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Operator’s Manual
Series 1500
Hydrostatic Lawn Tractor
Models 1515
1517
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 working order by the
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page Important Safe Operation Practices ............................................................................... 3 Slope Gauge .................................................................................................................. 7 Tractor Set-up ................................................................................................................ 8 Know Your Lawn Tractor ......................................................................
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SECTION 1: 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 this machine. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury. When you see this symbol—heed its warning. DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operati
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23. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a 4. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for burn. Do not touch. wheel weights or counterweights to improve 24. Check overhead clearances carefully before driving stability. under low hanging tree branches, wires, door 5. Use extra care with grass catchers or other openings etc., where the operator may be struck or attachments. These can change the stability of the pulled from the unit, which could result in serious machine. injury. 6. Ke
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e. Use extreme care when approaching blind lock-open device. corners, doorways, shrubs, trees or other e. Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and objects that may block your vision of a child other sources of ignition. who may run into the machine. f. Never fuel machine indoors. f. Disengage the cutting blade(s) before g. Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the traveling in reverse. The “No-Cut-In Reverse” engine is hot or running. Allow engine to cool feature is a reminder not to cut
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8. Never tamper with the safety interlock system or 13. Observe proper disposal laws and regulations for other safety devices. Check their proper operation gas, oil, etc. to protect the environment. regularly. 14. Grass catcher components and the discharge 9. After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, cover are subject to wear and damage which could disconnect the spark plug wire(s) and ground expose moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. against the engine. Thoroughly inspect t
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FOLD ON DOTTED LINE, REPRESENTING A 15° SLOPE 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 slope, it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip, resulting in serious injury. Operate RIDING mowers u
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SECTION 3: TRACTOR SET-UP IMPORTANT: Your tractor is shipped with oil in the Attaching the Battery Cables engine. However, you MUST check the oil level before The positive battery terminal is marked Pos. (+). The operating. Refer to Checking the Oil Level on page 19 for negative battery terminal is marked Neg. (–). detailed instructions. Be careful not to overfill. • The positive cable (heavy red wire) is secured to the positive battery terminal (+) with a hex bolt and Shipping Brace Remo
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SECTION 4: KNOW YOUR LAWN TRACTOR A B G H C BRAKE I J D K L E F M NOTE: Steering Wheel not shown for clarity. Figure 3 A Systems Indicator Monitor/Hour Meter H Ignition Switch B Throttle Control Lever I Brake Pedal C Choke Control J Drive Pedal D Parking Brake Lever K Cruise Control Lever E Fuel Tank Cap L Deck Lift Lever F Seat Adjustment Lever M Cup Holder G PTO (Power Take-off) Knob NOTE: Any reference in this manual to the RIGHT or LEFT side of the tractor is observed from operator’s pos
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Throttle Control Lever Ignition Switch The throttle control lever is located on the left side of the WARNING: Never leave a running tractor’s dash panel. This lever controls the speed of machine unattended. Always disengage the the engine. When set in a given position, the throttle will PTO, set parking brake, stop engine and maintain a uniform engine speed. See Figure 4. remove key to prevent unintended starting. To start the engine, insert the key into the ignition Fast switch and turn cl
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Hour Meter Electric PTO Located in the center of the tractor’s console, the hour (Power Take-off) Knob meter operates whenever the engine is running and To engage the power to the records the actual hours of tractor operation. See cutting deck or other (separately Figure 6. available) attachments, pull outward on the PTO knob. Push the PTO knob inward to disengage the power to the cutting deck. NOTE: The PTO knob must be in the disengaged (OFF) position when starting the engine, when t
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Seat Adjustment Lever Deck Lift Lever To adjust the seat forward or backward, slide the seat Found on your tractor’s right fender, the deck lift lever is adjustment lever to the left and reposition the seat to used to change the height of the cutting deck. To use, the desired position. Once a comfortable position is move the lever to the left, then place in the notch best found, release the seat adjustment lever to lock the suited for your application. seat in place. Refer to Seat Adjustment
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NOTE: Upon starting the engine, a metallic ticking may occur. This is caused by the hydraulic lifter leakdown during storage. Run the engine for five minutes. The noise will normally cease in the first Shoulder Screws minute. If noise continues, run the engine at mid-throttle for twenty minutes. If noise persists, have the engine Flat Washer serviced by your Cub Cadet dealer. NOTE: Do NOT leave the choke control on while operating the tractor. Doing so will result in a "rich" fuel mixture and ca
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• Briefly depress the brake pedal to release the Setting The Cruise Control parking brake. Move the throttle lever into the FAST (rabbit) position. NOTE: The cruise control feature should only be • To travel FORWARD, slowly depress the upper utilized while traveling in the forward direction. portion of the drive pedal forward until the desired • Slowly depress the upper portion of the drive pedal speed is achieved. See Figure 8. until the desired speed is achieved. Brake Pedal • Lightly dep
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Moving The Tractor Manually Front View Pull Out Push In Your tractor’s transmission is equipped with a hydrostatic relief valve for occasions when it is necessary to move the tractor manually. Opening this valve permits the fluid in the transmission to bypass its OFF normal route, allowing the rear tires to "freewheel." To ON engage the hydrostatic relief valve, proceed as follows: • Locate the hydrostatic bypass rod in the rear of the tractor. See Figure 9. Figure 10 Mowing WARNING: To he
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Mulching Carriage Screw Model 1515 & 1517 lawn tractors come equipped with a mulch kit which incorporates special blades, already standard on your tractor, in a process of recirculating grass clippings repeatedly beneath the cutting deck. The ultra-fine clippings are then forced back into the lawn where they act as a natural fertilizer. Observe the following points for the best results when mulching. • Never attempt to mulch if the lawn is damp. Wet Bell grass tends to stick to the unders
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Troubleshooting 3. Low Idle Speed Setting: Place the throttle control If engine troubles are experienced that appear to be into the “idle” or “slow” position. Set the low idle fuel system related, check the following areas before speed to 1200 RPM* (± 75 RPM) by turning the low idle adjusting the carburetor. speed adjusting screw in or out. Check the speed • Make sure the fuel tank is filled with clean, fresh using a tachometer. gasoline. NOTE: To ensure best results when setting the low
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• Locate the two lock nuts on the opposite side of the If the tractor does not come to a complete stop when stabilizer bracket. See Figure 14. Tighten the lock the brake pedal is completely depressed, or if the nuts to raise the front of the deck; loosen the lock tractor’s rear wheels can roll with the parking brake nuts to lower the front of the deck. applied, the brake is in need of adjustment. The brake • Retighten the two jam nuts loosened earlier when disc can be found on the right side of
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Front tire toe-in can be measured as follows: Hex Nut and • Place the steering wheel in position for straight Lock Washer ahead travel. • In front of the axle, measure the distance horizontally from the inside of the left rim to the Pivot Bar inside of the right rim. Note the distance. Axle • Behind the axle, measure the distance horizontally from the inside of the left rim to the inside of the right rim. Note the distance. • The measurement taken in front of the axle should be between 1/1
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• Allow the engine a few minutes to rest after opera- • Fill the crankcase until the oil level reaches the full tion. This will give the oil time to drain into the crank- (F) mark on the dipstick. Refer to Figure 18. Refer case sump and result in a more accurate dipstick to the viscosity oil chart earlier in this section for reading. information regarding the proper type of oil to add to the crankcase. • Clean the area around the oil fill cap/dipstick to pre- vent debris from entering the cr
