Simplicity 1021 User manual

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OPERATOR'S
MANUAL
MODELS
1021 & 1019
21" SELF PROPELLED MOWER
MFC. NO. 1690132
SELF PROPELLED ELEC. START MOWER
MFC. NO. 1690133
21" PUSH MOWER
MFC. NO. 1690131
19" PUSH MOWER
MFC. NO. 1690130
CAUTION: Read Manual Thoroughly
Before Operating Mower
FORM - 1651679
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
763

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Models
1019
&
1021
labile Of Contents
SAFETY RULES ..
MOWER IDENTIFICATION ....
OWNER BENEFITS .
ASSEMBLY .
CONTENT OF SECTION .
ASSEMBLY OF HANDLE & CONTROLS
OPERATION .
CONTENT OF SECTION .
MOWER CONTROLS.
PREPARING MOWER FOR USE.
INSTALLING GRASS CATCHER .
OPERATING PROCEDURES.
NORMAL CARE .
CONTENT OF SECTION .
SCHEDULED CARE .
NORMAL STORAGE.
OFF-SEASON STORAGE .
STARTING AFTER STORAGE.
BELT REPLACEMENT .
TROUBLESHOOTING .
CONTENT OF SECTION.
TROUBLE SHOOTING PROCEDURES.
ADJUSTMENTS.
MOWER HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS ...
HANDLE ADJUSTMENTS.
2
4
5
6
6
6
8
8
8
9
9
10
13
13
13
13
13
14
19
21
21
21
22
22
22
23
25
SPECIFICATIONS.
MAINTENANCE RECORD
1

s
WARNING
Read these safety rules and follow them closely. Failure to
obey these rules could result in loss of control of vehicle,
severe personal injury to yourself or bystanders, or damage
to property or equipment
Safety Rules
This notation preceding Cautions and Warnings in the text signifies important precaution¬
ary steps which, if not properly followed, could result in personal injury or damage to
your equipment
General • Read the Operator's Manual care¬
fully. Be thoroughly familiar with
the controls and proper use of the
equipment.
• Never allow children to operate a
power mower.
• Keep the area of operation clear of
all persons, particularly small chil¬
dren, and pets.
Preparation • Thoroughly inspect the area where
the equipment is to be used and re¬
move all stones, sticks, wire, bones
and other foreign objects.
• Do not operate equipment when
barefoot or wearing open sandals.
Always wear substantial footwear.
• Never operate equipment in wet
grass. Always be sure of your foot¬
ing; keep a firm hold on handle and
walk, never run.
• Disengage self-propelling unit on
units so equipped before starting
engine.
• Never attempt to make a wheel
height adjustment while engine is
running.
• Mow only in daylight or in good
artificial light.
• Check fuel before starting engine. Do
not fill gasoline tank when engine is
running or while engine is still hot.
Wipe off any spilled gasoline before
starting engine.
Operation • Do not put hands or feet near or
under rotating parts. Keep clear of
discharge opening at ail times.
• Stop engine when crossing gravel
drive, walks or roads.
• After striking a foreign object stop
the mower, remove spark plug wire
and fasten away from the plug. Thor¬
oughly inspect the mower for any
damage, and repair the damage be¬
fore restarting and operating the
mower.
2
• Do not change engine governor set¬
tings or overspeed engine.

Safety Rules
• If the equipment should start to vi¬
brate abnormally, stop the engine
and check immediately for the cause.
Vibration is generally a warning of
trouble.
• Stop engine whenever you leave the equip¬
ment, before cleaning mower housing,
making any repair or inspection.
• When cleaning, repairing or inspecting,
make certain blade and all moving parts
have stopped. Disconnect spark plug
wire and keep wire away from plug to
prevent accidental starting.
• Do not run engine indoors.
• Shut engine off and wait until blade
comes to a complete stop before re¬
moving grass catcher and/or unclogging
chute.
• Mow across the face of slopes, never up-
and-down. Exercise extreme caution
when changing direction on slopes. Do
not mow excessively steep slopes.
• Never operate mower without proper
guards, plates or other safety protec¬
tive devices in place.
Maintenance
and Storage
• Never store equipment with gasoline in
the tank inside of a building where fumes
may reach an open flame or spark. Allow
engine to cool before storing in any
enclosure.
• Check blade and engine mounting
bolts at frequent intervals for proper
tightness.
• Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to
be sure equipment is in safe working
condition.
• To reduce fire hazard keep engine free of
grass, leaves or excessive grease.
• Check grass catcher bags frequently for
wear or deterioration. Replace with new
bags for safe operation.
3

Simpliciti§
Mower Identification
When ordering replacement parts for your Simplicity mower, be prepared to give your dealer the identification numbers
found on the mower and engine identification plates shown below. The identification plate for the mower is located in
the rear, on top of the mower deck. The engine ID plate is located on the top of the engine blower housing. We suggest
that you locate the numbers and record them below for easy reference.
Engine I D
Mower I D

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Owner Benefits
Grass Catcher fills completely to
top, holds a full bushel. Large
bag has a zipper for easy unloading.
(Optional on 1019.)
Briggs and Stratton easy-spin engine
has an automatic choke, high-car¬
bon nodular iron crankshaft, zinc
flywheel key.
Magnesium deck is lighter, won't
rust. Over 3" deep above blade for
greater air mixing to spread clip¬
pings evenly. Deck extends well be¬
low blade all around for added
safety.
Adjustable wheels have 6 positions
for selecting cutting height from
7/8" to 2-7/8". No tools needed
for instant cutting height adjusters.
Adjustable handle can be folded
down to engine cover, moved for¬
ward to straight-up position and
adjusted for height - all without
tools.
1019 & 1021
Walk Behind Mower
Sealed ni-cad battery can be tipped without danger of
spilling acid. Requires no maintenance other than charg¬
ing. (Electric start models only).
Through-deck catching and right front corner discharge per-
mits mowing at 20% lower blade tip speed.
Verticul pull manual starter is geared to reduce pull force
by 25%-naturally easier and safer than side-pull starters.
(On manual mowers only).
Pre-stressed blade is clamped in a rigid stiffener to reduce
flutter and fatigue failure.
Mulching baffle is easily installed, cuts and recuts grass,
making mulch for your lawn.
Ignition Key starts and stops engine with no effort. Re¬
movable to prevent unauthorized starts. (Electric start
models only).
Speed control selector gives one simple control for fuss-free
engine performance.
Rear wheel drive enables mower to climb a 40° slope, with¬
out slipping to prevent wheel marks on lawn. (Self propelled
models only).
Touch-a-matic control bar gives soft clutch action for un¬
marked lawns.
5

SimpUdiif
Assembly
CONTENT OF SECTION
Procedures necessary to complete the assembly of
the mower are provided in this section.
ASSEMBLY OF HANDLE AND CONTROLS
The mower handle and controls (self-propelled
models) are removed from the mower for shipping.
To assemble the mower handle and controls, pro¬
ceed as follows:
The mower handle is attached to the mower by
means of two pins and spring clips. There are two
holes in each tip of the mower handle. By placing
the pins in the lower set of holes, the mower
handle is suited to short operators. Placing the pins
in the upper set of holes makes the handle height
suitable for medium to tall operators. Choose the
set of holes which will be appropriate for your
needs.
1. Tighten the wing nuts on the handle in its
unfolded position.
2. Remove the spring clips from the pins in the
rear wheel brackets, as shown in figure 1.
3. I nstall the handle on the pins, with the handle
locks positioned over the top of the wheel
brackets. (See figure 1).
4. R eplace the spring clips through the pins to
attach the handle to the rear wheel brackets.
On self-propelled models, the drive engaging rods
must be attached to the driveshaft bellcranks. To
assemble the engaging rods, proceed as follows.
1. Unscrew the turn buckles on the lower en¬
gaging rods so that the lower rod is free from
the upper rod.
2. Slip the hooks in the lower engaging rods
through the slots in the driveshaft bell-
cranks as shown in Figure 1.
3. Attach the rod spring to the loops in the
upper engaging rods as shown in figure 2.
4. Reassemble the engaging rod tumbuckles,
tightening them so that the driver wheels are
approximately 1/4 inch from each rear wheel.
(See figure 4).
5. Tighten the locknuts on each end of the
tumbuckles to prevent them from loosening.
On electric start models, the wiring harness must
be connected to the handle and ignition switch.
To connect the wiring harness, proceed as follows:
1. Attach the wiring harness to the lower and
upper handles as shown in figure 3 with the
cable clamps provided.
2. Slip the harness through the cable clip on
the mower housing (figure 4).
6

Assembly
Figures. Attaching Harness
Figure 4. installing Harness in Clip
3. Attach the three wire plug to the ignition
switch (see figure 5).
4. Insert the charging plug into the slot on the
handle crosspiece next to the ignition switch
(see figure 5).
Figures. I nstalling Plug
NOTE
The sealed battery requires no water or liquid
electrolyte. It can be stored or placed in any
position without danger of spillage. The only
attention required is periodic recharging. It
need not be recharged during the off-season,
and prolonged storage will cause no harm. If
the battery has not been used for an extended
period, or if it is new, it should be charged for
24 hours to restore its full charge.
NOTE
The engine must be filled with oil before it is
started. See the procedure shown in the Nor¬
mal Care section of this manual for checking
the oil level.
7

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Operation
CONTENT OF SECTION
This section provides operating procedures for your
rotary mower. A brief description of the Mower
Controls is followed by Preparing the Mower for
Use, and basic Operating Procedures.
MOWER CONTROLS
Figure 6 shows the location, name and function of
each of the mower controls. The control names
given in figure 6 are used throughout the manual.
Item
Name
Function
A
Ignition Switch
Operates with key to start.
(Elec. Start Only)
run or turn off engine.
B
Control Bar
(Self-propelled
Models only)
Engages and disengages
power to the rear driving
wheels.
C
Height
Adjusters
Control the mowing
height of the mower,
adjustable to 2-7/8 inch
cutting height.
Item
Name
Function
D
Speed Control
Knob
Controls the engine speed for
heavy or light jobs. Engages
the choke for easy starting,
and stops the engine when
desired.
E
Starter Handle
(Manual Start
only)
Starts the mower engine by
pulling upward.
Figure 6. Location and Function of Controls
8

Operation
S'^npISciiag
PREPARING THE MOWER FOR USE
The clippings from your lawn can be collected in
the grass catcher bag, dispersed to the side, or
chopped finely and left as a mulch for yoiu: lawn.
In the spring and early summer, when the growth
is heavy, it is recommended that you collect the
clippings from your lawn, leaving it neat and clean,
with no fear of smothering new growth. To do
this, install the grass catcher.
INSTALLING GRASS CATCHER
1. R emove the spark plug wire and tie it away
from the spark plug wire. (See figure 7).
2. I f the mower deck plate is installed, remove
it by taking off the wing screw at the front of
the plate and sliding it out from the two
spring bolts on the mower deck.
3. I nstall the grass deflector plate in the mower
deck by sliding the slot under the front spring
bolt. (See figure 8).
4. Insert and tighten finger tight the wing screw
provided through the mower deck into the
grass deflector plate. (See figure 8).
5. Install the grass chute over the opening in the
mower deck by sliding both slots under the
spring bolts, and tightening the wing screw
finger tight into the mower deck (see figure 9).
Figure 8. Remove Grass Deflector Plate
6. Insert the leg of the bag support rod through
the left hole in the handle crossbar, and attach
it with the spring clip provided through the
hole in the rod. (See figure 10). Make sure
bag support rod is underneath control rod.
7. Attach the grass bag to the grass chute by
inserting the bottom of the bag reinforcing
loop into the slots on the mower deck (see
figure 11), and push the top of the reinforcing
loop under the spring clip on the top of the
grass chute.
8. Attach the zipper end of the grass bag to the
bag support rod with the loop sewn into the
edge of the bag.
9