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11

For a healthy lawn, always cut off one-third or less 
of the total length of the grass. 

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 
9 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. 

Lift discharge door and pull grass bag up and away 
from the mower to dispose of the grass clippings.

SECTION 6:  MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

WARNING: 

Do not at any time make any 

adjustments without first stopping engine and 
disconnecting spark plug wire.

Handle Height Adjustment

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 upper handle by removing the hand 
knobs and carriage bolts. 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. Press out on the legs of the 
lower handle and remove lower handle from the 
mower.

Turn lower handle around so the notch on the 
bottom of the lower handle is facing forward.
See Figure 13A.

Reassemble the handle, placing the bottom holes 
in the handle over the weld pins in the handle 
mounting bracket.

Place the hairpin clips in the inner holes in the weld 
pins and insert the carriage bolts though the upper 
hole on the handle mounting bracket and secure 
with plastic wing nuts. Repeat on the other side.

Figure 13

Reassemble the upper handle to the lower handle.

Attach the starter rope as instructed in the 
Assembly Section. 

Cutting Height Adjustment

For rough or uneven lawns, move the height 
adjustment lever to a higher position. This will help stop 
scalping of the grass.

An adjusting plate and thumb lever at each wheel 
position provides cutting height adjustment. Each 
adjusting plate has nine height positions. Height of cut 
will change when you move the thumb lever from one 
position to another. 

Simply depress the lever towards the wheel and 
move the lever assembly to desired position. See 
Figure 13B. All wheels must be placed in the same 
relative position.

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. 

Notch

Lower
Handle

Height
Adj.
Lever

A

B

Summary of Contents for 549

Page 1: ...plicable local or state laws if any If a spark arrester is used it should be maintained in effective working order by the operator In the State of California the above is required by law Section 4442...

Page 2: ...help from the experts Choose from the options below Visit yardman com for many useful suggestions Click on Customer Support button and you will get the four options reproduced here Click on the approp...

Page 3: ...rotating parts or under the cutting deck Contact with the blade can amputate hands and feet 9 A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade contact or thrown object injuries 10 Many injuries oc...

Page 4: ...ooting or balance 2 Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on the slope gauge 3 Do not mow on wet grass Unstable footing could cause slipping Children Tragic accidents can occur if the ope...

Page 5: ...to improper performance and compromise safety 4 Mower blades are sharp and can cut Wrap the blade or wear gloves and use extra caution when servicing them 5 Keep all nuts bolts and screws tight to be...

Page 6: ...N T I N G A 1 5 S L O P E 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...

Page 7: ...pull back on the upper handle to raise the handle into the operating position See Figure 2 Make certain the lower handle is seated securely into the handle bracket assemblies Figure 2 Make sure that...

Page 8: ...came pre assembled proceed to the next section If it came unassembled follow the steps below to assemble it first before attaching to the mower Insert frame into grass bag with the black plastic side...

Page 9: ...Let mulch plug rest against the deck Operate mower without the grass catcher Refer to page 11 SECTION 4 KNOW YOUR LAWN MOWER Figure 12 Read this operator s manual and safety rules before operating yo...

Page 10: ...ld weather around 55 F or below prime five times 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 h...

Page 11: ...ps 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 Press out on the legs of the lower handle and remove lower h...

Page 12: ...point on each end of the rear discharge door using a light oil This will prevent rusting of the discharge door Engine Care Follow the accompanying engine manual for detailed list and instructions SEC...

Page 13: ...ne storage instructions Coat mower s cutting blade with chassis grease to prevent rusting Store mower in a dry clean area Do not store next to corrosive materials such as fertilizer SECTION 9 TROUBLES...

Page 14: ...ARTS LIST FOR MODEL 549 1 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 19 2 49 50 55 56 57 58 59 61 62 40 47 54 53 51 52 65 37 42 40 39 36 15 35 22 31 32 16 25 29 26 49 30 49 23 49 21 20 34 43 45 64 29 24 49 33 17 36 5 14...

Page 15: ...82 5004A Rear Baffle RH 31 782 5003 Rear Baffle LH 32 710 1017 Tap Screw 1 4 14 x 625 33 712 3005 Flange Lock Nut 3 8 16 34 710 0703 Hex Carriage Screw 1 4 20 35 687 02033 Handle Bracket RH 687 02031...

Page 16: ...tments and normal deterioration of the exterior finish due to use or exposure d Service completed by someone other than an authorized service dealer e MTD does not extend any warranty for products sol...

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