21
Operation
Zero Turn Driving Practice
The lever controls of the Zero Turn rider are
responsive, and learning to gain a smooth and efficient
control of the rider’s forward, reverse, and turning
movements will take some practice.
Spending some time going through the maneuvers
shown and becoming familiar with how the unit
accelerates, travels, and steers — before you begin
mowing —is absolutely essential to getting the most
out of the Zero Turn rider.
Locate a smooth, flat area of your lawn — one with
plenty of room to maneuver. (Clear the area of objects,
people and animals before you begin.) Operate
the unit at mid-throttle during this practice session
(ALWAYS operate at full throttle when mowing), and
turn slowly to prevent tire slippage and damage to
your lawn.
We suggest you begin with the Smooth Travel
procedure to the right, and then advance through the
forward, reverse, and turning maneuvers.
You must release the parking brake prior to moving
the control levers inward.
Forward Travel Practice
Gradually move both ground speed control levers
— evenly FORWARD from neutral. Slow down and
repeat.
NOTE: Straight forward travel takes practice. If
necessary, top speed can be balance-adjusted — see
the Speed Balancing Adjustment in the Adjustments
section near the back of this manual.
Reverse Travel Practice
LOOK DOWN & BEHIND, then gradually move both
ground speed control levers evenly BACK from
neutral. Slow down and repeat.
NOTE: Practice backing up for several minutes before
attempting to do so near objects. The rider turns
sharply in reverse as well as forward, and backing up
straight takes practice.
Figure 10. Forward Travel
Forward
Travel
Figure 11. Reverse Travel
Reverse
Travel
Smooth Travel
The lever controls of
the Zero Turn rider are
responsive.
The BEST method of
handling the ground
speed control levers
is in three steps — as
shown in Figure 9.
FIRST place your
hands onto the levers
as shown.
SECOND, to go
forward gradually push
the levers forward with
your palms.
THIRD, to speed up
move the levers farther
forward. To slow down
smoothly, slowly move
the levers toward
neutral.
Figure 9. Move Control
Levers Gradually
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