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Safety • Set-Up • Operation • Adjustments • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Warranty
OPERATOR’S MANUAL
Hydrostatic Lawn Tractor — Model 616
IMPORTANT:
READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS
CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATING EQUIPMENT.
769-02796
1.9.07
PRINTED IN U.S.A. P. O . Bo x1386, KITCHENER, ONT . N2G 4J1
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This Operator’s Manual is an important part of your new equipment. It will help you assemble, prepare and maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says. Table of Contents Slope Gauge........................................................ 3 Off-Season Storage / Attachments ................. 8 Safe Operation Practices ................................... 4 Safety Labels .................................................... 9 Setting Up Your Lawn Tractor ....
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Fold along dotted line (represents a 15° slope) Sight and hold this level with a vertical tree... or a corner of a building... or a fence post 15° Use this page as a guide to determine slopes where you may not operate safely. Do not operate your lawn mower on such slopes. 1 Slope Gauge WARNING Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). A riding mower could overturn and cause serious injury. If operating a walk-
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WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle compo- nents contain or emit chemicals known to State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As with any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury. This machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects
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14. Watch for traffic when operating near or crossing General Operation: roadways. This machine is not intended for use on 1. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the any public roadway. machine and in the manual(s) before attempting to 15. Do not operate the machine while under the influ- assemble and operate. Keep this manual in a safe ence of alcohol or drugs. place for future and regular reference and for ordering 16. Mow only in daylight or good artificial light. repla
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Slope Operation: Do Not: 1. Do not turn on slopes unless necessary; then, turn Slopes are a major factor related to loss of control and slowly and gradually downhill, if possible. tip-over accidents which can result in severe injury or 2. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments. death. All slopes require extra caution. If you cannot The mower could suddenly turn over if a wheel is over back up the slope or if you feel uneasy on it, do not mow the edge of a cliff, ditch, or if
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10. Never attempt to make adjustments or repairs to the Service machine while the engine is running. 1. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ventilated 11. Grass catcher components and the discharge area. Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an cover are subject to wear and damage which could odorless, and deadly gas. expose moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. 2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain For safety protection, frequently check components
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Attaching the Battery Cables Rubber Boot NOTE: The positive battery terminal is marked Pos. (+). The negative battery terminal is marked Neg. (–). 3 • The positive cable (heavy red wire) is secured to the Retaining Rod positive battery terminal (+) with a hex bolt and hex Setting Up nut at the factory. Make certain that the rubber boot covers the terminal to help protect it from corrosion. Your Lawn • Remove the hex bolt and wing nut from the negative cable. Tractor • Remove the black pl
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Shipping Brace Removal WARNING: Make sure ther iding mower’s engine is off, remove the 3 ignitionk ey, and set the parking brake before removing thes hip - Setting Up ping brace. Your Lawn • Locate the shipping brace, if present, and accompany- ing warning tag found on the right side of the mower, Tractor between the discharge chute and the cutting deck. See Figure 3-2. • While holding the discharge chute with your left hand, remove the shipping brace with your right hand by grasp
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Attaching The Seat Seat styles vary by tractor model and there are three different styles available: • Standard Adjustment 3 • Quick Adjustment • Knob Adjustment Setting Up If the seat for your tractor did not come attached, refer to Figure 3-4, Figure 3-5, and Figure 3-6 to identify your Your Lawn tractor’s seat style and follow the applicable instructions below to attach it. Tractor NOTE: For shipping reasons, seats are either fastened to the tractor seat’s pivot bracket with a plastic
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Identifying the Mulch Plug (if so equipped) On tractor models so equipped, a mulch plug can either be found within the cutting deck’s discharge opening or 3 packed separately with your unit. Setting Up NOTE: Refer to Mulching on page 19 for more detailed information. Your Lawn If you’d prefer to operate the cutting deck without mulch- ing, simply remove the mulch plug by unthreading the Tractor plastic wing nut which fastens it to the cutting deck. This will allow the clippings to discha
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Know Your Lawn Tractor 4 * E A Operating F B Your Lawn G * A Tractor H NOTE: Anyr eference in thism anualt o theR IGHTor L EFT P sideo f the tractor I is observed from operator’sp osition. J C NOTE: ThisO pera - tors Manualc overs a range of product specifications for K various models. L Characteristics and features discussed D and/ori llustrated in this manual may not be applicable to all models.M TD LLC reserves the right to change product Figure 4-1 s
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Throttle Control Lever The throttle control lever is located on the right side of the tractor’s dash panel. This lever controls the speed of the engine and, on some models, when pushed all 4 the way forward, the choke control also. When set in a given position, the throttle will maintain a uniform engine speed. See Figure 4-1. Operating IMPORTANT: When operating the tractor with the cutting deck engaged, be certain that the throttle lever is always Your Lawn in the FAST (rabbit) p
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the MAINTENANCE section of this manual for the proper battery charging procedure or have the charging system checked by your service dealer. Thea mmeter (if so equipped) measures the electrical 4 output of the engine’s charging system. Under normal operating conditions, with the engine at full throttle, the ammeter’s needle should measure a positive charge. The hour meter (if so equipped) operates whenever the Operating engine is running and records the actual hours of tractor operat
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• The safety interlock system prevents the engine Deck Lift Lever from cranking or starting unless the parking brake Found on your tractor’s right fender, the deck lift lever is is engaged, and the PTO (Blade Engage) knob (or used to change the height of the cutting deck. To use, lever) is in the disengaged (OFF) position. move the lever to the left, then place in the notch best 4 • The engine will automatically shut off if the operator suited for your application. leaves the seat before
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WARNING 4 AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH • GO UP AND DOWN SLOPES, NOT ACROSS. • AVOID SUDDEN TURNS. Operating • DO NOT OPERATE THE UNIT WHERE IT COULD SLIP OR TIP. Your Lawn • IF MACHINE STOPS GOING UPHILL, STOP BLADE(S) AND BACK DOWNHILL SLOWLY. Tractor • DO NOT MOW WHEN CHILDREN OR OTHERS ARE AROUND. • NEVER CARRY CHILDREN, EVEN WITH BLADES OFF. Figure 4- • LOOK DOWN AND BEHIND BEFORE AND WHILE BACKING. 2. Turn the key from the NORMALM OWING (Green) • KEEP SAFETY DEVICES (GUA
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NOTE: Refer to the TRACTORS ET-UP on page 8 of this Drive Pedal BrakeP edal manual for Gasoline and Oil fill-up instructions. 1. Insert the tractor key into the ignition switch. 2. Place the PTO (Blade Engage) knob (or lever) in the 4 disengaged (OFF) position. 3. Engage the tractor’s parking brake. 4. Activate the choke control. Operating 5. Turn the ignition key clockwise to the START position. Your Lawn After the engine starts, release the key. It will return to the ON position. Tra
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NOTE: Cruise control cannot be engaged at the tractor’s Moving the Tractor Manually fastest ground speed. If the operator should attempt to do Your tractor’s transmission is equipped with a hydro- so, the tractor will automatically decelerate to the fastest static relief valve for occasions when it is necessary to optimal mowing ground speed. move the tractor manually. Activating this valve forces 4 Disengage the cruise control using one of the following the fluid in the transmission to by
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Mowing Mulching (If Equipped) Select models come equipped with a mulch kit which WARNING:T o helpa void blade incorporates special blades, already standard on the contact or a thrown object tractor, in a process of recirculating grass clippings 4 injury, keep bystanders, helpers, repeatedly beneath the cutting deck. The ultra-fine clippings are then forced back into the lawn where they children and pets at least 75 act as a natural fertilizer. feetf rom the machine while it Opera
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WARNING:N ever attempt to make any adjustments while the engine is running, except wheres pecifiedi n the operator’sman ual. Leveling the Deck Adjusting NOTE: Check the tractor’s tire pressure before performing any deck leveling adjustments. Refer to Tires on page 24 Your Lawn for information regarding tire pressure. Tractor Front To Rear The front of the cutting deck is supported by a stabilizer bar that can adjusted to level the deck from front to rear. The front of the deck
