Yazoo/Kees RBSIC050 Guide

MANUALNo. 100431 REV. 07 (02/19/02)
Professional Quality Lawn Care Equipment
since 1945
ThankyouforbuyingaYAZOO/KEES! Beforeoperatingyournewpower rake, read,
understandand followtheimportant safetyinstructionsand theotherinstructions con-
tainedin this manual. Lawnmowersandallpower equipment, can bepotentiallydanger-
ous if used improperly. SAFETY REQUIRES GOOD JUDGEMENT, CAREFUL USE
IN ACCORDANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND COMMON SENSE.
Safety and Operator's Manual for
Printed in U.S.A.
RBSIC050
RBSIT550
RBSIT551
SBSIC050
RHON050
MODELS:

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
2. Donotputhandsorfeetnearorunderrotatingparts.Keep
clearofdischargeareawhileengineisrunning.
3. Stopenginewhencrossinggraveldrives,walks,roads,or
underanyconditionwherethrownobjectsmightbeahazard.
4. After striking a foreign object or if machine vibrates
abnormally,stoptheengineanddisconnectthesparkplug.
Inspectthemachineforanydamageandrepairthedamage.
5. Stoptheenginewheneveryouleavetheoperatingposition
for any reason, including clearing debris, inspecting, or
makingadjustments.
6. Rake across slopes, never up and down. Use caution
whenchangingdirectiononslopes.Donotrakeverysteep
slopes,orareaswherestabilityorsafetymightbeindoubt.
7. Donotrakewater-soakedlawns.Thiswillpullturfoffthe
surface.Cuttallgrass before raking.
MAINTENANCE
1. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to keep mower in
safeoperatingcondition.
2. Neverstoremachinewithgasinthetankinsideabuilding
wherefumescanreachanopenflameorspark.Allowengine
to cool before storing in an enclosure.
3. Toreducefirehazard,keepmachinefreeofgrass,leaves,
orexcessivegrease.
4. Haveyourmachine inspectedandservicedeachyearby
anauthorizedYazoo/Keesdealer.Determineifanyadditional
devicesareavailablewhichmightupgradethesafetyofyour
machine.
5. Use only authentic Yazoo/Kees replacement parts to
insure the safety of your machine is maintained.
TRAINING
1. Read this manual carefully and question your dealer if
something is not clear.Should the dealer be unable or
unavailable to answer to your satisfaction, write or call our
factory. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls and proper
useoftheequipment.
2. DO NOT allow children in yard or area when machine is
operated.
3. DONOTallowpre-teenagechildrentooperateunit.
4. Allowonlyresponsibleteenagerswithmaturejudgmentto
operatemachineandonlyunderclosesupervision.
5. Keep the area clear of all persons, particularly small
childrenandpets.
PREPARATION
1. Never operate machine without proper guards, covers,
safetyswitchesanddevicesinplaceandproperlyfunctioning.
Inspectto determine thatthese safety devicesare installed
properly, are in good repair, and operate properly. If the
condition of these devices are questionable, they must be
repairedorreplacedbeforeusingthemachine.
2. Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheremachineistobeused
and remove all stones, sticks, wire, and other debris. Also
note the location of holes, stumps, and other possible
hazards.
3. Donotoperatethemachinewhenbarefootorwearingopen
shoes.Alwayswearsubstantialfootwearandlongpants.
4. Fillgasolinetankbefore starting theengine.Use only an
approvedgasolinecontainer.Donotsmokenearopengasoline
container.Donotfillgasolinetankindoorsorwhenengineis
running.Allowenginetocooloffforatleast10minutesbefore
refueling.Wipeoffanyspilledgasolinebeforestartingengine.
Donotrunengineindoors.
5. Neverattempt tomake adepth adjustmentwhile engine
isrunning.
6. Operate only in daylight or in good artificial light.
7. Never operate machine in wet grass. Always be sure of
yourfooting;keepafirmholdonthehandleandwalk,never
run.
OPERATION
1. Donotchangeenginegovernorsettingsoroverspeedthe
engine.
WARNING:Failuretocomplywiththefollowinginstructionsmayresultinseriousinjurytotheoperatororotherpersons.The
ownerofthemachinemustunderstandtheseinstructions,andmustallowonlypersonswhounderstandtheseinstructions
to operate the machine. Each person operating the machine must be of sound mind and body and must not be under the
influenceofanysubstancewhichmightimpairvision,dexterityorjudgment.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourmachine
which your dealer cannot answer to your satisfaction , call or write YAZOO / KEES POWER EQUIPMENT, Beatrice, NE
68310(Phone[phone])
THEENGINEEXHAUSTFROM
THISPRODUCTCONTAINS
CHEMICALSKNOWNTOTHESTATE
OFCALIFORNIATOCAUSE
CANCER,BIRTHDEFECTSOR
OTHERREPRODUCTIVEHARM.
!
!WARNING

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FAMILIARIZATION
NOMENCLATURE
Thenomenclature drawing above (Figure 1)showsthe
essentialparts of the Yazoo/Kees Power Rake/Slicer. It is
recommended that alloperatorsof thisequipment become
thoroughlyfamiliarwiththecontrols,partsandoperationof
thismachinebeforeoperating. Specificdetailsinvolvingthe
engine are found in the seperate engine owner’s manual.
Studythesemanualsbeforeoperatingandkeepbothhandy
forfuturereference.
Figure1
This manual has been prepared for the operators of the
Yazoo/Kees Power Rake, Model RBSIC050 and Slicer,
Model SBSIC050. Its purpose, aside from recommending
operatinginstructionsandroutineservicerequirements,isto
promote safety through the use of accepted operating
practices. READ,UNDERSTANDANDFOLLOW thesafety
andoperatinginstructionshereinbeforeattemptinganywork
with the machine.

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OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Figure 2 Figure 4
BEFOREOPERATING:
Bethoroughlyfamiliarwithallcontrolsandhowtousethem
beforeoperatingtheDethatcher/Slicer. Makethefollowing
checksandperformtheserviceasrequiredbeforeeachstart
up.
PRE-STARTCHECKLIST
CHECK ENGINE OIL and bring level up to full. (Refer to
enginemanualforoilspecifications).
CHECKAIRCLEANERandserviceaccordingto instructions
inEngineManual.
FILL FUEL TANK where fumes will be safely dissipated.
RefertoEngineManualforfuelspecifications.
CHECKDETHATCHERORSLICERSHAFTASSEMBLY to
make sure it is free of dirt and other debris.
CHECKEXTERNAL SURFACESandremoveanydirtand
dustaccumulation.
CHECKGUARDStomakesureallareinproper positionand
securelytightened.
STARTING-STOPPING
Knowbeforehandhowtostoptheengineandrotation
oftheDETHATCHERorSLICERshaftinpreparationfor
possibleemergencies.
TheengineoftheDETHATCHER/SLICERisstoppedby
pullingtheengineTHROTTLECONTROLtotherearto
“STOP”. SeeFigure 2
Figure 3
ShaftrotationisstoppedbyreleasingtheCLUTCHCONTROL
BAIL. See Figure 3.
OPERATEENGINE ASFOLLOWS:
STEP 1:
Move HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT LEVER to “TRANSPORT”
position. (ThisinsuresthattheShaftAssemblyisclearofthe
ground/pavementshouldaccidentalengagementofCLUTCH
CONTROLBAIL occur.) See Figure 4.

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STEP 2:
Oncoldstarts,movetheCHOKECONTROLontheengine
forward into “CHOKE" position. See Figure 5.
STEP 3:
MoveTHROTTLECONTROLtothe“RUN”position.
STEP 4:
Whileremainingonrightsideofunit,placefootontopofright
wheel,holdhandlebarandpullROPESTARTERonengine
insmooth,steadymotionuntilenginestarts. Toprolongthe
lifeoftherope,guidetheSTARTERhandlebacktotheengine
rather than allowing it to snap back .
STEP 5:
Allow brief engine warm-up period, move CHOKE LEVER
rearwardandmovetheengineTHROTTLECONTROLtothe
reartothedesiredspeedsetting. RefertoDETHATCHING/
SLICING section.
STEP 6:
Tostoptheengine,pulltheengineTHROTTLECONTROLto
therear to“STOP”.
HANDLEBARADJUSTMENT
Loosen knobs on each side of HANDLE BAR. Adjust
HANDLE BAR “UP” or “DOWN” as desired. Retighten
Knobs. See Figure 6.
Figure 5
Figure 6
TRANSPORTINGTOSITE
Toavoiddamagetothemachine,lawnorpavement,always
moveHEIGHT ADJUSTMENT LEVER to “TRANSPORT”
positionwhenmovingfromonelocationtoanother. Referto
Figure 4. Also, when transporting, the
machineismoreeasilysteeredwhentiltedbackwardsonto
its rear wheels.
DETHATCHINGPROCEDURE
TheDETHATCHER/SLICERSHOULDNOTBEPULLED
BACKWARDS! Ifanareamustbegoneover again,turnthe
machinearound.
NOTE
*Do not use this machine on wet or water soaked
lawns. This will pull turf off the surface of the lawn,
particularlyinroughorbumpyareas.
*Before using your machine, inspect the lawn and
removeallsticks,stones,wireandanyforeignobjects
that are likely to damage the machine.
*Do not use machine in tall grass. You receive a
betterjobwhenrakingafterarecentmowing.
*DonotlettheDETHATCHERsetinonespotwithout
havingthe clutch disengaged. Failureto do thiswill
cause the unit to dig up turf.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

6
Figure 7
Figure 8
1. SETHANDLE BARin desired position before engaging
CLUTCHCONTROL.
2. SET HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT LEVER to desired raking
height.
3. SETSPEEDbymovingTHROTTLECONTROLtodesired
speedsetting.
4. BEGINdethatchingbysteppingbehindDETHATCHER,
lifting“UP”onCLUTCHCONTROLBAILandpushingmachine
forward.
5. TOMAKESHARPTURNS,releaseCLUTCHCONTROL
BAIL and tilt machine back on its rear wheels.
DETHATCHERDEPTH ADJUSTMENT
Normal Depth Adjustment on the DETHATCHER is
accomplished by placing the machine on a hard surface,
makingsureoneofthesatelliteshaftsisatdeadbottom,and
adjustingthewheelssothatthefingersarejusttouchingthe
ground.(IMPORTANT: DONOTsetthefingerssothatthey
willpenetratetheground. Thiswillcounteractthecentrifugal
forceofthefingersandpreventthemfromdoingaproperde-
thatchingjob).
Through constant use, the raking edges of the fingers will
begintowear. Whenthisoccurs,removetheendplatesand
turntheentireShaftAssembly,end-for-endandreplaceitin
themachine. Thiswill give the fingers a new square raking
edge.SeeFigure 7. SLICINGPROCEDURE
The following text gives instructions for making depth
adjustments on the SLICER. For machine operation, see
“DETHATCHINGPROCEDURE”inprecedingcolumn.
SLICERDEPTHADJUSTMENT
Normaldepthsettingforproperbladepenetrationforslicing
andaeratingisapproximately1/2"to3/4"intotheground. To
obtain the proper setting, place the machine on the lawn
surface and adjust the wheel height one to two notches.
For the crawling type grasses such as Bermuda, Zoysia,
Bahia, St. Augustine, etc., the setting is obtained in the
samemanner,exceptthewheelsareraisedonlyonenotch.
ForsinglestrandgrassessuchasBluegrassandRyegrass,
itisbesttosliceintwoseparatedirections,perpendicularto
each other. For example, when slicing the first time,
directionof travel is north and south. Then it is best to slice
againinaeast-westdirection.(IMPORTANT: Itisnecessary
towater thoroughly after the aeratingprocess is complete.
Fertilizerand seed,if desired, can be applied after slicing).
Asthe blades wear, theymay be rotated four timesto give
new cutting edges each time. See Figure 9.
ExtraholesintheMainShaftareprovidedforlongerlifeofthe
Main Shaft. If the hole holding the satellite shaft becomes
distorted, rotateall four (4) satellite shafts to the next
adjacent hole. See Figure 8.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

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Figure 10Figure 9
Figure 11
MOVINGPARTS:(ALLMACHINES)
1. Lubricate HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT LEVER and related
partsmonthly(or more oftenifrequired) with oil.
2. SATELLITEoil toassurefree movement ofFINGERS.
SERVICEPARTS&ASSISTANCE
ToretaintheoriginalqualityofyourDETHATCHER/SLICER,
use only genuine Yazoo/Kees replacement parts. Specify
themodel andserial numberas foundon thenameplate of
yourmachinewhencontactingyourYazoo/KeesDealerfor
parts or service assistance.
Your Yazoo/Kees Dealer has a complete listing of all
components. For engine parts, look for the engine
manufacturer’sdealersundertheheadingENGINES-gasoline
inthe yellowpages ofyour telephone directory.
DETHATCHER/SLICER LUBRICATION
CRANKSHAFT ASSEMBLY: Lubricate each ENDCAP
BEARINGwith2shotsofgreaseevery8operatinghoursand
before running if unit has been unused for a long period of
time. See Figure 10.
WHEELS:DETHATCHER/SLICER
Lubricateeachwheelwith1shotofgreaseevery8operating
hours. See Figure 11
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

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SERVICE
Figure 13
Figure 12
2.LubricateSATELLITESHAFTSonDETHATCHERwith
CLUTCHCONTROLCABLE
LubricateCABLEwithoil,graphiteorapenetrating-
typespray lubricantas required.
BELT/CLUTCHADJUSTMENT
Position of Bail when CLUTCH engages, is adjusted by
loosening jam nuts on threaded barrel end of CLUTCH
CONTROLCABLE,turningjamnutstodesiredposition,then
tightening in new position. See Figure 13.
CAUTION:
NEVER ADJUST MACHINE WITH
ENGINE RUNNING
OFF SEASON STORAGE
Thoroughly clean all external surfaces,
ShaftAssembly(includingFingersorSlicers)andunderside
ofunitbeforestoringtheunit. Greaseallfittingsandlubricate
all wear surfaces with oil.
1. Draingasolinefromfuelsystemanddrainthecrankcase
oil(RefertoEngineManualfor details).
2. Atthestartofthenewseason,replenishenginecrankcase
oil and add gasoline to the fuel tank.
3. Beforestarting,movetheENGINECONTROLto“STOP”
and pull Rope Starter slowly several times. If excessive
resistanceisfelt,removethesparkplugandpullRopeStarter
rapidly to spin the engine and clear oil from the cylinder.
Cleanandreinstallthespark plugbeforeattemptingtostart
theengine.

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Yazoo/Kees LimitedTwoYearWarranty
1. ThisLimitedtwo-yearWarrantyisissuedbyYazoo/KeesPowerEquipment, onlytotheoriginal
purchaser. Thewarrantyperiodislimitedtoninety(90)dayswhenproduct is or has been used
forrental purposes.
2. Yazoo/Kees warrantsthatall newequipmentmanufactured byYazoo/Kees(Yazoo/Kees Prod-
ucts),listedinparagraph9hereof,shallbefree of defects in material and workmanship for the
termdescribed inparagraph4below. Componentparts, equipment,andaccessoriesnot manu-
factured byYazoo/Kees arenot warrantedhereunder,but arewarrantedbythe originalmanu-
facturer onlytotheextent of anyoriginalmanufacturer’swarranty,withtheexception of the
following; five years on wheel motors, ninety days on belts, hoses, tires, and battery, one year
onelectricalcomponents, and one year on Peerlessmodel700 transmissions (first ninety days
warrantedby Peerless, remainderbyYazoo/Kees).
3. Intheeventthat anyYazoo/Kees Productwarrantedhereundershall be defective orfail to
conformwith this limitedwarranty,Yazoo/Kees shall, subjecttotheprovisionshereof,pay for,
orprovide labor and materials for, the repairorreplacement of such defectiveYazoo/Kees
Product.
4. Thislimitedwarrantyis for two years (24months)from purchasedate forYazoo/KeesProducts.
5. To obtainlimitedwarrantyserviceonaYazoo/KeesProductuse this procedure:
a. LocatethenearestYazoo/Keesdealerordistributor.
b. Ifyou have moved, notify anyYazoo/Keesdealerordistributorinyourarea. Youmust
beable to confirm purchasedate to validateyour warranty.
c. Make arrangements to have the equipmentdeliveredtothedealerordistributor(refer
toparagraph6a).
d. Ifyou have questions concerning theYazoo/Kees LimitedWarranty, they shouldbe
referredto:
Yazoo/KeesPowerEquipment
P.O. Box 8
700 Park Street
Beatrice, NE 68310
Attention:Customer ServiceDepartment
[phone]
e. Warranty serviceonYazoo/Kees Productsmustbeperformed by anauthorizedYazoo/
Kees dealer.
6. Thislimitedwarranty does notcoverthe following:
a. Transportation toand from theYazoo/Keesdealerordistributor.

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b. Normalmaintenance services and normal maintenance items such as brakes, brake
shoes,spark plugs, oil, air filters,mower blades, gauge wheels,skids and other wear
items.
c. AnyYazoo/KeesProduct whichhadbeen alteredormodifiedin anyway.
d. Anyrepairorreplacementcausedbycustomerneglectorlackofmaintenance. (The
purchaseris responsibleformakingsure thatYazoo/KeesProductsare operated and
servicedasdirectedintheapplicablemanualorserviceinstruction. Incorrectuseor
maintenancewillvoidthisLimitedWarranty.
7. YAZOO/KEESMAKESNOOTHEREXPRESSORIMPLIEDWARRANTY, ORWARRAN-
TIESASTOTHEMERCHANTABILITYORFITNESSFORAPARTICULARPURPOSE.
ALLWARRANTIESARE LIMITEDIN DURATIONTOTHETERMS SET OUTIN PARA-
GRAPH 4,ABOVE. YAZOO/KEESSHALLHAVENOLIABILITYFORANYINCIDENTAL
ORCONSEQUENTIALDAMAGES RESULTINGFROMTHEBREACHOFANYWAR-
RANTY,INCLUDING,BUTNOTLIMITEDTO,LIABILITYFORINCONVENIENCE,
RENTALORPURCHASESOFREPLACEMENTEQUIPMENT,ORFORLOSSOFPROF-
ITSOROTHER COMMERCIALLOSS. SOME STATES DO NOTALLOWALIMITA-
TIONONHOWLONGAN IMPLIEDWARRANTYLASTS, SOTHEABOVE STATEMENT
MAYNOTAPPLYTOYOU. SOMESTATES DO NOTALLOWTHEEXCLUSIONOR
LIMITATIONOFINCIDENTALORCONSEQUENTIALDAMAGES, SOTHEABOVE
LIMITATIONOREXCLUSIONMAYNOTAPPLYTOYOU.
8. Thiswarrantyisnot subject to changeormodification byanyone,includingYazoo/Kees dealers
ordistributors,andnoYazoo/Keesdealeror distributoris authorized to make anyrepresenta-
tionson behalf ofYazoo/KeesPowerEquipment.
Note: This Warranty is for the following machines or products:
•ZTMax Midmount Riding Mowers
•Kutter Midsize Walk-behind Rotary Mowers
•Power Rake Dethatchers
•Power Slicer Aerators
•Core Plugger Aerators
•Classic High-wheel Walk-behind Rotary Mowers

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