Toro 30327 User manual

Form No. 3354-442 Rev A
Mid-Size, T-bar, Gear, 15hp or17hp with 44in Side DischargeMower
Model No. 30326 —Serial No. 260000001 and Up
Model No. 30327 —Serial No. 260000001 and Up
Register your product at www.Toro.com Original Instructions (EN)

Warning
CALIFORNIA
Pr oposition 65 W ar ning
T he engine exhaust fr om this pr oduct
contains chemicals kno wn to the State of
Calif or nia to cause cancer , bir th defects, or
other r epr oducti v e har m.
T his spark ignition system complies with Canadian
ICES-002
Important: T his engine is not equipped
with a spar k ar r ester muf fler . It is a
violation of Calif or nia Public R esource Code
Section 4442 to use or operate the engine
on an y f or est-co v er ed, br ush-co v er ed, or
g rass-co v er ed land. Other states or federal
ar eas may ha v e similar la ws.
T he enclosed Engine Owner’ s Man ual is
supplied f or inf or mation r egarding the US
En vir onmental Pr otection Agency (EP A) and
the Calif or nia Emission Contr ol R egulation of
emission systems, maintenance, and w ar ranty .
R eplacements may be order ed thr ough the
engine man uf actur er .
Introduction
R ead this infor mation carefully to lear n ho w to
operate and maintain y our product properly and
to a v oid injur y and product damag e . Y ou are
responsible for operating the product properly
and safely .
Y ou ma y contact T oro directly at www .T oro .com
for product and accessor y infor mation, help
finding a dealer , or to register y our product.
W henev er y ou need ser vice , g en uine T oro par ts ,
or additional infor mation, contact an A uthorized
Ser vice Dealer or T oro Customer Ser vice and ha v e
the model and serial n umbers of y our product
ready . Figure 1 identifies the location of the model
and serial n umbers on the product. W rite the
n umbers in the space pro vided.
Figure 1
1. Model and serial number location
Model No.
Serial No.
T his man ual identifies potential hazards and has
safety messag es identified b y the safety aler t
symbol ( Figure 2 ), whic h signals a hazard that ma y
cause serious injur y or death if y ou do not follo w
the recommended precautions .
Figure 2
1. Safety alert symbol
T his man ual uses 2 other w ords to highlight
infor mation. Impor tant calls attention to special
mec hanical infor mation and Note emphasizes
g eneral infor mation w or th y of special attention.
Contents
Introduction .......................................................2
Safety ..................................................................4
Safe Operating Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
T oro Mo w er Safety ..............................5
Slope Char t .........................................7
Safety and Instr uctional Decals . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Setup ................................................................ 11
© 2004—The Toro® Company8111 Lyndale Avenue SouthBloomington, MN 55420
2
Contact us at www.Toro.com.
Printed in the USA.All Rights Reserved

1 R emo ving the Shipping
Brac k et and Shipping
W ashers ............................. 12
2 Installing the Handle
Assembly .......................... 12
3 Installing the Fuel T ank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4 Chec king and Adjusting the Shift
Lev er Plate ........................ 13
5 Installing the Control R ods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
6 Installing the Hair pin Cotter Pins
and Spacers ....................... 15
7 R eading the Man ual and Viewing
the Safety Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Product Ov er view ............................................. 17
Controls ........................................... 17
Operation .......................................................... 19
R ecommended Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chec king the Engine Oil Lev el . . . . . . . . . . . 20
T hink Safety First .............................. 20
Using the P arking Brak e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Star ting and Stopping the
Engine .............................. 21
Operating the Mo w er P o w er T ak e
Off (PTO) ......................... 21
T he Safety Interloc k System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Dri ving F orw ard or Bac kw ard . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Using the Lo w er Control Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Stopping the Mac hine ........................ 24
T ranspor ting Mac hines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Side Disc harging or Mulc hing the
Grass ................................. 24
Adjusting the Height-of-Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Adjusting the Gag e W heels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Adjusting the Handle Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Maintenance ...................................................... 27
R ecommended Maintenance
Sc hedule(s) ............................... 27
Lubrication ................................................ 27
Ho w to Grease .................................. 27
Lubricating the Caster and W heel
Bearings ............................ 28
Greasing the T ransmission
Couplers ............................ 28
Greasing the PTO Dri v e Belt Idler
and Dec k Belt Idler . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Engine Maintenance .................................. 28
Ser vicing the Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Ser vicing the Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Ser vicing the Spark Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Fuel System Maintenance .......................... 32
Draining the Fuel T ank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
R e placing the Fuel Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Electrical System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Ser vicing the Fuse ............................. 33
Dri v e System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chec king the Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
R e placing the Caster W heel F ork
Bushings ........................... 34
Ser vicing the Caster W heel and
Bearings ............................ 35
Adjusting the Electric Clutc h . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Cooling System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Cleaning the Air Intak e Screen . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Brak e Maintenance .................................... 36
Ser vicing the Brak es .......................... 36
Belt Maintenance ....................................... 37
R e placing the T raction Dri v e
Belt ................................... 37
R e placing the T ransmission
Belt ................................... 37
R e placing the Mo w er Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
R e placing the PTO Dri v e Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Mo w er Dec k Maintenance ......................... 39
Ser vicing the Cutting Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cor recting the Mo w er Quality of
Cut .................................... 41
Adjusting the F rame .......................... 42
Chec king the Mo w er Dec k
F ront-to-R ear Pitc h . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Changing the Dec k F ront-to-R ear
Pitc h .................................. 44
Chec king the Dec k Side-to-Side
Lev eling ............................ 44
Changing the Side-to-Side
Lev eling ............................ 44
Matc hing Height of Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
R e placing the Grass Deflector . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Storag e .............................................................. 47
Cleaning and Storag e ......................... 47
T roubleshooting ................................................ 48
Sc hematics ........................................................ 51
3

Safety
Note: T he addition of attac hments made b y
other man ufacturers that do not meet American
National Standards Institute cer tification will cause
noncompliance of this mac hine .
Improper use or maintenance b y the operator or
o wner can result in injur y . T o reduce the potential
for injur y , comply with these safety instr uctions
and alw a ys pa y attention to the safety aler t symbol
, whic h means CA UTION , W ARNING , or
D ANGER-“personal safety instr uction." F ailure
to comply with the instr uction ma y result in
personal injur y or death.
Safe Operating Practices
T he follo wing instr uctions are from ANSI
standard B71.4-2004.
Training
•R ead the Operator’ s Man ual and other training
material. If the operator(s) or mec hanic(s) can
not read English it is the o wner’ s responsibility
to explain this material to them.
•Become familiar with the safe operation of the
equipment, operator controls , and safety signs .
•All operators and mec hanics should be trained.
T he o wner is responsible for training the users .
•Nev er let c hildren or untrained people operate
or ser vice the equipment. Local regulations
ma y restrict the ag e of the operator .
•T he o wner/user can prev ent and is responsible
for accidents or injuries occur ring to himself
or herself , other people or proper ty .
Preparation
•Ev aluate the ter rain to deter mine what
accessories and attac hments are needed to
properly and safely perfor m the job . Only use
accessories and attac hments appro v ed b y the
man ufacturer .
•W ear appropriate clothing including hard hat,
safety glasses and hearing protection. Long
hair , loose clothing or jew elr y ma y g et tangled
in mo ving par ts .
•Inspect the area where the equipment is to be
used and remo v e all objects suc h as roc ks , to ys
and wire whic h can be thro wn b y the mac hine .
•Use extra care when handling g asoline and
other fuels . T hey are flammable and v apors
are explosi v e .
– Use only an appro v ed container
– Nev er remo v e g as cap or add fuel with
engine r unning . Allo w engine to cool
before refueling . Do not smok e .
– Nev er refuel or drain the mac hine indoors .
•Chec k that operator’ s presence controls ,
safety switc hes and shields are attac hed and
functioning properly . Do not operate unless
they are functioning properly .
Operation
•Nev er r un an engine in an enclosed area.
•Only operate in g ood light, k ee ping a w a y from
holes and hidden hazards .
•Be sure all dri v es are in neutral and parking
brak e is eng ag ed before star ting engine . Only
star t engine from the operator’ s position.
•Be sure of y our footing while using this
mac hine , especially when bac king up . W alk,
don ’ t r un. Nev er operate on w et g rass .
R educed footing could cause slipping .
•Slo w do wn and use extra care on hillsides . Be
sure to tra v el side to side on hillsides . T urf
conditions can affect the mac hine’ s stability .
Use caution while operating near drop-offs .
•Slo w do wn and use caution when making tur ns
and when c hanging directions on slopes .
•Nev er raise dec k with the blades r unning .
•Nev er operate with the PTO shield, or other
guards not securely in place . Be sure all
interloc ks are attac hed, adjusted properly , and
functioning properly .
•Nev er operate with the disc harg e deflector
raised, remo v ed or altered, unless using a g rass
catc her .
•Do not c hang e the engine g o v er nor setting or
o v erspeed the engine .
•Stop on lev el g round, diseng ag e dri v es , eng ag e
parking brak e (if pro vided), shut off engine
before lea ving the operator’ s position for any
reason including emptying the catc hers or
unclog ging the c hute .
4

•Stop equipment and inspect blades after
striking objects or if an abnor mal vibration
occurs . Mak e necessar y re pairs before
resuming operations .
•K ee p hands and feet a w a y from the cutting
unit.
•Look behind and do wn before bac king up to
be sure of a clear path.
•K ee p pets and b ystanders a w a y .
•Slo w do wn and use caution when making tur ns
and crossing roads and sidew alks . Stop blades
if not mo wing .
•Be a w are of the mo w er disc harg e direction and
do not point it at any one .
•Do not operate the mo w er under the influence
of alcohol or dr ugs .
•Use care when loading or unloading the
mac hine into or from a trailer or tr uc k.
•Use care when approac hing blind cor ners ,
shr ubs , trees , or other objects that ma y obscure
vision.
Maintenance and storage
•Diseng ag e dri v es , set parking brak e , stop
engine and remo v e k ey or disconnect spark
plug wire . W ait for all mo v ement to stop
before adjusting, cleaning or re pairing .
•Clean g rass and debris from cutting unit,
dri v es , m ufflers , and engine to help prev ent
fires . Clean up oil or fuel spillag e .
•Let engine cool before storing and do not store
near flame .
•Shut off fuel while storing or transpor ting . Do
not store fuel near flames or drain indoors .
•P ark mac hine on lev el g round. Set parking
brak e . Nev er allo w untrained personnel to
ser vice mac hine .
•Use jac k stands to suppor t components when
required.
•Carefully release pressure from components
with stored energ y .
•Disconnect the batter y or remo v e spark plug
wire before making any re pairs . Disconnect
the neg ati v e ter minal first and the positi v e last.
R econnect the positi v e first and neg ati v e last.
•Use care when c hec king blades . W rap the
blade(s) or w ear glo v es , and use caution when
ser vicing them. Only re place blades . Nev er
straighten or w eld them.
•K ee p hands and feet a w a y from mo ving par ts .
If possible , do not mak e adjustments with the
engine r unning .
•K ee p all par ts in g ood w orking condition and
all hardw are tightened. R e place all w or n or
damag ed decals .
Toro Mower Safety
T he follo wing list contains safety infor mation
specific to T oro products and other safety
infor mation y ou m ust kno w .
T his product is capable of amputating hands and
feet and thro wing objects . Alw a ys follo w all safety
instr uctions to a v oid serious injur y or death.
T his product is designed for cutting and recycling
g rass or , when equipped with a g rass bag g er , for
catc hing cut g rass . Any use for pur poses other
than these could pro v e dang erous to user and
b ystanders .
General Operation
•Be sure the area is clear of other people before
mo wing . Stop the mac hine if any one enters
the area.
•Do not touc h equipment or attac hment par ts
whic h ma y be hot from operation. Allo w to
cool before attempting to maintain, adjust or
ser vice .
•Use only T oro appro v ed attac hments .
W ar ranty ma y be v oided if used with
unappro v ed attac hments .
•Chec k carefully for o v erhead clearances (i.e .
branc hes , doorw a ys , electrical wires) before
operating under any objects and do not contact
them.
Slope Operation
All slopes and ramps require extra caution. If y ou
feel uneasy on a slope , do not mo w it.
•R emo v e obstacles suc h as roc ks , tree limbs , etc .
from the mo wing area.
•W atc h for holes , r uts or bumps . T all g rass can
hide obstacles .
•Use caution near drop-offs , ditc hes , or
embankments . T he mac hine could suddenly
5

tur n o v er if a wheel g oes o v er the edg e of a
cliff or ditc h, or if an edg e ca v es in.
•Use extra care with g rass catc hers or other
attac hments . T hese can c hang e the stability of
the mac hine .
•K ee p all mo v ement on slopes slo w and g radual.
Do not mak e sudden c hang es in speed or
direction.
•Mo w slopes side to side .
•Do not mo w slopes g reater than 15 deg rees .
Service
•Nev er store the mac hine or fuel container
inside where there is an open flame , suc h as
near a w ater heater or fur nace .
•K ee p n uts and bolts tight, especially the blade
attac hment bolts . K ee p equipment in g ood
condition.
•Nev er tamper with safety devices . Chec k safety
systems for proper operation before eac h use .
•Use only g en uine re placement par ts to ensure
that original standards are maintained.
•Chec k brak e operation frequently . Adjust and
ser vice as required.
6

Slope Chart
7

Safety and Instructional Decals
Safety decals and instr uctions are easily visible to the operator and are located near any
area of potential dang er . R e place any decal that is damag ed or lost.
43-8480
52-2010
66-1340
67-5360
68-8340
82-2280
REVERSE  TRACTION DRIVE
82-2280
82-2290
8

93-1122
95-2814
98-0776
98-3256
98-4387
1. Warning—wear hearing protection.
104-8186
106-0699
106-5505
9

106-5532
105-0884
106-0635
106-5499
10

Setup
Loose Parts
Use the chart below to verify that all parts have been shipped.
Step
Description
Qty.
Use
1
No parts required
–
Remove the shipping bracket andshipping washers.
Handle assembly
1
Flanged bolt, (3/8 x 1 inch)
42
Flange nut, (3/8 inch)
4
Install the handle assembly.
Fuel tank with studs installed
1
Bolt, (5/16 x 7/8 inch)
2
Lock nut, (5/16 inch)
2
Washer, (5/16 inch)
4
Hose clamp
1
Lock washer, (5/16 inch)
23
Spring
2
Install the fuel tank.
4
No parts required
–
Check and adjust the shift leverplate.
Control rods
2
Cotter pin
2
Clevis Pin
2
Washer
25
Hairpin cotter pin
2
Install the control rods.
Hairpin cotter pin
26
Spacers 6
Install the hairpin cotter pins andspacers.
Operator’s Manual
1
Engine Operator’s Manual
1
Parts Catalog
1
Safety Video
1
Registration Card
17
Oil drain hose
1
Read the Operator’s Manual andwatch the video before operatingthe machine.
Note: Deter mine the left and right sides of the mac hine from the nor mal operating position.
11

Step
1
Removing the ShippingBracket and ShippingWashers
No Parts Required
Procedure
1. R emo v e the center g ag e wheel n ut, 2 larg e
w ashers , angle brac k et and 1 small w asher
( Figure 3 ). Discard the 2 larg e w ashers and the
angle brac k et.
Figure 3
1. Center Gage Wheels andSpacer 4. Angle bracket-discard
2. Nut
5. Small washer3. Large washer-discard
2. Install the center g ag e wheels with the
previously remo v ed bolt, spacer , small w asher ,
and n ut ( Figure 4 ).
Figure 4
1. Center Gage Wheels andSpacer 4. Washer
2. Nut 5. Spacer3. Bolt
Step
2
Installing the HandleAssembly
Parts needed for this step:
1
Handle assembly
4
Flanged bolt, (3/8 x 1 inch)
4
Flange nut, (3/8 inch)
Procedure
1. Align handle with upper mounting holes in
rear frame ( Figure 5 ).
2. Secure the handle at eac h upper mounting hole
with a flang e bolt (3/8 x 1 inc h) and flang e n ut
( Figure 5 ).
3. Select the lo w position for the lo w er mounting
hole ( Figure 5 ).
4. Secure the handle at eac h lo w er mounting hole
with a flang e bolt (3/8 x 1 inc h) and flang e n ut
( Figure 5 ).
Note: T he handle position can be adjusted to
matc h the operator’ s height preference .
12

Figure 5
1. Upper handle 5. Upper mounting hole2. Rear frame 6. Lower mounting holes3. Flange nut, (3/8 inch)
7. Low position4. Flange bolt, (3/8 x 1 inch)
8. High position
Note: Handle assembly m ust be installed
before fuel tank is installed.
Step
3
Installing the Fuel Tank
Parts needed for this step:
1
Fuel tank with studs installed
2
Bolt, (5/16 x 7/8 inch)
2
Lock nut, (5/16 inch)
4
Washer, (5/16 inch)
1
Hose clamp
2
Lock washer, (5/16 inch)
2
Spring
Procedure
1. Align fuel tank with the top of the rear frame
( Figure 6 ).
2. Secure the right side of the fuel tank to the
rear frame with 2 bolts (5/16 x 7/8 inc h), loc k
w ashers (5/16 inc h) and w ashers (5/16 inc h)
( Figure 6 ).
3. Secure the left side of the fuel tank to the
rear frame with 2 studs , w ashers (5/16 inc h),
springs and loc kn uts (5/16 inc h) ( Figure 6 ).
Note: Tighten left side of the fuel tank until
it is completely tight and then unscrew loc kn ut
one full tur n. T his will allo w the spring to
w ork.
Figure 6
1. Bolt, 5/16 x 7/8 inch 4. Stud2. Lock washer, (5/16 inch)
5. Spring3. Washer, (5/16 inch)
6. Locknut
Note: R emo v e the plastic cap from the fuel
fitting before installing the fuel line .
4. Slide the hose clamp onto the fuel line
( Figure 7 ).
5. Push the fuel line onto the fuel tank connection
and secure it with a hose clamp ( Figure 7 ).
Figure 7
1. Fuel line 3. Fuel tting2. Hose clamp
13

Step
4
Checking and Adjusting theShift Lever Plate
No Parts Required
Procedure
1. Shift lev er to second g ear and c hec k alignment
of lev er in slot of shift lev er plate . T he
clearance betw een top and bottom of the shift
lev er should be equal ( Figure 8 ).
Figure 8
1. Shift lever 4. Square hole washer2. Shift lever plate 5. Spring washer3. Rubber seal washer 6. Locknut, 3/8 inch
2. If clearance is not cor rect, remo v e lev er and
bend it slightly to adjust ( Figure 8 ).
Note: Do not bend lev er while it is attac hed
to the transmission shaft or damag e ma y occur .
3. Shift lev er to neutral and c hec k alignment of
lev er in slot of shift lev er plate . T he clearance
on the sides of shift lev er should be equal
( Figure 8 ).
4. If clearance is not cor rect, loosen shift lev er
plate and adjust it side-to-side . Tighten the
shift lev er plate .
Figure 9
1. Shift lever in 2nd gear 3. Shift lever in neutralposition2. Shift lever plate 4. Equal distance
Step
5
Installing the Control Rods
Parts needed for this step:
2
Control rods
2
Cotter pin
2
Clevis Pin
2
Washer
2
Hairpin cotter pin
Procedure
1. Install the control rods into the upper control
bar and the blade control bail. Secure the
control rods with 2 cotter pins ( Figure 10 ).
14

Figure 10
1. Control rod 3. Blade control bail2. Upper control bar
4. Cotter pin
2. Mak e sure the rod fittings are equal distance
onto eac h control rod. T he rod fittings should
be appro ximately 3-1/2 inc h (89 mm) from
the star t of the threads for the handles lo w est
position ( Figure 11 ).
3. Slide clevis pins through rod fittings and
mounting holes in idler brac k ets (from outside)
( Figure 11 ). Secure with w ashers and hair pin
cotters ( Figure 11 ).
Note: Mak e sure brak e rod is installed in
front (F) mounting hole in idler brac k et.
Figure 11
1. Control rod and tting 5. Washer2. 3-1/2 inch (89 mm)
6. Hairpin cotter pin3. Idler bracket 7. Rod tting4. Clevis pin 8. Hole F
4. Chec k the g ap betw een upper control bar and
fix ed bar with wheel dri v e fully eng ag ed. Gap
should be appro ximately 1 to 1-1/4 inc h (25-32
mm) ( Figure 12 ).
Note: T he upper control bar and fix ed bar
m ust be parallel when the upper control bar
is in the eng ag ed, dri v e , neutral, or brak e
positions .
5. Chec k the operation. If adjustment is required,
remo v e hair pin cotter , w asher and clevis pin
securing control rod fitting to idler brac k et.
6. T hread fitting up or do wn on rod until proper
position is attained and install the fitting into
the idler brac k et with clevis pin, w asher and
hair pin cotter .
Figure 12
1. Control rod 4. Upper control bar2. Fixed control bar
5. 1 to 1-1/4 inch (25-32mm)gap3. Parking brake lever
6. Fitting
7. Chec k the parking brak e adjustment. R efer to
Chec king the Brak es in the Brak e Maintenance ,
pag e 36 .
15

Step
6
Installing the Hairpin CotterPins and Spacers
Parts needed for this step:
2
Hairpin cotter pin
6 Spacers
Procedure
Un used height-of-cut spacers ma y be stored on
posts and retained b y a hair pin cotter .
Note: Mak e sure there is at least one spacer used
on eac h height-of-cut post.
1. R emo v e the existing rear hair pin cotter pins
from the rear height-of-cut posts ( Figure 13 ).
2. Install a spacer onto both rear height-of-cut
posts and install the hair pin cotter pins
( Figure 13 ).
Figure 13
1. Hairpin cotter
3. Height-of-cut post (rearshown)2. Spacer
3. Install a spacer onto both front height-of-cut
posts and install the hair pin cotter pins .
4. On the opposite side of the m uffler ,
install un used spacers onto front and rear
height-of-cut pins and inser t the hair pin cotter
pins ( Figure 14 ).
Figure 14
1. Hairpin cotter
3. Height-of-cut post (frontshown)2. Unused spacers
Step
7
Reading the Manual andViewing the Safety Video
Parts needed for this step:
1
Operator’s Manual
1
Engine Operator’s Manual
1
Parts Catalog
1
Safety Video
1
Registration Card
1
Oil drain hose
Procedure
•R ead the Operator’ s Man ual.
•View the safety video .
•Fill out the registration card and mail it in or
register online at www .T oro .com .
•Use the oil drain hose when c hanging the
engine oil.
16

Product Overview
Figure 15
1. Side discharge chute 5. Controls2. Mower deck 6. Handle3. Recoil starter 7. Caster wheel4. Gas tank
Controls
Become familiar with all the controls ( Figure 16 )
before y ou star t the engine and operate the
mac hine .
Figure 16
1. Power take off switch (PTO)
7. Lower control bar2. Parking brakelever-released position
8. Ignition switch
3. Upper handle 9. Throttle control4. Blade control bail 10. Gear shift lever5. Upper control bar 11. Fuel shut-off valve6. Lower handle
Throttle Control
T he throttle control has three positions: Chok e ,
F ast and Slo w .
Blade Control Bail
T he bail is used in conjunction with the po w er
tak e off switc h (PTO) to eng ag e the clutc h to dri v e
the mo w er blades . R elease the mo w er control bail
to diseng ag e the mo w er blades .
Power Take Off Switch (PTO)
T his pull switc h is used in conjunction with the
blade control bail to eng ag e the clutc h to dri v e the
mo w er blades .
Gear Shift Lever
T he transmission has fiv e forw ard speeds , neutral
and rev erse , and has an in-line shift patter n.
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Important: Do not shift while unit is
mo ving , as transmission dama ge may occur .
Upper Control Bar
Shift to the desired g ear and push forw ard
on the upper control bar to eng ag e forw ard
traction operation and pull bac k to brak e forw ard
mo v ement. Pull bac k on right side of upper
control bar to tur n right and left side to tur n left.
Lower Control Bar
Shift transmission to rev erse and squeeze the
lo w er control bar and handle tog ether to eng ag e
rearw ard traction assist operation.
Parking Brake Lever
Pull bac k on upper control bar and swing brak e
lev er up ag ainst the upper handle ( Figure 16 ).
Ignition Switch
T his switc h is used in conjunction with recoil
star ter and has tw o positions: R un and Of f .
Recoil Starter
Pull recoil star ter handle to star t engine (not
sho wn in Figure 16 ).
Fuel Shut-off Valve
Close the fuel shut-off v alv e when transpor ting
or storing mo w er .
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Operation
Recommended Gasoline
Use UNLEADED R egular Gasoline suitable
for automoti v e use (85 pump octane minim um).
Leaded regular g asoline ma y be used if unleaded
regular is not a v ailable .
Important: Nev er use methanol, gasoline
containing methanol, or gasohol containing
mor e than 10% ethanol because the fuel
system could be dama ged. Do not mix oil
with gasoline.
In cer tain conditions, gasoline is extr emel y
flamma ble and highl y explosi v e. A fir e or
explosion fr om gasoline can bur n y ou and
other s and can dama ge pr oper ty .
• Fill the fuel tank outdoor s, in an open
ar ea, when the engine is cold. W ipe up
an y gasoline that spills.
• Nev er fill the fuel tank inside an enclosed
trailer .
• Do not fill the fuel tank completel y full.
Add gasoline to the fuel tank until the
lev el is 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6 to 13 mm)
belo w the bottom of the filler neck. T his
empty space in the tank allo ws gasoline
to expand.
• Nev er smok e when handling gasoline,
and stay a w ay fr om an open flame or
wher e gasoline fumes may be ignited by
a spar k.
• Stor e gasoline in an appr o v ed container
and k eep it out of the r each of childr en.
Nev er buy mor e than a 30 day suppl y of
gasoline.
• Al w ays place gasoline container s on the
g r ound a w ay fr om y our v ehicle bef or e
filling .
• Do not fill gasoline container s inside
a v ehicle or on a tr uck or trailer bed
because interior car pets or plastic tr uck
bed liner s may insulate the container and
slo w the loss of an y static charge.
• W hen practical, r emo v e gas-po w er ed
equipment fr om the tr uck or trailer and
r efuel the equipment with its wheels on
the g r ound.
• If this is not possible, then r efuel such
equipment on a tr uck or trailer fr om a
por ta ble container , rather than fr om a
gasoline dispenser nozzle.
• If a gasoline dispenser nozzle must be
used, k eep the nozzle in contact with the
rim of the fuel tank or container opening
at all times until fueling is complete.
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Gasoline is har mful or f atal if s w allo w ed.
Long-ter m exposur e to v apor s can cause
serious injur y and illness.
• A v oid pr olonged br eathing of v apor s.
• K eep f ace a w ay fr om nozzle and gas tank
or conditioner opening .
• K eep gas a w ay fr om ey es and skin.
Using Stabilizer/Conditioner
Use a fuel stabilizer/conditioner in the mac hine to
pro vide the follo wing benefits:
•K ee ps g asoline fresh during storag e of 90 da ys
or less . F or long er storag e it is recommended
that the fuel tank be drained.
•Cleans the engine while it r uns
•Eliminates gum-lik e v ar nish buildup in the fuel
system, whic h causes hard star ting
Important: Do not use fuel additi v es
containing methanol or ethanol.
Add the cor rect amount of g as
stabilizer/conditioner to the g as .
Note: A fuel stabilizer/conditioner is most
effecti v e when mix ed with fresh g asoline . T o
minimize the c hance of v ar nish de posits in the
fuel system, use fuel stabilizer at all times .
Filling the Fuel Tank
1. Shut the engine off and set the parking brak e .
2. Clean around fuel tank cap and remo v e the
cap . Add unleaded regular g asoline to fuel
tank, until the lev el is 1/4 to 1/2 inc h (6 to 13
mm) belo w the bottom of the filler nec k. T his
space in the tank allo ws g asoline to expand.
Do not fill the fuel tank completely full.
3. Install fuel tank cap securely . Wipe up any
g asoline that ma y ha v e spilled.
Checking the Engine OilLevel
Before y ou star t the engine and use the mac hine ,
c hec k the oil lev el in the engine crankcase; refer
to Chec king Oil Lev el in Engine Maintenance ,
pag e 28
Note: Deter mine the left and right sides of the
mac hine from the nor mal operating position.
Think Safety First
Carefully read all the safety instr uctions and decals
in the safety section. Kno wing this infor mation
could help y ou or any b ystanders a v oid injur y .
T he use of protecti v e equipment for eyes , hearing,
feet and head is recommended.
T his machine pr oduces sound lev els in
ex cess of 85 dB A at the operator’ s ear and
can cause hearing loss thr ough extended
periods of exposur e.
W ear hearing pr otection when operating
this machine.
Figure 17
1. Warning—wear hearing protection.
Using the Parking Brake
Stop on lev el g round, diseng ag e dri v es , eng ag e
parking brak e , shut off engine and remo v e k ey .
Alw a ys set the parking brak e when y ou stop the
mac hine or lea v e it unattended.
Setting the Parking Brake
1. Pull the upper control bar ( Figure 18 ) rearw ard
and hold it in this position.
2. Lift the parking brak e loc k ( Figure 18 ) up
and g radually release the upper control bar .
T he brak e loc k should sta y in the set (loc k ed)
position.
20