Cub Cadet 1222 - Manual (Page 13)

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• Depress the brake pedal to disengage the cruise
control and stop the tractor.
• Lightly depress the drive pedal.
Changing to Reverse When Cruise Control is Engaged
• Depress the brake pedal to disengage the cruise
control and bring the tractor to a complete stop.
• Depress the lower portion of the drive pedal with
the ball of your foot to travel in reverse.
Using the Deck Lift Lever
To raise the cutting deck, move the deck lift lever to the
left, then place it in the notch best suited for your
application. Refer to
Setting The Cutting Height earlier in
this section.
Engaging the PTO
Engaging the PTO transfers power to the cutting deck
or other (separately available) attachments. To engage
the PTO, proceed as follows:
• Move the throttle control lever to the FAST (rabbit)
position.
• Pull the PTO knob outward into the engaged (ON)
position. Keep the throttle lever in the FAST (rabbit)
position for the most efficient use of the cutting
deck or other (separately available) attachments.
• To disengage the PTO, push the PTO knob to the
OFF position.
IMPORTANT: The PTO clutch will automatically shut off
if the PTO is engaged with the drive pedal in position for
reverse travel.
Mowing
• Do not mow at high ground speed, especially if a
mulch kit or grass collector is installed.
• For best results, cut the first two laps with the
discharge thrown towards the center. Then reverse
direction to throw discharge to the outside.
• Do not cut the grass too short. Short grass invites
weed growth and yellows quickly in dry weather.
• Mowing should always be done with the engine at
full throttle.
• Under heavier conditions it may be necessary to go
back over the cut area to get a clean cut.
• Do not attempt to mow heavy brush and weeds and
extremely tall grass. Your tractor is designed to
mow lawns, not clear brush.
• Keep the blades sharp and replace the blades
when worn. Refer to
Cutting Blades on page 20 of this
manual for proper blade sharpening instructions.
Mulching
Your tractor may be equipped with a mulch kit with
special blades to recirculate grass clippings into the
lawn where they act as a natural fertilizer.
Observe following points for best results in mulching.
• Never attempt to mulch if the lawn is damp. Wet
grass tends to stick to the underside of the deck
preventing proper mulching.
• Do not attempt to mulch more than 1/3 the total
height of the grass or approximately 1-1/2 inches.
Maintain a slow ground speed to allow the grass
clippings more time to effectively be mulched.
• Always position the throttle control lever in the
FAST (rabbit) position while mowing. Failing to
keep the engine at full throttle places strain on the
tractor’s engine and does not allow the blades to
properly mulch grass.
NOTE: It is not necessary to remove the discharge
chute to operate the mower with the mulch kit installed.
• To operate the cutting deck without mulching,
simply remove the mulch plug by unthreading the
plastic wing nut which fastens it to the cutting deck.
This will allow clippings to discharge from the side.
WARNING: To help avoid blade contact or a
thrown object injury, keep bystanders, helpers,
children and pets at least 75 feet from the
machine while it is in operation. Stop machine
if anyone enters the area.