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OPERATOR’S MANUAL
Model Series
950-959
960-969
E960-E969
Model 969D Shown
IMPORTANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-
covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land unless the engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting
applicable local or state laws (if any). If a spark arrester is used, it should be maintained in effective workin
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Content Page Important Safe Operation Practices .................................................................. 3 Slope Gauge ..................................................................................................... 6 Unpacking Instructions...................................................................................... 7 Assembling Your Lawn Mower .......................................................................... 8 Know Your Lawn Mower..............
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SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES Warning: THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR LAWN MOWER. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL, HEED ITS WARNING. Danger: Your lawn mower was built to be operated according to the rules for safe
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Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be DO NOT: sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or serious personal injury. Keep a firm hold on the embankments. The operator could lose footing or handle and walk, never run. If you feel you are balance. losing your footing, RELEASE THE BLADE Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as CONTROL HANDLE IMMEDIATELY and the blade shown on the slope gauge. will stop rotating within three seconds.
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T O U A E N V N L O T I E I D S R S E T H S G E I R D R E A I S W S C S K H C O U A T F T A E C I N H D J E E U R F R Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make Never tamper with safety devices. Check their certain the blade and all moving parts have proper operation regularly. stopped. Disconnect the spark plug wire, and keep After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, the wire away from the spark plug to prevent remove the wire from the spark plug, and accidental starting.
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FOLD ON DOTTED LINE, REPRESENTING A 15° SLOPE USE THIS PAGE AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE SLOPES WHERE YOU MAY NOT OPERATE SAFELY. SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE A POWER POLE A CORNER OF A BUILDING OR A FENCE POST 15° WARNING Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). A riding mower could overturn and cause serious injury. If operating a walk-behind mower on such a slope, it is extremely difficult to maintain your f
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SECTION 3: UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS Remove Unit From Carton See Figure 3. Remove staples, break glue on top flaps, or cut tape at carton end and peel along top flap to open carton. Remove loose parts if included with unit (i.e., operator’s manual, etc.). Cut corner’s and lay carton down flat. Remove packing material. Roll or slide unit out of carton. Check carton thoroughly for loose parts. REMOVE MANUAL & LOOSE PARTS PUSH Figure 3 Disconnect Spark Plug Wire Before setting up your la
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SECTION 4: ASSEMBLING YOUR LAWN MOWER This guide covers two model series. Models 950 thru 959 have fixed front wheels; models 960 thru 969 have caster front wheels. All models are six speed, self propelled mowers. Much of this owner’s manual pertains to both models. However, there are some model-specific information too. Use only the information appropriate for your mower model. Items Required For Assembly Pair of Pliers (Not necessary, but helpful) Motor Oil Fresh Gasoline IMPORTANT:T
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Step 6. Tighten the cable ties and insert pegs on ties in lower handle holes. Cut off excess. Here Step 7. Loosen the wing nut holding the rope guide to the upper handle. Step 8. Squeeze the blade control handle against the upper handle and pull out starter rope slowly. Step 9. Thread starter rope into rope guide. Step 10. Tighten wing nut. Blade Control Handle Upper Handle Wing Nut Starter Rope Look here for rope Rope Guide guide placement Your mower has been shipped in the lowest cutting pos
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Blade Control Handle The blade control handle is located on the upper handle of the mower. See Figure 5 . The blade control handle must be depressed in order to start and operate the unit. Release the blade control handle to stop the engine and the blade. WARNING: The blade control handle is a safety device. Never attempt to bypass its operations. The blade will be rotating whenever the engine is running. Throttle Control The throttle control is located on the engine. It is used to regulate th
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Cutting Height Adjustment Lever (Model 960 Thru 969) The rear wheel cutting height adjustment lever is located above the left rear wheel. To adjust the cutting height, pull the lever out and away from the mower. Move it forward or backward to the desired cutting height. See Figure 5. The front wheel cutting height is determined by the selection of one of six positions in each caster assembly.To adjust, remove the wing nut from the axle bolt. Slide the axle bolt and spring washer from the assem
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Protective cap Battery pack lead Figure 7 To charge the battery, remove the protective cap from the end of the battery pack lead. Plug charger lead into battery pack lead and then insert battery charger plug into 120 volt standard household outlet. See Figure 7. Follow this order of action every time you charge the battery. After charging, disconnect battery charger plug from household outlet first, then disconnect charger lead from battery pack lead. Warning: Do not remove the battery pack f
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To Stop Engine And Blade Release the blade control handle to stop the engine and the blade. WARNING: The blade continues to rotate for a few seconds after the engine is shut off. Using Your Rotary Mower Be sure that the lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire, or other objects which could damage the 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. For best results, do not cut wet grass beca
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SECTION 7: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS Warning: Do not at any time make any adjustment to lawn mower without first stopping engine and disconnecting spark plug wire. Handle Height Adjustment Lower Handle Notch Figure 8 Your mower is shipped with the handle in the higher height position. To lower the handle height, proceed as follows. Remove the starter rope from the rope guide. Remove the upper handle by removing the hand knobs and carriage bolts. Lay the upper handle out of the way being careful n
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Shift Lever Cable Adjustment Periodic adjustment of the six-speed shift cable may be required due to normal wear on the cable. Adjustment is needed if all six speeds do not work. The adjustable cable bracket is located beside the engine on the left side of the mower. Follow steps 1 through 7 to adjust the shift lever . Bottom View Adjustable Cable Bracket Hex Nut (A) Speed Control Lever PUSH Step 1. Start engine. Step 5. Loosen hex nut (A) which secures the adjustable cable bracket. Step 2.
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Deck The underside of the mower deck should be cleaned after each use to prevent a build-up of grass clippings, leaves, dirt or other matter. If this debris is allowed to accumulate, it will invite rust and corrosion, and may prevent proper mulching, discharge or bagging. The deck may be cleaned by tilting the mower and scraping clean with a suitable tool (make certain the spark plug wire is disconnected before starting to clean). Electric Start Units Only: Battery Pack Replacement Remove the
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When sharpening the blade, follow the original angle of grind as a guide. It is extremely important that each cutting edge receives an equal amount of grinding to prevent an unbalanced blade. An unbalanced blade will cause excessive vibration when rotating at high speeds. It may cause damage to the mower, and it could break causing personal injury. The blade can be tested by balancing it on a round shaft screwdriver. Remove metal from the heavy side until it balances evenly. It is recommende
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Step 8. Using a 3/8” socket, remove three hex Step 9. Tilt the transmission forward and loosen screws holding the baffle to the deck. the idler pulley bolt and locknut 1/2 turn using two 7/16” wrenches. Step 10. Using a pair of pliers, pull back and rotate Hex Screw belt keeper bracket from the slot on idler pulley. Step 11. Slide the belt out from between the Belt Keeper Bracket and the idler pulley. Transmission Hex Screw Hex Pulley Screw Belt Belt Keeper Bracket Idler Pulley Step 1
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Step 13. Squeeze the belt together and push belt Step 14. Place the new belt over the transmission forward. Press the control arm inward pulley. Start the belt in pulley groove and towards the deck and remove the six rotate pulley until belt is seated in speed cable from the slot. transmission pulley. Step 15. Place belt between idler pulley and the belt Six-Speed keeper bracket. Belt Cable Slot Step 16. Using pliers, rotate the belt keeper bracket so that it snaps into slot on the idle
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Step 23. Pinch belt together so that it is not in the Step 24. Pivot the control arm back to its original pulley groove, and the lower pulley can be position and reinstall the six-speed cable pushed towards the engine. into the slot. Step 25. Check and make sure the belt is routed inside the pulley halves and the belt guard Lower Pulley pin. Half Belt Belt Guard Pin Step 26. Reinstall the bolt securing transmission to rear mower housing. Step 27. Pivot the baffle back to its original posi
