Troy-Bilt 546 manual

21” Hi-Wheel Mower Models 546 & 549 Oper ator’ s Man ual PRINTED IN U .S.A. 769-00987A.f m (11/2004) Form No. Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-cov- ered, brush-covered or gr ass-covered land unless the engine’ s exhaust system is equipped with a spark[...]

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FINDING MODEL NUMBER This Operator’s Manual is an important part of your new lawn mower. It will help y ou assemble, prepare and maintain the unit fo r best performance. Plea se read and understand what it says. Before you start as sembling your new equipment , please locate the model plate on t he equipment and copy th e info[...]

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 manual (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 th e equipment should star t to vibrate abnormally, stop the engine and check immedi ately for the cause. Vibration is generally a warning of t[...]

5 10. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch below bottom of filler neck to provide space for fuel expansion. 11. Replace gasoline ca p 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 o[...]

6 SECTION 2: SLOPE GAUGE Use this page as a guide to dete rmine slopes where you may not operat e 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 Cart on • Remove stap les, break glue on top flaps, or cut tape at carton en d and 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 • Fasten the cable to the lower handle with the two cable ties fou nd on the lower handle. Pull the cable ties tight an d trim off t he excess. Se e Figure 5. Figure 5 NOTE: Your mower is shipp ed with the handle in the higher positio n. If you wish to lower the height of the handle, refer to the Adjustment Section at this time. Attaching Rear [...]

9 Figure 9 • To remove the grass catche r, lift the rear d ischarge door on the mowe r, lift the grass catc her up and off the pivot rod. R elease the rear discharge door. Attaching Side-Discharge Chute • Remove the grass catcher and let the discharge door clos e. • On the right side of the mower, lift the mulching plug and slide t he two hoo[...]

10 Grass Catcher The grass catcher, located at the rear of t he mower, is used to bag the gr ass clippings fo r disposal at anothe r site. Once the bag is full, it ha s to be removed from the mower and emptied be fore any further mowing. Mulching Plug Instead of collec ting grass clippings in a gr ass catcher, this mower has the option of recircula[...]

11 • For a healthy lawn , always cut off one-third or less of the tota l length of the grass. Mulching For effective mulching , do not cut wet grass. New or thick grass may require a narrower cut. If the grass has grown in exce ss of 4”, mulching is not reco mmended. Mow using the side discharge to r educe the grass height to 3.25 ” maximum b[...]

12 SECTION 7: MAINTAINING YOUR LAWN MOWER Cleaning Mower The underside of th e mower deck should be cleaned after each use to preven t any build-up of grass clippings, leaves, dirt , or other debris. NOTE: We do not recommend the use of pressure washers or garden ho se to clean your unit. Th ese may cause damag e to bearings or the engine. T he use[...]

13 • Follow the original angle of grind as a guide. Make sure that each cutti ng edge receives an equal amount of grindi ng to prevent an unbalanced blade . Balancing the Blade • The blade can be test ed by balancing it on a round shaft screwdrive r. Remove metal from the he avy side until it balances eve nly. It is recommended that the blade a[...]

14 29 25 40 37 41 40 38 43 27 26 25 20 35 33 24 22 21 28 31 44 47 25 36 13 52 4 8 3 2 10 42 45 17 16 23 46 6 7 50 30 49 9 11 5 1 15 53 19 18 14 60 59 25 25 25 34 57 54 56 51 32 58 39 48 55 47 12 SECTION 10: PARTS LIST FOR MODELS 546 & 549[...]

15 PARTS LIST FOR MODELS 546 & 549 Ref. No. P art No. P art Description 1. 747 -1161A Control Handle 2. 749 -1092A Upper Handle 3. 747 -04080 Grass Bag Frame 4. 749 -0928A Lower Handle 5. 720 -0279 Wing Nut 6. 710 -1205 Rope Guide 7. 710 -1174 Carriage Bolt 5/16-1 8 x 2” 8. 664 -04011 Grass Bag 9. 720 -0284 Wing Nut 10. 746-1130 Control Cable[...]

MANUF A CTURER’S LIMITED W ARRANTY FOR: The limited warranty set forth below is given by Troy-Bilt LLC with respect to new merchandise purchased and used in the United States, its possessions an d territories. “Troy-Bilt” warrants this product ag ainst defects in mate rial and workmanship for a pe riod of two (2) years commencing on the date [...]