TO STOP
ENGINE
• To stop engine,
release
operator
pres-
ence control
bar. Wait until blade and
all moving
parts have stopped
and turn
fuel valve to OFF position
if you do not
intend to restart
the engine
soon.
TO START
ENGINE
NOTE:
Due to protective
coatings
on the
engine,
a small amount
of smoke
may be
present
during the initial use of the product
and should
be considered
normal.
1. Be sure fuel valve is in the ON position.
2. Move choke lever to ON (N)
position.
3. Hold operator
presence
control
bar
down to the handle
and pull starter
handle
quickly.
Do not allow starter
rope
to snap back.
NOTE:
The choke
lever automatically
begins
moving
to the OFF position
when
operator
presence
control
bar is held
down to handle.
OFF
Fuel valve lever
MOWING
TIPS
A CAUTION:
Do not use de-thatcher
blade attachments
on your mower.
Such
attachments
are hazardous,
will damage
your mower and could void your warranty.
• Under
certain
conditions,
such as very
tall grass,
it may be necessary
to raise
the height of cut to reduce
pushing
effort
and to keep from overloading
the engine
and leaving
clumps
of grass
clippings.
•
It may also be necessary
to reduce
ground
speed
and/or
run the lawn
mower
over the area a second
time.
• For extremely
heavy cutting,
reduce
the
width of cut by overlapping
previously
cut path and mow slowly.
• For better grass bagging
and most cut-
ting conditions,
the engine speed
should
be set in the FAST position.
10
• Pores in cloth grass catchers
can
become
filled with dirt and dust with use
and catchers
will collect
less grass. To
prevent
this, regularly
hose catcher
off
with water and let dry before
using.
• Keep top of engine
around
starter
clear
and clean of grass
clippings
and chaff.
This will help engine
air flow and extend
engine
life.
MULCHING
MOWING
TIPS
IMPORTANT:
For best performance,
keep mower
housing
free of built-up
grass and trash.
See "CLEANING"
in the
Maintenance
section
of this manual.
• The special
mulching
blade will recut
the grass clippings
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 biodegrade
quickly
to
provide
nutrients
for the lawn.
Always
mulch with your highest
engine
(blade)
speed
as this will provide
the best recut-
ting action of the blades.
• Avoid
cutting
your lawn when it is wet.
Wet grass tends to form clumps
and
interferes
with the mulching
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
overloading
the engine and leaving clumps
of mulched
grass.
For extremely
heavy
grass, reduce your width of cut by overlap-
ping previously
cut path and mow slowly.
1/3
Certain types
of grass and grass
conditions
may require that an area be
mulched
a second
time to completely
hide the clippings.
When
doing a sec-
ond cut, mow across
(perpendicular)
to
the first 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.