Simplicity GTH Series User manual

Operator's
Manual
Slmplltsily

Table of Contents
SAFETY RULES . .. 1
DECALS. 3
MOWER INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL. 5
OPERATION. 9
CONTROLS . 9
CHECKS BEFORE STARTING . 11
SAFETY INTERLOCK SYSTEM . 11
STARTING THE ENGINE . 12
GENERAL INFORMATION. 12
SELECTING ENGINE SPEED . 12
STARTING AND STOPPING . 13
CLUTCH/BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION . 14
PUSHING TRACTOR BY HAND . 15
MOWING SUGGESTIONS . 16
NORMAL CARE .. 17
DETERMINING OPERATING TIME. 17
RAISING HOOD & SEAT DECK. 17
NORMAL CARE SCHEDULE. 17
ADDING GASOLINE . 19
TRACTOR AND MOWER LUBRICATION . 19
FLUID LEVELS. 22
TIRE PRESSURE . 22
CHANGING TRANSMISSION FLUID & FILTER .... 23
FUEL FILTER REPLACEMENT . 25
CLEANING THE BATTERY & CABLES .25
SHARPENING & BALANCING THE BLADES .26
NORMAL STORAGE . 28
TRACTOR OFF-SEASON STORAGE .28
STARTING AFTER STORAGE .28
MOWER OFF-SEASON STORAGE .. 29
TROUBLESHOOTING & REPAIR . 30
CONTENT OF SECTION . 30
TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES. 30
BATTERY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT . 33
JUMP STARTING . 33
ENGINE DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT . 35
MOWER DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT . 37
ADJUSTMENTS . 40
TRACTOR BRAKE SPRING ADJUSTMENT.40
CLUTCH ADJUSTMENT . 41
SHIFT QUADRANT (NEUTRAL) ADJUSTMENT ... 41
MOWER ADJUSTMENTS . 43
Drive Belt Tension .... 43
PTO Pulley Belt Stops . 43
Left Idler Pulley Belt Stop . 44
Mower Leveling. Side-to-Side . 44
Mower Leveling, Front-to-Back . 46
Blade Brake Adjustment . 48
Lift Lever. 49
SEAT ADJUSTMENT . 50
TRACTOR IDENTIFICATION . 50
SPECIFICATIONS . 51
OPTIONAL ATTACHMENTS & ACCESSORIES.53
COMMON REPLACEMENT PARTS .54
PARTS MANUAL AVAILABLE . 55
READ THE ENTIRE MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING

Safety Rules
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 The triangle ^ in the text
signifies Important cautions or warnings which must be followed.
• Know the controls and how to stop quickly. READ THIS
OPERATOR’S MANUAL and instructions furnished with
attachments.
• Do not attempt to override the safety start circuit. Make
sure the seat switch is securely plugged in.
• Do not allow children to operate the machine. Do not allow
adults to operate it without proper instruction.
• Do not carry passengers. Do not mow when children and
others are around.
• Clear the work area of objects (wire, rocks, etc.) that might
be picked up and thrown.
• Disengage ail attachment clutches and shift into neutral
before attempting to start the engine (motor).
• Disengage power to attachments and stop the engine
(motor) before leaving the operator's position.
• Disengage power to attachments and stop the engine
(motor) before making any repairs or adjustments.
• Disengage power to attachments when transporting or not
in use.
• Take all possible precautions when leaving the vehicle
unattended, such as disengaging the power-take-off,
lowering the attachments, setting the parking brake,
stopping the engine, and removing the key.
• Do not stop or start suddenly when going uphill or
downhill. Mow up and down the face of slopes; never across
the face. Do not mow on slopes greater than 30 percent
(16.7°); use front counterweights and rear wheel weights on
slopes greater than 15 percent (8.5°).
• Reduce speed and exercise extreme caution on slopes and
in sharp turns to prevent tipping or loss of control. Be
especially cautious when changing direction on slopes.
• Stay alert for holes, rocks, and roots in the terrain and
other hidden hazards. Keep away from drop-offs.
1

Safety Rules
• Use care when pulling loads or using heavy equipment.
a. Use only approved drawbar hitch points.
b. Limit toads to those you can safely control.
c. Do not turn sharply. Use care when backing.
d. Use counterweights or wheel weights when suggested
in this operator's manual.
• Watch out for traffic when crossing or near roadways.
• When using any attachments, never direct discharge of
material toward bystanders or allow anyone near the vehicle
while in operation.
• Handle gasoline with care — it is highly flammable.
a. Use approved gasoline container.
b. Never remove the fuel cap of, or add gasoline to, a
running or hot engine or an engine that has not been
allowed to cool for several minutes after running. Never
fill the tank indoors and always clean up spilled gasoline.
c. Open doors if the engine is run in the garage — exhaust
fumes are dangerous. Do not run the engine indoors.
• Keep the vehicle and attachments in good operating
condition, and keep safety devices in place and in working
condition.
• Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the
equipment is in safe working condition.
• Never store the equipment with gasoline in the tank inside
a building where fumes may reach an open flame or spark.
Allow the engine to cool before storing in any enclosure.
• To reduce fire hazard, keep the engine free of grass,
leaves, or excessive grease.
• The vehicle and attachments should be stopped and
inspected for damage after striking a foreign object, and the
damage should be repaired before restarting and operating
the equipment.
• Do not change the engine governor settings or overspeed
the engine.
• When using the vehicle with mower, proceed as follows:
a. Mow only in daylight or in good artificial light.
b. Never make a cutting height adjustment while the
engine (motor) is running if the operator must dismount
to do so.
c. Shut the engine (motor) off when removing the grass
catcher or unciogging chute.
d. Check the blade mounting bolts for proper tightness at
frequent intervals.
• Under normal usage, the grass catcher bag material is
subject to deterioration and wear. Check bag frequently for
deterioration and wear and replace worn bags. Check that
replacement bags comply with the original manufacturer's
recommendations or specifications.
• Disengage power to mower before backing up. Do not
mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary and then only
after observation of the entire area behind the mower.
2

Decals
ALL WARNING, CAUTION, and instructional
messages on your tractor and mower should be
carefully read and obeyed. Personal bodily injury can
result when these instructions are not followed. Decal
information is important for your safe operation of the
tractor. The safety messages on this page are on your
tractor and mower.
A DANGER
8 ^
ROTATING CUTTING BIADE
•DO NOT OPERATE MOWER WITHOUT
DEFLECTOR OR ENTIRE GRASS
CATCHER IN PLACE
A DANGER ~l
ROTATING CUTTING BLADE
•DO NOT PUT HANDS OR FEET UNDER
MOWER DECK WHILE BLADE IS
ROTATING,
IMPORTANT
DO NOT TOW TRACTOR
DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION WILL
RESULT. DISENGAGE TRANSMISSION
TO MANUALLY PUSH TRACTOR.
TRANSMISSION
ENGAGED
TRANSMISSION
DISENGAGED
A CAUTION
ALWAYS CHECK MOWER BRAKE PAD
TO V-PULLEY CLEARANCE WHEN
REPLACING BELT OR REPAIRING
MOWER. BRAKE PADS WILL BE
DAMAGED IF BRAKE PAD CONTACTS
PULLEY WHEN MOWER IS ENGAGED.
A DANGER ROTATING FAN BLADE ^
3

Decals
TO AVOID POSSIBLE INJURY
• READ OPERATOR'S MANUAL(S).
• KNOW LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF ALL
CONTROLS
• KEEP SAFETY OEVICES (GUARDS. SHIELDS
AND SWITCHES) IN PLACE AND WORKING.
• REMOVE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE THROWN
BY BLADE.
• DO NOT MOW WHEN CHILDREN AND OTHERS
ARE AROUND.
• NEVER CARRY CHILDREN.
• ALWAYS LOOK BEHIND MACHINE BEFORE
BACKING.
• DO NOT MOW WHERE MACHINE COULD TIP
OR SLIP.
• IF MACHINE STOPS GOING UPHILL. STOP
BLADE AND BACK SLOWLY DOWN.
• BE SURE BLADE AND ENGINE ARE STOPPED
BEFORE PLACING HANDS OR FEET NEAR
BLADE.
• WHEN LEAVING MACHINE REMOVE KEY AND
, SET PARKING BRAKE.
4

Mower Installation & Removal
A WARNING
Stop engine, set parking brake, and remove key to
prevent accidental starting. Never attempt to install or
remove your mower when engine is running.
INSTALLATION
1. Place the tractor and mower on a smooth, hard surface,
such as concrete, with the mower on the right side of the
tractor, and the hitch toward front of the tractor.
2. Notice that one end of the PTO rod (A, figure I) does
not have a drilled hole. Insert this end into the mower
PTO arm (B) and work around until rod (A) appears as
in figure 1.
3. Turn the front wheels of the tractor as far as they go to
the left.
4. Lower the tractor lift lever. Place the mower in lowest
cutting position using the mower height control lever.
5. Slide the mower under the tractor so that the mower lift
arm (C, figure 1) is under the tractor lift arm (B, figure
2 ).
6. C onnect the chain (C, figure 2) to the trunnion (D) with
clip (E). For electric lift, use only three links of chain.
A. PTO Rod
B. Mower PTO Arm
C. Mower Lift Arm
5

Mower Installation & Removal
Figure 2. Lift Chain
A. Lift Rod D. Trunnion
B. Lift Arm E. Clip
C. Chain F. Nut
7. Position the mower hitch arms (C, figure 3) so they are
underneath the rear holes in tractor hitch (A, figure 4).
Lift up one side of mower with both hands and align
hole in mower hitch arm with rear hole in tractor hitch.
When holes align, insert clevis pin (B) through hitch
with pin head on outside as shown in figure 4. Using a 2'
x 4' wood block for support may make hole alignment
easier. Go to the other side and insert the other pin.
Install the two safety clips (C) in the pins.
Figure 3. L.H. PTO Pulley Belt Stop
A. Tractor Hitch
B> Belt
C. Mower Hitch Arm
D. PTO Pulley
E. Belt Stop
8. Slip the mower drive belt onto the engine PTO pulley
(D, figure 3). Loosen the belt stops if necessary. The left-
hand belt stop is item E in figure 3. The right-hand belt
stop is item A in figure 5.

Figure 4, Mower Hitch Attached
A. Tractor Hitch C. Safety Clips
B. Pins D. Drive Belt
Figure 5. R.H. PTO Pulley Belt Stop
A. Belt Stop B. PTO Pulley C. Belt
Figure 6. PTO Pulley Rod
A. PTO Lever
B. Left Rear Tire
C. PTO Rod
D. Spring Clip

Mower Installation & Removal
9. Attach the PTO rod (C, figure 6) to the tractor PTO
lever (A) in hole marked “MOW” with the spring clip
provided (D).
10. Check Mower Adjustments (page 39. Be sure to check
belt stop adjustment if loosened in step 8. If installing
for the first time, check Mower Leveling and Lift Lever
in Adjustments section.
NOTE
If belt is new, check belt tension adjustment and blade
brake adjustment again after two hours of operation.
REMOVAL
Reverse the procedure to remove the mower.
A WARNING
Take special care when working near the engine
muffler. If it is hot from recent operation it can cause
serious burns.
8