Cub Cadet SLT1554, SLT1550 manual

FORM NO . 769-01651C.fm (11/3/2005) IMPOR T ANT : READ SAFETY R ULE S AND INSTR UCTIONS CAREFULL Y PRINTED IN U .S.A. 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-co vered land unless the engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a spark ar[...]

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FINDING MODEL NUMBER This Operator’s Ma nual is an important part of your new lawn tractor. It will help you assemble, pr epare and maintain the unit fo r best performance. Plea se read and understand wh at it says. Before you start as sembling your new equipment , plea se locate the model plate on th e equipment and copy the [...]

3 SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES WARNING: This symbol points out import ant safety instructions wh ich, if not followed, could endan ger the personal safe ty and/or propert y of yourself and o thers. Read and follo w all instructions in this manua l before attemptin g to operate this machine . Failure to comply with these instruction[...]

4 23. Muf fler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do not touch. 24. Check overhead cle arances carefully before driving under low hang ing tree branches, wire s, door openings etc ., where the oper ator may be struck or pulled from the unit, which could re sult in serious injury. 25. Disenga ge all attachment clutches, depress t he brake p[...]

5 e. Use extreme car e when approaching blind corners, doorways, sh rubs, trees or other objects that may block your vision of a child who may run into th e machine. f. To avoid back-over ac cidents, always disengage the cutting blad e(s) before shifting i nto reverse. The “Reverse Caution Mode” should not be used when children or others are ar[...]

6 8. Never tamper with the safety interlock syst em or other safety devices. Check the ir proper operation regu larly. 9. After striking a foreign ob ject, stop the engine, disconnect the spark plug wire(s) and ground against the engine. Thoroug hly inspect the machine for any damage. Repair the damage bef ore starting and operating. 10. Never atte[...]

7 SECTION 2: SLOPE GAUGE 3IGHTANDHOLDTHISLEVELWITHAVERTICALTREE ORACORNEROFABUILDING ORAFENCEPOST &OLDALONGDOTTEDLINEREPRESENTSASLOPE [...]

8 SECTION 3: TRACTOR SET-UP Gas and Oil Fill-up The gasoline tank is located un der the fender and has a capacity of t hree and-a-h alf gallons. Un thread th e fuel cap by turn ing it count erclockwise. Use only c lean, fresh (under 30 days old), unleaded gasoline. Fill tank to no more than four inches below the top of the filler neck to allow spac[...]

9 SECTION 4: KNOW YOUR LAWN TRACTOR Figure 2 NOTE: Any reference in this manual to t he RIGHT or LEFT si de of the tra ctor is observed from operat or’s position. A Systems Indicator M onitor/Hour Meter H PTO (Blade Enga ge) Knob B Throttle Control Lever I Brake Pedal C Choke Contro l J Drive Pedal D Parking Brake Le ver K Cruise Control Lever E [...]

10 Thro tt l e C on t rol Le ver The throttle co ntrol lever is located on the left side of the tractor’s dash panel. This lever controls the spee d of the engine. When set in a given positio n, the throttle will maintain a uniform engine speed. IMPORT ANT: When operating th e tractor with the cu tting deck engaged, be certain that the throttle l[...]

11 Systems Indicator Monitor / Hour Meter LCD Located in the center of the tra ctor’s cons ole, the systems indicator monitor reco rds, and displays on its LCD, hours of trac tor operati on whenever the ign ition key is rotated out of the STOP po sition. The Indicator Monitor will also remind the operator of maintenance intervals fo r changing th[...]

12 SECTION 5: OPERATING YOUR LAWN TRACTOR Safety Interlock Switches This tractor is equipped with a safet y interlock system for the pr otection of the ope rator. If the interlock system should ever malfunction, do not operate the tractor . Contact you r Cub Cadet dealer. • The safety interlo ck system prevents the engine from cranking or starti [...]

13 Setting the Gauge Wheels Select the height posit ion of the cutting deck by placing the deck lift lever in any of the six d ifferent cutting height notches on the ri ght fender. Adjust the deck wheels so th at they are between ¼-inch and ½-inch above the gr ound as follows. WARNING: Keep hands and feet away from the dischar ge opening of the c[...]

14 Engaging the Pa rking Brake To engage the parking brake: • Fully depress the b rake pedal and hold it while gently pushing the parking brake le ver downward. • Hold the parking brake lever down while removing your foot from the brake pedal. • Once engaged, the parking brake lever and th e brake pedal will lock in the “down” position. T[...]

15 • Depress the br ake pedal to disengage the crui se control and stop the tractor. • Lightly depress th e drive pedal. To change the directi on of travel to reverse when operating with cruise control, depress the brake pedal to disengag e the cruise control an d bring the tractor to a complete stop. Then slo wly depress the rear portion of th[...]

16 Mowing WARNING: To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, keep bystanders, helpers, child ren and pets at le ast 75 feet from the machine while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone ente rs the area. This tractor is equipped with one of Cub Cadet’ s quality cutting decks. The following information will be helpful when using t[...]

17 SECTION 6: MAKING ADJUSTMENTS WARNING: Ne v er attempt to make an y adjustments while the engine is running, e xcept where specified in th e operator’ s manual . Leveling the Deck NOTE: Check the tractor’ s tire pressure before performing any de ck leveling adjustments. Refer to Tires on page 25 for informati on regarding tire pressure. Fron[...]

18 P arking Brake Adjustment WARNING: Never attempt to a djust the brakes while the engin e is running. Always disengage PTO, stop eng ine and remove ke y to prevent uninten ded starting. If the tractor does not co me to a complete stop when the brake peda l is completely depres sed, or if the tractor’s rear wheels can roll with the pa rking brak[...]

19 SECTION 7: MAINTAINING YOUR LAWN TRACTOR NOTE: Refer to Maintenance Chart on page 30 for a reference of recommend ed maintenance intervals. WARNING: Before performing any maintenance or rep airs, disengage PTO, set parking brake, st op engine and remove key to prevent unint ended starti ng. Engine Maintenance, repa ir, or replacement of the emis[...]

20 IMPORT ANT: The engine may overheat and/or damage may result if the oil level is below the ADD or over the FULL on the dipstick. • Reinstall the oil fill cap/dips tick securely onto the oil fill tube. IMPORT ANT: The oil fill cap/dip sti ck must be installed securely onto the tube at all ti mes when the engine is operating . Severe engine dama[...]

21 • Slowly pour oil into the fill tube. Fill th e crankcase until the oil level reaches the full ( F ) ma rk on the dipstick (Refer to Page 19). • Reinstall the oil fill cap/dips tick securely into the oil fill tube. IMPORT ANT: The oil fill cap/dipstick must b e installed securely onto the tube at all ti mes when the engine is operating . Sev[...]

22 • Check the gap using a feeler gauge and adjust, if necessary, by carefully bending th e ground electrode. See Figu re 14. Set the spark plug gap to .76 mm (0.030 in.). Figure 14 • Reinstall the spark plug into th e cylinder head. Torque the spark plug to 38.0 /43.4 N·m (28/32 ft. lb. ). • Place the spark plug wire bo ot over the spark pl[...]

23 Lubrication WARNING: Before lubricatin g, repa iring, or inspecti ng, always disengage PTO , set parking brake, st op engine and remove key to prevent unint ended starti ng. Engine Refer to Engine on pag e 19 for in struction rega rding all engine-related lub rication. Front Wheels Each of the front wheel axles and rims is equipped with a grease[...]

24 Adjustment NOTE: Engines may have a fixe d idle or limiter cap on the idle fuel adjusting sc rew. Step 2 can only be performed with in the limits allowed by the cap. 1. Start the engine and run at half thr ottle for five to 10 minutes to warm up. The engine must be warm before per forming step s 2 and 3. 2. Low Idle Fuel Screw Setting: Place the[...]

25 SECTION 8: SERVICE Tire s WARNING: Never exceed the maxim um inflation pressure sh own on the sidewall of the tire. The recommende d operating tire pressur e is approximately 1 0 psi for the rear tires a nd 14 psi for the front tires. Refer to th e tire sidewa ll for exact t ire manufa cturer’s recommended or maximum psi. Do no t overinflate. [...]

26 Battery The battery is sealed and is maintenance-free. Acid levels cannot be checked and f luid can not be added. • Always keep the battery cables and terminals clean and free o f corrosive build-up. • After cleaning the battery and terminals, appl y a light coat of petroleum jelly or grease to both terminals • Always keep the rubber boot [...]

27 Hydrostatic T ransmission Keep the area around the transmission cooling fan free of grass and debris at all ti mes. The hydrostatic transmission is sealed at the factory and is maintenance fr ee. The fluid lev el cannot be checked and on most models , cannot be changed. IMPORT ANT: Several tracto r components and pa rts (pedals, seat, fe nder, f[...]

28 • Grasp the ratc het’s handle and pivot it to relieve tension on the be lt. • With belt tension relieved, carefully remove the belt from a round the left-hand spindle pulley . IMPORT ANT: Carefully allow the ratchet to pivot rearward befo re removing it from the sq uare hole. • Remove the deck belt from around all pulleys, including the [...]

29 SECTION 9: OFF-SEASON STORAGE Clean and lubricate the tr actor as instructed in Section 7: MAINTAINING YOUR LAWN TRACTOR on page 19 of this manual before sto ring for an extended period . Engine If the engine will be out of service for tw o months or more, use the followin g storage procedure: • Clean the exterior surfaces of the engine. • C[...]

30 SECTION 10: MAINTENANCE CHART Before Each Use After Initial 24 Hours Every 10 Hours Every 25 Hours Every 100 Hours Every Season Prior to Storing Clean Hood/Dash Louve rs Check Engine Oil Le vel Clean and Re-oil Air Filter’ s Foam Precleaner Replace Air Filter Element Change Engine Oil & Filter Clean Battery T er minals Lube F ront Axles an[...]

31 SECTION 11: MAINTENANCE LOG Please keep a record of the maintenance performed on your tractor. Date Hour Meter Maintenance P erfo rmed by[...]

32 SECTION 12: TROUBLESHOOTING T r ouble P ossibl e Cause(s) Corrective Actio n Engine fails to start PT O/Blade Engage knob engaged . P arking brake not engaged. Spark pl ug wire(s) disconnected. Throttle control le v er not in correct star ting positio n. Chok e not activ ated Fuel tank empty , or stale fuel. Bloc ked fuel line. F aulty spark pl [...]

33 SECTION 13: ATTACHMENTS & ACCESSORIES The following attach ments and accessories are compatib le for Series 1500 Lawn Tracto rs . See your Cub Cadet dealer or the retailer from which yo u purchased your trac tor for informat ion regarding price and availability. NOTE: Cub Cadet Series 1500 lawn tractors are NOT designed for use with any type[...]

34 SECTION 14: REPLACEMENT PARTS NOTE: Download a complete Cub Cadet Series 1500 Parts Manua l free of charge at www.cubcad et.com or phone (800) 80 0-7310 to purchase a Parts Manual ( Form No. 769-01652 C). SL T1050 SL T1554 Champion Spar k Plug(s) RC12YC RC12YC K ohler Air Filter (Paper Elem ent) 32-083-03-S 32-083-03-S K ohler Air Filter (Precl [...]

35 SECTION 15: SPECIFICATIONS* * Cub Cadet reserves the right to change product spec ifications, design, and standar d equipment without notice and w ithout incurring oblig ation ** Kohler’s horsepower ratings exceed Society of Automo tive Engineers Small Engine Test Code J1940. Actual engine horsepower is lower and affected by, but not limited t[...]

36 NOTES[...]

37 CALIFORNIA EMISSION CONTROL W ARRANTY ST A TEMENT Y OUR W ARRANTY RIGHTS AND OBLIGA TIONS The California Air Resources Board and Cub Cadet LLC are pleased to ex plain the evaporative emission co ntrol system warrant y on your 2006 lawn mower . In California, new lawn mower must be designed, built and equip ped to meet the Stat e’ s stringent a[...]

K OHLER CO . FEDERAL AND CALI FORNIA EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS LIMITED W ARRANTY UTILITY AND LA WN AND GARDEN ENGINES The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EP A) , the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and K ohler Co. are pleased to explain the Federal and California Emission Control Systems Warr anty on your small off-road equipment engine[...]

IMPORT ANT: T o o btai n warra nt y coverag e owner mu st pre sent an or ig inal proof of p urch ase an d app lic abl e mainte nanc e rec ord s to the s er vi cing d ealer. Please s ee the o perator ’s manual for info rmat ion on re quired m ainten ance a nd s erv ic e in te rv al s . The limited w arranty set forth below is giv en by Cub Ca det [...]

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