Manual

Operation
Before operating the mower, carefully
read and understandall safety, control
and operating instructions in this
Manual, the separate Engine Owner's
Manual andthe decalson the machine.
Failureto follow these instructionscan
resultin seriouspersonalinjury.
• Never operate the mower with the
discharge outlet guard removed or
proppedopen.
• Do not operate mower without the
Grass Catcher, Mulching Plug or
optional Side-Discharge Chute in
place.
• Never change mowing modes or
empty the Grass Catcher while the
engine is running.
• Check the condition of the Grass
Catcherfor excessivewear or deterio-
ration. If damaged, contactan autho-
rized dealer or the factory for a
replacement.
The Grass Catcherand the optional Side-
Discharge Chute both use the same
system. This system consists of an
elongated tab (A, Figure 4-1) on the top of
the discharge outlet and a receptacle(B)
built into the top of the GrassCatcher
door and the optional Side-Discharge
Chute.
Figure4-1: TROY-BIL7_RapidAttachTM
System,
bagwhen emptying.
The Grass Catcheralso has a Smart BagTM
grass-fill indicator (Figure4-3) which
makes it easyto tell when the bag is full.
The indicator is a rectangularpiece of
cloth sewn to the top of the bag. The
indicator lays flat againstthe bagwhen
the bagis full (F, Figure4-3) and billows
(G) when the bag is not full.
NOTE: Windy conditions mayaffect the
indicator's ability to provide an accurate
bagfill reading.
SettingUp BaggingMode
1. With the engineand bladestopped,
removethe Mulching Plug or optional
Side-Discharge Chute.
10
INTRODUCTION
Readthis Section thoroughly beforeyou
start the engine. Then takethe time to
familiarize yourself with the mower's
basicoperation.
Findan open,level areaand practice
usingthe mower controls. Onlyafter you
becomefamiliar with the mower should
you use it in smaller areas or on uneven
terrain.
TROY-BILT®
RAPIDATTACHTM SYSTEM
The RapidAttach System (Figure 4-1) is a
feature designed into the mower deck
which enablesyou to install and remove
the GrassCatcher,the (optional) Side-
DischargeChuteand the Mulching Plug
quickly and easily.
Attaching the Mulching Plug isjust as
easy. Hold openthe discharge outlet
guard (K, Figure4-1) and insert the plug
(L), with the word "TOP"facing up, into
the discharge outlet.
SETTINGUPMOWINGMODES
The lawn mower has two mowing modes:
bagging mode and mulching mode. The
following provides descriptions of the two
modes and howto implement them.
Bagging Mode
Themower is set up for bagging mode
when the GrassCatcher is attached to the
discharge outlet.
The Grass Catcheris equipped with two
handles and a swing-open door that
makes emptying easy. Usethe wire-
formed handle to help attach, remove,
transport and empty the bag. Usethe
rear cloth handle to lift the bottom of the
Figure4-2: AttachingGrassCatcher.
2. Graspthe Grass Catcherby thewire-
formed handle. With the other hand, hold
open the discharge outlet guard (C, Figure
4-2).
3. Lower (at an angle) the bagdoor (D,
Figure4-2) onto the tab (E) onthe
discharge outlet. Makesure the bag door
seats squarely onto the tab and covers
the tab completely.
Removingthe GrassCatcher
1. When mowing, the Grass Catcheris
full when the grass fill indicator laysflat
against the bag (F, Figure4-3).
An alternative method for judging bag
fullness is to nudgethe bagwith your
foot. The bagwill giveeasily when not
full, and will resist when full.