I Hate Owner's Manuals

[Tracker II]

Woo hoo! I just took delivery of a brand spanking new Bob-cat Fastcat Pro ZT Thursday and decided to do something I've never done before in my life - read the owners manuals (mower and engine) cover to cover before using it.

Now I know why I've never done this before. They swamp you with so much safety garbage for liability purposes that you can't hardly find the good stuff. If that's not bad enough, there is always the conflicting advice, the mower manual says to do the first oil change at 8 hrs while the engine manual says to do it after the first 5 hrs.

Then there is the just plain silly stuff. The Kawasaki manual that covers three of their FX engines says to remove the sparks plugs when winterizing and put oil in the spark plug holes. It then provides a picture of the engine with the plug removed and an arrow with the label "Spark Plug Hole". Lol, I'm pretty sure that most people can find the spark plug hole after they've removed the spark plug.

Anyway, i know these types of things are common to all manuals for things with motors or engines, but after reading them cover to cover, it really got to me this time, ha ha.

By the way, this Bob-cat is the beast!!!

 

[bakerg]

You need to supply us with a picture to prove it is a beast.:wink::laughing:

 

[djdicetn]

Woo hoo! I just took delivery of a brand spanking new Bob-cat Fastcat Pro ZT Thursday and decided to do something I've never done before in my life - read the owners manuals (mower and engine) cover to cover before using it.

Now I know why I've never done this before. They swamp you with so much safety garbage for liability purposes that you can't hardly find the good stuff. If that's not bad enough, there is always the conflicting advice, the mower manual says to do the first oil change at 8 hrs while the engine manual says to do it after the first 5 hrs.

Then there is the just plain silly stuff. The Kawasaki manual that covers three of their FX engines says to remove the sparks plugs when winterizing and put oil in the spark plug holes. It then provides a picture of the engine with the plug removed and an arrow with the label "Spark Plug Hole". Lol, I'm pretty sure that most people can find the spark plug hole after they've removed the spark plug.

Anyway, i know these types of things are common to all manuals for things with motors or engines, but after reading them cover to cover, it really got to me this time, ha ha.

By the way, this Bob-cat is the beast!!!

Tracker II,
IMHO, your best resource for determining "conflicts" in required maintenance(like the Bobcat /Kawasaki manuals for the engine) is to ask the mechanic at your dealer. My Gravely manual stated(and the hour digital display/maintenance reminders say) 25 hours for the first oil change and the Kawasaki manual stated 8 hours. I asked my mechanic and he recommended 10 hours. Guess when I changed my oil for the first time????:0)
Also, even though my ZTR has the FX(Commercial) Kawa engine and the Gravely and Kawa manual states oil(every 100 hours) and oil filter(every 200 hours) I am "used to" changing my oil "every spring" and my fillter every other year(probably 25/50 hour service intervals). Even though I understand that this is a different engine "animal" because my others were definitely not commercial grade, I am leaning towards 50 hour oil and 100 hour filter changes(but will check with my dealer's mechanic for his valued opinion). I believe that oil/filters are inexpensive and engine repairs are not, so changing them more often gives me that "warm & fuzzy":0)

 

[mowerman05]

Djdicetn, what the reason for not changing the filter with the oil every time. I always was told oil and filter at every oil change, car truck lawnmower or what ever you have?

 

[djdicetn]

Djdicetn, what the reason for not changing the filter with the oil every time. I always was told oil and filter at every oil change, car truck lawnmower or what ever you have?

I used to change both every time(I do on my vehicles). Then I began looking at the oil "darkness" when I changed the old lawn tractors every spring(probably around 25 hours each year) and the oil was no where close to as dark as when I changed my vehicles every 3,000 miles. I just figred the change every year may have been somewhat overkill and wasted money. Seems that the recommendations for the Kawa FX with the 100 hour oil and 200 hour filter changes kind of "reinforced" that theory. I'm not dead set on the 50 hour oil and 100 hour oil filter regiment and my mechanic(or users here like you) may convince me it is worthwhile to go back to the oil & filter at every change.

 

[Tracker II]

Bakerg - yah, I've got to get a picture posted before I get it dirty.

Djdicetin - I'm not sure how I'm going to do the oil and filter thing. It just seems so counter intuitive not to change the filter with the oil but I would assume that the boys at Kawasaki know what they're doing. One thing about this mower that I absolutely love is the oil drain tube that is clamped to the side of the engine housing. All you have to do is pull the yellow cap off the yellow valve, twist the yellow valve a turn or so, and drop it down into the collection pan - easy peasy. The hose and clamp are very sturdy so it should hold up well.

Anyway, back to the frustration with the owners manual. In the storage section (the page before the spark plug hole picture), it says to close the fuel valve and remove the sediment bowl. It would really like some help on identifying these two parts. Are they talking about the fuel shut off valve going from the gas tank to the carb or a fuel valve in the carb itself. And just where is the sediment bowl. I think it's the round thingy at the bottom of the carb also housing the float but if that is it, those two screws are going to be tough to reach. How 'bout a picture of that Kawasaki instead of a picture of a "spark plug hole"?

 

[djdicetn]

Bakerg - yah, I've got to get a picture posted before I get it dirty.

Djdicetin - I'm not sure how I'm going to do the oil and filter thing. It just seems so counter intuitive not to change the filter with the oil but I would assume that the boys at Kawasaki know what they're doing. One thing about this mower that I absolutely love is the oil drain tube that is clamped to the side of the engine housing. All you have to do is pull the yellow cap off the yellow valve, twist the yellow valve a turn or so, and drop it down into the collection pan - easy peasy. The hose and clamp are very sturdy so it should hold up well.

Anyway, back to the frustration with the owners manual. In the storage section (the page before the spark plug hole picture), it says to close the fuel valve and remove the sediment bowl. It would really like some help on identifying these two parts. Are they talking about the fuel shut off valve going from the gas tank to the carb or a fuel valve in the carb itself. And just where is the sediment bowl. I think it's the round thingy at the bottom of the carb also housing the float but if that is it, those two screws are going to be tough to reach. How 'bout a picture of that Kawasaki instead of a picture of a "spark plug hole"?

Don't worry about getting it dirty.....if you're anything like me, I've spent more hours cleaning my Gravely after mowing than I have mowing:0) Blow it off with an air tank(man, I gotta buy that backpack blower:0) then wipe it down real good(I learned with my two lawn tractors the pitfall of using a garden hose regarding rust). I may "wash it" once a year but water won't touch it aside from that. After 12 hours of mowing you can't tell it wasn't just brought home today!!

Yeah, I agree you can't hurt "over-maintaining" like you can "under-maintaining" and my jury is still out on the oil filter schedule. Mine doesn't recommend the sediment bowl thing...it's got a left/right/off fuel tank control lever and it just recommends turning it to off and running the engine until it runs out of gas. Can't help you there, but I agree that needs a picture better than where to put oil in the piston chamber:0)

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Don't worry about getting it dirty.....

At least my Honda doesn't get dirty :wink: (see picture).

 

[djdicetn]

At least my Honda doesn't get dirty :wink: (see picture).

View attachment 14429

Looks like my desk at work...I may have a "desk job", but I've always heard that a clean, organized desk is the sign of a cluttered mind....and vice versa:0)

 

[Carscw]

At least my Honda doesn't get dirty :wink: (see picture).

<img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=14429"/>

Now that's what a working mans mower should look like.

My mowers see water it's called rain if I did not cut in the rain I would not have any yards to cut. When I get a email that's says that 50 yards are due in 4 days they mean 4 days. In march I was cutting while it was snowing. The rain does slow us down missed my mark this week by 3 yards that I will do tomorrow in the rain because all it does here is rain

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))