MTD 114-074-000 - Manual (Page 9)

TO STOP ENGINE
1. Move throttle control lever to “STOP” posi­
tion.
2. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug
and ground against the engine to prevent ac­
cidental starting while equipment is unat­
tended.
TO ENGAGE THE BLADE
1. Start engine as instructed above. Allow the
engine to warm up for one minute before at­
tempting to engage the blade.
2. To engage the blade, pull the side release
lever away from the unit. Pull the blade
brake/clutch control handle down against the
upper handle. Release the side lever. See
figure 12.
NOTE
If a warm engine falters or stalls
when attempting to engage the
blade, refer to Carburetor Adjust­
ment Section of this owner’s
manual.
3. Release the blade brake/clutch control handle
to stop the blade from turning.
USING YOUR ROTARY MOWER
Be sure that lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire,
or other objects which could damage lawn mower
or engine. Such objects could be accidently
thrown by the mower in any direction and cause
serious personal injury to the operator and others.
Operate a new engine at intermediate speeds and
light load for the first few hours as you would a
new automotive engine.
For best results, do not cut wet grass because it
tends to stick to the underside of the mower,
preventing proper discharge of grass clippings,
and could cause you to slip and fall. New grass,
thick grass or wet grass may require a narrower
cut. Blade speed should be adjusted to the condi­
tion of the lawn.
The best mowing pattern is one that allows the
clippings to discharge towards the uncut part of
the lawn. This permits recutting of the clippings
to further pulverize them. When cutting high
weeds, discharge towards cut portion, then recut
at right angles to first direction.
For best results, cut off one-third or less of the
total length of the grass. Lawn should be cut in
the fall as long as there is growth.
This mower is designed to be operated at full
throttle to give you the best cut and do the most
effective job of bagging the cut grass.
IMPORTANT
If you strike a foreign object, stop
the engine. Remove wire from spark
plug, thoroughly inspect the mower
for any damage, and repair the
damage
before restarting and
operating the mower.
Striking a solid object can cause
damage to the blade brake/clutch or
to the engine crankshaft. Extensive
vibration of the mower during opera­
tion is an indication of damage. The
unit should be promptly inspected
and repaired.
ADJUSTMENTS
A
CAUTION
Do not at any time make any adjust­
ment to lawn mower without first
stopping engine and disconnecting
spark plug wire.
CUTTING HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT
Units Without Height Adjustment Brackets
An adjusting plate and thumb lever at each wheel
position provides cutting height adjustment. Each
adjusting plate has nine height positions. Height
of cut will be changed when the thumb lever is
moved from one position to another. Simply
depress thumb lever towards wheel and move
wheel and lever assembly to desired position. All
wheels must be placed in the same relative posi­
tion, See figure 14.
FIGURE 14.