Troy-Bilt 769-09220A Manuel D’Utilisation

Before leaving the operator’s position 

for any reason, disengage the blades, place the shift 

lever in neutral, engage the parking brake, shut 

engine off and remove the key.

When stopping the tractor for any reason while 

on a grass surface, always:
1. 

Place the shift lever in neutral, 

2. 

Engage the parking brake, 

3. 

Shut engine off and remove the key. 

Doing so will minimize the possibility of having your lawn 

‘‘browned’’ by hot exhaust from your tractor’s running engine.

Refer to the SLOPE GAUGE in the Important Safe Operation 

Practices section in the front of this manual to help determine 

slopes where you may operate the tractor safely.

Do not mow on inclines with a slope in 

excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet 

every 10 feet). The tractor could overturn and cause 

serious injury.

• 

Mow up and down slopes, NEVER across.

• 

Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on 

slopes.

• 

Watch for holes, ruts, bumps, rocks, or other hidden 

objects. Uneven terrain could overturn the machine. Tall 

grass can hide obstacles.

• 

Avoid turns when driving on a slope. If a turn must be 

made, turn down the slope. Turning up a slope greatly 

increases the chance of a roll over.

• 

Avoid stopping when driving up a slope. If it is necessary 

to stop while driving up a slope, start up smoothly and 

carefully to reduce the possibility of flipping the tractor 

over backward.

Engaging the PTO (Blade Engage) transfers power to the cutting 

deck. To engage the blades, proceed as follows:
1. 

Move the throttle control lever to the FAST (rabbit) position.

2. 

Grasp the PTO (Blade Engage) lever and pivot it all the way 

forward into the engaged (ON) position.

3. 

Keep the throttle lever in the FAST (rabbit) position for the 

most efficient use of the cutting deck or other (separately 

available) attachments..

The PTO (Blade Engage) lever must be in the 

disengaged (OFF) position when starting the engine, when 

traveling in reverse, and if the operator leaves the seat.  Refer to 

Safety Interlock Switches in the Operation section of this manual.

The engine will automatically shut off if the PTO 

is engaged with the speed control lever in position for reverse 

travel with the ignition key in the NORMAL MOWING position.

To raise the cutting deck, move the deck lift lever to the left, then 

place it in the notch best suited for your application. Refer to 

Setting The Cutting Height earlier in this section.

To help avoid blade contact or a 

thrown object injury, keep bystanders, helpers, 

children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine 

while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone 

enters the area.

The following information will be helpful when using the cutting 

deck with your tractor:

Plan your mowing pattern to avoid 

discharge of materials toward roads, sidewalks, 

bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discharging 

material against a wall or obstruction which may 

cause discharged material to ricochet back toward 

the operator.

• 

Do not mow at high ground speed, especially if a mulch kit 

or grass collector is installed.

• 

For best results it is recommended that the first two laps be 

cut with the discharge thrown towards the center. After the 

first two laps, reverse the direction to throw the discharge 

to the outside for the balance of cutting. This will give a 

better appearance to the lawn.

• 

Do not cut the grass too short. Short grass invites weed 

growth and yellows quickly in dry weather.

• 

Mowing should always be done with the engine at full 

throttle. 

• 

Under heavier conditions it may be necessary to go back 

over the cut area a second time to get a clean cut. 

• 

Do NOT attempt to mow heavy brush and weeds and 

extremely tall grass. Your tractor is designed to mow lawns, 

NOT clear brush.

• 

Keep the blades sharp and replace the blades when worn. 

Refer to Cutting Blades in the Service section of this manual 

for proper blade sharpening instructions.

• 

On some models, the lamps are ON whenever the tractor’s 

engine is running. On other models, the lamps are ON 

whenever the ignition key is moved out of the STOP 

position.

• 

The lamps turn OFF when the ignition key is moved to the 

STOP position.