Dixon 17823-106 manual

Safe ty Ins truc tio ns & Operat or ’ s Manual R A M SE R I E S ZT R ®[...]

2 IMP ORT ANT - READ CAREFUL L Y The Dixon ® ZTR ® mower is both easy and fun to operate. However , any power mower must be operated properly to be safe. It is not a toy or a recreational vehicle. Before you start to use the mower , read this Operator ’ s Manual carefully . It contains valuabl e informa tion that is necess ary for the safe oper[...]

3 T A BLE OF CONTENTS Page SA F ET Y & WA R NIN G .. .. .... .. .. .... .. .. .... ... .. .. .. ...4 -15 W AR RA N TY . . .. .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . .16- 17 SP EC IF IC A TI O NS .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .1 8- 19 SE A T AD JU STM EN T . .. .. .. .. .[...]

SA FETY 4 Blade Contact Tip Over Run Over Back Over RIDING LA WN MOWERS, IF IMPROPERL Y OPERA TED CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEA TH Pictu red below are the most common causes of inju ry to the operator or bystander . Please read and underst and th is man ual to pre ve nt inj uri es .[...]

SA FETY 5 Safety Alert Symbol When you see this symbol, BE ALERT to the potential for injury . Follow the recommended safety precautions and safe operating practices. DA NG ER (hi ghli ghted in red) indicates an imm inently haz ardous situation which, if not avoided, wil l result in death or serious injury . WA RNING (high li ght ed in orang e) ind[...]

W A RNING 6 Failure to observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death. GEN ERAL OPE RA TIO N: Rea d, unders tand, and foll ow all ins tr uction s in thi s manu al and on the mower before starti ng. Onl y allow responsi ble adults, w ho are famil iar w ith the ins truc tions, to opera te the mower . Clear the area [...]

W A RNING 7 GENERAL OPERA TION (conti nued): Nev er leave a runnin g mow er unatte nded . Al w ays tur n of f blades, set parking brake, stop engine and remove key befor e dis moun tin g. T ur n of f bla de s w hen not mow ing. Inj ury co ul d occu r fro m con tact w ith mov ing parts. Und er no circ umsta nces should yo u place hand s or feet unde[...]

W A RNING 8 Nev er dismount mower without apply ing parki ng brake or stopping engine. Protect yo ur eye s. Always wear safety goggles or safety glass es wi th side shields when operating mower . Data indicates that operators, age 60 years and above, are involved in a large percentage of riding mower- rel ated injurie s. Thes e oper ator s should e[...]

W A RNING 9 SL OP E OP ER A TI ON : Slopes are a major factor related to loss-of-c ontrol and tip-ove r accidents, whic h can resu lt in severe injury or death. All slopes require extra caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it! DO Mow acro ss the slope with your Dixon® ZTR® -- never up or down. This will decrease the risk of ti p- ov[...]

W A RNING 10 Keep all movement on the slopes slow and gradual. Do not make sudden changes in speed or direction. Us e ex treme cau tion w hen opera ting the mower w ith att ac hments to preve nt tip-ov er or roll -ov er . If front whe els li ft off the gr ound , pull le ve rs back to sta bilize the mower . Discontinu e mowing the slope! SLO PE OPER[...]

W A RNING 11 SLO PE OPERA TIO N (co ntin ued) : DO NOT Do not tu rn on sl opes un les s necess ary , and then, turn sl owl y and gradual ly dow nhil l, if possible . Rapi d up hil l turns may ca use tip -ov er . Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches, or embank- men ts. The mower cou ld sud denl y turn ov er i f a wheel is over the edge of a cliff or d[...]

W A RNING 12 FIRE HA ZA RDS: Us e ex tra care w hen handling gasolin e and other fuel s. They are flammabl e and va por s are exp losiv e. Store all fuel in approved contai ners speci fically desi gned for that purpose . Allo w engi ne to cool before refueling . Nev er remove fuel cap or add fuel w ith eng ine run ning. Do not smoke while refueling[...]

W A RNING 13 FIRE HA ZA RDS (continued): T o prevent fire or explosi on, keep sparks and open flames away from battery . Keep electrical connections clean and tight. Inspect them often. Loose connections and corrosion increase fire risk. Before disconnecting the negative ground cable, make sure all sw itches are off. This decreases the chance of sp[...]

W A RNING 14 CHI LDRE N: Tragi c accide nts can occu r if the operator is not alert to the presence of children. Children are attracted to lawn mowers and the mo win g act ivi ty . NEVER assume children will stay where they were last seen. Be alert to avo id accidents . Keep children out of the mowi ng area and under the w atchful car e of anot her[...]

W A RNING 15 S ER VI CE : Never run a mower inside a cl osed area or without proper ven tila ti on. Keep nuts and bolts tight, especia lly blade attachment bolts, and keep equipment in good condition. Never tamper w ith safety devices. Check their proper ope ratio n regularly . Stop and inspect the equipment if you strike an object. Repai r , if ne[...]

16 DIXON® WARRANTS ITS ZTR® MOWERS AGAINST DEFECTS IN MA TERIAL AND WORK- MANSHIP FOR THE PERIODS SET FORTH BELOW . THE SOLE REMEDY UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS REPLACE MENT OR REP AIR OF P ARTS INCLUDIN G LABOR COST S. THIS WARRANTY IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND LIMIT A TIONS: 1. RESIDENTIAL APPLICA TION - (used only at owner’s pr imary[...]

17 DIXON ® ZTR ® COMMERCIAL / RESIDENTIAL W ARRANTY POLICY RAM 44, RAM 50, RAM 44 MAG™ AND RAM 50 MAG™ DIXON® WARRANTS ITS ZTR® MOWERS AGAINST DEFECTS IN MA TERIAL AND WORK- MANSHIP FOR THE PERIODS SET FORTH BELOW . THE SOLE REMEDY UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS REPLACE MENT OR REP AIR OF P ARTS INCLUDIN G LABOR COST S. THIS WARRANTY IS SUBJECT TO [...]

SPECIFICA TIONS 18 SP ECIFI CA TIONS SUBJ EC T TO CHA NGE WITH OUT NOTICE Additional inform ation may be provided elsewhere in this manual. R A M Chassis: 1-1/2 X 3 rectangle tube side fram e Mow er Deck: 42” - 13 ga stamped 3 blade deck. 44 ” & 50 ” - 1 1 g a fa br ic at e d co ns tr uc t io n w/ re i nf or ce me nt . Bl ade Dri ve : Ele[...]

SPECIFICA TIONS 19 SP ECIFI CA TIONS SUBJ EC T TO CHA NGE WITH OUT NOTICE Additional inform ation may be provided elsewhere in this manual. RA M M A G ™ Chassis: 1-1/2 X 3 rectangle tube side fram e Mow er Deck: 1 1 GA fabricated construction with reinforced ribs. Available in 44” and 50” cut widths. Bl ade Dri ve : Electric clutch. Tra nsmis[...]

20 SEA T A DJUSTMENT INSTRUCTIONS 42 ” M ode ls 1 . Raise seat assembly . 2 . Loosen four bolts under seat plate, and slide seat to desired position. 3 . T igh ten bolts under seat plate. DO NOT operat e mow er with out sea t bolts pro perl y tig htene d. 4 . Low er seat assembly . 44” and 50” Models 1 . Grasp seat slide adjuster and move it [...]

CON TRO LS 21 CONT ROL LEVE RS Note: For access to the seat, move control levers to neutral positi on and swing them outward. TO GO FOR WAR D •F rom neut ral pos iti on, ge ntly push con trol levers for- w ar d. •T o inc rease speed , move lev ers furthe r forw ard. TO GO BACKWARDS •F rom neut ral pos iti on, ge ntly pull con tro l lev ers to[...]

CON TRO LS 22 P A RKING BRA KE: The parking brake is designed to hold the mower from moving and is not intended for use in stopping the mower while it is in motion. The engine will stop if the parking brake is engag ed while the control lev ers are in the drive position. Eng age pa rking brake befo re startin g engine . T O SET P A RKING BRA KE: Th[...]

CON TRO LS 23 BLADE DRIVE : •Located on the control panel, on operator ’ s right. •T o engage the mower blade , pull up on the switch . •T o disengage mower blade, push down. CIRCUIT BREA KER: •Protection of the electrical system is by (1) 15 amp circ uit breaker . •If circuit breaker tri ps, push butto n to res et. •If this condi tio[...]

CON TRO LS 24 MOWER DECK CUT HEIGHT LIFT LEVER: •Use right foot to operate deck foot pedal at right front foot area. •T o raise mower deck, push forward with right foot on top portion of foot pedal. W hen desired deck height is reac hed, push with rig ht foot on lower por tion of foot pedal until the bottom of the foot pedal engages in deck pos[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 25 The safe and suc cess ful operati on of the RAM Serie s w ill depend upon the operator having the corr ect know ledg e of all contr ols used on the mower and making good judgements about the terra in to be mow ed . NEVER allow anyone to operate the mower without comp lete kno wledg e of all contr ols and thei r func- ti o[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 26 C A U TI O N Failure to follow these instructions may result in personal injury . ST A RTI NG IN STR UCT ION S: 1. Parking brake must be on, control levers in outward position and bl ade driv e dis eng age d. 2. Position throttle to 1/2 speed setting. If engine is cold, position choke lever to the “on” position. N OTE[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 27 TOWING TRA ILERS A ND OTHER A T T AC H M E N T S : T owing a trailer or other att achment that is too heav y could damage the drive or cause the mower to become unstable. Limit loads to 250 pounds or less with this mo wer . TO FREE WHEEL MACHINE (U nl oc k T ran sm i ss i on) : Alwa ys turn off engine before engaging or d[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 28 P ARKING BRAKE SW ITCH TEST : a) Swi ng control lev ers to outw ard position b) Disengage blade drive switch c) Put parking brake in OFF position d) T urn ig nit ion sw itc h to ST AR T Engine should not turn over or attempt to start. CON TROL LEVER SW ITCH TEST : a) Disengage blade drive switch b) Put parking brake in ON[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 29 TESTING OF SAFETY INTERLOCK SYSTEMS: BLAD E DRIVE SW ITCH TEST : a) Put parking brake in ON position. b) Swi ng control lev ers to outw ard position. c) Engage blade drive switch. d) T ur n ig ni tion sw itch to ST AR T . Engine should not turn over or attempt to start. SEA T SWITCH TEST : a) In a SAFE AREA away from bys [...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 30 MOWI NG WITH A MULCHING A TT A CHMENT : Mulchin g or recycling the grass clippings requi res a tot all y di fferent mow ing ap proach than w ould be nor mal when side discharging or bagging the grass. There may be instances or conditions where it is not possible to hide all the recycled or mulched cli ppings . In order to[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 31 MOWING WITH A MULCHING A TT A CHMENT (c on ti nu ed ): 7 . Keep the underside of the mower deck clean. Remov e all gra ss and dirt build-up from the under side of the pan, the baffles and deflectors after each use. Never , under any circumstances, should y ou place hands or feet under the mow er deck or in the chute w hil[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 32 MOWING WITH A GRA SS CA TCHER A T TAC H M E N T : In ord er to achiev e op timum per forma nce w hen mowi ng with a grass catchi ng attachment, please read and follow the tips listed below . 1 . Rea d and follow the instal lat ion instru ctio ns that are inc luded w ith yo ur gr ass catche r . 2 . Set engine speed control[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 33 MOWING WITH A GRA SS CA TCHER A T T AC H M E N T (c on ti nu ed ): 7 . Maintain sharp blades throughou t the cutting season. Some grass catching attachments require a “hig h-li ft” blade. See your dealer for advice on the typ e of bla de(s) needed for your mow er . 8 . Some mowing applications/use of grass catchers ma[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 34 SIDE DISCHA RGE OF THE CLIPPINGS: In order to achiev e opti mum performance w hen side dischargi ng the grass clippings, please read and follow the tips listed below . Additional information can be foun d in th e T r oubl es hoo tin g gu ide. CA UTIO N T o avoid pers onal inj ury , be sure that the deflect or is properly [...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 35 GRA SS HEIGHT & CUTTING SUGGESTIONS: Do not attempt to cut grass when it is wet. If the grass is tall, place the mow er deck cut height lev er in the top or sec ond notc h. “Init ial ly ” overl ap cutt ing sw aths inst ead of a full swath w ith each pass . Some applications may require a second cutting. Keep the u[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 36 W A RNING Failure to observe the following instructions may result in personal injury . Before performing any maintenance, turn off engine, allow to cool & remove key . Use extreme care when working on machinery . Do no t wear watch or jewe lr y . Do not wear loose fitting clothes, and observe all comm on safety prac[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 37 CUTTE R BLADE M AINTENANCE: C A U TI O N Stop engine and remove igni tion key for safety . Wear heavy , thic k glo ves w hen holdi ng onto cutter bla de, av oid the sharp edge of the blade. Blades should be discarded when worn excessiv ely . D A N G E R O U S ! DO NOT USE BLADE IN THIS C O N D I T IO N ! W h e n n o t c [...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 38 EN GIN E: For comple te maintenance and operat ing information of the engi ne, ple ase refer to the maintenan ce ins truc tio ns fur ni shed by the engi ne manufac tu re r inc luded in yo ur Zer o T urn Radius mower info rma tion pa cket. B A T T E RY: This is a main tenance- free battery and the fluid lev el canno t be [...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 39 T I R E S : Correct tire pressure is essential for efficient operation of the mower . Check tir e press ure periodical ly . Inflate tires to the pressure listed below . Front tires 1 1 x 4.00 - 5 16-21 lbs. Rear tires 42” 18 x 8.50 - 8 8-14 lbs. Rear tires 44-50” 18 x 9.50 - 8 8-14 lbs. Lug nuts or lug bolts should b[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 40 B E L T S : Chec k belt s ev ery 50 hours. Replace any belt s found to be in poor condition. BE L T TE NS I ON : 42” De ck Mowe r Deck Serpentine Belt-P/N 6109 Man ual adj ustment . Refe r to illus tr ati on on Page 41. Engine to Mower Deck Belt-P/N 5861 No adjust ment required. 44” De ck Mowe r Deck Serpentine Belt-[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 41 Idler Weldment “L ” Rod Idler Shock Mount Hex Nut Tighten or Loosen Hex Nut to achieve this dimension 3/4” (42”/4 4”/50” Serpentine) BEL T TENSION MA NUA L ADJUSTMENT 42”, 44” & 50”[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 42 CAUTI ON HOT oil may cau se burns . Allow engine to cool befo re draining oil. CHA NGING THE ENGINE OIL: 1 . The “Dapco” oil drain valv e is located on the left side of the eng ine crankc ase. 2 . Plac e a suitable conta iner under the drain valv e ho se . 3 . T o dr ain, tu rn hex head valv e ste m counte r- cl ock [...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 43 HOT oil may caus e bur ns. Allow engine to cool befo re draining oil. OIL FILL: 1 . Clean any spilled oil from engine and chassi s. 2 . Refil l engine wi th ty pe, and quanti ty of oil reco m- mend ed by the eng ine manufactu rer in eng ine l ite r at ur e. N O TE : Engine oil changes on the RAM Series Models will requi [...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 44 NE UTR AL ADJUS TM EN T DRI VE MACHIN E UNTIL HYDR OST A TIC TRANSMI SSION S HA VE W ARMED UP . WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND THE P ARKING BRAKE OFF , SWING THE CONTROL LEVERS OUTW ARD. IF MAC HINE ST ART S TO CREEP , FOLLOW THE INSTRUCT IONS BELOW . 1 . Stop the engine, engage parking brake and raise rear of frame with jack o[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 45 Illustration A Illustration B[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 46 MOWER DECK LEVELING PROCEDURE : 1 . Place mower on a smooth, lev el surface and check tir e pressur es to insure correct stance . Tires should be inflated as follows . F r on t: 16 - 21 lbs R ear : 8 - 14 lbs 2 . T urn each outer blade tip to align wi th the deck in a side to side manner . 3 . Meas ure from the floor sur[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 47 E LE C TR I CAL S Y ST E M S : Keep all connec tions cl ean and tig ht. CLEA NING THE MOWER: Wash mower periodically . Clean above and below deck. High pressure washing and alkaline based soaps can cause damage to bearings and other parts of the mower . After was hing your mower , start the engine and engage the mower de[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 48 DE CK RE M OV AL: 1 . Remove mower deck drive belt. T o relieve belt tensi on, inser t p/n 17689 link (at front of lift frame) into tab. Move deck lift pedal into the highest cut positi on and latch in place. As a safety precautio n, insert clevis pin in nearest hole at rear of foot pedal. Belt can now be removed from mo[...]

49 B L AD E S ~42” Deck~ *Hi Lift Fusion - P/N 13920 S tandard Lift Fusion - P/N 13940 Gator Fusion - P/N 13942 Hi-Lift - P/N 13938 S tandard Lift - P/N 13939 ~44” Deck~ *Hi Lift Fusion - P/N 13918 Super Hi-Lift Fusion - P/N 13867 S tandard Lift Fusion - P/N 13945 Gator Fusion - P/N 13947 Hi-Lift - P/N 13943 S tandard Lift - P/N 13944 ~50” De[...]

50 B E L T S ~42” Deck~ Engine to Mower Deck - P/N 5861 Serpentine - P/N 6109 Engine to Transmission - P/N 16108 ~44” Deck~ Engine to Mower Deck - P/N 5861 Serpentine - P/N 9236 Engine to Transmission - P/N 16108 ~50” Deck~ Engine to Mower Deck - P/N 17423 Serpentine - P/N 1300 Engine to Transmission - P/N 16108 ENGINE A IR A ND OIL FIL TERS [...]

51 1. ENGINE WON’T TURN OVER Mower blades engaged- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - disen gage blades Parking brake not on- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - engage parking brake Circuit breaker trips- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -reset breaker Dead battery- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - charge or replace [...]

52 TROU BLESH OOTIN G 6. ENGINE RUNS BUT MOWER WON’T MOVE FORWARD Drive belt broken o r sli pping- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - replace drive b elt T ransmission oil low- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - add oil Damaged transmission- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -consult dealer T ransmission by-pass may be engaged[...]

53 NOTE S[...]

54 NOTE S[...]

OWNER’S INFORMA TION Date of Purchase Mow er Mod el Numbe r Mow er Serial Number Purc hased From N a me Addre ss DA TE OIL CHANGED DA TE ENGINE TUNED Dixon Industries, Inc.~P .O. Box 1569~Coffeyv ille, Ks~620-251-2000~Fax 620-251-41 17[...]

Dix on® and ZTR® are registered trademarks of D ix on In du st r i es , In c. DI X ON I ND U S TR IE S, I NC . P .O. Box 1569 Coffe yvi lle, Ks 67337 -0 945 6 2 0 -2 5 1 -2 00 0 RAM Seri es Par t No. 17823 -106 The en gin e exhau st from this prod uct contain s chemicals known to the State of Cali fornia to cause cancer, birth defects o r othe r [...]