Cub Cadet 977A - Manual (Page 11)

11
• Push primer once. Do not prime to restart a warm
engine after a short shutdown.
• Standing behind the mower, depress the blade
control handle and hold it against the upper handle.
• Electric Start: Turn the ignition key to the right to
start the engine. Release the key after the engine
starts.
• Recoil Start: Grasp starter handle and pull rope
out slowly until engine reaches start of compression
cycle (rope will pull slightly harder at this point). Let
the rope rewind slowly. Pull rope with a rapid,
continuous, full arm stroke. Keeping a firm grip on
the starter handle, let the rope rewind slowly.
Stopping Engine
• Release blade control handle to stop the engine
and the blade.
• Disconnect spark plug wire and move away from
spark plug to prevent accidental starting.
Using Your Lawn Mower
• Do not operate the mower without any one of the
mulching baffle, discharge chute or grass catcher
properly installed.
• For best results, do not cut wet grass. It may stick to
the underside of the mower, preventing proper
discharge of grass clippings, and could cause you
to slip and fall. New grass or thick grass may
require a narrower cut.
• For a healthy lawn, always cut off one-third or less
of the total length of the grass. Lawn should be
trimmed in fall as long as there is growth.
IMPORTANT: Move the shift lever only when the engine
is running. Changing the shift lever setting with the
engine off can cause damage to the mower.
Mulching
For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass. New or
thick grass may require a narrower cut. If the grass has
grown in excess of 4”, mulching is not recommended.
Mow using the side discharge to reduce the grass
height to 3.25” 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 of this manual. 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.
• While holding the grass bag by both the rear handle
and the lower handle, lift the grass bag straight up
off the adapter. The chute door will move the rope
out of the way of the bag.
• Continue to hold the lower handle and raise the
rear of the grass bag up toward your chest. The
grass bag will open and the grass clippings will
disperse. When replacing the grass bag, be sure
the top of the bag rests on the wire support
between the handles.
SECTION 6: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
Handle Height
Your mower is shipped with the handle in the higher
height position. To lower the height, proceed as follows:
• Remove the starter rope from the rope guide.
• Remove the wing nuts and carriage bolts securing
the upper handle. Remove and 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 and remove the wing nuts and
carriage bolts from the upper hole on the handle
mounting bracket.
WARNING: Never operate the mower
unless the hooks on the grasscatcher are
seated in the slots on the handle bracket
assemblies, and the rear discharge door rests
firmly against the top of the grasscatcher.
WARNING: Be sure that the lawn is clear of
stones, sticks, wire, or other objects which
could damage lawn mower or engine. Such
objects could be accidently thrown by the
mower in any direction and cause serious
personal injury to the operator and others.
WARNING: If the mower strikes a foreign
object, stop the engine. Remove spark plug
wire from the spark plug and thoroughly inspect
for any damage. Repair the damage promptly
before restarting and operating the mower.
WARNING: Do not at any time make any
adjustments without first stopping engine and
disconnecting spark plug wire.