Dixon Black Bear manual

Model Y ear 2005 Safety Instru ctions & Operator’s Man ual BLACK BEAR ™ ZTR ®[...]

2 IMP ORT ANT - READ CARE FULL 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 operat[...]

3 T A BLE OF CONTENTS Page SA F ETY & WA R NIN G .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .4 -15 W AR R A N TY . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . .. . 16 S PE CI F IC A TI ON S.. .. ... ... .. ... ... .. . .. .. . .. . .. .. . .. .. ... ... .1 7 SE A T AD JU S TM 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 byst ander . Please read and underst and th is manua l to pre vent inj uri es .[...]

SA FETY 5 Safety Alert Sy mbol When you see this symbol, BE ALERT to the potential for injury . Follow the recommended safety precautions and safe operating practices. DA NG E R (hi ghlight ed in red ) indicates an imm inently hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury . WA RNING (high li ght ed in orang e) in[...]

W A RNING 6 Failure to observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death. GEN ERAL OPE RA TIO N: Re ad, unde rsta nd , and fol lo w al l inst ru cti ons in thi s manua l and on the mowe r before star ting . Only allow responsible adults, who are fam iliar with the ins tructio ns, to opera te the mow er . Clear the ar[...]

W A RNING 7 GENERAL OPERA TION (conti nued): Nev er leave a runnin g mower unattend ed. Alw ay s tur n of f blades, set parking brake, stop engine and remove key befor e dismoun tin g. T urn off blades when not mowing. Injury could occur from con tact with moving parts. Under no circumstan ces should you place hands or feet under the mower deck or [...]

W A RNING 8 Protect your eyes. Always wear safet y goggles or safet y glass es with side shields when operating mower . Data indicates that o perators, age 60 years and above, are inv ol ved in a larg e perce ntag e of ridi ng mow er -rela ted injuries. These operators should evaluate their ability to o p e ra t e t he ri d i n g m o we r s a f e l[...]

W A RNING 9 SL OPE OPER A TI ON: Slopes are a major factor related to loss-of-control and tip-ove r accidents, which can result in severe injury or death. All slopes require extra caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it! DO Mow across the slope with your Dixon® ZTR® -- never up or down. This will decrease the risk of ti p- over . Re[...]

W A RNING 10 Keep all mov ement on the slopes sl ow and grad ual. Do not make sudden chang es in speed or direct ion . U se ex tr em e caut i on w he n oper at i ng the mo w er w ith att ach ment s to prev ent tip-o ve r or rol l-ov er . If front wheels lift off the ground, pull levers back to st abi lize the mow er . Disc onti nue mow ing the slop[...]

W A RNING 11 SLO PE OPERA TIO N (co ntinued) : DO NOT D o no t tu r n o n sl op es u nl es s ne ce ss ar y , a nd t he n, tu rn sl ow ly and gr adua ll y dow nh il l, if po ssi bl e. Ra pi d uphi l l tur ns may cause ti p-ov er . D o not mo w near dr op- of fs, di tc he s, or em ba nk me nts. The mower could suddenly turn over if a wheel is ov er t[...]

W A RNING 12 FIRE HA ZA RDS: Us e extra care when handling gas oline and other fuel s. They are flammabl e and vapor s are exp losiv e. Store all fuel in appr oved contai ners speci fically desi gned for that purpose. Allo w engi ne to cool before refueling . Never remov e fuel cap or add fuel w ith engine runnin g. Do not smoke w hile refueli ng o[...]

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 i ncrease fire risk. Before disconnecting the negative ground cable, make sure all sw itches are off. T his decreases the chan ce of[...]

W A RNING 14 CHI LDRE N: Tragi c accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the presence of children. Children are attracted to lawn mowers and the mo wing act ivi ty . NEVER assume children will stay where they were last seen. Be alert to avo id accid ents. Keep chil dren out of the mowing area and under the w atchful car e of anot her re[...]

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

16 DIXON® ZTR® PRO SERIES COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL W ARRANTY POLICY Black Bear™, Kodiak™, Grizzly™ & SilverTip™ Mowers DIXON® WARRANTS ITS ZTR® MOWERS AGAINST DEFECTS IN MA TERIAL AND WORKMANSHIP FOR THE PERIODS SET FORTH BELOW. THE SOLE REMEDY UNDER THIS WARRANTY IS REPLACEME NT OR REP AIR OF P ARTS INCLUDING LABO R COST S. THIS WARR[...]

SPECIFICA TIONS 17 SP ECIFI CA TIONS SUBJ ECT TO CHA NGE WITHOUT NOTICE Additional inform ation may be provided elsewhere in this manua l. BLACK BEAR™ CH ASSIS : 1 1 GA - rectangular tu be SE A T : Designed for operato r comfort by use of high-d ensity closed cell foam padded back and arm rests, uphols tered with Cordura TM water-repelle nt fabri[...]

18 SEA T A DJUSTMENT INSTRUCTIONS 1. Grasp seat slide adjuster and move it into adjustment position. 2. Slide seat forward or backward. 3. Release seat slide adjuster .[...]

CON TRO LS 19 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 positi on, ge ntly pus h contr ol lev ers for- w ar d. •T o increas e speed, mov e lev ers further forw ard. TO GO BACKWARDS •F rom neut ral positi on, ge ntly pull con trol lev ers tow [...]

CON TRO LS 20 P ARKING BRA KE: The parking brake is designed to hold t he m ow er f ro m m o vin g an d is no t int ended for use in sto pping the mower while it is in motion. The engine will stop if the parking brake is engaged whil e the control levers are in the drive posi tion. Eng age parking br ake befo re startin g eng ine . T O SET P ARKING[...]

CON TRO LS 21 MOWER DECK CUT HEIGHT LIFT LEVER: • Located to the right and front of the operator . • Controls the cutting height. • 17 positions of adjustment • Depr ess trigger and move lev er forward to lower deck. • Pull lever back to raise deck. • Set desired cut height with pin. • Use f oot pe dal to ass ist with raising and low [...]

CON TRO LS 22 BLADE DRIVE: •Located on the control panel, on operator ’s r igh t. •T o engage the mower blade, pull up on the sw i tc h. •T o disengage mower blade, push down. CIRCUIT BREA KER: •L oc at ed on the c ontr ol p an el to th e oper at or’ s r igh t. •Protection of the electrical sy stem is by ( 1) 15 amp circuit breaker . [...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 23 The safe and successfu l operation of the BLACK BEAR™ will depend upon the operator having the correct knowledg e of all controls used on the mower and making good judgements about the terra in to be mow ed . NEVER allow anyone to operate the mower without co mp le te kn ow l ed g e of al l c ontr ol s and th ei r func [...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 24 C A U TI O N Failure to follow these instructions may result in personal injury . ST ARTI NG IN STR UCT ION S: 1 . Par king brake mus t be on , co ntrol lev ers in outw ard pos ition and blade driv e disengaged. 2. Position throttle to desired speed setting. If engine is cold, position throttle lever in the “choke” po[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 25 P ARK ING BRAKE SW ITC H TEST : a) Swi ng control levers to outw ard posit ion b) Disengage blade drive switch c) Put parking brake in OFF position d) T urn ig nition sw itc h to ST AR T Engine should not turn over or attempt to start. CON TROL LEVER SW ITC H TEST : a) Disengage blade drive switch b) Put parking brake in [...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 26 TESTING OF SAFETY INTERLOCK SYSTEMS: BLAD E DRIVE SW ITCH TEST : a) Put parking brake in ON position. b) Swi ng contr ol lev ers to outward position. c) Engage blade drive swit ch. d) T ur n ig nitio n sw itch to ST AR T . Engine should not turn over or attempt to start. SEA T SW ITC H TEST : a) In a SAFE AREA away from b[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 27 MOWI NG WITH A MULCHING A TT ACHMENT : Mulchin g or recycling the grass clippings requires a tot ally differe nt mowing appro ach than woul d be normal when side discharging or bagging the grass. There may be instances or conditions where it is not possible to hide all the recy cled or mulched cli ppings. In order to achi[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 28 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 dir t build-up from the under side of the pan, the baffles and deflec tors after each use. Never , under any circumstances, should y ou place hands or feet under the mow er deck or in the chute whi[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 29 MOWING WITH A GRASS CA TCHER A T T AC H M E N T : In order to achiev e optim um performa nce when mowi ng with a grass catching attachment, please read and follow the tips listed below . 1 . Rea d and follow the ins tallat ion ins tructio ns that are inc luded with yo ur gr ass cat che r . 2 . Set engine speed control to [...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 30 MOWING WITH A GRASS 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 you r dealer for advice on the typ e of blade(s) needed for your mower . 8 . Use of grass catchers requires an additional weight[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 31 SIDE DISCHA RGE OF THE CLIPPINGS: In ord er to ach ieve optimum performance when side dischargi ng the grass clippings, please read and follow the tips listed below . Additional information can be foun d in the T r oubles hoo tin g gui de. CA UTIO N T o av oid personal inj ury , be sure that the deflect or is properly ins[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 32 GRA SS HEIGHT & CUTTING SUGGESTIONS: Do not attempt to cut grass when it is wet. If the gras s is tall, place the mow er deck cut heigh t lev er in the top or sec ond notc h. “I nitial ly ” ov erl ap cutt ing swaths instead of a full swath with each pass. Some applications may require a second cutting. Keep the un[...]

OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS 33 TOWING TRAILERS AND OTHER A TT ACHMENTS: T owing a trailer or other attachmen t tha t is too heavy could damage the drive or cause the mower to become unstable. Limit loads to 250 pounds or less with this mower . TO FREE WHEEL MACHINE (Unlock Transmission): Always turn off engine before engagin g or disengag ing the hydro[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 34 W A RNING Failure to observe the followin g 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 not 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 35 CUTTE R BLADE M A INT ENANCE: C A U TI O N Stop engine and remove igni tion key for safety . Wear heav y , thick glove s w hen holdi ng onto cutter blade, avoid the sharp edge of the blade. Blades should be discarded when worn excessiv ely . D AN G E RO U S ! DO NOT USE BLADE IN TH IS C O N D IT IO N ! W h e n n o t c h [...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 36 EN GIN E: For complete maintenance and operat ing information of the engi ne, ple ase refer to the maintenan ce ins tructio ns fur nish ed by the engi ne manufac tu rer inc lud ed in yo ur Zer o T urn Radius mower informa tion packe t. B A T T E RY: This is a maintenan ce- free batt ery and the flui d lev el canno t be c[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 37 T I R E S : Correct tire pressure is essential for efficient operation of the mower . Check tire pressure periodical ly . Inflate tires to the pressure listed below . Front tires 13 x 5.00 - 6 16-21 lbs. Rear tires 23 x 8.5 - 12 8-14 lbs. Lug nuts or lug bolts should be checked regularly for tightness. LU BR ICA TI ON : [...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 38 B E LT S : Chec k belts every 50 hours . Replace any belts found to be in poor condition. BE L T TE NS I ON : Engine to Mower Deck Belt: P/N 10669 Ma nual adj ust ment. T urn nut on deck ey eb olt to adju st be lt tensi on . N ote : Belt deflect ion or move ment should be appr oximate ly 1/4” when meas ured at mid- poi[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 39 CAUTI ON HOT oil may cause burns. All ow engine to cool befo re draining oil. Hex Head Valve S t em CHA NGING THE ENGINE OIL: 1 . The “Dapco” oil drain valve is located on either side of the engi ne crankcase (depending on the ty pe of en gine in stall ed on yo ur ZTR®) . 2 . Plac e a suitable conta iner under the d[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 40 HOT oil may cause burns. Allo w engine to cool befo re draining oil. OIL FILL: 1 . Clean any spilled oil from engine and chassis. 2 . Refill engine wi th type, and quanti ty of oil reco m- mend ed by the engine manufactu rer in eng ine l ite rat ur e. N O TE : Engine oil changes on the BLACK BEAR™ w ill req uire repl a[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 41 HYDROST A TIC TRA NSMI SSION FLUID & FI L TE R SE RVI CE: Dirt or water in fluid can ruin the hydrostatic transmissions. SERVICE INTERV ALS: 1. Initial filter service - 100 hours 2. Every 500 hours or once a year thereafter . RECO MMENDED FLU ID: All temperatures - Dixon Blue™ 15W-50 Sy nthetic Hy drostatic Fluid ~[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 42 HYDROST A T OIL MAINTENA NCE PROCEDURE: C heck th e oi l l ev el in hy dr os tati c tr an sm isi so n oi l res er vo i r aft er ev ery 25 hours of us age. C lean th e oil re ser vo ir cap an d the ar ea ar ound it pr io r to re mo val . C he ck th e oil le v el . Oil should be approximately 1/4” below top of oil tank b[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 43 NE UTR AL A DJ US TM EN T 1 . Lift seat. 2 . Blo ck up the unit so that the dr iv e whee ls are off the ground. Remove rear tires. 3 . Loosen jam nuts on both ends of the control r od coupler. Note: The rear jam nuts are left hand th rea ds . 4 . W ith steering control arms in the “out” neutral position, start the en[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 44 MOWER DECK LEVELING PROCEDURE : There are a total of (4) slots which will control the attitude or pi t ch o f t he m ow er de ck . D ec k sh ou l d be lev el or p itc h ed sl ightl y hig her in rea r . A. Place the mower on a smooth level surface with front cas ters pos iti oned t ow ards deck. Check tir e press ure s to[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 45 MOWER DECK LEVELING PROCEDURE (c on ti nu ed ): D. Tu rn bo th ou ter bl ad es to al ign w ith th e de ck in fr ont- to- rear manne r. Reposi tio n rear moun tin g bolts up or dow n until rea r of mow er deck is positi oned lev el to 1/8” higher in the rear than the side-to-side me asu r em ent . E. Confirm measurem en[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 46 E LE C TR I CAL S Y ST E M S : Keep all connection s clean 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 washing your mower , sta rt the engi ne and engage the mower de[...]

CA RE A ND MA INTENA NCE 47 M OWER DECK REM OV A L: 1. Remov e mowe r deck dri ve belt from clutc h. T o reliev e bel t tens ion, loo sen nut on tensi one r eyeb olt . 2. Move deck into l owest cut position and support deck w ith blocks. 3 . Re mo ve n u t fro m e ach o f t he f o ur h an ge r b olt s (sus pended from chains). Remov e hanger bolts [...]

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

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

50 ENGINE A IR A ND OIL FIL TERS Refer to Engine Operator’s Manual for correct serv ice intervals for engin e oil changes and air filter ma int e na nc e. Pro tect your engine inv estment , use only origi nal equip ment filters . Refer to the Engin e Operator ’ s Manu al or ask your dealer for correct replacement pa rts. ST A NDA RD SERVICE P A[...]

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

Dix on® and ZTR® are regis tered trademarks of D ix on In du st ri es , In c. DI X ON I ND US TR IE S , IN C. P .O. Box 1569 Coffe yvi ll e, Ks 67 337 -0945 6 20 -2 51 -2 0 00 BLACK BEAR™ Pa rt No. 1 1249- 0605 The en gine exhau st from this prod uct contain s chemicals known to the Sta te of California to cause cancer, birth de fects o r othe [...]