Bolens 416 - Manual (Page 10)

10
To Stop Engine & Blade
• Release the blade control handle to stop the engine
and the cutting blade.
• Disconnect the spark plug wire and ground it
against the engine.
Using Rotary Mower
• Be sure that lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire, or
other objects which could damage lawn mower or
engine. Such objects could be accidentally thrown
by the mower in any direction and cause serious
personal injury to the operator and others.
• For best results, do not cut wet grass because it
tends to stick to the underside of the mower,
preventing proper discharge of grass clippings.
• For a healthy lawn, never cut more than one-third of
the total length of the grass at any one cutting.
• This mower is set at full throttle for best
performance.
NOTE: For shipping purposes your mower is set with
the wheels in a low cutting height position. For best
results, raise the cutting position to the height which is
best suited for your lawn. See cutting height adjustment
section on next page.
Using as Mulcher
For mulching grass, remove the grass catcher from the
mower. The rear discharge opening should be closed.
• For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass
because it tends to stick to the underside of the
deck, preventing proper mulching.
• New or thick grass may require a narrower cut. The
ground speed should be adjusted to the condition
of the lawn. If mowing has been delayed and the
grass has been allowed to grow in excess of 4",
mulching is not recommended. Mow using the
grass bag to reduce the grass height to 3-1/4"
maximum before mulching.
Bagging Grass Clippings
You can use the grass catcher bag to collect clippings
while you are operating the mower.
• Attach grass catcher following instructions on page
8 . Grass clippings will automatically collect in the
bag as you run the mower. Operate the mower till
the grass bag is full.
• Stop engine completely by releasing the blade
control handle. Make sure that the unit has come to
a complete stop.
• Lift discharge door and pull grass bag up and away
from the mower to dispose of the grass clippings.
SECTION 6: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
Handle Height
The mower is shipped with the handle at a higher height
position. To lower the height, proceed as follows.
• Remove the starter rope from the rope guide.
• Remove the hand knobs, washers and carriage
bolts securing the upper handle to the lower
handle. Lay the upper handle out of the way, being
careful not to bend or kink the cables.
• Remove the hairpin clips from the weld pins on the
handle brackets. Press outward on the legs of the
lower handle, and remove it from the mower.
• Remove the carriage bolts and wing nuts from the
handle brackets. Press out on the legs of the lower
handle. Remove lower handle from the mower.
• Turn the lower handle around so the notches on the
bottom of the lower handle are facing forward as
shown in Figure 10 . Reassemble, placing the
bottom holes in the handle over the weld pins in the
handle mounting bracket. Reattach hardware.
WARNING: The blade will be rotating
whenever the engine is running. Keep your
hands and feet away from a rotating blade.
WARNING: Wait for the blade to stop
completely before doing any work on the
mower or to remove the grass catcher.
WARNING: Never operate your mower
without either the rear door or the entire grass
catcher assembly firmly secured.
WARNING: If the mower strikes 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 is an
indication of damage.
WARNING: Do not at any time make any
adjustment to lawn mower without first
stopping the engine and disconnecting the
spark plug wire.