

footing or balance.

• Do not trim excessively steep slopes.

• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced foot-

ing could cause slipping.

III. CHILDREN

Tragic accidents can occur if the op er a tor is

not alert to the presence of children. Children

are often attracted to the ma chine and the

mowing activity.

Never

assume that children

will remain where you last saw them.

• Keep children out of the trimming area

and under the watchful care of an oth er

re spon si ble adult.

• Be alert and turn machine off if chil dren

enter the area.

• Before and while walking back wards,

look behind and

down

for small chil dren.

• Never allow children to operate the mower.

• Use extra care when approaching blind

corners, shrubs, trees, or other objects

that may obscure vision.

IV. SAFE HANDLING OF GASOLINE

Use extreme care in handling gasoline.

Gasoline is extremely ﬂ ammable and the

vapors are explosive.

• Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes

and other sources of ignition.

• Use only an approved container.

• Never remove gas cap or add fuel with

the engine running. Allow engine to cool

before refueling.

• Never refuel the machine indoors.

• Never store the machine or fuel contain-

er where there is an open ﬂ ame, spark

or pilot light such as a water heater or on

other appliances.

• Never ﬁ ll containers inside a vehicle, on

a truck or trailer bed with a plastic liner.

Always place containers on the ground

away from your vehicle before ﬁ lling.

• Remove gas-powered equipment from the

truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If

this is not possible, then refuel such equip-

ment with a portable container, rather than

from a gasoline dispenser nozzle.

• Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim

of the fuel tank or container opening at

all times until fueling is complete. Do not

use a nozzle lock-open device.

• If fuel is spilled on clothing, change

clothing immediately.

• Never overﬁ ll fuel tank. Replace gas cap

and tighten securely.

V. GENERAL SERVICE

• Never run machine inside a closed area.

• Never make adjustments or repairs with

the engine (motor) running. Dis con nect the

spark plug wire, and keep the wire away

from the plug to prevent ac ci den tal starting.

• Keep nuts and bolts, especially blade

attachment bolts, tight and keep equip-

ment in good condition.

• Never tamper with safety devices. Check

their proper operation reg u lar ly.

• Keep machine free of grass, leaves, or other

debris build-up. Clean oil or fuel spillage.

Allow machine to cool before storing.

• Stop and inspect the equipment if you

strike an object. Repair, if nec es sary,

before restarting.

• Never attempt to make wheel height

adjustments while the engine is running.

• Grass catcher components are sub ject to

wear, dam age, and de te ri o ra tion, which

could expose moving parts or allow objects

to be thrown. Frequently check com po nents

and replace with man u fac tur er’s recom-

mended parts, when necessary.

• Mower blades are sharp and can cut.

Wrap the blade(s) or wear gloves, and

use extra caution when ser vic ing them.

• Do not change the engine governor set-

ting or overspeed the engine.

• Maintain or replace safety and instruc-

tion labels, as necessary.

CAUTION: Do not operate this lawn

mower without the discharge guard or an

entire approved grass catcher in place.

These guards are for your protection and

are required by the American National

Standards Institute and Consumer Prod-

ucts Safety Com mis sion.

CAUTION: Disconnect spark plug wire

from spark plug and place wire where it

cannot come in contact with plug.

HOW TO SET UP YOUR LAWN

MOW ER

UNFOLD HANDLE

IMPORTANT: Unfold handle carefully so

as not to pinch or damage con trol cables.

2 POSITION / “ADJUSTABLE” HANDLES

• Raise handles until lower handle section

locks into place in operating position.

ASSEMBLY

TO REMOVE MOWER FROM CARTON

• Remove all loose parts from carton.

• Remove lawn mower hous ing with care. Avoid touch ing blade under hous ing. Always

wear gloves or other protection when working under or lifting mower.

THINGS TO KNOW BE FORE YOU ASSEMBLE OR OPERATE YOUR LAWN

MOW ER

Do I have a side or rear discharge lawn

mower?

Look for the grass discharge opening on

your mower. If the opening is on the right

side of the mower housing, it is a side

discharge mower. If the opening is at the

back of the mower housing, it is a rear dis-

charge mower. Only rear discharge lawn

mowers have a grass catcher in clud ed with

the mower. Approved grass catchers for

side discharge mow ers may be purchased

from your nearest au tho rized dealer.

Do I have a mulching lawn mower?

Look for the grass discharge opening on

your mower. Raise the discharge guard

(rear door on rear discharge mowers). If

the opening is closed off by a plate, then

your lawn mower is mulcher ready. To

convert to a discharging mower, see the

Operation section of this manual.

LEFT

HAND

SIDE

RIGHT

HAND

SIDE

FRONT

What is the right and left side of the

lawn mower?

When right hand (RH) or left hand (LH) is

mentioned in this man ual, it means when

you are in the operating po si tion (stand ing

be hind the handle).

What kind of engine is on my lawn

mower?

When learning how to operate your new

lawn mower, you will need to know what

kind of engine powers the mower. A decal

on the engine will indicate the man u -

fac tur er and type or brand name of the

engine.

BRIGGS & STRATTON ENGINES

BACK or REAR

(Op er at ing Position)

HONDA

ENGINES

TECUMSEH

EN GINES

STORAGE

Immediately prepare your lawn mower for

storage at the end of the season or if the

unit will not be used for 30 days or more.

CAUTION: Never store the lawn mower

with gaso line in the tank inside a build ing

where fumes may reach an open ﬂ ame

or spark. Allow the engine to cool before

storing in any enclosure.

LAWN MOWER

When lawn mower is to be stored for a pe-

riod of time, clean it thor oughly, remove all

dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store in a clean,

dry area.

• Clean entire lawn mower (See “CLEAN-

ING” in the Maintenance section of this

manual).

• Lubricate as shown in the Main te nance

section of this manual.

• Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and

pins are securely fas tened. Inspect

moving parts for damage, breakage and

wear. Replace if necessary.

• Touch up all rusted or chipped paint

surfaces; sand lightly before painting.

HANDLE

Your handle may be folded for storage as

shown.

• Squeeze the bottom ends of lower

handle towards each other until handle

clears the handle brackets and swing

handles forward over mower.

• Loosen upper handle mounting hard-

ware enough to allow upper handle to be

folded back.

IMPORTANT: When folding handles for

storage or transportation, be sure to fold

handles as shown or you may damage the

control cables.

Lower handle

SQUEEZE

TO FOLD

2 POSITION / “ADJUSTABLE” HAN DLES

When setting you handles up from the

storage position, the lower handle will

au to mat i cal ly lock into mow ing position.

3 POSITION HANDLES

When setting up your handle from the stor-

age position, the lower han dle will require

manually locking into the mowing position.

FOLD

FORWARD

FOR

STORAGE

MOWING

POSITION

Lower handle

Operator

presence

control bar

Upper

handle

Handle

knob

3 POSITION “EZ”

3 POSITION “QUICK”

Handle

ad just ment

brack et

Knob Bolt

Handle pin

Handle

ad just ment

bracket

SQUEEZE

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND

DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover.

• Remove spring and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Route the other end of the new drive belt

through hole in housing.

• Return mower to upright po si tion.

• Install new belt on gearcase pulley.

• Reinstall belt keeper and spring.

• Reinstall drive cover.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure proper ﬁ t and long life.

• Turn lawn mower on its side with air ﬁ lter

and car bu re tor down.

• Reinstall blade and blade adapter.

ENGINE

CARBURETOR

The carburetor has been preset at the fac-

tory and ad just ment should not be neces-

sary. However, minor ad just ment may be

required to compensate for differences in

fuel, temperature, altitude or load.

• The air ﬁ lter must be assembled to the

car bu re tor when running engine.

• Best carburetor adjustment is obtained

when fuel tank is 1/4 full.

• In order for the engine to run, the opera-

tor presence control bar must be held

in the operating position. There fore,

and assistant will be required to hold

the control bar in the operating position

when making ﬁ nal adjustment to the

car bu re tor.

See the ADJUSTMENT section of your

engine manual for further instructions.

ENGINE SPEED

The engine speed has been factory set.

Do not attempt to increase engine speed

as it may result in personal injury. If you

believe the engine is running too fast

or too slow, take your lawn mower to an

authorized engine service center for repair

and adjustment.

THROTTLE CONTROL

If it becomes necessary to adjust or re-

place the throttle control, see the ADJUST-

MENT section of your engine man ual.

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase pulley

Spring

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Belt

retainer

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade and blade adapter.

• Remove belt from blade adapter.

• Position the blade adapter on the engine

crank shaft. Be sure key in adapter and

crankshaft keyway are aligned; and that

the drive belt is inside the tabs of the

belt retainer.

3 POSITION “QUICK” HANDLES

• Raise lower handle section to operating

position and squeeze the bottom ends

of lower handle towards each other until

the pin in handle can be inserted into

one of the three height adjustment holes.

3 POSITION “EZ” HANDLES

• Raise lower handle section to operating

position and align hole in handle with

one of three height positioning holes.

• Insert handle bolt through handle and

bracket and secure with knob.

• Repeat for opposite side of handle.

Handle

ad just ment

brack et

Knob Bolt

Handle pin

Handle

ad just ment

bracket

SQUEEZE

ALL HANDLES

• Raise upper handle section into place on

lower han dle, remove protective padding

and tighten both handle knobs.

• Remove handle padding holding opera-

tor pres ence control bar to upper handle.

• Your lawn mower handle can be ad-

justed for your mowing comfort. Refer to

“ADJUST HANDLE” in the Service and

Adjustments section of this manual.

NOTE: For shipping purposes, the rear

wheels on your lawn mower may not be

adjusted to the same position as the front

wheels. Before operating mower adjust all

wheels to the same cutting height.

INSTALL REAR WHEELS

(HIGH WHEEL MOWERS ONLY)

Some high wheel models require wash ers

which will be pro vid ed in a parts bag. If provid-

ed, install washers on the axle ﬁ rst as shown.

• Install one (1) rear wheel on the axle of

rear wheel adjuster.

• Install 3/8-16 locknut and tighten securely.

• Repeat procedure for other rear wheel.

MOWING

POSITION

Lower handle

LIFT

Operator

presence

control bar

Upper

handle

LIFT

Handle

knob

AS SEM BLE GRASS CATCHER

(REAR DISCHARGE MOWERS ONLY)

IMPORTANT: If your model lawn mower

is mulcher ready, the mulcher plate or plug

must be removed before using mower as

a bagger. To convert mower to bagging or

discharging, see the Operation section in

this manual.

Look at the different grass catcher illustra-

tions that follow. Determine which type

of grass catcher you have and follow the

appropriate instructions.

Flanged

locknut Wheel

assembly

Washer

Axle

O-Ring

CAUTION: Under normal usage, the

catcher material is subject to de te ri o ra tion

and wear and should, therefore, be

checked frequently for replacement. Any

replacement catcher should be checked to

ensure compliance with original man u fac -

tur er's spec i ﬁ ca tions.

CAUTION: Do not run lawn mower

with out the discharge guard (rear door),

approved grass catcher, clipping de ﬂ ec tor

or mulcher plate in place. Never attempt

to operate mower with the dis charge guard

(rear door) removed or propped open.

Hinge bracket

Formed tabs

Rear door

Grass

catcher

frame

HINGE BRACKET MOUNTED

DOOR PIVOT PIN MOUNTED

HANDLE BRACKET MOUNTED

DOOR SLOT MOUNTED

Handle bracket hooks Rear

door Grass

catcher

handle

Catcher frame side hook

Rear door slots

Grass

catcher

han dle

Catcher frame hook

Pivot pins Grass

catcher

handle

Catcher frame hook

Rear

door

Frame

handle

Frame

opening

Vinyl

bindings

“FABRIC TOP” GRASS CATCHERS

TO ASSEMBLE AND ATTACH GRASS

CATCH ER

• Put grass catcher frame into grass bag

with rigid part of bag on the bottom.

• Slip vinyl bindings over frame.

NOTE: If vinyl bindings are too stiff, hold

them in warm water for a few minutes. If

bag gets wet, let it dry before using.

• Lift the rear door on the mower housing.

• For HINGE BRACKET mounted catcher,

place the grass catch er frame onto the

formed tabs on the rear door hinge

bracket.

• For HANDLE BRACKET mounted

catcher, place frame side hooks into

slots in handle brackets.

• For DOOR PIVOT PIN mounted catcher,

place the grass catcher frame hooks

onto the door pivot pins.

• For DOOR SLOT mounted catcher,

place the grass catcher frame hooks into

the slots of the rear door.

NOTE: The grass catcher is secured to the

lawn mower housing when the rear door is

lowered onto the grass catcher frame.

Trailing edge

Crankshaft

Debris shield

Blade

adapter

Hardened

washer

Lock-washer

Blade

bolt

Tab

Housing hole

Trailing edge

Crankshaft

Debris

shield

Screw

Blade

adapter

Hardened

washer

Lock-washer

Blade

bolt

Tab

Housing

hole

OR:

• Place new drive belt in engine pulley

and belt retainer of debris shield.

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover.

• Remove spring and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade, engine pulley and debris

shield.

• Remove engine pulley and belt from

debris shield.

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase pulley

Spring

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt

retainer

Engine pulley

• Route the other end of the new drive belt

through hole in housing.

• Reinstall debris shield.

• Return mower to upright po si tion.

• Install new belt on gearcase pulley.

• Reinstall belt keeper and spring.

• Reinstall drive cover.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure proper ﬁ t and long life.

• Turn lawn mower on its side with air ﬁ lter

and car bu re tor down.

• Reinstall blade.

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND

DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade and blade adapter.

• Remove belt from pulley of blade

adapter.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

Drive cable anchorDrive pulley

Housing holes

Drive belt

Idler arm

assembly

Belt

keepers Hex nut Return

spring

REAR WHEEL DRIVE MODELS:

MODELS WITH IDLER ASSEMBLY:

• Disconnect spark plug wire from spark

plug and place wire where it cannot

come in contact with plug.

• Remove screws retaining drive cover

(not shown); and remove drive cover

from lawn mower housing.

• Remove drive cable from anchor, then

detach it and return spring (if equipped)

from idler arm assembly.

• Remove idler arm assembly from hous-

ing by removing hex nut; then remove

drive belt from drive pulley, belt keepers

and idler arm assembly.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See engine

manual for proper direction of turning

over the engine.

• Use a wood block between blade and

mower hous ing to prevent blade from

turning when re mov ing blade bolt.

NOTE: Protect your hands with gloves

and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.

• Remove blade bolt.

• Remove blade, attaching hardware (bolt,

lock wash er, hardened wash er), blade

adapter and debris shield. Note that the

debris shield has a tab which ﬁ ts into the

housing hole.

• Remove drive belt from engine pulley;

discard old belt.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

• The recommended tightening torque is

35-40 ft. lbs.

IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is grade 8 heat

treated.

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase

pulley

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Belt

retainer

SPARK PLUG BOOT

On some models a spark plug boot is

packed loose in the parts bag. If your

model has the boot, install on spark plug

wire and reconnect spark plug wire to

spark plug.

TO PRE PARE BATTERY

(ELECTRIC START MODELS ONLY)

NOTE: Your battery must be charged

before you can start your lawn mower.

UNITS WITH HANDLE-MOUNTED KEY

SWITCH:

• Con nect battery charger con nec tor

(male) to harness con nec tor (fe male).

UNITS WITH DECK-MOUNTED

BATTERY:

• Disconnect engine connector (male)

from battery con nec tor (female).

• Connect battery charger connector

(male) to bat tery connector (fe male).

ALL UNITS:

• Plug battery charger into 110 volt A.C.

outlet.

• Leave battery charger connected for 24

hours before starting your engine for the

ﬁ rst time.

UNITS WITH HANDLE-MOUNTED KEY

SWITCH:

• After charging, disconnect harness

connector (female) from bat tery charger

connector (male).

Connect your battery charger to charge

battery after each use.

IMPORTANT: The engine will not recharge

your battery.

Spark plug

Boot

DECK-MOUNTED BATTERY

Engine

connector

(male)

Harness

connector

(female)

Battery

charger

Charger

connector (male)

HANDLE-MOUNTED KEY SWITCH

UNITS WITH DECK-MOUNTED

BATTERY:

• After charging, connect engine con nec tor

(male) to bat tery connector (female).

Your engine has an integral alternator for

partial charging. Connect your battery

charger to charge battery as re quired.

IMPORTANT: The engine alternator will

not charge a discharged battery.

ALL UNITS:

At the end of the mowing season the

battery should be charged for 48 hours to

protect the battery during winter storage.

CAUTION: Always dis con nect the

en gine connector from the battery con-

nector to prevent ac ci den tal start ing when

trans port ing or stor ing your lawn mower

after the season.

Engine connector (male)

Harness

connector

(female)

Battery charger

Charger

connector

(male)

Battery

box

Remote

throttle

control

FAST SLOW

CHOKE

(START)

OPERATION

The operation of any lawn mower can result in foreign objects thrown into

the eyes, which can result in severe eye damage. Always wear safety

glasses or eye shields while operating your lawn mower or performing any

ad just ments or repairs. We recommend standard safety glasses or a wide

vision safety mask worn over spectacles.

• Reinstall wheel components in the same

order as they were before removal.

Tighten securely.

• Make sure all wheels are at same height.

MODELS WITH “QUICK ADJUST”

WHEEL HEIGHT ADJUSTERS

NOTE: For shipping purposes, the rear

wheels on your lawn mower may not be

adjusted to the same position as the front

wheels. Before operating mower adjust all

wheels to the same cutting height.

• Raise wheels for low cut and lower

wheels for high cut.

• Adjust cutting height to suit your require-

ments. Me di um position is best for most

lawns.

• To change cutting height, squeeze adjuster

lever to ward wheel. Move wheel up or

down to suit your re quire ments. Be sure

all wheels are in the same setting.

NOTE: Adjuster is properly positioned when

plate tab inserts into hole in lever. Also, 9-

position adjusters (if so equipped) allow lever

to be positioned between the plate tabs.

Bolt

Flat washer

Wheel

3/8-16

Locknut

Spacer

LEVER BACKWARD

TO LOWER MOWER

LEVER FORWARD TO RAISE MOWER

Plate tab

Lever

HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER

ENGINE SPEED CONTROL

MODELS WITH REMOTE THROTTLE

Engine speed is con trolled by the throttle

control located on the upper handle.

• Move lever forward to FAST engine

speed for start ing and better bagging.

• Move lever backward for SLOW engine

speed.

• Some models have engines equipped

with a choke feature. Move the lever all

the way forward to the CHOKE position

when starting a cold engine.

MODELS WITH FIXED SPEED ENGINES

Engine speed was set at the factory for

optimum per form ance. Engine speed is

not adjustable.

TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT

Adjust cutting height to suit your re quire -

ments. Me di um position is best for most

lawns. Raise wheels for low cut and lower

wheels for high cut.

MODELS WITH MANUAL ADJUST

BOLT-ON WHEELS

• Remove wheel, bolt, and hardware and

reassemble in desired adjustment hole.

“AUTO WALK” or “VARI-SPEED” MODELS:

• Remove drive cover and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley by

push ing down on pulley and rolling belt

off it.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade and debris shield.

• Remove belt from engine pulley on

crankshaft.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade, engine pulley and debris

shield.

• Remove belt and engine pulley from

debris shield.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

Belt

Drive

cover

PUSH DOWN

Belt keeper

Belt

Drive

cover

PUSH

DOWN

Belt

keeper

OR:

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase

pulley

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt

retainer

Engine pulley

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt retainers

DEBRIS SHIELDS WITH BELT RETAINERS:

Belt

Drive

cover

PUSH

DOWN

Pulley

OR:

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt

retainer

Engine pulley

3 POSITION “QUICK”

The handle on your lawn mower has three

(3) height positions - adjust to height that

suits you.

• Squeeze the bottom ends of lower

handle towards each other until the pin

in handle can be inserted into one of the

three height adjustment holes.

High Handle

adjustment

bracket

Handle pin

Medium

Low

SQUEEZE

REAR DEFLECTOR (IF EQUIPPED)

The rear deﬂ ector, attached between the

rear wheels of your mower, is provided to

minimize the pos si bil i ty that objects will

be thrown out of the rear of the mower

into the operator mowing position. If the

deﬂ ector becomes dam aged, it should be

replaced.

TO REMOVE / REPLACE DRIVE BELT

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS:

“STANDARD” OR “DUAL BAIL” MODELS:

• Remove drive cover. Remove belt from

gearcase pulley by pushing down on

pulley and rolling belt off it.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade.

• Remove debris shield.

• Remove belt from engine pulley on

crankshaft.

• Place new drive belt in the belt retainers

of the debris shield (if equipped).

• Install new belt by reversing above steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

3 POSITION “EZ”

The handle on your lawn mower has three

(3) height positions - adjust to height that

suits you.

• Remove knob and carriage bolt on one

side of the lower handle.

• While holding handle assembly, remove

knob and car riage bolt from opposite

side, align hole in handle with desired

hole in handle bracket and reassemble

bolt and knob and tighten securely.

• Align opposite side of handle with same

positioning hole and secure with bolt and

knob.

Handle

adjustment

bracket

Knob

Bolt

High

Med.

Low

Slots

Mulcher

plate tabs

FOR MULCHING MOWERS ONLY

Most mulching mowers are shipped ready

to be used as a mulcher.

“REAR DISCHARGE ONLY” MOWERS

Some models have a seperate mulcher

plug, other models have the mulcher plug

built into the rear door. To convert to bag-

ging or discharging, the plate or plug (if

so equipped) must be removed from the

dis charge open ing of the lawn mower.

• Open rear door and remove mulcher

plate or plug (if so equipped). Store

mulcher plate or plug in a safe place.

• You can now install grass catcher or

optional clipping deﬂ ector accessory.

• To return to mulching operation, install

mulcher plate or plug into discharge

opening of mower.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without mulcher plate/plug in place or ap-

proved clipping deﬂ ector or grass catch er

in place. Never attempt to op er ate the

lawn mower with the rear door removed or

propped open.

MULCHER "PLUG"

Mulcher

plug

MULCHER "PLATE"

MULCHER PLUG BUILT INTO REAR DOOR

“SIDE DISCHARGE ONLY” MOWERS

MULCHER PLATE TYPE

To convert to bagging or discharging,

mulcher plate must be removed from un-

derside of lawn mower.

• Remove the four (4) screws and lock nuts

securing the mulcher plate to the mower.

• Store mulcher plate and hardware in a

safe place.

• Mower can now be used for side

discharging or op tion al grass catcher

accessory can be attached.

• To return to mulching operation, simply

reinstall mulcher plate and tighten hard-

ware securely.

Mulcher plate

Screw and

lock nut

MULCHER PLUG TYPE “A”

To convert to mulching operation, mulcher

plug must be installed into discharge open-

ing of mower.

• Open discharge guard.

• Insert tab of mulch plug into housing

opening.

• Align hooks of mulch plug over hinge

rod of discharge guard. Push mulch plug

down until mulch plug is seat ed in hous-

ing opening.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without discharge guard, ap proved grass

catcher or mulcher plug in place.

Hooks

Housing

opening

Mulcher plug

Hinge rod

Tab

Discharge

guard

“COMBI-CUT” MOWERS

Your lawn mower was shipped ready to be

used as a mulcher. To convert to bagging

or discharging:

REAR BAGGING

• Open rear door and remove mulcher

plate. Store mulcher plate in a safe

place.

• You can now install grass catcher.

• To convert to mulching or discharging

operation, install mulcher plug into rear

discharge opening of mower, mak ing

sure all tabs are seated properly.

Slots

Mulcher

plate tabs

MOWER IS

NOW READY

FOR MULCHING

OPERATION

SIDE DISCHARGING

• Mulcher plate must be installed into rear

discharge open ing of mower (see above

instructions).

• Open mulcher door and install dis charge

deﬂ ector under door as shown.

• Mower is now ready for discharging

operation.

• To convert to mulching or bagging

operation, dis charge deﬂ ector must be

removed and mulcher door must be

closed.

Open mulcher door

Discharge deﬂ ector

MULCHER PLUG TYPE “B”

To convert to bagging or dis charg ing:

• Lift discharge guard and remove

mulcher plug.

• Mower can now be used for side dis-

charg ing or op tion al grass catcher can

be attached.

• To return to mulching operation, simply

reinstall mulcher plug as shown, making

sure tab is seated properly.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without discharge guard, approved grass

catch er or mulcher plug in place.

Lift

discharge

guard

Install

mulcher plug Tab

SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENTS

TURN LOWER

HANDLE OVER

TO ADJUST HEIGHT

Mowing

position Mowing

position

HIGH POSITIONLOW POSITION

Handle

bracket

Hairpin

cotter

Mounting

CAUTION: Before performing any service or adjustments:

• Release operator presence control bar.

• Make sure the blade and all moving parts have com plete ly stopped.

• Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and place wire where it can not come in

contact with plug.

3. Close mulcher door (if equipped).

4. Connect a garden hose to the ﬁ tting

where shown.

IMPORTANT: Be sure the garden hose is

not routed under the lawn mower housing

or entangled in the wheels.

5. Turn on water supply and check for

leaks at the ﬁ tting.

If no leaks are present, start engine (as

described in the Operation section of this

manual) and let engine run until the under-

side of the lawn mower is clean.

WARNING: Do not engage the drive

system during the washout process.

6. Shut off the engine.

7. Shut off water supply and remove hose

from ﬁ tting.

CAUTION: Do not remove hose from

ﬁ tting while engine is running. Water in

engine can result in shortened engine life.

8. Start engine (as described in the Op-

eration section of this manual) and let

engine run for a full minute to remove

excess water from mower.

GRASS CATCHER (IF SO EQUIPPED)

Grass catcher may be hosed with water

but must be dry when used.

CAUTION: Under nor mal usage, the

catch er material is subject to de te ri o ra tion

and wear and should therefore be checked

to ensure compliance with origi nal

manufacturer speciﬁ cations.

Hose

Fitting

LAWN MOWER

TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT

See “TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT” in

the Operation sec tion of this manual.

TO ADJUST HANDLE

2 POSITION HANDLES

The handle can be mounted in a high or

low po si tion. The mounting holes in the

bottom of lower handle are off center for

raising or lowering the handle.

• Remove upper handle and all parts at-

tached to lower handle.

• Remove hairpin cotters from lower

handle bracket mount ing pin.

• Squeeze lower handle in to remove it

from mounting pins.

• Turn lower handle over to raise or lower

handle.

• Squeeze lower handle in and position

holes onto mount ing pins on handle

bracket.

• Reassemble hairpin cotters onto pins.

• Reassemble upper handle and all parts

removed from lower handle.

DRIVE WHEELS

Check drive wheels each time before you

mow to be sure they move freely.

The wheels not turning freely means trash,

grass cuttings, etc. are in the drive wheel

area and must be cleaned to free drive

wheels.

If necessary to clean the drive wheels,

check both drive wheels.

• If after cleaning, the drive wheels do not

turn freely, contact your nearest autho-

rized service center.

GEAR CASE

• To keep your drive system working

properly, the gear case and area around

the drive should be kept clean and free

of trash build-up. Clean under the drive

cover twice a season.

• The gear case is ﬁ lled with lubricant to

the proper level at the factory. The only

time the lubricant needs attention is if

service has been performed on the gear

case.

GEAR CASE WITH METAL HOUSING:

• If lubricant is required, use only Texaco

Starplex Premium 1 Grease, Part No.

750369. Do not substitute.

GEAR CASE WITH PLASTIC HOUSING:

• If lubricant is required, use only ELF

Multis EP00. Do not sub sti tute.

ENGINE

Read the maintenance section of your

engine manual.

LUBRICATION

Change the oil after the ﬁ rst two hours of

operation and every 25 hours there af ter or

at least once a year if the lawn mower is

not used for 25 hours in one year. Refer to

engine manual.

TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL

(SEE ENGINE MANUAL)

• Be sure lawn mower is on level surface.

• Oil will drain more freely when warm.

• Catch oil in a suitable container.

• For engines without dipstick, re move

bottom oil drain plug.

• For engines with oil ﬁ ll cap/dipstick,

remove bottom drain plug or remove en-

gine oil cap and turn mower on its side.

• After oil has drained completely, re place

oil drain plug and tighten se cure ly.

• Reﬁ ll engine with oil. Pour slowly. Do

not overﬁ ll.

• Fill to top of slot inside of ﬁ ller hole or

to “FULL” line on dipstick on models so

equipped. Keep oil at proper level.

AIR FILTER

Your engine will not run properly and may

be damaged by using a dirty air ﬁ lter.

Clean the element after every 25 hours

of operation or every season. Replace

the air ﬁ lter every 100 hours of operation

or every season, whichever occurs ﬁ rst.

Service air cleaner more often under dusty

conditions. See the maintenance section

of your engine manual.

MUFFLER

Inspect and replace corroded mufﬂ er as it

could create a ﬁ re hazard and/or damage.

SPARK PLUG

Replace spark plug at the beginning of

each mowing season or after every 100

hours of operation, whichever occurs ﬁ rst.

Set spark plug gap according to engine

manual speciﬁ cations.

CLEANING

IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep

mower housing free of grass build-up and

trash. Clean the underside of your mower

after each use.

• Clean the underside of your lawn mower

by scraping to remove buildup of grass

and trash.

• Clean engine often to keep trash from

accumulating. A clogged engine runs

hotter and shortens engine life.

• Keep ﬁ nished surfaces and wheels free

of all gasoline, oil, etc.

We do not recommend using a garden

hose to clean your lawn mower unless the

electrical system, mufﬂ er, air ﬁ lter, and

carburetor are covered to keep water out.

Water in engine can shorten engine life.

WATER WASHOUT FEATURE

Your lawn mower is equipped with a ﬁ tting

that allows quick and easy cleaning of

the underside of the housing. To use this

feature, proceed as follows:

1. Move lawn mower to an area of cut

grass or another hard surface.

NOTE: Water, grass and other debris will

drain from beneath the mower housing

during the washout process.

2. Remove grass catcher and discharge

chute assembly from lawn mower. 11

SIMPLE STEPS TO REMEMBER WHEN

CONVERTING YOUR “COMBI-CUT”

LAWN MOWER

FOR MULCHING -

• Rear mulcher plate installed and rear

door closed.

• Mulcher door closed.

FOR REAR BAGGING -

• Rear mulcher plate removed.

• Grass catcher installed.

• Mulcher door closed.

FOR SIDE DISCHARGING -

• Rear mulcher plate installed and rear

door closed.

• Discharge deﬂ ector installed.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without rear mulcher plate or plug in place

or approved grass catcher in place. Never

at tempt to op er ate the lawn mow er with

the rear door re moved or propped open.

GRASS CATCHER

(REAR BAGGING MODELS ONLY)

TO EMPTY GRASS CATCHER

• Simply open rear door and lift grass

catcher up and away from mower.

NOTE: Do not drag the bag when

emptying. It will cause unnecessary wear.

CAUTION: Under nor mal usage, the

catch er material is subject to de te ri o ra tion

and wear and should, therefore, be

checked frequently for replacement. Any

replacement catcher should be checked

to ensure compliance with original

man u fac tur er's spec i ﬁ ca tions.

CAUTION: Do not run lawn mower

with out the rear door, ap proved grass

catcher or clip ping de ﬂ ec tor in place.

Never at tempt to op er ate mower with the

rear door removed or propped open.

DRIVE CONTROL

“STANDARD DRIVE” CONTROL

• Self-propelling is controlled by holding

the operator presence control bar down

to the handle and pushing the drive

control lever forward until it clicks; then

releasing the lever.

• Forward motion will stop when the op-

erator presence control bar is released.

To stop forward motion without stopping

engine, release the operator presence

control bar slightly until the drive control

disengages. Hold operator presence

control bar down against handle to con-

tinue mowing without self-propelling.

• To keep drive control engaged when

turning corners, push down on handle

and lift front wheels off ground while

turning lawn mower.

TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL

Drive

control

DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED

Operator

presence

control bar

OPERATOR PRESENCE CONTROL

BAR

Your lawn mower is equipped with an op-

er a tor presence control bar which re quires

the operator to be po si tioned behind the

lawn mower handle in order to start and

operate the lawn mower.

CAUTION: Federal reg u la tions require

an en gine control to be in stalled on this

lawn mower in order to min i mize the risk

of blade contact injury. Do not un der

any cir cum stanc es attempt to de feat the

func tion of the operator con trol. The blade

turns when the engine is running.

“AUTOWALK” DRIVE CONTROL

• Self-propelling is controlled by hold ing

the operator presence control bar down

to the handle and pulling the drive con-

trol lever(s) rearward to the handle. The

farther toward the handle the lever(s)

are pulled, the faster the unit will travel.

• Forward motion will stop when either

the operator presence control bar or a

drive control lever are released. To stop

forward motion without stop ping engine,

re lease the drive control lever(s) only.

Hold op er a tor presence control bar

down against handle to con tin ue mowing

without self-propelling.

NOTE: If after releasing the drive control the

mower will not roll backwards, push the mower

forward slightly to disengage drive wheels.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS ONLY:

• To keep drive control engaged when

turning corners, push down on the

handle to lift the front wheels off the

ground while turning lawn mower.

“AUTOWALK” ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may

become “loose”, resulting in decreased

speed. There is a turnbuckle on the

un der side of the drive control housing to

increase tension on the drive cable. Pro-

ceed as follows:

• Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug

wire from spark plug.

• Turn nut on underside of drive control to

increase drive speed.

• Operate mower to test drive speed.

Readjust as required.

• If condition fails to improve after the

above steps (forward speed remains

the same), your drive belt is worn and

should be re placed.

“DUAL BAIL” DRIVE CONTROL

• To start forward motion, lift drive control

bar up to handle.

• To stop forward motion, release drive

control bar.

DRIVE CONTROL ENGAGED

Operator

pres ence

con trol bar

DRIVE CONTROL DIS EN GAGED

TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL

Drive

control

lever(s)

DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED

Operator

presence

control bar

Adjustment

turnbuckle

Adjustment

turnbuckle

LAWN MOWER

Always observe safety rules when per-

forming any main te nance.

TIRES

• Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect

control chemi cals which can harm rub-

ber.

• Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp

objects and other hazards that may

cause tire damage.

BLADE CARE

For best results, mower blade must be

kept sharp. Re place a bent or dam aged

blade.

CAUTION: Use only a replacement

blade approved by the manufacturer of

your mower. Using a blade not approved

by the manufacturer of your mower is

hazardous, could damage your mower and

void your warranty.

TO REMOVE BLADE

1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark

plug and place wire where it cannot

come in contact with plug.

2. Turn lawn mower on its side. Make

sure air ﬁ lter and carburetor are up.

3. Use a wood block between blade and

mower hous ing to prevent blade from

turning when re mov ing blade bolt.

NOTE: Protect your hands with gloves

and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.

4. Remove blade bolt by turning counter-

clockwise.

5. Remove blade and attaching hard-

ware (bolt, lock wash er and hardened

wash er).

NOTE: Remove the blade adapter and

check the key inside hub of blade adapter.

The key must be in good condition to work

properly. Replace adapter if damaged.

TO REPLACE BLADE

1. Position the blade adapter on the en-

gine crank shaft. Be sure key in adapter

and crankshaft keyway are aligned.

2. Position blade on the blade adapter

aligning the two (2) holes in the blade

with the raised lugs on the adapter.

3. Be sure the trailing edge of blade (op-

posite sharp edge) is up toward the

engine.

4. Install the blade bolt with the lock

washer and hardened washer into

blade adapter and crankshaft.

5. Use block of wood between blade and

lawn mower housing and tighten the

blade bolt, turning clockwise.

• The recommended tightening torque is

35-40 ft. lbs.

IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated.

If bolt needs replacing, replace only with

approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts

section of this manual.

MODELS WITH BLADE ADAPTER

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Crankshaft

MODELS WITH BLADE ADAPTER/PULLEY

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Crankshaft Belt

retainer

TO SHARPEN BLADE

NOTE: We do not recommend sharp en ing

blade - but if you do, be sure the blade

is balanced. An un bal anced blade will

cause eventual damage to lawn mower or

engine.

• The blade can be sharp ened with a ﬁ le

or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt

to sharpen while on the mower.

• To check blade balance, drive a nail into

a beam or wall. Leave about one inch of

the straight nail ex posed. Place center

hole of blade over the head of the nail.

If blade is balanced, it should remain in

a horizontal position. If either end of the

blade moves downward, sharpen the

heavy end until the blade is balanced.

DRIVE COVER

Clean under the drive cover at least twice

a season. Scrape underside of cover with

a putty knife or similar tool to remove any

buildup of trash or grass.

➀ Spray lubricant

➁ See “ENGINE” in Maintenance section.

MAINTENANCE

Check for Loose Fasteners

Clean / Inspect Grass Catcher *

Check Tires

Check Drive Wheels ***

Clean Lawn Mower ****

Clean under Drive Cover ***

Check Drive Belt / Pulleys ***

Check / Sharpen / Replace Blade

Lubrication

Clean and Recharge Battery **

Check Engine Oil level

Change Engine Oil

Clean Air Filter

Inspect Muffler

Replace Spark Plug

Replace Air Filter Paper Cartridge

Empty fuel system or add Stabilizer

BEFORE

EACH

USE

AFTER

EACH

USE

EVERY

HOURS

EVERY

25 HOURS

OR SEASON

EVERY

100

HOURS

BEFORE

STORAGE

1- Change more often if operating under a heavy load or in high outdoor temperatures.

2- Service more often if operating in dirty or dusty conditions.

3- Replace blades more often when mowing in sandy soil.

4- Charge 48 hours at end of season.

5- And after each 5 hours of use.

(if so equipped)

Electric-Start mowers

Power-Propelled mowers

Use a scraper

to clean under deck

***

****

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

The warranty on this lawn mower does not

cover items that have been subjected to op-

erator abuse or negligence. To receive full

value from the war ranty, operator must main-

tain mower as instructed in this manual.

Some adjustments will need to be made

periodically to properly maintain your unit.

All adjustments in the Service and Adjust-

ments section of this manual should be

checked at least once each season.

• Once a year, replace the spark plug,

clean or replace air ﬁ lter element, and

check blade for wear. A new spark plug

and clean/new air ﬁ lter element assures

proper air-fuel mixture and helps your

en gine run better and last longer.

• Follow the Maintenance Sched ule in this

manual.

BEFORE EACH USE

• Check engine oil level.

• Check for loose fasteners.

LUBRICATION

Keep unit well lubricated

(See “LUBRICATION CHART”).

IMPORTANT: Do not oil or grease plastic

wheel bearings. Viscous lu bri cants will

LUBRICATION CHART

attract dust and dirt that will short en the life

of the self-lu bri cat ing bearings. If you feel

they must be lu bri cated, use only a dry,

pow dered graphite type lubricant sparingly.

➀ Wheel

adjuster (on

each wheel)

➁ Engine oil

➀ Rear dis-

charge mower

rear door

hinge rod

➀ Handle bracket mounting pins

➀ Side dis-

charge mower

guard hinge rod

“VARI-SPEED” DRIVE CONTROL

• Self-propelling is controlled by hold-

ing the operator presence control bar

down to the handle and pulling the drive

control bar up to the handle. The closer

to the handle the bar is pulled, the faster

the unit will travel.

• Forward motion will stop when either the

operator presence control bar or drive

control bar are released. To stop forward

motion without stop ping engine, re lease

the drive control bar only. Hold op er a tor

presence control bar down against

handle to con tin ue mowing without self-

propelling.

NOTE: If after releasing the drive control the

mower will not roll backwards, push the mower

forward slightly to disengage drive wheels.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS ONLY:

• To keep drive control engaged when

turning corners, push down on the

handle to lift the front wheels off the

ground while turning lawn mower.

• Rotate thumbscrew counter-clockwise to

tighten the drive cable.

• Operate mower to test drive speed.

• If condition fails to improve after the

above steps (forward speed remains

the same), your drive belt is worn and

should be re placed.

NOTE: If mower begins to "creep" forward,

the drive cable is too tight. Rotate thumb-

screw clockwise to loosen drive cable.

Thumb-

screw

TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL

Drive

control bar

DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED

Operator

presence

control bar

VARI-SPEED “THUMBSCREW”

ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may

become “loose”, resulting in decreased

speed. There is a thumbscrew on the

un der side of the drive control housing to

increase tension on the drive cable. Pro-

ceed as follows:

• Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug

wire from spark plug.

VARI-SPEED “BLOCK” ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may

become “loose”, resulting in decreased

speed. There are holes in the drive control

housing to increase tension on the drive

cable. Pro ceed as follows:

• Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug

wire from spark plug.

• Loosen nut, move drive control hous-

ing down handle to the next hole and

retighten nut.

• Operate mower to test drive speed.

• If condition fails to improve after the

above steps (forward speed remains

the same), your drive belt is worn and

should be re placed.

DRIVE

CONTROL

ENGAGED

Drive

control bar

DRIVE

CONTROL

DISENGAGED

Operator presence control bar

TO ADJUST,

MOVE DOWN

TO NEXT HOLE

Recoil

starter

handle

Operator

presence

control bar

MODELS WITH RECOIL START ER

• Pull starter handle quickly. Do not allow

starter rope to snap back.

BEFORE STARTING EN GINE

Read the engine manual packed with your

mower.

FILL ENGINE WITH OIL

Your lawn mower is shipped without oil in

the engine.

• Be sure mower is level and area around

oil ﬁ ll is clean.

• Remove engine oil ﬁ ller plug (oil ﬁ ll cap/

dipstick on models so equipped).

• Slowly add oil. For type and grade of

oil to use, see “ENGINE” in the Mainte-

nance section of this manual.

• Fill to the top of slot in ﬁ ller hole (to

“FULL” line on dipstick on models so

equipped). Do not overﬁ ll.

• Replace plug (oil ﬁ ll cap/dipstick on

models so equipped) and tighten.

• Check oil level before each use. Add oil

as needed.

• To change oil, see Maintenance section

of this manual.

FILL GASOLINE TANK

• Fill gasoline tank with fresh, clean,

unleaded gaso line. DO NOT USE PRE-

MIUM GASOLINE. BE CARE FUL NOT

TO OVERFILL TANK.

WARNING: Al co hol blended fuels (called

gaso hol or using ethanol or metha nol) can

at tract mois ture which leads to sepa ra tion

and for ma tion of acids during storage. Acidic

gas can damage the fuel system of an en gine

while in stor age. To avoid engine prob lems,

the fuel system should be emptied before

stor age of 30 days or longer. Drain the fuel

tank, start the engine and let it run until fuel

lines and car bu re tor are empty. Use fresh

fuel next season. See Stor age In struc tions

for ad di tion al in for ma tion. Never use en gine

or car bu re tor clean er prod ucts in fuel tank or

per ma nent dam age may occur.

TO START ENGINE

CAUTION: The mow er blade rotates

whenever the engine is running.

• Move engine speed control to FAST

position (or to CHOKE/START position

on models equipped with choke feature).

• If your mower has a primer, to start a

cold engine, push primer as many times

as in struct ed in the engine manual

packed with your mower. Use a ﬁ rm

push. This step is not usually nec es sary

when start ing an engine which has

already run for a few minutes.

• Hold operator presence control bar

down against han dle.

MODELS WITH ELECTRIC START ER

• Push the engine start button (or turn the

key on models so equipped).

IMPORTANT: Do not crank engine more

than ﬁ ve continous seconds each time you

try to start. Wait 5 to 10 seconds between

each attempt.

ALL MODELS

• For engines equipped with choke, slowly

move engine speed control lever to

FAST after engine starts.

TO STOP ENGINE

• To STOP engine, release operator pres-

ence control bar.

NOTE: For engines with a primer, it may

be nec es sary to repeat priming steps

in cooler weather. In warmer weath er,

overpriming may cause ﬂ ood ing and

en gine will not start. If you do ﬂ ood

engine, wait a few minutes before

attempting to start and DO NOT repeat

priming steps.

MAX 1/3

MOWING TIPS

CAUTION: Do not use de-thatcher

blade attachments on your mower. Such

attachments are hazardous, will damage

your mower and could void your warranty.

• For most cutting conditions and bet ter

bagging per form ance, the engine speed

should be set in the FAST po si tion.

• Under certain conditions, such as when

mowing very tall grass, raise the mower

height on the ﬁ rst cut to reduce pushing

effort, to avoid over heat ing the engine,

and to avoid leaving clumps of grass

clippings. Make the second cut to the

desired height.

• For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the

width of cut.

• For side discharge lawn mowers, cut in

a coun ter clock wise di rec tion, start ing at

the outside of the area to be cut, in order

to spread grass clip pings more evenly

and to put less load on the engine. To

keep clip pings off of walkways, ﬂ ower

beds, etc., make the ﬁ rst cuts in a clock-

wise direction.

• When using a rear discharge lawn

mower in moist, heavy grass, clumps

of cut grass may not enter the grass

catcher. Reduce ground speed (push ing

speed) and/or run the lawn mower over

the area a second time.

• If a trail of grass clipping is left on the

right side of a rear discharge lawn mow-

er, mow in a clockwise direction with a

small overlap to collect the clippings on

the next pass.

FOR MULCHING MOWERS ONLY

- MULCHING MOWING TIPS

IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep

mower housing free of built-up grass and

trash. See "CLEANING" in the Mainte-

nance section of this manual.

• The special mulching blade will recut the

grass clip pings many times and reduce

them in size so that as they fall onto the

lawn they will disperse into the grass

and not be noticed. Also, the mulched

grass will bio de grade quickly to provide

nu tri ents for the lawn. Always mulch with

your highest engine (blade) speed as

this will provide the best recutting action

of the blades.

• Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet.

Wet grass tends to form clumps and

in ter feres with the mulch ing action. The

best time to mow your lawn is the early

afternoon. At this time the grass has

dried, yet the newly cut area will not be

exposed to direct sunlight.

• For best results, adjust the lawn mower

cutting height so that the lawn mower

cuts off only the top one-third of the

grass blades. If the lawn is overgrown it

will be necessary to raise the height of

cut to reduce pushing effort and to keep

from over load ing the engine and leaving

clumps of mulched grass. For ex tremely

heavy grass, reduce your width of cut

by overlapping previously cut path and

mow slowly.

• Pores in cloth grass catchers can

become ﬁ lled with dirt and dust with use

and the catcher will collect less grass.

To prevent this, regularly hose catcher

off with water and let dry before use.

• Certain types of grass and grass

con di tions may re quire that an area be

mulched a second time to com pletely

hide the clip pings. When doing a sec ond

cut, mow across (per pen dic u lar) to the

ﬁ rst cut path.

• Change your cutting pattern from week

to week. Mow north to south one week

then change to east to west the next

week. This will help prevent matting and

graining of the lawn.

Recoil

starter

handle

Operator

presence

control bar

MODELS WITH RECOIL START ER

• Pull starter handle quickly. Do not allow

starter rope to snap back.

BEFORE STARTING EN GINE

Read the engine manual packed with your

mower.

FILL ENGINE WITH OIL

Your lawn mower is shipped without oil in

the engine.

• Be sure mower is level and area around

oil ﬁ ll is clean.

• Remove engine oil ﬁ ller plug (oil ﬁ ll cap/

dipstick on models so equipped).

• Slowly add oil. For type and grade of

oil to use, see “ENGINE” in the Mainte-

nance section of this manual.

• Fill to the top of slot in ﬁ ller hole (to

“FULL” line on dipstick on models so

equipped). Do not overﬁ ll.

• Replace plug (oil ﬁ ll cap/dipstick on

models so equipped) and tighten.

• Check oil level before each use. Add oil

as needed.

• To change oil, see Maintenance section

of this manual.

FILL GASOLINE TANK

• Fill gasoline tank with fresh, clean,

unleaded gaso line. DO NOT USE PRE-

MIUM GASOLINE. BE CARE FUL NOT

TO OVERFILL TANK.

WARNING: Al co hol blended fuels (called

gaso hol or using ethanol or metha nol) can

at tract mois ture which leads to sepa ra tion

and for ma tion of acids during storage. Acidic

gas can damage the fuel system of an en gine

while in stor age. To avoid engine prob lems,

the fuel system should be emptied before

stor age of 30 days or longer. Drain the fuel

tank, start the engine and let it run until fuel

lines and car bu re tor are empty. Use fresh

fuel next season. See Stor age In struc tions

for ad di tion al in for ma tion. Never use en gine

or car bu re tor clean er prod ucts in fuel tank or

per ma nent dam age may occur.

TO START ENGINE

CAUTION: The mow er blade rotates

whenever the engine is running.

• Move engine speed control to FAST

position (or to CHOKE/START position

on models equipped with choke feature).

• If your mower has a primer, to start a

cold engine, push primer as many times

as in struct ed in the engine manual

packed with your mower. Use a ﬁ rm

push. This step is not usually nec es sary

when start ing an engine which has

already run for a few minutes.

• Hold operator presence control bar

down against han dle.

MODELS WITH ELECTRIC START ER

• Push the engine start button (or turn the

key on models so equipped).

IMPORTANT: Do not crank engine more

than ﬁ ve continous seconds each time you

try to start. Wait 5 to 10 seconds between

each attempt.

ALL MODELS

• For engines equipped with choke, slowly

move engine speed control lever to

FAST after engine starts.

TO STOP ENGINE

• To STOP engine, release operator pres-

ence control bar.

NOTE: For engines with a primer, it may

be nec es sary to repeat priming steps

in cooler weather. In warmer weath er,

overpriming may cause ﬂ ood ing and

en gine will not start. If you do ﬂ ood

engine, wait a few minutes before

attempting to start and DO NOT repeat

priming steps.

MAX 1/3

MOWING TIPS

CAUTION: Do not use de-thatcher

blade attachments on your mower. Such

attachments are hazardous, will damage

your mower and could void your warranty.

• For most cutting conditions and bet ter

bagging per form ance, the engine speed

should be set in the FAST po si tion.

• Under certain conditions, such as when

mowing very tall grass, raise the mower

height on the ﬁ rst cut to reduce pushing

effort, to avoid over heat ing the engine,

and to avoid leaving clumps of grass

clippings. Make the second cut to the

desired height.

• For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the

width of cut.

• For side discharge lawn mowers, cut in

a coun ter clock wise di rec tion, start ing at

the outside of the area to be cut, in order

to spread grass clip pings more evenly

and to put less load on the engine. To

keep clip pings off of walkways, ﬂ ower

beds, etc., make the ﬁ rst cuts in a clock-

wise direction.

• When using a rear discharge lawn

mower in moist, heavy grass, clumps

of cut grass may not enter the grass

catcher. Reduce ground speed (push ing

speed) and/or run the lawn mower over

the area a second time.

• If a trail of grass clipping is left on the

right side of a rear discharge lawn mow-

er, mow in a clockwise direction with a

small overlap to collect the clippings on

the next pass.

FOR MULCHING MOWERS ONLY

- MULCHING MOWING TIPS

IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep

mower housing free of built-up grass and

trash. See "CLEANING" in the Mainte-

nance section of this manual.

• The special mulching blade will recut the

grass clip pings many times and reduce

them in size so that as they fall onto the

lawn they will disperse into the grass

and not be noticed. Also, the mulched

grass will bio de grade quickly to provide

nu tri ents for the lawn. Always mulch with

your highest engine (blade) speed as

this will provide the best recutting action

of the blades.

• Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet.

Wet grass tends to form clumps and

in ter feres with the mulch ing action. The

best time to mow your lawn is the early

afternoon. At this time the grass has

dried, yet the newly cut area will not be

exposed to direct sunlight.

• For best results, adjust the lawn mower

cutting height so that the lawn mower

cuts off only the top one-third of the

grass blades. If the lawn is overgrown it

will be necessary to raise the height of

cut to reduce pushing effort and to keep

from over load ing the engine and leaving

clumps of mulched grass. For ex tremely

heavy grass, reduce your width of cut

by overlapping previously cut path and

mow slowly.

• Pores in cloth grass catchers can

become ﬁ lled with dirt and dust with use

and the catcher will collect less grass.

To prevent this, regularly hose catcher

off with water and let dry before use.

• Certain types of grass and grass

con di tions may re quire that an area be

mulched a second time to com pletely

hide the clip pings. When doing a sec ond

cut, mow across (per pen dic u lar) to the

ﬁ rst cut path.

• Change your cutting pattern from week

to week. Mow north to south one week

then change to east to west the next

week. This will help prevent matting and

graining of the lawn.

➀ Spray lubricant

➁ See “ENGINE” in Maintenance section.

MAINTENANCE

Check for Loose Fasteners

Clean / Inspect Grass Catcher *

Check Tires

Check Drive Wheels ***

Clean Lawn Mower ****

Clean under Drive Cover ***

Check Drive Belt / Pulleys ***

Check / Sharpen / Replace Blade

Lubrication

Clean and Recharge Battery **

Check Engine Oil level

Change Engine Oil

Clean Air Filter

Inspect Muffler

Replace Spark Plug

Replace Air Filter Paper Cartridge

Empty fuel system or add Stabilizer

BEFORE

EACH

USE

AFTER

EACH

USE

EVERY

HOURS

EVERY

25 HOURS

OR SEASON

EVERY

100

HOURS

BEFORE

STORAGE

1- Change more often if operating under a heavy load or in high outdoor temperatures.

2- Service more often if operating in dirty or dusty conditions.

3- Replace blades more often when mowing in sandy soil.

4- Charge 48 hours at end of season.

5- And after each 5 hours of use.

(if so equipped)

Electric-Start mowers

Power-Propelled mowers

Use a scraper

to clean under deck

***

****

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

The warranty on this lawn mower does not

cover items that have been subjected to op-

erator abuse or negligence. To receive full

value from the war ranty, operator must main-

tain mower as instructed in this manual.

Some adjustments will need to be made

periodically to properly maintain your unit.

All adjustments in the Service and Adjust-

ments section of this manual should be

checked at least once each season.

• Once a year, replace the spark plug,

clean or replace air ﬁ lter element, and

check blade for wear. A new spark plug

and clean/new air ﬁ lter element assures

proper air-fuel mixture and helps your

en gine run better and last longer.

• Follow the Maintenance Sched ule in this

manual.

BEFORE EACH USE

• Check engine oil level.

• Check for loose fasteners.

LUBRICATION

Keep unit well lubricated

(See “LUBRICATION CHART”).

IMPORTANT: Do not oil or grease plastic

wheel bearings. Viscous lu bri cants will

LUBRICATION CHART

attract dust and dirt that will short en the life

of the self-lu bri cat ing bearings. If you feel

they must be lu bri cated, use only a dry,

pow dered graphite type lubricant sparingly.

➀ Wheel

adjuster (on

each wheel)

➁ Engine oil

➀ Rear dis-

charge mower

rear door

hinge rod

➀ Handle bracket mounting pins

➀ Side dis-

charge mower

guard hinge rod

“VARI-SPEED” DRIVE CONTROL

• Self-propelling is controlled by hold-

ing the operator presence control bar

down to the handle and pulling the drive

control bar up to the handle. The closer

to the handle the bar is pulled, the faster

the unit will travel.

• Forward motion will stop when either the

operator presence control bar or drive

control bar are released. To stop forward

motion without stop ping engine, re lease

the drive control bar only. Hold op er a tor

presence control bar down against

handle to con tin ue mowing without self-

propelling.

NOTE: If after releasing the drive control the

mower will not roll backwards, push the mower

forward slightly to disengage drive wheels.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS ONLY:

• To keep drive control engaged when

turning corners, push down on the

handle to lift the front wheels off the

ground while turning lawn mower.

• Rotate thumbscrew counter-clockwise to

tighten the drive cable.

• Operate mower to test drive speed.

• If condition fails to improve after the

above steps (forward speed remains

the same), your drive belt is worn and

should be re placed.

NOTE: If mower begins to "creep" forward,

the drive cable is too tight. Rotate thumb-

screw clockwise to loosen drive cable.

Thumb-

screw

TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL

Drive

control bar

DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED

Operator

presence

control bar

VARI-SPEED “THUMBSCREW”

ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may

become “loose”, resulting in decreased

speed. There is a thumbscrew on the

un der side of the drive control housing to

increase tension on the drive cable. Pro-

ceed as follows:

• Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug

wire from spark plug.

VARI-SPEED “BLOCK” ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may

become “loose”, resulting in decreased

speed. There are holes in the drive control

housing to increase tension on the drive

cable. Pro ceed as follows:

• Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug

wire from spark plug.

• Loosen nut, move drive control hous-

ing down handle to the next hole and

retighten nut.

• Operate mower to test drive speed.

• If condition fails to improve after the

above steps (forward speed remains

the same), your drive belt is worn and

should be re placed.

DRIVE

CONTROL

ENGAGED

Drive

control bar

DRIVE

CONTROL

DISENGAGED

Operator presence control bar

TO ADJUST,

MOVE DOWN

TO NEXT HOLE

“AUTOWALK” DRIVE CONTROL

• Self-propelling is controlled by hold ing

the operator presence control bar down

to the handle and pulling the drive con-

trol lever(s) rearward to the handle. The

farther toward the handle the lever(s)

are pulled, the faster the unit will travel.

• Forward motion will stop when either

the operator presence control bar or a

drive control lever are released. To stop

forward motion without stop ping engine,

re lease the drive control lever(s) only.

Hold op er a tor presence control bar

down against handle to con tin ue mowing

without self-propelling.

NOTE: If after releasing the drive control the

mower will not roll backwards, push the mower

forward slightly to disengage drive wheels.

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS ONLY:

• To keep drive control engaged when

turning corners, push down on the

handle to lift the front wheels off the

ground while turning lawn mower.

“AUTOWALK” ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may

become “loose”, resulting in decreased

speed. There is a turnbuckle on the

un der side of the drive control housing to

increase tension on the drive cable. Pro-

ceed as follows:

• Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug

wire from spark plug.

• Turn nut on underside of drive control to

increase drive speed.

• Operate mower to test drive speed.

Readjust as required.

• If condition fails to improve after the

above steps (forward speed remains

the same), your drive belt is worn and

should be re placed.

“DUAL BAIL” DRIVE CONTROL

• To start forward motion, lift drive control

bar up to handle.

• To stop forward motion, release drive

control bar.

DRIVE CONTROL ENGAGED

Operator

pres ence

con trol bar

DRIVE CONTROL DIS EN GAGED

TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL

Drive

control

lever(s)

DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED

Operator

presence

control bar

Adjustment

turnbuckle

Adjustment

turnbuckle

LAWN MOWER

Always observe safety rules when per-

forming any main te nance.

TIRES

• Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect

control chemi cals which can harm rub-

ber.

• Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp

objects and other hazards that may

cause tire damage.

BLADE CARE

For best results, mower blade must be

kept sharp. Re place a bent or dam aged

blade.

CAUTION: Use only a replacement

blade approved by the manufacturer of

your mower. Using a blade not approved

by the manufacturer of your mower is

hazardous, could damage your mower and

void your warranty.

TO REMOVE BLADE

1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark

plug and place wire where it cannot

come in contact with plug.

2. Turn lawn mower on its side. Make

sure air ﬁ lter and carburetor are up.

3. Use a wood block between blade and

mower hous ing to prevent blade from

turning when re mov ing blade bolt.

NOTE: Protect your hands with gloves

and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.

4. Remove blade bolt by turning counter-

clockwise.

5. Remove blade and attaching hard-

ware (bolt, lock wash er and hardened

wash er).

NOTE: Remove the blade adapter and

check the key inside hub of blade adapter.

The key must be in good condition to work

properly. Replace adapter if damaged.

TO REPLACE BLADE

1. Position the blade adapter on the en-

gine crank shaft. Be sure key in adapter

and crankshaft keyway are aligned.

2. Position blade on the blade adapter

aligning the two (2) holes in the blade

with the raised lugs on the adapter.

3. Be sure the trailing edge of blade (op-

posite sharp edge) is up toward the

engine.

4. Install the blade bolt with the lock

washer and hardened washer into

blade adapter and crankshaft.

5. Use block of wood between blade and

lawn mower housing and tighten the

blade bolt, turning clockwise.

• The recommended tightening torque is

35-40 ft. lbs.

IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated.

If bolt needs replacing, replace only with

approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts

section of this manual.

MODELS WITH BLADE ADAPTER

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Crankshaft

MODELS WITH BLADE ADAPTER/PULLEY

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Crankshaft Belt

retainer

TO SHARPEN BLADE

NOTE: We do not recommend sharp en ing

blade - but if you do, be sure the blade

is balanced. An un bal anced blade will

cause eventual damage to lawn mower or

engine.

• The blade can be sharp ened with a ﬁ le

or on a grinding wheel. Do not attempt

to sharpen while on the mower.

• To check blade balance, drive a nail into

a beam or wall. Leave about one inch of

the straight nail ex posed. Place center

hole of blade over the head of the nail.

If blade is balanced, it should remain in

a horizontal position. If either end of the

blade moves downward, sharpen the

heavy end until the blade is balanced.

DRIVE COVER

Clean under the drive cover at least twice

a season. Scrape underside of cover with

a putty knife or similar tool to remove any

buildup of trash or grass.

DRIVE WHEELS

Check drive wheels each time before you

mow to be sure they move freely.

The wheels not turning freely means trash,

grass cuttings, etc. are in the drive wheel

area and must be cleaned to free drive

wheels.

If necessary to clean the drive wheels,

check both drive wheels.

• If after cleaning, the drive wheels do not

turn freely, contact your nearest autho-

rized service center.

GEAR CASE

• To keep your drive system working

properly, the gear case and area around

the drive should be kept clean and free

of trash build-up. Clean under the drive

cover twice a season.

• The gear case is ﬁ lled with lubricant to

the proper level at the factory. The only

time the lubricant needs attention is if

service has been performed on the gear

case.

GEAR CASE WITH METAL HOUSING:

• If lubricant is required, use only Texaco

Starplex Premium 1 Grease, Part No.

750369. Do not substitute.

GEAR CASE WITH PLASTIC HOUSING:

• If lubricant is required, use only ELF

Multis EP00. Do not sub sti tute.

ENGINE

Read the maintenance section of your

engine manual.

LUBRICATION

Change the oil after the ﬁ rst two hours of

operation and every 25 hours there af ter or

at least once a year if the lawn mower is

not used for 25 hours in one year. Refer to

engine manual.

TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL

(SEE ENGINE MANUAL)

• Be sure lawn mower is on level surface.

• Oil will drain more freely when warm.

• Catch oil in a suitable container.

• For engines without dipstick, re move

bottom oil drain plug.

• For engines with oil ﬁ ll cap/dipstick,

remove bottom drain plug or remove en-

gine oil cap and turn mower on its side.

• After oil has drained completely, re place

oil drain plug and tighten se cure ly.

• Reﬁ ll engine with oil. Pour slowly. Do

not overﬁ ll.

• Fill to top of slot inside of ﬁ ller hole or

to “FULL” line on dipstick on models so

equipped. Keep oil at proper level.

AIR FILTER

Your engine will not run properly and may

be damaged by using a dirty air ﬁ lter.

Clean the element after every 25 hours

of operation or every season. Replace

the air ﬁ lter every 100 hours of operation

or every season, whichever occurs ﬁ rst.

Service air cleaner more often under dusty

conditions. See the maintenance section

of your engine manual.

MUFFLER

Inspect and replace corroded mufﬂ er as it

could create a ﬁ re hazard and/or damage.

SPARK PLUG

Replace spark plug at the beginning of

each mowing season or after every 100

hours of operation, whichever occurs ﬁ rst.

Set spark plug gap according to engine

manual speciﬁ cations.

CLEANING

IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep

mower housing free of grass build-up and

trash. Clean the underside of your mower

after each use.

• Clean the underside of your lawn mower

by scraping to remove buildup of grass

and trash.

• Clean engine often to keep trash from

accumulating. A clogged engine runs

hotter and shortens engine life.

• Keep ﬁ nished surfaces and wheels free

of all gasoline, oil, etc.

We do not recommend using a garden

hose to clean your lawn mower unless the

electrical system, mufﬂ er, air ﬁ lter, and

carburetor are covered to keep water out.

Water in engine can shorten engine life.

WATER WASHOUT FEATURE

Your lawn mower is equipped with a ﬁ tting

that allows quick and easy cleaning of

the underside of the housing. To use this

feature, proceed as follows:

1. Move lawn mower to an area of cut

grass or another hard surface.

NOTE: Water, grass and other debris will

drain from beneath the mower housing

during the washout process.

2. Remove grass catcher and discharge

chute assembly from lawn mower. 11

SIMPLE STEPS TO REMEMBER WHEN

CONVERTING YOUR “COMBI-CUT”

LAWN MOWER

FOR MULCHING -

• Rear mulcher plate installed and rear

door closed.

• Mulcher door closed.

FOR REAR BAGGING -

• Rear mulcher plate removed.

• Grass catcher installed.

• Mulcher door closed.

FOR SIDE DISCHARGING -

• Rear mulcher plate installed and rear

door closed.

• Discharge deﬂ ector installed.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without rear mulcher plate or plug in place

or approved grass catcher in place. Never

at tempt to op er ate the lawn mow er with

the rear door re moved or propped open.

GRASS CATCHER

(REAR BAGGING MODELS ONLY)

TO EMPTY GRASS CATCHER

• Simply open rear door and lift grass

catcher up and away from mower.

NOTE: Do not drag the bag when

emptying. It will cause unnecessary wear.

CAUTION: Under nor mal usage, the

catch er material is subject to de te ri o ra tion

and wear and should, therefore, be

checked frequently for replacement. Any

replacement catcher should be checked

to ensure compliance with original

man u fac tur er's spec i ﬁ ca tions.

CAUTION: Do not run lawn mower

with out the rear door, ap proved grass

catcher or clip ping de ﬂ ec tor in place.

Never at tempt to op er ate mower with the

rear door removed or propped open.

DRIVE CONTROL

“STANDARD DRIVE” CONTROL

• Self-propelling is controlled by holding

the operator presence control bar down

to the handle and pushing the drive

control lever forward until it clicks; then

releasing the lever.

• Forward motion will stop when the op-

erator presence control bar is released.

To stop forward motion without stopping

engine, release the operator presence

control bar slightly until the drive control

disengages. Hold operator presence

control bar down against handle to con-

tinue mowing without self-propelling.

• To keep drive control engaged when

turning corners, push down on handle

and lift front wheels off ground while

turning lawn mower.

TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL

Drive

control

DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED

Operator

presence

control bar

OPERATOR PRESENCE CONTROL

BAR

Your lawn mower is equipped with an op-

er a tor presence control bar which re quires

the operator to be po si tioned behind the

lawn mower handle in order to start and

operate the lawn mower.

CAUTION: Federal reg u la tions require

an en gine control to be in stalled on this

lawn mower in order to min i mize the risk

of blade contact injury. Do not un der

any cir cum stanc es attempt to de feat the

func tion of the operator con trol. The blade

turns when the engine is running.

“COMBI-CUT” MOWERS

Your lawn mower was shipped ready to be

used as a mulcher. To convert to bagging

or discharging:

REAR BAGGING

• Open rear door and remove mulcher

plate. Store mulcher plate in a safe

place.

• You can now install grass catcher.

• To convert to mulching or discharging

operation, install mulcher plug into rear

discharge opening of mower, mak ing

sure all tabs are seated properly.

Slots

Mulcher

plate tabs

MOWER IS

NOW READY

FOR MULCHING

OPERATION

SIDE DISCHARGING

• Mulcher plate must be installed into rear

discharge open ing of mower (see above

instructions).

• Open mulcher door and install dis charge

deﬂ ector under door as shown.

• Mower is now ready for discharging

operation.

• To convert to mulching or bagging

operation, dis charge deﬂ ector must be

removed and mulcher door must be

closed.

Open mulcher door

Discharge deﬂ ector

MULCHER PLUG TYPE “B”

To convert to bagging or dis charg ing:

• Lift discharge guard and remove

mulcher plug.

• Mower can now be used for side dis-

charg ing or op tion al grass catcher can

be attached.

• To return to mulching operation, simply

reinstall mulcher plug as shown, making

sure tab is seated properly.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without discharge guard, approved grass

catch er or mulcher plug in place.

Lift

discharge

guard

Install

mulcher plug Tab

SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENTS

TURN LOWER

HANDLE OVER

TO ADJUST HEIGHT

Mowing

position Mowing

position

HIGH POSITIONLOW POSITION

Handle

bracket

Hairpin

cotter

Mounting

CAUTION: Before performing any service or adjustments:

• Release operator presence control bar.

• Make sure the blade and all moving parts have com plete ly stopped.

• Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and place wire where it can not come in

contact with plug.

3. Close mulcher door (if equipped).

4. Connect a garden hose to the ﬁ tting

where shown.

IMPORTANT: Be sure the garden hose is

not routed under the lawn mower housing

or entangled in the wheels.

5. Turn on water supply and check for

leaks at the ﬁ tting.

If no leaks are present, start engine (as

described in the Operation section of this

manual) and let engine run until the under-

side of the lawn mower is clean.

WARNING: Do not engage the drive

system during the washout process.

6. Shut off the engine.

7. Shut off water supply and remove hose

from ﬁ tting.

CAUTION: Do not remove hose from

ﬁ tting while engine is running. Water in

engine can result in shortened engine life.

8. Start engine (as described in the Op-

eration section of this manual) and let

engine run for a full minute to remove

excess water from mower.

GRASS CATCHER (IF SO EQUIPPED)

Grass catcher may be hosed with water

but must be dry when used.

CAUTION: Under nor mal usage, the

catch er material is subject to de te ri o ra tion

and wear and should therefore be checked

to ensure compliance with origi nal

manufacturer speciﬁ cations.

Hose

Fitting

LAWN MOWER

TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT

See “TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT” in

the Operation sec tion of this manual.

TO ADJUST HANDLE

2 POSITION HANDLES

The handle can be mounted in a high or

low po si tion. The mounting holes in the

bottom of lower handle are off center for

raising or lowering the handle.

• Remove upper handle and all parts at-

tached to lower handle.

• Remove hairpin cotters from lower

handle bracket mount ing pin.

• Squeeze lower handle in to remove it

from mounting pins.

• Turn lower handle over to raise or lower

handle.

• Squeeze lower handle in and position

holes onto mount ing pins on handle

bracket.

• Reassemble hairpin cotters onto pins.

• Reassemble upper handle and all parts

removed from lower handle.

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt retainers

DEBRIS SHIELDS WITH BELT RETAINERS:

Belt

Drive

cover

PUSH

DOWN

Pulley

OR:

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt

retainer

Engine pulley

3 POSITION “QUICK”

The handle on your lawn mower has three

(3) height positions - adjust to height that

suits you.

• Squeeze the bottom ends of lower

handle towards each other until the pin

in handle can be inserted into one of the

three height adjustment holes.

High Handle

adjustment

bracket

Handle pin

Medium

Low

SQUEEZE

REAR DEFLECTOR (IF EQUIPPED)

The rear deﬂ ector, attached between the

rear wheels of your mower, is provided to

minimize the pos si bil i ty that objects will

be thrown out of the rear of the mower

into the operator mowing position. If the

deﬂ ector becomes dam aged, it should be

replaced.

TO REMOVE / REPLACE DRIVE BELT

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS:

“STANDARD” OR “DUAL BAIL” MODELS:

• Remove drive cover. Remove belt from

gearcase pulley by pushing down on

pulley and rolling belt off it.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade.

• Remove debris shield.

• Remove belt from engine pulley on

crankshaft.

• Place new drive belt in the belt retainers

of the debris shield (if equipped).

• Install new belt by reversing above steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

3 POSITION “EZ”

The handle on your lawn mower has three

(3) height positions - adjust to height that

suits you.

• Remove knob and carriage bolt on one

side of the lower handle.

• While holding handle assembly, remove

knob and car riage bolt from opposite

side, align hole in handle with desired

hole in handle bracket and reassemble

bolt and knob and tighten securely.

• Align opposite side of handle with same

positioning hole and secure with bolt and

knob.

Handle

adjustment

bracket

Knob

Bolt

High

Med.

Low

Slots

Mulcher

plate tabs

FOR MULCHING MOWERS ONLY

Most mulching mowers are shipped ready

to be used as a mulcher.

“REAR DISCHARGE ONLY” MOWERS

Some models have a seperate mulcher

plug, other models have the mulcher plug

built into the rear door. To convert to bag-

ging or discharging, the plate or plug (if

so equipped) must be removed from the

dis charge open ing of the lawn mower.

• Open rear door and remove mulcher

plate or plug (if so equipped). Store

mulcher plate or plug in a safe place.

• You can now install grass catcher or

optional clipping deﬂ ector accessory.

• To return to mulching operation, install

mulcher plate or plug into discharge

opening of mower.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without mulcher plate/plug in place or ap-

proved clipping deﬂ ector or grass catch er

in place. Never attempt to op er ate the

lawn mower with the rear door removed or

propped open.

MULCHER "PLUG"

Mulcher

plug

MULCHER "PLATE"

MULCHER PLUG BUILT INTO REAR DOOR

“SIDE DISCHARGE ONLY” MOWERS

MULCHER PLATE TYPE

To convert to bagging or discharging,

mulcher plate must be removed from un-

derside of lawn mower.

• Remove the four (4) screws and lock nuts

securing the mulcher plate to the mower.

• Store mulcher plate and hardware in a

safe place.

• Mower can now be used for side

discharging or op tion al grass catcher

accessory can be attached.

• To return to mulching operation, simply

reinstall mulcher plate and tighten hard-

ware securely.

Mulcher plate

Screw and

lock nut

MULCHER PLUG TYPE “A”

To convert to mulching operation, mulcher

plug must be installed into discharge open-

ing of mower.

• Open discharge guard.

• Insert tab of mulch plug into housing

opening.

• Align hooks of mulch plug over hinge

rod of discharge guard. Push mulch plug

down until mulch plug is seat ed in hous-

ing opening.

CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower

without discharge guard, ap proved grass

catcher or mulcher plug in place.

Hooks

Housing

opening

Mulcher plug

Hinge rod

Tab

Discharge

guard

Remote

throttle

control

FAST SLOW

CHOKE

(START)

OPERATION

The operation of any lawn mower can result in foreign objects thrown into

the eyes, which can result in severe eye damage. Always wear safety

glasses or eye shields while operating your lawn mower or performing any

ad just ments or repairs. We recommend standard safety glasses or a wide

vision safety mask worn over spectacles.

• Reinstall wheel components in the same

order as they were before removal.

Tighten securely.

• Make sure all wheels are at same height.

MODELS WITH “QUICK ADJUST”

WHEEL HEIGHT ADJUSTERS

NOTE: For shipping purposes, the rear

wheels on your lawn mower may not be

adjusted to the same position as the front

wheels. Before operating mower adjust all

wheels to the same cutting height.

• Raise wheels for low cut and lower

wheels for high cut.

• Adjust cutting height to suit your require-

ments. Me di um position is best for most

lawns.

• To change cutting height, squeeze adjuster

lever to ward wheel. Move wheel up or

down to suit your re quire ments. Be sure

all wheels are in the same setting.

NOTE: Adjuster is properly positioned when

plate tab inserts into hole in lever. Also, 9-

position adjusters (if so equipped) allow lever

to be positioned between the plate tabs.

Bolt

Flat washer

Wheel

3/8-16

Locknut

Spacer

LEVER BACKWARD

TO LOWER MOWER

LEVER FORWARD TO RAISE MOWER

Plate tab

Lever

HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER

ENGINE SPEED CONTROL

MODELS WITH REMOTE THROTTLE

Engine speed is con trolled by the throttle

control located on the upper handle.

• Move lever forward to FAST engine

speed for start ing and better bagging.

• Move lever backward for SLOW engine

speed.

• Some models have engines equipped

with a choke feature. Move the lever all

the way forward to the CHOKE position

when starting a cold engine.

MODELS WITH FIXED SPEED ENGINES

Engine speed was set at the factory for

optimum per form ance. Engine speed is

not adjustable.

TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT

Adjust cutting height to suit your re quire -

ments. Me di um position is best for most

lawns. Raise wheels for low cut and lower

wheels for high cut.

MODELS WITH MANUAL ADJUST

BOLT-ON WHEELS

• Remove wheel, bolt, and hardware and

reassemble in desired adjustment hole.

“AUTO WALK” or “VARI-SPEED” MODELS:

• Remove drive cover and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley by

push ing down on pulley and rolling belt

off it.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade and debris shield.

• Remove belt from engine pulley on

crankshaft.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade, engine pulley and debris

shield.

• Remove belt and engine pulley from

debris shield.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

Belt

Drive

cover

PUSH DOWN

Belt keeper

Belt

Drive

cover

PUSH

DOWN

Belt

keeper

OR:

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase

pulley

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt

retainer

Engine pulley

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND

DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade and blade adapter.

• Remove belt from pulley of blade

adapter.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

Drive cable anchorDrive pulley

Housing holes

Drive belt

Idler arm

assembly

Belt

keepers Hex nut Return

spring

REAR WHEEL DRIVE MODELS:

MODELS WITH IDLER ASSEMBLY:

• Disconnect spark plug wire from spark

plug and place wire where it cannot

come in contact with plug.

• Remove screws retaining drive cover

(not shown); and remove drive cover

from lawn mower housing.

• Remove drive cable from anchor, then

detach it and return spring (if equipped)

from idler arm assembly.

• Remove idler arm assembly from hous-

ing by removing hex nut; then remove

drive belt from drive pulley, belt keepers

and idler arm assembly.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See engine

manual for proper direction of turning

over the engine.

• Use a wood block between blade and

mower hous ing to prevent blade from

turning when re mov ing blade bolt.

NOTE: Protect your hands with gloves

and/or wrap blade with heavy cloth.

• Remove blade bolt.

• Remove blade, attaching hardware (bolt,

lock wash er, hardened wash er), blade

adapter and debris shield. Note that the

debris shield has a tab which ﬁ ts into the

housing hole.

• Remove drive belt from engine pulley;

discard old belt.

• Install new belt by reversing above

steps.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure ﬁ t and long life.

• The recommended tightening torque is

35-40 ft. lbs.

IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is grade 8 heat

treated.

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase

pulley

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Belt

retainer

SPARK PLUG BOOT

On some models a spark plug boot is

packed loose in the parts bag. If your

model has the boot, install on spark plug

wire and reconnect spark plug wire to

spark plug.

TO PRE PARE BATTERY

(ELECTRIC START MODELS ONLY)

NOTE: Your battery must be charged

before you can start your lawn mower.

UNITS WITH HANDLE-MOUNTED KEY

SWITCH:

• Con nect battery charger con nec tor

(male) to harness con nec tor (fe male).

UNITS WITH DECK-MOUNTED

BATTERY:

• Disconnect engine connector (male)

from battery con nec tor (female).

• Connect battery charger connector

(male) to bat tery connector (fe male).

ALL UNITS:

• Plug battery charger into 110 volt A.C.

outlet.

• Leave battery charger connected for 24

hours before starting your engine for the

ﬁ rst time.

UNITS WITH HANDLE-MOUNTED KEY

SWITCH:

• After charging, disconnect harness

connector (female) from bat tery charger

connector (male).

Connect your battery charger to charge

battery after each use.

IMPORTANT: The engine will not recharge

your battery.

Spark plug

Boot

DECK-MOUNTED BATTERY

Engine

connector

(male)

Harness

connector

(female)

Battery

charger

Charger

connector (male)

HANDLE-MOUNTED KEY SWITCH

UNITS WITH DECK-MOUNTED

BATTERY:

• After charging, connect engine con nec tor

(male) to bat tery connector (female).

Your engine has an integral alternator for

partial charging. Connect your battery

charger to charge battery as re quired.

IMPORTANT: The engine alternator will

not charge a discharged battery.

ALL UNITS:

At the end of the mowing season the

battery should be charged for 48 hours to

protect the battery during winter storage.

CAUTION: Always dis con nect the

en gine connector from the battery con-

nector to prevent ac ci den tal start ing when

trans port ing or stor ing your lawn mower

after the season.

Engine connector (male)

Harness

connector

(female)

Battery charger

Charger

connector

(male)

Battery

box

CAUTION: Under normal usage, the

catcher material is subject to de te ri o ra tion

and wear and should, therefore, be

checked frequently for replacement. Any

replacement catcher should be checked to

ensure compliance with original man u fac -

tur er's spec i ﬁ ca tions.

CAUTION: Do not run lawn mower

with out the discharge guard (rear door),

approved grass catcher, clipping de ﬂ ec tor

or mulcher plate in place. Never attempt

to operate mower with the dis charge guard

(rear door) removed or propped open.

Hinge bracket

Formed tabs

Rear door

Grass

catcher

frame

HINGE BRACKET MOUNTED

DOOR PIVOT PIN MOUNTED

HANDLE BRACKET MOUNTED

DOOR SLOT MOUNTED

Handle bracket hooks Rear

door Grass

catcher

handle

Catcher frame side hook

Rear door slots

Grass

catcher

han dle

Catcher frame hook

Pivot pins Grass

catcher

handle

Catcher frame hook

Rear

door

Frame

handle

Frame

opening

Vinyl

bindings

“FABRIC TOP” GRASS CATCHERS

TO ASSEMBLE AND ATTACH GRASS

CATCH ER

• Put grass catcher frame into grass bag

with rigid part of bag on the bottom.

• Slip vinyl bindings over frame.

NOTE: If vinyl bindings are too stiff, hold

them in warm water for a few minutes. If

bag gets wet, let it dry before using.

• Lift the rear door on the mower housing.

• For HINGE BRACKET mounted catcher,

place the grass catch er frame onto the

formed tabs on the rear door hinge

bracket.

• For HANDLE BRACKET mounted

catcher, place frame side hooks into

slots in handle brackets.

• For DOOR PIVOT PIN mounted catcher,

place the grass catcher frame hooks

onto the door pivot pins.

• For DOOR SLOT mounted catcher,

place the grass catcher frame hooks into

the slots of the rear door.

NOTE: The grass catcher is secured to the

lawn mower housing when the rear door is

lowered onto the grass catcher frame.

Trailing edge

Crankshaft

Debris shield

Blade

adapter

Hardened

washer

Lock-washer

Blade

bolt

Tab

Housing hole

Trailing edge

Crankshaft

Debris

shield

Screw

Blade

adapter

Hardened

washer

Lock-washer

Blade

bolt

Tab

Housing

hole

OR:

• Place new drive belt in engine pulley

and belt retainer of debris shield.

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover.

• Remove spring and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade, engine pulley and debris

shield.

• Remove engine pulley and belt from

debris shield.

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase pulley

Spring

Debris shield

Drive belt

Belt

retainer

Engine pulley

• Route the other end of the new drive belt

through hole in housing.

• Reinstall debris shield.

• Return mower to upright po si tion.

• Install new belt on gearcase pulley.

• Reinstall belt keeper and spring.

• Reinstall drive cover.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure proper ﬁ t and long life.

• Turn lawn mower on its side with air ﬁ lter

and car bu re tor down.

• Reinstall blade.

MODELS WITH GEARCASE-MOUNTED

BELT KEEPER AND

DEBRIS SHIELD:

• Remove drive cover.

• Remove spring and belt keeper.

• Remove belt from gearcase pulley.

• Route the other end of the new drive belt

through hole in housing.

• Return mower to upright po si tion.

• Install new belt on gearcase pulley.

• Reinstall belt keeper and spring.

• Reinstall drive cover.

NOTE: Always use factory approved belt

to assure proper ﬁ t and long life.

• Turn lawn mower on its side with air ﬁ lter

and car bu re tor down.

• Reinstall blade and blade adapter.

ENGINE

CARBURETOR

The carburetor has been preset at the fac-

tory and ad just ment should not be neces-

sary. However, minor ad just ment may be

required to compensate for differences in

fuel, temperature, altitude or load.

• The air ﬁ lter must be assembled to the

car bu re tor when running engine.

• Best carburetor adjustment is obtained

when fuel tank is 1/4 full.

• In order for the engine to run, the opera-

tor presence control bar must be held

in the operating position. There fore,

and assistant will be required to hold

the control bar in the operating position

when making ﬁ nal adjustment to the

car bu re tor.

See the ADJUSTMENT section of your

engine manual for further instructions.

ENGINE SPEED

The engine speed has been factory set.

Do not attempt to increase engine speed

as it may result in personal injury. If you

believe the engine is running too fast

or too slow, take your lawn mower to an

authorized engine service center for repair

and adjustment.

THROTTLE CONTROL

If it becomes necessary to adjust or re-

place the throttle control, see the ADJUST-

MENT section of your engine man ual.

Belt

Drive

cover

Belt

keeper

Gearcase pulley

Spring

Blade

bolt

Crankshaft

keyway

Hardened

washer

Lockwasher

Blade adapter Key

Blade

Trailing edge Belt

retainer

• Turn lawn mower on its side. See

engine manual for proper direction of

turning over the engine.

• Remove blade and blade adapter.

• Remove belt from blade adapter.

• Position the blade adapter on the engine

crank shaft. Be sure key in adapter and

crankshaft keyway are aligned; and that

the drive belt is inside the tabs of the

belt retainer.

3 POSITION “QUICK” HANDLES

• Raise lower handle section to operating

position and squeeze the bottom ends

of lower handle towards each other until

the pin in handle can be inserted into

one of the three height adjustment holes.

3 POSITION “EZ” HANDLES

• Raise lower handle section to operating

position and align hole in handle with

one of three height positioning holes.

• Insert handle bolt through handle and

bracket and secure with knob.

• Repeat for opposite side of handle.

Handle

ad just ment

brack et

Knob Bolt

Handle pin

Handle

ad just ment

bracket

SQUEEZE

ALL HANDLES

• Raise upper handle section into place on

lower han dle, remove protective padding

and tighten both handle knobs.

• Remove handle padding holding opera-

tor pres ence control bar to upper handle.

• Your lawn mower handle can be ad-

justed for your mowing comfort. Refer to

“ADJUST HANDLE” in the Service and

Adjustments section of this manual.

NOTE: For shipping purposes, the rear

wheels on your lawn mower may not be

adjusted to the same position as the front

wheels. Before operating mower adjust all

wheels to the same cutting height.

INSTALL REAR WHEELS

(HIGH WHEEL MOWERS ONLY)

Some high wheel models require wash ers

which will be pro vid ed in a parts bag. If provid-

ed, install washers on the axle ﬁ rst as shown.

• Install one (1) rear wheel on the axle of

rear wheel adjuster.

• Install 3/8-16 locknut and tighten securely.

• Repeat procedure for other rear wheel.

MOWING

POSITION

Lower handle

LIFT

Operator

presence

control bar

Upper

handle

LIFT

Handle

knob

AS SEM BLE GRASS CATCHER

(REAR DISCHARGE MOWERS ONLY)

IMPORTANT: If your model lawn mower

is mulcher ready, the mulcher plate or plug

must be removed before using mower as

a bagger. To convert mower to bagging or

discharging, see the Operation section in

this manual.

Look at the different grass catcher illustra-

tions that follow. Determine which type

of grass catcher you have and follow the

appropriate instructions.

Flanged

locknut Wheel

assembly

Washer

Axle

O-Ring

CAUTION: Do not operate this lawn

mower without the discharge guard or an

entire approved grass catcher in place.

These guards are for your protection and

are required by the American National

Standards Institute and Consumer Prod-

ucts Safety Com mis sion.

CAUTION: Disconnect spark plug wire

from spark plug and place wire where it

cannot come in contact with plug.

HOW TO SET UP YOUR LAWN

MOW ER

UNFOLD HANDLE

IMPORTANT: Unfold handle carefully so

as not to pinch or damage con trol cables.

2 POSITION / “ADJUSTABLE” HANDLES

• Raise handles until lower handle section

locks into place in operating position.

ASSEMBLY

TO REMOVE MOWER FROM CARTON

• Remove all loose parts from carton.

• Remove lawn mower hous ing with care. Avoid touch ing blade under hous ing. Always

wear gloves or other protection when working under or lifting mower.

THINGS TO KNOW BE FORE YOU ASSEMBLE OR OPERATE YOUR LAWN

MOW ER

Do I have a side or rear discharge lawn

mower?

Look for the grass discharge opening on

your mower. If the opening is on the right

side of the mower housing, it is a side

discharge mower. If the opening is at the

back of the mower housing, it is a rear dis-

charge mower. Only rear discharge lawn

mowers have a grass catcher in clud ed with

the mower. Approved grass catchers for

side discharge mow ers may be purchased

from your nearest au tho rized dealer.

Do I have a mulching lawn mower?

Look for the grass discharge opening on

your mower. Raise the discharge guard

(rear door on rear discharge mowers). If

the opening is closed off by a plate, then

your lawn mower is mulcher ready. To

convert to a discharging mower, see the

Operation section of this manual.

LEFT

HAND

SIDE

RIGHT

HAND

SIDE

FRONT

What is the right and left side of the

lawn mower?

When right hand (RH) or left hand (LH) is

mentioned in this man ual, it means when

you are in the operating po si tion (stand ing

be hind the handle).

What kind of engine is on my lawn

mower?

When learning how to operate your new

lawn mower, you will need to know what

kind of engine powers the mower. A decal

on the engine will indicate the man u -

fac tur er and type or brand name of the

engine.

BRIGGS & STRATTON ENGINES

BACK or REAR

(Op er at ing Position)

HONDA

ENGINES

TECUMSEH

EN GINES

STORAGE

Immediately prepare your lawn mower for

storage at the end of the season or if the

unit will not be used for 30 days or more.

CAUTION: Never store the lawn mower

with gaso line in the tank inside a build ing

where fumes may reach an open ﬂ ame

or spark. Allow the engine to cool before

storing in any enclosure.

LAWN MOWER

When lawn mower is to be stored for a pe-

riod of time, clean it thor oughly, remove all

dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store in a clean,

dry area.

• Clean entire lawn mower (See “CLEAN-

ING” in the Maintenance section of this

manual).

• Lubricate as shown in the Main te nance

section of this manual.

• Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and

pins are securely fas tened. Inspect

moving parts for damage, breakage and

wear. Replace if necessary.

• Touch up all rusted or chipped paint

surfaces; sand lightly before painting.

HANDLE

Your handle may be folded for storage as

shown.

• Squeeze the bottom ends of lower

handle towards each other until handle

clears the handle brackets and swing

handles forward over mower.

• Loosen upper handle mounting hard-

ware enough to allow upper handle to be

folded back.

IMPORTANT: When folding handles for

storage or transportation, be sure to fold

handles as shown or you may damage the

control cables.

Lower handle

SQUEEZE

TO FOLD

2 POSITION / “ADJUSTABLE” HAN DLES

When setting you handles up from the

storage position, the lower handle will

au to mat i cal ly lock into mow ing position.

3 POSITION HANDLES

When setting up your handle from the stor-

age position, the lower han dle will require

manually locking into the mowing position.

FOLD

FORWARD

FOR

STORAGE

MOWING

POSITION

Lower handle

Operator

presence

control bar

Upper

handle

Handle

knob

3 POSITION “EZ”

3 POSITION “QUICK”

Handle

ad just ment

brack et

Knob Bolt

Handle pin

Handle

ad just ment

bracket

SQUEEZE