MTD 588Q manual

21” Rotary Mower Model 588Q Oper ator’ s Man ual PRINTED IN U .S.A. 769-00962A.f m (11/2003) Form No. Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or n ear any unimproved forest-cov- ered, brush-covered or grass-covered land unl ess the engine’s exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrest er m[...]

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FINDING MODEL NUMBER This Operator’s Manual is an import ant part of your new lawn mower. It will help you asse mble, prepare and maintain the unit fo r best performance. Please read and understand what it says. Before you star t assembling your new equipment , p lease locate the model plate on th e equipment and copy th e inf[...]

3 SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES General Oper ation 1. Read this operator’s man ual carefully in its entirety before atte mpting to assemble this machine. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the machine and in the manua l(s) before operation. Be completely familiar with th e controls an d the proper use of this machine[...]

4 immediately and th e blade will stop rotating within three seconds. 9. Mow in daylight or good artificial ligh t; walk, not run. 10. Stop th e blade when cr ossing gravel drives, walkways or roads. 11. If the eq uipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the engine and check immedi ately for the cause. Vibration is g enerally a warning of t[...]

5 10. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch below bottom of filler nec k to provide space for fuel expansion. 11. Replace gasolin e cap and tighten securely. 12. If gasoline is spilled, wi pe it off the engine and equipment. Move unit t o another area. Wait 5 minutes before star ting the engine. 13. Never st ore the mach ine [...]

6 SECTION 2: SLOPE GAUGE Use this page as a guide to dete rmine slopes where you may not operate safely. Do not operate your lawn mower on such sl opes. 15° SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTI CAL TREE A POWER POLE A CORNER OF A BUILDING OR A FENCE POST F O L D O N D O T T E D L I N E , R E P R E S E N T I N G A 1 5 ° S L O P E WARNING Do not [...]

7 SECTION 3: ASSEMBLING YOUR LAWN MOWER Removing Unit From Carton • Remove staple s, break glue on top fl aps, or cut tape at carton end an d open carton. • Remove loose parts if included with unit (i. e., operator’s manu al, etc.) • Cut along corner s, lay the carton down flat, and remove all packing materia l. • Roll or slide unit ou t [...]

8 • After movin g the hairpin clip, insert the ca rriage bolt, from the har dware pack, in the upper hole on the handle mounti ng bracket and secure with plastic wing nut fro m the hardware pack. See Figure 4. Repeat on th e other side. • Fasten the cable to the lower handle with the two cable ties fou nd on the lower handle. Pull the cable tie[...]

9 IMPORT ANT : Make sure cable is rout ed to the outside of the handle so that it is not in the way when attaching the grass catch er. • Lift the re ar discharge door on the mower . • Place the hoo ks, found on both sides of the gr ass catcher frame , over the chute door pivot rod at the rear of the mower. Release the r ear discharge door. See [...]

10 SECTION 5: OPERATING YOUR LAWN MOWER NOTE: You m ust service the engine with o il and gasoline before sta rting the mower for the fi rst time. Check oil and gasoline levels and fill up as necessary for subsequent starts. Gas & Oil Fill-Up • Check oil level and add oil if necessary. Follow relevant instr uctions in the engine manual for thi[...]

11 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 recom mended. Mow using the side discharge to redu ce the grass height to 3.25” maximu m before mulching. Bagging Grass Clippings You can use the grass catcher bag to collect clipping[...]

12 • Attach the ne w flap and new rod to deck, bend ing the ends of the new rod over to secure to deck. Figure 14 Blade Care Periodically inspect t he blade adapter for cracks, especially if you strike a foreign ob ject. Replace when necessary. Removing the Blade • Disconnect spark p lug wire from spark p lug. • Turn mower on its side making [...]

13 Wheels • Lubricate th e wheels and bearings, if so equippe d, at least once a seas on with light oil or engine oil. Also, if the wheels are remove d for any reason, lubricate the surface of the pivot arm axle and the inner surface of th e wheel with light oil. Rear Discharge Door • Lubricate the t orsion spring and the pivot point on each en[...]

14 SECTION 9: PARTS LIST MODEL 588Q 1 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 18 19 68 49 50 55 56 57 58 59 61 62 40 47 37 42 40 39 36 15 35 22 46 31 32 16 25 49 49 23 49 21 20 34 43 45 64 67 24 49 33 60 66 2 69[...]

15 Model 588Q Ref. No. P art No. P art Description 1. 749 -1092A Upper Handle 2. 747 -1161A Control Handle 6. 720 -0279 Handle Knob 7. 710 -1205 Rope Guide 8. 710 -1174 Carriage Bolt 5/16-1 8 x 2” 9. 736 -0451 Shoulder Washer.320 ID x.930 OD 10. 720-0284 Wing Nut 11. 749-0928A Lower Handle 12. 746-1130 Control Cabl e 40” 13. 664-04007 Grass Bag[...]

MANUF A CTURER’S LIMITED W ARRANTY FOR: The limited warranty set forth below is given by MTD LLC with respect to new merchandise purchased and used in the United States, its poss essions and territories. “MTD”warrants this product ag ai nst defects in material and workmanship for a period of two (2) years commen cing on the date of original p[...]