Summary of the content on the page No. 1
OPERATOR’S MANUAL
22” Side Discharge
High Wheel
Lawn Mower
Model Series 580
IMPORTANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-
covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land unless the engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting
applicable local or state laws (if any). If a spark arrester is used, it should be maintained in effective w
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
SECTION 1: FINDING LAWN MOWER MODEL NUMBER This Operator’s Manual is an important part of your new lawn mower. It will help you assemble, prepare and maintain your mower properly. Please read and understand what it says. Before you start to prepare your equipment for its first use, please locate the model plate and copy the information from it in the space provided below. The information on the model plate is very important if you need help from your dealer or the MTD customer support departme
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
SECTION 3: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES WARNING: This symbol points out important safety instructions which, if not followed, could endanger the personal safety and/or property of yourself and others. Read and follow all instructions in this manual before attempting to operate your lawn mower. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury. When you see this symbol, heed its warning. WARNING: The Engine Exhaust from this product contains chemicals known to the
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
serious personal injury. Keep a firm hold on the Do not: handle and walk, never run. If you feel you are Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or losing your footing, RELEASE THE BLADE embankments. The operator could lose footing or CONTROL HANDLE IMMEDIATELY and the blade balance. will stop rotating within three seconds. Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as Mow only in daylight or good artificial light. shown on the slope gauge. Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks D
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
stopped. Disconnect the spark plug wire, and keep Grass catcher components are subject to wear, the wire away from the spark plug to prevent damage and deterioration, which could expose accidental starting. moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For safety protection, frequently check components and Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at replace with manufacturer’s recommended parts, frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also, when necessary. visually inspect blade for damage (
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
SECTION 4: SLOPE GAUGE Cut along dotted line 6 FOLD ON DOTTED LINE, REPRESENTING A 15° SLOPE USE THIS PAGE AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE SLOPES WHERE YOU MAY NOT OPERATE SAFELY. SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE A POWER POLE A CORNER OF A BUILDING OR A FENCE POST 15° 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-behind mower on such a
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
SECTION 5: CONTENTS OF HARDWARE PACK For identification purposes, lay out the hardware according to the illustration below. Part numbers are shown in parentheses. (Hardware pack may contain extra items which are not used on your unit. ) A Attaching the struts Hex Bolt 1/4-20:.620 (710-0751) Bell Washer .265 I.D. x .75 O.D. x .062 (736-0270) Nut 1/4-20 (712-0287) Lock Washer 5/16 (736-0119) Saddle Washer .320 I.D. x .83 O.D. (736-0451) Nut 5/16-18 (712-0267) Attaching the rear wheels B (Only
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
SECTION 6: UNPACKING Removing Unit from Carton Remove staples, break glue on top flaps, or cut tape at carton end and peel along top flap to open carton. Remove loose parts if included with unit (i.e., operator's manual, etc.). See Figure 3. Figure 3 Cut along dotted lines and lay carton down flat. Remove packing material. Roll or slide unit out of carton. Check carton thoroughly for loose parts. NOTE: Make sure not to crimp the cables while removing the loose parts or the entire unit
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
Assembling Handle 1. Lift lower handle 2. Lift upper handle Figure 5 Raise the lower handle in the direction shown in Figure 5 (step 1) till it snaps into place. Raise the upper handle in the direction shown in Figure 5 (step 2). Tighten the hand knobs which are already on the handle. See Figure 6A. For convenience in assembly, do not overtighten these knobs as you will be replacing these later in the assembly. NOTE: Make sure to route the cables inside the lower handle. Also do not
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
Attach the other end of the struts as follows. Place one cupped washer over each hex bolt aligning the crowned side of the washer against the head of the bolt. Insert hex bolts up through the middle holes in deck beside the engine and then through the struts. Secure with cupped washers (cupped side against strut) and hex nuts. See Figure 7. Tighten all hardware at both ends of the strut. Carriage Bolt Saddle Washer Strut Hex Nut Hex Nut DECK Hex Bolt Cupped Washer Figure 7 Installing Rea
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
Install the other wheel assembly and the other end of the axle shaft in the same way. Remove the blocks from the rear of the mower and place the rear height adjusters in the same relative position as the two front height adjusters. Attaching Starter Rope NOTE: The rope guide is already attached to the right side of the upper handle of your mower. With the spark plug wire disconnected and grounded, hold the blade control handle against the upper handle, and pull the starter rope out o
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
Push the hooks on top of the baffle till these snap over the hinge on the discharge chute. Release the chute deflector. Chute Deflector Mulching Baffle Hook Notches Figure 11 SECTION 8: CONTROLS IMPORTANT: Always wear safety glasses while operating the mower, or while performing any adjustments or repairs on it. Read this operator’s manual and safety rules before operating your lawn mower. Compare the illustrations in Figure 12 with your lawn mower to familiarize yourself with the locati
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
Drive Clutch Control Squeeze the drive clutch control against the upper handle of the mower to engage the drive mechanism and move the wheels. Release the drive clutch control to slow down the mower when negotiating an obstacle, making a turn, or stopping the mower. Recoil Starter The recoil starter rope is attached to the handle. Stand behind the unit and pull the recoil starter to start the unit. Blade Control Handle WARNING: This control mechanism is a safety device. Never attempt to byp
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
Before Starting Attach spark plug wire to spark plug. If your unit is equipped with a rubber boot over the end of the spark plug wire, make certain the metal cap on the end of the spark plug wire (inside the rubber boot) is fastened securely over the metal tip on the spark plug. To Start Engine and Engage Blade If engine is equipped with a throttle control lever, move the lever all the way forward to the FAST (rabbit) position. Your mower is designed to operate at full throttle. Engines
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
Squeeze the drive clutch control against the upper handle of the mower to engage the drive mechanism and move the wheels. Release the drive clutch control to slow down the mower when negotiating an obstacle, making a turn, or stopping the mower. WARNING: 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. Extensive vibration of the mower during operation
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
Turn the lower handle around so the notch on the bottom of the lower handle is facing forward as shown in Figure 14B. Reassemble, placing the bottom holes in the handle over the weld pins in the handle mounting bracket. Reassemble the upper handle to the lower handle. Place the hairpin clips in the inner holes of the weld pins and attach the starter rope as instructed in the Assembly section. Adjusting Throttle Control If your lawn mower is equipped with an adjustable throttle control o
Summary of the content on the page No. 17
To adjust the drive clutch, rotate the adjustment wheel with your fingers. You should rotate the wheel clockwise to tighten the cable and counter-clockwise to loosen the cable. See Figure 16. If the drive clutch control handle is not in a comfortable position for you, adjust the handle by tightening the adjustment wheel. See Figure 16. Adjustment Wheel Figure 16 Adjusting Carburetor If the engine is running rough, minor adjustments to the carburetor may be required to compensate for di
Summary of the content on the page No. 18
Lubricate pivot point Lubricate torsion spring Lubricate axle bolt, inner surface Lubricate of wheel pivot point Figure 17 SECTION 12: MAINTENANCE WARNING: Always stop engine and disconnect spark plug wire before performing any maintenance work or adjustments on your lawn mower. Cleaning Mower The underside of the mower deck should be cleaned after each use to prevent any build-up of grass clippings, leaves, dirt, or other debris. If this debris is allowed to accumulate, it will result i
Summary of the content on the page No. 19
To Remove Blade Remove the bolt and the bell washer securing the blade assembly to the crankshaft. See Figure 18A. Remove the two pairs of hex bolt and lock nut holding the blade to the blade adapter and the pulley assembly. Keep the hardware in a safe place. Remove the blade and adapter from the crankshaft. 1. Insert screw driver through hole Pulley Assembly Lock Nut Lock Nut Blade Adapter 2. Blade should be parallel to ground Screw Blade Driver Blade Hex Bolt Bell Washer Hex Bolt Groun
Summary of the content on the page No. 20
Replacing Rear Flap The rear flap is attached to the back of the mower deck, and is designed to minimize the possibility of objects being thrown from the rear of the mower towards the operator. If the rear flap is damaged, replace as follows. To remove the old rear flap, compress the hinge clips and remove the flap from the slot in rear of the deck. See Figure 19. To attach the new rear flap, place new hinge clips in the slots on the flap. Then compress the spring clips and reinsert flap i
