Safety • Assembly • Operation A • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Engine • Parts Lists • Warranty O AL 22=inch Rotary Mower- Model 26M iMPORTANT READ SAFETY RULES AND iNSTRUCTiONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION Warning: This unit isequippedwith an internalcombustionengineand shouldnot be usedon or nearany unimprovedforest-covered,brushcoveredor grass-coveredland unlesstheengine'sexhaustsystemis equippedwith a sparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalor statelaws(if any).
This Operator's Manual is an important part of your new lawn mower, 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 Safe Operation Practices ................................... 4 Setup and Adjustment ....................................... 6 Operating Your Lawn Mower .............................. 8 Maintaining Your Lawn Mower ......................
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WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to State of Californiato cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductiveharm. 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.
accumulatein the area. after the engine is shut off. Neverplace any part of the body inthe bladearea untilyou are surethe bladehas stopped rotating. 20. Neveroperate mowerwithoutpropertrailshield, discharge cover,grass catcher,bladecontrol handle,or othersafety protectivedevices in placeand working.Neveroperate mowerwithdamagedsafetydevices.Failureto do so can resultin personalinjury. 21. Mufflerandengine becomehot andcan causea burn.Do not touch. 9.
T_:_ X f 1. For shippingpurposes,the chutedeflectoron your moweris held in an uprightpositionbya retainer. Removethe retaineras follows: a. Push chutedeflectorup towardsengine.Holding deflectorin this position,removethe retainerand discard.See Step 1. b. Lowerthe chute deflectorcarefullykeepingyour fingersout of the way. ,_ . must be removed and discarded WARNING: The chute retainer before operating the mower. Performthe followingsequencefor handlesetup: a.
5. Ropeguide Setupas followsin Step5: a. Holdthe bladecontrol againsttheupper handle. b. Slowlypull starterrope out of engine. c. Slip starterrope intothe rope guide. d. Tightenropeguide wingnut. 6. Eachwheelhasa heightadjustmentleverto change the cuttingheightof the mower. a. Depressheightadjustmentlevertowardswheel. b. Slide leverto desiredpositionfor a changein cuttingheight.See Step6. c. Releaselevertowardsdeck. 7. Installmulchingbaffleon the rightsideof the mower followingthe stepsbelow: a.
Know Your Lawn Mower Control Drive Control Control Recoil Starter Gasoline Fill Mulching WARNING The blade control mechanism is a safety device. Never attempt to bypass its operations. I Use extreme care when handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremely flammable and the vapors are explosive. Never fuel the machine indoors or while the engine is hot or running. Extinguish cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources of ignition.
,,, mowercan result in foreign objects ARNING:The operationof any lawn being thrownintothe eyes,whichcan damageyoureyes severely.Always wear safetyglasseswhileoperating the mower,or while performing any adjustmentsor repairson it. _ Starting if Engine Mower WARNING:Besure no one otherthan ,_i_ the operatoris standingnearor the lawn mower whilestartingengine operatingmower.Neverrun engineindoors or in enclosed,poorly ventilatedareas. Engine exhaustcontainscarbon monoxide,an odorlessand deadly gas.
Lubrication f 1. Lubricatepivot pointson theblade controland drive controlat least oncea seasonwith lightoil. These controlsmustoperatefreely in bothdirections.See Figure3. 2. Lubricatethe wheelsat least oncea seasonwith lightoil (or motoroil). If wheelsare removedfor any reason,lubricatesurfaceof the pivotarm and inner surfaceof thewheelwith light oil. See Figure3. 3. Lubricatethe torsionspringand pivot pointon each end of the side mulchingplug/chute deflectorperiodically with lightoil to preventrust.
Blade Care __lk bladefor sharpeningor replacement, ARNING:Whenremovingcutting protectyourhandswith a pairof heavy gloves or use a heavy rag to hold blade. _ _ _ _ ii _i ii You r LaWn MOwer 2. Removebolt, blade bell support,blade,and blade adapterfrom the enginecrankshaft.See Figure4. 3. The bladecan be sharpenedwith a fileor on a grinding wheel.Do notattemptto sharpenthe blade while it is still on the mower.Whensharpeningblade,follow originalangle of grind.
Problem Cause Eng inefa Isto start Trouble Shootin Engineruns erratic For repairs beyond the minor adjustments listed here, contact an authorized service dealer. Engine overheats Occasional skips (hesitates) at high speed Idles Poorl Y Excessive Vibration Mower will not mulch grass (If Equ pped) I I Unevencut Mower will Rot r I se If pope Remedy 1....Bade contro d sengaged 1 Engagebade contro 2. Sparkplug bootdisconnected. 2. Connectwireto spark plug• 3. Fueltank emptyor stalefuel• 3.
Off-Season Storage The followingstepsshouldbe taken to prepareyour lawn mowerfor storage. 1. Cleanand lubricatemowerthoroughlyas describedin the lubricationinstructions. 2. We do not recommendthe useof a pressurewasher or gardenhoseto cleanyour unit. 3. Referto enginemanualfor correctengine storageinstructions. 4. Coat mower'scuttingblade with chassisgreaseto preventrusting. 5. Storemowerin a dry, cleanarea. Donot storenext to corrosivematerials,suchas fertilizer.
WARNING: Gasoline and its vapors are extremely flammable and explosive. Fire or explosion can cause severe burns or death. If gasoline is spilled on yourself or your clothes, wash your skin and change clothes immediately. • Whenoperatingequipment,do not tip engineor equipmentat anglewhich causesgasolineto spill. Gasoline and its vapors are extremely flammable and explosive. Fire or explosion can cause severe burns or death. If • Do notchoke carburetorto stopengine.
Running engine produces heat. Engine parts, especially muffler, become extremely hot. Severe thermal burns can occur on • Tie up long hairand removejewelry. Do notwear loose-fittingclothing,danglingdrawstringsor itemsthat couldbecomecaught. contact. Combustibledebris, such as leaves, grass, brush, etc., ,__ can catch fire. (kickback) will pull Rapid retraction of hand starterand cord arm toward engine faster than you can let go. Broken bones, fractures, bruises or sprains could result.
Know Your Engine f Fuel Cap Air Cleaner Starter Grip Oil Fiii Cap Oil Drain Mufflel IMPORTANT:Thisengine is shippedwithoutgasolineor oil in the engine. Runningthe enginewith insufficientoil can cause seriousenginedamage and voidthe engine warranty. IMPORTANT:Using nondetergentoil or 2-stroke engineoil could shorten the engine'sservicelife. Be sure to checkthe engineon a level surface with the enginestopped. Spark Plug : !P65 Eng!n eSh°w , Figure9-1:Themajorcomponents oftheengine.
Check Oil Level iMPORTANT:Be sure to checkthe engine on a level surface with the engine stopped. 1. Removethe oil fillercap and wipethe dipstickclean, Figure9-2. . Insertthe dipstickintothe oil fillerneck, butdo not screwit in. You r 3. If the levelislow, slowlyadd oil to the upperlimit on thedipstick. 4. Tightendipstickfirmlybeforestartingengine. iMPORTANT:Do not overfill. Overfilling with oil may causesmoking,hardstarting, spark plug fouling, or oil saturation of air cleaner.
Periodicinspection and adjustmentof theengine is essentialif high levelperformanceis to be maintained. Regularmaintenancewillalso ensurea long servicelife. The requiredserviceintervalsand the kindof maintenanceto be performedare describedin thetable below. Followthe hourlyor calendarintervals,whicheveroccur first. Morefrequentserviceis requiredwhenoperatingin adverseconditions. performing any maintenance. To ARNING:Shut offstart-up, the engine before prevent accidental disconnect the spark plug boot.
IMPORTANT:Usedmotoroil may causeskin cancer if repeatedlyleft in contactwith the skin for prolonged periods.Althoughthis is unlikelyunlessyou handleused oil on a dailybasis,it is still advisableto thoroughlywash yourhandswith soapand wateras soon as possible after handlingusedoil. PaperElement NOTE:Pleasedisposeof usedmotoroil in a mannerthat is compatiblewith the environment.We suggestyoutake it in a sealedcontainerto yourlocal servicestationfor reclamation.
f 4. Checkthatthe sparkplug washeris in goodcondition and threadthe sparkplug in byhand to preventcrossthreading. Electrode 5. After the sparkplug is seated,tightenwith a spark plug wrenchto compressthe washer. NOTE:Wheninstallinga newspark plug,tighten 1/2turn after the sparkplug seatsto compressthe washer.When reinstallinga usedsparkplug, tighten1/8-1/4turnafter the sparkplug seatsto compressthe washer. ,, ,, 0.030 in. IMPORTANT:The sparkplug mustbe securelytightened.
Enginesstoredover30 daysneed to be drainedof fuel to preventdeteriorationand gumfrom formingin fuel Storage systemor on essentialcarburetorparts. If the gasolinein yourenginedeterioratesduringstorage,you mayneed to havethecarburetor,and otherfuel systemcomponents, servicedor replaced. 1. Removeall fuel fromtank by runningengineuntil it stopsfrom lack of fuel. 2. Changeoil. See Oil Changesection. 3. Removesparkplug and pour about 1/2an ounceof engineoil intocylinder.
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1. 747-1214 DriveControl 34. 736-0524B Bell Blade Support 2. 747-1161A BladeControl 35. 710-1044 Hex CapScrew,3/8-24 x 1.5 3. 746-04300 BladeControlCable 36. 782-0584 ForwardHght.Adj. Plate- RH 4. 746-04304 DriveControlCable 37. 741-0710 Sly. Bearing,.502x.627x 1.00 5. 749-1092A UpperHandle 38. 710-0216 Hex CapScrew,3/8-16x.75 6. 710-1205 EyeBolt 39. 720-0426 AdjustmentKnob 7. 720-0279 WingNut, 1/4-20 40. 748-0455 BearingSupport 8. 732-1026 SpringLever 41.
Engine 1 P65 21- @ --7 o @ ........
1. 951-10337 FuelTank 2. 951-10336 FlywheelShroud 3. 951-10335 RubberFuelTankMountingWasher 4. 951-10334 Oil FillerTubeAssembly 5. 951-10333 DipstickAssembly 6. 951-10406 CylinderHeadComplete 7. 951-10407 Short BlockAssembly 8. 951-10320 Stop Switchand BrakeAssembly 9. 951-10319 RecoilSpringand PulleyAssembly 10. 951-10314 PushRod Kit 11. 951-10313 ValveKit 12. 951-10370 Oil DrainPlugand WasherAssembly 13. 951-10367 IgnitionCoil 14. 951-10309 CarburetorAssembly 15.
MTD LLC (MTD), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the United States Environment Protection Agency (U. S. EPA) Emission Control System Warranty Statement (Owner's Defect Warranty Rights and Obligations) EMISSIONCONTROLSYSTEMCOVERAGEIS APPLICABLETO CERTIFIEDENGINESPURCHASEDiN CALIFORNIAIN 2005 ANDTHEREAFTER,WHICHAREUSEDIN CALIFORNIA,AND TO CERTIFIEDMODELYEAR2005 AND LATERENGINESWHICHAREPURCHASEDAND USEDELSEWHEREIN THE UNITEDSTATES.
(4) Repairor replacementof any warrantedpart underthe warrantyprovisionsof this article mustbe performedat no chargeto the ownerat a warrantystation. (5) Notwithstandingthe provisionsof Subsection(4) above,warrantyservicesor repairsmustbe providedat all MTDdistributioncentersthat are franchisedto servicethe subjectengines. (6) Theownermustnot be chargedfordiagnosticlabor that leadsto the determinationthat a warrantedpart is in fact defective,providedthat such diagnosticwork is performedat a warrantystation.
MANUFACTURER'S LiMiTED WARRANTY The limitedwarrantyset forth belowisgivenby MTDLLCwith respectto newmerchandisepurchasedand usedin the UnitedStates,its possessionsand territories. "MTD"warrantsthis productagainstdefectsin materialand workmanship for a periodof two (2) yearscommencingon the dateof originalpurchase and will, at its option,repairor replace,free of charge,anypart foundto be defectivein materialsor workmanship.
