Husqvarna YTH24K48 Lawn Tractor User Manual

Table of Contents

Husqvarna YTH24K48 Lawn Tractor

SAFETY RULES

GENERAL SERVICE

Never operate the machine in a closed area.
Keep all nuts and bolts tight to ensure the equipment is in safe working condition.
Never tamper with safety devices. Check their proper operation regularly.
Keep the machine free of grass, leaves, or other debris buildup. Clean oil or fuel spillage and remove any fuel-soaked debris. Allow the machine to cool before storing.
If you strike a foreign object, stop and inspect the machine. Repair, if necessary, before restarting.
Never make any adjustments or repairs with the engine running.
Check grass catcher components and the discharge chute frequently and replace with the manufacturer’s recommended parts when necessary.
Mower blades are sharp. Wrap the blade or wear gloves, and use extra caution when servicing them.
Check brake operation frequently. Adjust and service as required.
Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as necessary.
Ensure the area is clear of bystanders before operating. Stop the machine if anyone enters the area.
Never carry passengers.
Do not mow in reverse unless necessary. Always look down and behind before and while backing.
Never carry children, even with the blades shut off. They may fall off and be seriously injured or interfere with safe machine operation. Children who have been given rides in the past may suddenly appear in the mowing area for another ride and be run over or backed over by the machine.
Keep children out of the mowing area and in the watchful care of a responsible adult other than the operator.
Be alert and turn the machine off if a child enters the area.
Before and while backing, look behind and down for small children.
Mow up and down slopes (15° Max), not across.
Choose a low ground speed so that you will not have to stop or shift while on the slope.
Avoid starting, stopping, or turning on a slope. If the tires lose traction, disengage the blades and proceed slowly straight down the slope.
If the machine stops while going uphill, disengage the blades, shift into reverse, and back down slowly.
Do not turn on slopes unless necessary, and then, turn slowly and gradually downhill, if possible.
When loading or unloading this machine, do not exceed the maximum recommended operation angle of 15°.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Gasoline Capacity and type: 3 Gallons/11,35 L Unleaded Regular
Oil Type (API-SG-SL):
- SAE 10W30 (above 32°F/0°C)
- SAE 5W-30 (below 32°F/0°C)
Oil Capacity: 64 oz/1,96 L
Spark Plug: Champion RC12YC (Gap: .030″/.76 mm)
Charging System: 15 AMPS @ 3600 RPM
Battery:
- AMP/HR: 28
- MIN. CCA: 230
- Case Size: U1R
Blade Bolt Torque: 45-55 FT. LBS./60-75 Nm

UNASSEMBLED PARTS

ASSEMBLY

Your new tractor has been assembled at the factory except for those parts left unassembled for shipping purposes.

TOOLS REQUIRED FOR ASSEMBLY

A socket wrench set will make assembly easier. Standard wrench sizes are listed.

1/2″ wrench Tire pressure gauge
7/16″ wrenches, Utility knife, Pliers

When the right or left hand is mentioned in this manual, it means when you are in the operating position (seated behind the steering wheel).

TO REMOVE THE TRACTOR FROM THE CARTON

UNPACK CARTON

Remove all accessible loose parts and parts cartons from the carton.
Cut along dotted lines on all four panels of the carton. Remove end panels and lay side panels flat.
Check for any additional loose parts or cartons and remove them.

BEFORE REMOVING THE TRACTOR FROM THE SKID

TO CHECK BATTERY (See Fig. 1)

Lift the hood to a raised position.
NOTE: If this battery is put into service after the month and year indicated on the label (label is located between terminals),, charge battery for a minimum of one hour at 6-10 amps. (See “BATTERY” in the Maintenance section of this manual for charging instructions.)
For battery and battery cable installation, see “REPLACING BATTERY” in the “Service and Adjustments” section in this manual.

ADJUST SEAT (See Fig. 2)

Sit in the seat.
Lift up adjustment lever (A) and slide seat until a comfortable position is reached which allows you to press clutch/brake pedal all the way down.
Release the lever to lock the seat in position.

NOTE: You may now roll your tractor off the skid. Follow the appropriate instructions below to remove the tractor from the skid.

WARNING: Before starting, read, understand and fol low all in struc tions in the Op er a tion section of this man u al. Be sure tractor is in a well-ventilated area. Be sure the area in front of tractor is clear of other peo ple and objects.

TO ROLL THE TRACTOR OFF THE SKID

(See Operation section for location and function of controls)

Raise the attachment lift lever to its highest position.
Release the parking brake by pressing ing brake pedal.
Place freewheel control in disengaged position to disen gage trans mis sion (See “TO TRANS PORT” in the Op er a tion section of this manual).
Roll the tractor forward off the skid.

Continue with the instructions that follow.

CHECK TIRE PRESSURE

The tires on your tractor were overinflated at the factory for shipping purposes. Correct tire pressure is important for the best cutting performance.
• Reduce tire pressure to the PSI shown on the tires.

CHECK DECK LEVELNESS

For best cutting results, the mower housing should be properly leveled. See “TO LEVEL MOWER HOUSING” in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual.

CHECK FOR PROPER POSITION OF ALL BELTS

See the figures that are shown for replacing motion and mower blade drive belts in the Service and Adjustments sec tion of this manual. Verify that the belts are routed cor rect ly.

CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM

After you learn how to operate your tractor, check to see that the brake is operating properly. See “TO CHECK BRAKE” in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual.

OPERATION

These symbols may appear on your tractor or in literature supplied with the product. Learn and understand their meaning.

FREE WHEEL

(Automatic Models only)

WARNING

Failure to follow instructions could result in serious injury or death. The safety alert symbol is used to identify safety information about hazards that can
result in death, serious injury, and/or property damage.

DANGER indicates a hazard which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.

WARNING indicates a hazard which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

CAUTION indicates a hazard which, if not avoided, might result in minor or moderate injury.

CAUTION, when used without the alert symbol, indicates a situation that could result in damage to the tractor and/or engine.

HOT SURFACES indicates a hazard which, if not avoided, could result in death, serious injury, and/or property damage.

FIRE indicates a hazard which, if not avoided, could result in death, serious injury, and/or property damage.

KNOW YOUR TRACTOR

READ THIS OWNER’S MANUAL AND SAFETY RULES BEFORE OPERATING YOUR TRACTOR

Compare the illustrations with your tractor to familiarize yourself with the locations of various controls and adjustments. Save this manual for future reference.

Our tractors conform to the applicable safety standards of the American National Standards Institute.

(A) ATTACHMENT LIFT LEVER – Used to raise and lower the mower or other attachments mounted to your tractor.
(B) BRAKE PEDAL – Used for braking the tractor and starting the engine.
(C) PARKING BRAKE – Locks clutch/brake pedal into the brake position.
(D) THROTTLE/CHOKE CONTROL – Used for starting and controlling engine speed.
(E) ATTACHMENT CLUTCH SWITCH – Used to engage the mower blades or other attachments mounted to your tractor.
(F) IGNITION SWITCH – Used for starting and stopping the engine.
(G) REVERSE OPERATION SYSTEM (ROS) “ON” POSITION – Allows operation of mower or other powered attachment while in reverse.
(H) LIGHT SWITCH – Turns the headlights on and off.
(J) CRUISE CONTROL LEVER – Used to set forward movement of tractor at desired speed without holding the forward drive pedal.
(K) FORWARD DRIVE PEDAL – Used for forward movement of the tractor.
(L) REVERSE DRIVE PEDAL – Used for reverse movement of the tractor.
(M) FREEWHEEL CONTROL – Disengages transmission for pushing or slowly tow ing the trac tor with the engine off.
(N) CHOKE CONTROL – Used when starting a cold engine.
(P) SERVICE REMINDER / HOUR METER – Indicates when service is required for the engine and mower.

HOW TO USE YOUR TRAC TOR

TO SET PARKING BRAKE (See Fig. 4)

Your tractor is equipped with an operator presence sensing switch. When engine is running, any attempt by the op er a tor to leave the seat without first setting the parking brake will shut off the engine.

Depress the brake pedal (B) down and hold.
Pull the parking brake lever (C) up and hold, release pressure from the brake pedal (B), then release the parking brake lever. The pedal should remain in the brake position. Make sure the parking brake will hold the tractor secure.

STOPPING (See Fig. 5)

MOWER BLADES –

To stop the mower blades, place the attachment clutch control in the “DISENGAGED” position .

GROUND DRIVE –

To stop the ground drive, depress the brake pedal into the full “BRAKE” position.
IMPORTANT: FORWARD AND REVERSE DRIVE PEDALS RETURN TO NEUTRAL POSITION WHEN NOT DEPRESSED.

ENGINE –

Move throttle control (D) between half and full speed (fast) position.
NOTE: Failure to move throttle control between half and full speed (fast) position, before stopping ping may cause the engine to “backfire”.
Turn ignition key (F) to “STOP” position and remove key. Always remove key when leaving tractor to prevent un author ized use.
Never use the choke to stop the engine.

IMPORTANT: LEAVING THE IGNITION SWITCH IN ANY POSITION OTHER THAN “STOP” WILL CAUSE THE BATTERY TO BE DISCHARGED (DEAD).

NOTE: Under certain conditions when tractor is standing idle with the engine running, hot en gine exhaust gases may cause “browning” of grass. To eliminate this possibility, always stop engine when stopping tractor on grass areas.

CAUTION: Always stop the tractor completely, as described above, and set the parking brake before leaving the op er ator’s position.

TO USE THROTTLE CONTROL (D) (See Fig. 6)

Always operate the engine at full speed (fast).

Operating the engine at less than full speed (fast) reduces the engine’s operating efficiency.
Full speed (fast) offers the best mower performance

TO USE CHOKE CONTROL (N) (See Fig. 6)

Use choke control whenever you are starting a cold engine.

Do not use it to start a warm engine.

To engage choke control (N), pull knob out. Slowly push knob in to disengage.

TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD (See Fig. 7)

The direction and speed of movement are controlled by the forward and reverse drive pedals.

Start the tractor and release the parking brake.
Slowly depress forward (K) or reverse (L) drive pedal to begin movement. Ground speed increases the further down the pedal is depressed.

TO USE CRUISE CONTROL (J) (See Fig. 7)

The cruise control feature can be used for forward travel only.

SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS

The cruise control should only be used while mowing or transporting on relatively smooth, straight surfaces. Other con di tions such as trimming at slow speeds may cause the cruise control to dis en gage. Do not use the cruise controlon slopes, rough terrian or while trimmimg or turning.

With forward drive pedal depressed to desired speed, pull cruise control lever (J) up and hold while lifting your foot off the pedal, then release the lever.

To disengage the cruise control, depress the brake pedal or tap on the forward drive pedal.

TO ADJUST MOWER CUTTING HEIGHT (See Fig. 8)

The position of the attachment lever (A) determines the cutting height.

Put the attachment lift lever in the desired cutting height slot.
The cutting height range is ap prox i mate ly 1″ to 4″. The heights are measured from the ground to the blade tip with the engine not running. These heights are approximate and may vary depending upon soil conditions, height of grass and types of grass being mowed.
The average lawn should be cut to approximately 2-1/2 ” during the cool season and to over 3″ during hot months. For healthier and better looking lawns, mow often and after moderate growth.
For best cutting performance, grass over 6″ in height should be mowed twice. Make the first cut relatively high; the second to de sired height.

TO ADJUST GAUGE WHEELS (See Fig. 9)

Gauge wheels are properly adjusted when they are slightly off the ground, when the mower is at the desired cutting height in the operating position. Gauge wheels then keep the deck in the proper position to help prevent scalping in most terrain conditions.

NOTE: Adjust gauge wheels with the tractor on a flat, level surface.

Adjust mower to desired cutting height (See “TO AD- JUST MOWER CUTTING HEIGHT” in this section of manual).
With mower in desired height of cut position, gauge wheels should be assembled so they are slightly off the ground. Install gauge wheel in appropriate hole. Tighten securely.
Repeat for all, installing the gauge wheel in the same adjustment hole.

TO OPERATE THE MOWER

Your tractor is equipped with an operator presence sensing switch. Any attempt by the operator to leave the seat with the engine running and the attachment clutch engaged will shut off the engine. You must remain fully and centrally positioned in the seat to prevent the engine from hesitating or cutting off when operating your equipment on rough, rolling terrain or hills.

Select the desired height of cut with the attachment lift lever.
Start the mower blades by engaging the attachment clutch control.

TO STOP MOWER BLADES –

Disengage the attachment clutch control.

CAUTION: Do not operate the mower without either the entire grass catcher, on mowers so equipped, or the deflector shield (S) in place. (See Fig. 10)

REVERSE OPERATION SYSTEM (ROS)

Your tractor is equipped with a Reverse Operation System (ROS). Any attempt by the operator to travel in the reverse direction with the attachment clutch engaged will shut off the engine unless ignition key is placed in the ROS “ON” position.

WARNING: Backing up with the attachment clutch en- gaged while mowing is strongly discouraged. Turning the ROS “ON”, to allow reverse operation with the attachment clutch engaged, should only be done when the operator decides it is necessary to reposition the machine with the attachment engaged. Do not mow in reverse unless necessary.

USING THE REVERSE OPERATION SYSTEM –

Only use if you are certain no children or other bystanders will enter the mowing area.

Depress the brake pedal.
With the engine running, turn the ignition key counterclockwise to the ROS “ON” position.
Look down and behind before and while backing.
Slowly depress the reverse drive pedal to start movement.
When use of the ROS is no longer needed, turn the ignition key clockwise to engine “ON” position.

TO OPERATE ON HILLS

CAUTION: Do not drive up or down hills with slopes greater than 15° and do not drive across any slope. Choose the slowest speed before starting up or down hills.

Avoid stopping or changing speed on hills.
If stopping is necessary, push the brake pedal quickly to the brake position and engage the parking brake.
To restart movement, slowly release the parking brake and brake pedal.
Slowly depress the appropriate drive pedal to the slowest setting.
Make all turns slowly.

TO TRANSPORT (See Figs. 3 and 11)

When pushing or towing your tractor, be sure to disengage the transmission by placing the freewheel control in the freewheeling position. Free wheel control is located at the rear drawbar of the tractor.

Raise the attachment lift to the highest position with attachment lift control.
Pull the freewheel control out and down into the slot and release so it is held in the disengaged position.
Do not push or tow a tractor at more than two (2) MPH.
To reengage transmission, reverse the above procedure.

NOTE: To protect hood from damage when transporting your tractor on a truck or a trailer, be sure hood is closed and secured to tractor. Use an appropriate means of tying hood to tractor (rope, cord, etc.).

SERVICE REMINDER/HOUR METER

The service reminder shows the total number of hours the engine has run and indicates when the engine or mower needs servicing. After every 50 hours of operation, the oil can icon will stay on for 2 hours or until a manual reset occurs. To reset the display, manually turn the ignition switch to the on position, then the off position five times (1 second on, 1 second off). To service the engine and mower, see the Maintenance section of this manual.

Note: Service reminder runs when the ignition key is in any position but “STOP”. For accurate reading, be sure key remains in the “STOP” position when engine is not running.

TOWING CARTS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

Tow only the attachments that are recommended by and comply with specifications of the manufacturer of your trac- tor. Use common sense when towing. Too heavy of a load, while on a slope, is dangerous. Tires can lose traction with the ground and cause you to lose control of your tractor.

BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE

CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL

The engine in your tractor has been shipped from the factory, already filled with ssummer-weightoil oil.

Check the engine oil with the tractor on level ground.
Pull up and remove oil fill cap/dipstick; wipe oil off. Reinsert the dipstick into the tube and push down firmly into place. Remove and read oil level. If necessary, add oil until “FULL” mark on dipstick is reached. Do not overfill.
For cold weather operation you should change oil for easier starting (See “OIL VISCOSITY CHART” in the Maintenance section of this manual).
To change engine oil, see the Maintenance section in this manual.

ADD GASOLINE

Fill fuel tank to bottom of filler neck. Do not overfill. Use fresh, clean, regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum of 87 octane. (Use of leaded gasoline will increase carbon and lead oxide deposits and reduce valve life. Do not mix oil with gasoline. Purchase fuel in quantities that can be used within 30 days to assure fuel freshness.

TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 3)

When starting the engine for the first time or if the engine has run out of fuel, it will take extra cranking time to move fuel from the tank to the engine.

Be sure freewheel control is in the transmission engaged position.
Sit on the seat in the operating position, depress the brake pedal, and set the parking brake.
Move the attachment clutch to the “DISENGAGED” position.
Move the throttle control to the fast position.
Pull the choke control out for a cold engine start attempt. For a warm engine start attempt the choke control may not be needed.

NOTE: Before starting, read the warm and cold starting procedures below.

Insert key into ignition and turn key clockwise to “START’ position and release key as soon as engine starts. Do not run starter continuously for more than fifteen seconds per minute. If the engine does not start after several attempts, push choke control in, wait a few minutes and try again. If engine still does not start, pull the choke control out and retry.

WARM WEATHER STARTING (50°F/10°C and above)

When engine starts, slowly push choke control in until the engine begins to run smoothly. If the engine starts to run roughly, pull the choke control out slightly for a few seconds and then continue to push the control in slowly.
The attachments and ground drive can now be used. If the engine does not accept the load, restart the engine and allow it to warm up for one minute using the choke as described above.

COLD WEATHER STARTING (50°F/10°C and below)

When engine starts, slowly push choke control in until the engine begins to run smoothly. Continue to push the choke control in small steps allowing the engine to accept small changes in speed and load, until the choke control is fully in. If the engine starts to run roughly, pull the choke control out slightly for a few seconds and then continue to push the control in slowly. This may require an engine warm-up period from several seconds to several minutes, depending on the temperature.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WARM UP

Before driving the unit in cold weather, the transmission should be warmed up as follows:
- Be sure the tractor is on level ground. • Release the parking brake and let the brake slowly return to the operating position.
- Allow one minute for transmission to warm up. This can be done during the engine warm-up period.
The attachments can be used during the engine warm- up period after the transmission has been warmed up and may require the choke control be pulled out slightly.

NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold temperatures (below 32°F/0°C), the carburetor fuel mixture may need to be adjusted for best engine performance. See “TO ADJUST CARBURETOR” in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual.

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