OPERATOR’S MANUAL Model Series 690 Thru 699 HYDROSTATIC LAWN TRACTORS 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 forestcovered, 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 working order by the operator.
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.
. CHILDREN • Your mower is designed to cut normal residential grass of a height no more than 10". Do not attempt to mow through unusually tall, dry grass (e.g., pasture) or piles of dry leaves. Debris may build up on the mower deck or contact the engine exhaust presenting a potential fire hazard. Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the presence of children. Children are often attracted to the machine and the mowing activity.
• Muffler, engine and belt guards become hot during operation and can cause a burn. Allow to cool down before touching. • Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect blade for damage (e.g., excessive wear, bent, cracked). Replace with blade which meets original equipment specifications. • Do not change the engine governor settings or overspeed the engine. Excessive engine speeds are dangerous.
SECTION 2: FINDING YOUR MODEL NUMBER This Operator’s Manual is an important part of your new lawn tractor. It will help you assemble, prepare and maintain your lawn tractor. Please read and understand what it says. Before you start to prepare your lawn tractor for its first use, please locate the model plate and copy the information from it in this Operator’s Manual. The information on the model plate is very important if you need help from your dealer or the MTD customer support department.
SECTION 4: UNPACKING TO REMOVE UNIT FROM CRATE 6. Loose parts (may include the owner’s guide, steering wheel, optional oil drain sleeve or hose, battery fluid, chute deflector, optional mulching plug, etc.) are on the seat or in a box wrapped in plastic. Carefully cut and remove the plastic wrap. Remove the loose parts. 1. Remove all screws from the top of the crate using a 1/4" hex head socket or a flat blade screwdriver. 2.
BATTERY IDENTIFICATION CHARGE THE BATTERY after the 30 minute standing period. Battery P/N 725-1705C—Charge at 2-3 amps for one hour. Battery P/N 725-1707C and 725-0453F—Charge at 6 amps for one hour. NOTE: If you charge the battery at a lower AMP rate, use a hydrometer to make sure the battery is completely charged. The hydrometer should read 1.260 minimum at an electrolyte temperature of 60110oF. DO NOT CHARGE AT MORE THAN 6 AMPS. Type "A" ATTACHING THE STEERING WHEEL 1.
ATTACHING THE SEAT There are two different seat pivot brackets used on this series of lawn tractor, a manual adjustment seat or a quick adjustment seat. See figures 4 and 5 to identify which seat is on your unit. Follow the instructions which apply to your lawn tractor. Screws MANUAL ADJUSTMENT SEAT Seat Pivot Bracket Remove the four screws which secure the seat to the seat pivot bracket.
NOTE: Your mowing deck may be equipped with an optional mulching plug. Remove the mulching plug by removing the wing nut on top of the deck. Grasp the mulching plug and pull out of the deck. Cupped Washers Hex Nuts 2. Remove the hex head cap screws, cupped washers and hex nuts which are attached to the deck next to the chute opening. 3. Place the chute deflector in position as shown in Figure 7. Secure with hardware just removed. Cupped sides of washers go against the chute deflector.
3. Insert the end of the adjustable lift link into the hole in the deck hanger channel. Recheck the adjustment. Readjust if necessary. 4. When deck is level, secure end of adjustable lift link with flat washer and hairpin clip. Positive Terminal (Inside Rubber Boot) INSTALLING THE BATTERY (TYPE “A” BATTERY) Battery Strap NOTE: If battery is put into service after date shown on top of battery, charge for minimum of 1 hour at 6-10 amps 1. Lift the seat. 2.
AMMETER (Optional) SECTION 6: CONTROLS The ammeter registers the rate of battery charge or discharge. The ammeter will register on the discharging side with starting the engine. It should register on the opposite side (charging) when the engine is running in the fast position until the battery is completely charged. With a fully charged battery or with the engine idling, the ammeter will not show a charge. See Figure 12. IGNITION SWITCH The ignition switch is located on the dashboard.
NOTE: The parking brake must be set if the NOTE: The lift lever must be in the BLADES operator leaves the seat with the engine running. STOP position when starting the engine, when shifting into reverse and if the operator leaves the seat. See Figure 15. Parking Brake Knob Lift Lever Relief Valve Deck Lift Indicator (Optional) Figure 14 RELIEF VALVE A hydrostatic relief valve is provided so the unit can be moved without the engine running.
SECTION 7: OPERATION WARNING: Do not operate the tractor if the interlock system is malfunctioning because it is a safety device, designed for protection. WARNING 1. Place the lift lever in the BLADES STOP position. AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH • • • • • • • • • • • GO UP AND DOWN SLOPES, NOT ACROSS. • AVOID SUDDEN TURNS. DO NOT OPERATE THE UNIT WHERE IT COULD SLIP OR TIP. IF MACHINE STOPS GOING UPHILL, STOP BLADE(S) AND BACK DOWNHILL SLOWLY. DO NOT MOW WHEN CHILDREN OR OTHERS ARE AROUND.
WARNING: Look to the rear before QUICK ADJUSTMENT SEAT backing up. To adjust the position of the seat, move the seat adjustment lever (located under the seat) to the left and slide the seat forward or backwards. See Figure 16. Make sure seat is locked into one of the six adjustment positions before operating the lawn tractor. To stop the lawn tractor, pull the hydrostatic control lever into NEUTRAL (N) or depress the clutch-brake pedal.
4. Loosen the hex nut on the scissor mounting bracket. See Figure 17. Stabilizer Shaft Assembly 5. Start the engine and run at full throttle. Disengagement Rod 6. Move the hydrostatic control lever until you find neutral (rear wheels do not rotate in either direction). 7. Depress the clutch-brake pedal until the scissor brackets come together. 8. Shut off the engine. 9. Tighten the hex nut on the scissor mounting bracket Flat Washer Hairpin Clip 10.
CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENTS HYDROSTATIC TRANSMISSION If any adjustments are made to the engine while the engine is running (e.g. carburetor), disengage all clutches and blades. Keep clear of all moving parts. Be careful of heated surfaces and muffler. The hydrostatic transmission is filled at the factory and does not require checking. If repairs are needed, contact your local service dealer. (Hydrostatic transmission contains approximately 2.5 quarts of SAE 20W50 oil.
ENGINE Optional Oil Drain Valve Refer to the separate engine manual for engine maintenance instructions. Your lawn tractor may have a valve installed on the engine for draining oil from the crankcase. See Figure 22. To drain the oil, insert the 12" hose (shipped loose with your unit) over the end of the valve. Place the other end in a suitable container. Push in black cap, rotate counterclockwise and pull valve open. When oil is completely drained, push top of valve in and rotate clockwise to close.
Dimension ‘‘B’’ should be approximately 1/16"-5/16" less than Dimension ‘‘A.’’ See Figure 24. To increase Dimension ‘‘B,’’ screw tie rod into tie rod end. To decrease Dimension ‘‘B,’’ unscrew tie rod from tie rod end. Reassemble tie rod. Check dimensions. Readjust if necessary. Blade Mounting Torque Hex Flange Nut: 840 in. lb. min., 1080 in. lb. max. To ensure safe operation of your unit, all nuts and bolts must be checked periodically for correct tightness.
WARNING: Failure 2. Disconnect the spring which is attached to a bracket on the transaxle, inside the right rear wheel. Use a spring puller or other suitable tool. to use this procedure could cause sparking, and the gas in either battery could explode. NOTE: When reassembling, make certain belt CLEAN THE BATTERY Clean the battery by removing it from the unit and washing with a baking soda and water solution. If necessary, scrape the battery terminals with a wire brush to remove deposits.
6. Disconnect the idler pulley spring which is attached to a bracket on the frame, inside the left rear wheel. Use a spring puller or other suitable tool. 12. Remove and replace the belt, reassemble following the instructions in reverse order. DECK BELTS (46" DECK) 1. Place the lift lever in the engaged (all the way forward) position. 7. Remove the three self-tapping screws from the cooling fan. Remove the fan. 2.
4. Charge battery fully. The battery loses some of its charge each day when the unit is not used. NEVER store battery without a full charge. Recharge battery before returning to service or every two months, whichever occurs first. SECTION 11: OFF-SEASON STORAGE If the machine is to be inoperative for a period longer than 30 days, prepare for storage as follows. 1. Clean the engine and the entire unit thoroughly. 5. When storing unit for extended periods, disconnect battery cables.
SECTION 13: TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE Trouble Possible Cause(s) Engine will Safety switch not crank button not depressed. Battery installed incorrectly. Battery is dead or weak. Blown fuse or circuit breaker. Corrective Action There are two switches in the starting circuit of your unit: the clutch pedal switch and the deck lift lever switch. Make certain the actuator is fully depressing the buttons on each switch. The battery must be installed with negative terminal attached to black ground wire.
SLOPE GAUGE FO OTT LD O ND SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE A POWER POLE OPE A 15 ° SL OR A FENCE POST A CORNER OF A BUILDING G NTIN PRE SE , RE ED L INE 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 footing and you could slip, resulting in serious injury.
MANUFACTURER’S LIMITED WARRANTY FOR: For TWO YEARS from the date of retail purchase within the United States of America, its possessions and territories, MTD PRODUCTS INC will, at its option, repair or replace, for the original purchaser, free of charge, any part or parts found to be defective in material or workmanship.
