WARNING
Donot mow on inclines
with a slope in excess
of 15degrees (a rise
of approximately 2-1/2
feet every 10 feet). The
tractor could overturn
and cause serious
injury.
Tohelp avoid blade
;ontact or a thrown
object injury, keep
bystanders, helpers,
;hildren and pets at
least75 feet from the
machine while it is in
operation. Stop ma-
;hine if anyoneenters
the area.
Driving On Slopes
RefertotheSLOPEGAUGEon page3 to helpdeter-
mineslopeswhereyoumayoperatethe tractorsafely.
,_ WARNING: Do not mow on
inclineswith a slope in excess
of 15 degrees (a rise of approxi-
mately 2-1/2 feet every 10feet).
The tractor could overturnand
cause serious injury.
• Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross.
• Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirection
on slopes.
• Watchfor holes,ruts,bumps,rocks,or otherhidden
objects.Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.
Tallgrasscanhideobstacles.
• Avoidturnswhendrivingona slope.Ifa turn must
be made,turn downthe slope.Turningupa slope
greatlyincreasesthechanceof a rollover.
• Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.If it is
necessarytostopwhiledrivingup aslope,startup
smoothlyandcarefullyto reducethe possibilityof
flippingthe tractoroverbackward.
Engaging the Blades
EngagingthePTO(BladeEngage)transferspowerto
thecuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)attach-
ments.Toengagetheblades,proceedasfollows:
1. Movethethrottlecontrolleverto the FAST(rabbit)
position.
2. GraspthePTO(BladeEngage)leverand pivotit all
thewayforwardintotheengaged(ON)position.
3. Keepthethrottleleverinthe FAST(rabbit)position
forthemostefficientuseofthecuttingdeckorother
(separatelyavailable)attachments
iMPORTANT:Models withReverse Caution Mode:
Theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff ifthe PTOis
engagedwiththeshiftleverin positionfor reversetravel
withtheignitionkeyintheNORMALMOWINGposition.
Models withoutReverseCautionMode:
ThePTO(BladeEngage)levermust bein thedisen-
gaged(OFF)positionwhenstartingthe engine,when
travelingin reverse,and iftheoperatorleavestheseat.
RefertoSafetyinterlockSwitcheson page14.
Using the Deck Lift Lever
Toraisethe cuttingdeck,movethe decklift levertothe
left,thenplaceitinthenotchbestsuitedforyourapplica-
tion.RefertoSettingTheCuttingHeightearlierinthis
section.
Mowing
WARNING: To help avoid blade
contact or a thrown object injury,
keep bystanders, helpers, children
and petsat least 75 feet from the
machine while it is in operation.
Stop machine if anyone enters the
area.
Thefollowinginformationwillbehelpfulwhenusingthe
cuttingdeckwith yourtractor:
WARNING: Plan your mowing
pattern to avoid discharge of
materials toward roads, sidewalks,
bystanders and the like. Also,
avoid discharging material against
a wall or obstruction which may
cause discharged material to
ricochet back toward the operator.
• Donotmowathighgroundspeed,especiallyifa
mulchkit orgrasscollectoris installed.
• Forbestresultsit is recommendedthatthe firsttwo
lapsbe cutwiththe dischargethrowntowardsthe
center.Afterthe first twolaps, reversethedirectionto
throwthedischargetotheoutsideforthebalanceof
cutting.Thiswillgivea betterappearanceto the lawn.
• Donotcut thegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvites
weedgrowthandyellowsquicklyindry weather.
• Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewiththeengineat full
throttle.
Underheavierconditionsit maybenecessaryto go
backoverthecut areaa secondtimetogeta clean
cut.
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