INDEX 1. SAFETY Pages 1 - 3 2. WARRANTY POLICY Page 4 3. SPECIFICATIONS Page 5 4. SET UP AND SERVICE Pages 6 - 1 1 5. OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS Pages 1 2 - 1 3 6. CARE AND MAINTENANCE Pages 14 -21 7. TROUBLESHOOTING Pages 22 -24 8. PARTS ILLUSTRATIONS Pages 25 - 28 9. PARTS LIST Pages 29 - 31 10.
IMPORTANT - READ CAREFULLY The Dixon ZTR Mower is both easy and fun to operate. However, any power mower must be operated properly to be safe. It is not a toy or a recreational vehicle. Before you start to use the mower, read the operator's manual carefully, and become completely familiar with the controls. The information in this operator's manual applies to all Dixon ZTR Model 501 Mowers. Your Dixon dealer will gladly provide a check-out ride, and answer any questions.
Page 1 SAFETY RIDING LAWNMOWERS, IF IMPROPERLY-OPERATED. CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. The following examples are the most, common causes of Injury to the operator or bystander. 1. BLADE CONTACT: The operator or bystander inserts a hand or foot into the discharge chute or under the mower deck and into the path of the cutting blade. Never run the mower blades when there are people nearby. Always turn the engine off when cleaning or working around the mower deck. 2.
SAFETY Page 2 SAFETY REMINDERS: READ CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION 1. Wear appropriate, safe clothing when mowing - close fitting jeans or slacks and heavy leather or safety shoes with rough soles. Never operate this mower with bare feet or open sandals. 2. Do not operate on wet or slippery grass. 3. Always mow at the slowest speed that will cut satisfactorily. 4. Keep hands and feet away from the blade at all times. 5. Keep persons clear of the discharge chute.
SAFETY REMINDERS: (continued) Page 3 16. Use care when pulling loads or using heavy equipment. A. Use only approved drawbar hitch points. B. Limit loads to those you can safely control. C. Do not turn sharply. Use care when backing. 17. Watch out for traffic when crossing or near roadways. 18. Keep the mower in good operating condition, and keep safety devices in place and working. 19. Keep all nuts, bolts and screws tight to be sure the mower is in safe working condition. 20.
WARRANTY POLICY Page 4 Warranty Policy: Each new Model 501 is warranted against manufacturing defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of (1) year or (400) hours from date of purchase and is extended to the original retail purchaser of the mower only. Obligation: Under this warranty policy Dixon Industries, Inc.
Page 5 SPECIFICATIONS Chassis: 11 GA - rectangular tube. Body: Two piece - made of DR acrylic reinforced with fiberglass, color fast, scratch and impact resistant. Front body contains access panels for battery service and engine to mower deck belt removal. Rear body tilts up to allow service on the entire drive system. Seat: Ergonomically designed for operator comfort by use of high density closed cell foam, contoured back rest and arm rests. Seat is adjustable fore and aft.
Page 6 SET UP AND SERVICE 1. Seat assembly instructions. 2. Upper control lever installation. 3. Mower deck installation. 4. Deck leveling procedure. 5. Final preparation.
Page 7 SEAT ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Assemble seat as shown in picture. Do not fully tighten the bolts which secure left and right arm rest brackets to seat bottom until seat back and tool box are installed. This will aid alignment of all parts. 2. Place seat assembly on rear body cover, connect seat safety switch. 3. Insert the (2) cover.
Page 8 UPPER CONTROL LEVER INSTALLATION 1. Raise rear body cover to fully open position. 2. Insert left upper control lever on swivel plate. 3. Install fiber washer and jam nut. ; 4. Proper tightness or tension on jam nut is achieved when swing out movement of upper control levers requires some pressure. Levers should not fall to the side or be sloppy in movement. 5. Repeat procedure on right side.
MOWER DECK INSTALLATION Page 9 1. To remove front body from chassis, disconnect headlights and remove acorn nut in middle of body. 2. Install rear hanger rods on lift frame, as shown in the diagram. Slide lift plate on hanger rods, small holes in lift plate will face rear of mower, install bushings and start nylok nuts on each hanger rod until approximately 1/4 inch of threads are exposed. 3. Position mower deck under chassis. 4. Place lift lever in 3rd hole from highest cut, position #5 on quadrant. 5.
Page 10 MOWER DECK LEVELING PROCEDURE Leveling Principals: A. There are a total of (4) threaded adjusters which will control the attitude or pitch of the mower deck. The adjusters have lock nuts on the bottom which can be turned up or down to raise or lower the front and rear of the mower deck. Deck should be level or pitched slightly higher in rear. Leveling the Deck: A. Place the mower on a smooth level surface, check tire pressures to insure the mower has a correct stance.
FINAL PREPARATION 1. Remove battery from chassis. 2. Fill each cell with electrolyte (acid) to ring at bottom of fill cap. 3. Allow battery to sit for (10) minutes, re-check acid level and top off any cells that are low. 4. Trickle charge battery using a charger of less than (6) amps until all cells are gassing freely. Hydrometer readings may be taken, if desired. 5. Install permanent battery caps and wash any accumulated acid from battery before re-installation on chassis. 6.
Page 12 OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS The safe and successful operation of the Model (501) having the correct knowledge of all controls used on judgments about the terrain to be mowed. Never allow without complete knowledge of all controls and their will depend upon the operator the mower and making good anyone to operate the mower functions. Sound judgment by the owner will prevent accidents. Controls and their functions. All controls described from operators position.
Page 13 OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS (continued) THROTTLE CONTROL LEVER: Control's engine speed. (Engine should be operated at full throttle when used in a mowing application, this will insure adequate cooling of the engine as well as maintaining mower deck blade speed) Located on control panel on operators right. MQKER DECK CUT HEIGHT LIFT LEVER: Controls the cutting height of the mower deck.
Page 14 CARE AND MAINTENANCE - MODEL 501 This portion of the Model 501 owners manual deals with normal service items which can be performed by the owner. Please remember that if you are in doubt as to the correct service procedures to be followed, these and other service situations can be handled by a Dixon ZTR Dealer who is familiar with the service of your mower.
Page 15 CARE AND MAINTENANCE - MODEL 501 MOWER DECK SERVICE: CUTTER BLADE REMOVAL - BELT TENSION. "CAUTION" The removal of the cutter blades for either sharpening or replacement is best accomplished by removing the deck assembly from the mower. Do not attempt to raise or lift the front of the mower unless proper safety equipment is available to support the mower. If you do not have the necessary equipment, entrust this task to your dealer. DECK REMOVAL: 1. Remove front belt access cover from body.
Page 16 CARE AND MAINTENANCE - MODEL 501 DRIVE SYSTEM ADJUSTMENTS: Hydrostat Chains - Belts - Cable - Controls Refer to the diagrams on the following pages for the location of adjustment points. Step 1. Loosen the front and rear mounting bolts of the hydrostat, turn the rear adjustment bolt downward, which will tension the final drive chain to the rear wheel.
Page 17 (1) HYDROSTAT MOUNTING BOLTS (2) THREADED ADJUSTERS TO TENSION CHAINS
(1) ADJUSTMENT POINTS FOR T-BOX BELT TENSION Page 18
(1) Forward lever stop adjustment Page 19
CARE AND MAINTENANCE - MODEL 501 Page 20 LUBRICATION: CHASSIS AND MOWER DECK: Number of grease zerks used (3) LOCATIONS: (1) each front wheel caster SERVICE INTERVALS: Every (50) hours of operation RECOMMENDED GREASE: Name brand wheel bearing or multi-purpose grease CAUTION: The use of compressed air pressure greasing methods is not recommended as damage to seals and bearings could occur.
Page 21 CARE AND MAINTENANCE - MODEL 501 CLEANING THE MOWER: A clean machine 1s a source of pride to the owner. However, cleaning by use of high pressure commercial washes is not recommended. The high water pressure, combined with solvents or alkaline detergents, can lead to corrosion of electrical components or damage to the sealed bearings used on your mower. A better approach is the use of mild household soaps and low water pressure. A stiff brush can be used to loosen excess grass and dirt build up.
Page 22 TROUBLE SHOOTING MOWER CUT QUALITY: There are many variables that can effect the cut quality of any multi blade mower. Type and condition of grass, ground speed, blade speed, and conditions are some of the variables that interact creating differences in cut quality results. In most cases, a smooth, even cut will be achieved without further adjustment. The Trouble Shooting Chart suggests practices and adjustments that may be helpful in improving cut quality.
TROUBLE SHOOTING Page 23 DRIVE SYSTEM: SITUATION CAUSES REMEDY Mower pulls to one side or the other Drive adjustment Loss of drive power on one side or the other T-Box belts slipping Loss of power on both wheels after being operated for a length of time Belt from engine to T-Box is slipping Poor driving performance Operation of mower Loose or missing hose clamps Adjust per operators manual Consult your dealer for repair Adjust per operators manual Consult your dealer for repair Adjust per opera
Page 24 TROUBLE SHOOTING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: SITUATION CAUSE REMEDY Starter will not turn engine over Blown fuse Starter will not turn engine over Battery discharge Dead battery Inspect and replace fuse If fuse continues to burn consult your dealer for repair Charge battery Poor connections on battery Battery water low Wrong battery installed in mower Tighten or replace as required Battery discharge Engine electrical system not functioning correctly Have electrical system checked by your dealer
Illustration – Mower Deck Assembly 50” (Model 501)
Illustration — Body Assembly (Model 501)
Illustration – Transmission Assembly (Model 501)
Illustration —Chassis Assembly (Model 501)
Page 29 ZTR 501 - PARTS LIST PART# 1657 1668 1675 1682 1701 1702 1712 1714 1715 1732 1733 1734 1739 1742 1743 1744 1745 2128 2414 2460 2823 3005 3006 3007 3008 3009 3014 3019 3020 3023 3029 3031 3033 3035 3037 3047 3048 3052 3054 3056 3057 3061 3065 3066 3072 3074 3081 3082 3087 3088 3090 3091 3093 3101 3106 3107 3118 3133 3134 3145 3151 3161 3163 3169 3174 DESCRIPTION Spring - Belt Idler Drive Pulley Clutch Anchor L-Rod Wheel/Deck Hub Bearing Locking Collar Battery Strap T-Box Drive Belt Rear Wheel & Tire
Page 30 ZTR 501 - PARTS LIST PART# 3645 3646 3649 3653 3654 3655 3656 3669 3695 3700 3702 3705 3706 3710 3711 3712 3713 3714 3715 3716 3717 3718 3719 3720 3721 3722 3723 4013 4075 4092 4124 4144 4145 4146 4151 4197 4198 4199 4201 4211 4216 4217 4242 4257 4268 4269 4274 4275 4276 4284 4331 4385 4400 4401 4402 4403 4404 4405 4415 4428 4430 4446 4448 4453 5028 DESCRIPTION Fuel Line 18" Fuel Line 20" Fuel Line Clamp Floor Pad Left Front Floor Pad Right Front Floor Pad Left Rear Floor Pad Right Rear Decal - CAU
ZTR 501 - PASTS LIST PART# 5595 6011 6059 6100 6101 6111 6113 8504 8570 8571 8572 8573 8575 8576 8577 8580 8581 8585 8602 8645 8648 8649 8650 8645 9002 9017 9020 9022 9023 9024 9031 9035 9049 9055 9056 9057 9065 9066 9067 9076 9082 9088 9089 9098 9104 9110 9111 9136 9200 9201 9212 9219 9224 9225 9226 9228 9229 9230 9231 9233 9236 9242 9245 9254 DESCRIPTION Hose 5/8" x 14" Mower Deck Bearing Flat Idler Outer Shaft Key Center Shaft Key Deck Drive Belt Blade Washer Seat Slide Spring Upper Body w/Decals Lower
