SANLI SSP550 Lawn Mower Instruction Manual

**SSP550 Lawn Mower
Instruction Manual

Mulch or Catch
Please read this instruction manual carefully before operating your new Sanli lawnmower.
Model number: SSP550**

What you get with your Sanli mower.

• Self Propelled petrol engine mower
• Rear grass catcher
• 600ml container of SAE30 engine oil
• Detachable side chute
• Mulching plug
• Basic tool kit

Tips on mower safety.

WARNING! The information contained within this safety section is extremely important. Personal injury to the user and to others may result if this section is not read and acted upon at all times.

1. Before starting your mower inspect it carefully to ensure that there are no loose parts and that it is in good working order.

2. Be sure of your footing. Always walk, never run, when operating the lawnmower.

3. Clear the area to be mowed of any stones, sticks, wire, and debris before beginning, and always ensure that you mow a safe distance away (over 14 meters)
   from adults, children, and animals.

4. Keep hands, feet, and clothing away from the mower’s moving parts, and always wear appropriate footwear (avoid sandals or open shoes). If your mower comes with a mulching plug, fit or remove the plug after firstly turning off the engine.

5. Never put your hands or feet underneath the chassis of the lawnmower while the engine is running.

6. Be aware that the machine’s exhaust area and other parts of the lawnmower get very hot during, and right after use.

7. Turn off the engine and disconnect the spark plug cap before cleaning, transporting, or making adjustments, and never leave the mower unattended.

8. Mow across the face of slopes, not up & down, and avoid mowing on very steep slopes. We recommend you avoid mowing when it is raining, or after nightfall.

9. Do not operate the machine by pulling it towards you as you risk pulling it onto your feet. Instead, always push and walk behind your lawnmower.

10. Do not fill the tank, or start the lawnmower indoors, or in a poorly ventilated area, as exhaust gases contain poisonous substances and petrol fumes are flammable and dangerous.

11. Always use 95 octanes regular unleaded petrol not more than 3 months old. Fill the tank using a funnel, but never completely. Clean up any overflow or splashes before starting.

12. To inspect the underside of your mower, only tilt the lawnmower to your right when standing behind it (this is the side where the exhaust is near the ground) otherwise oil may leak into inappropriate areas of the engine. Never tilt the lawnmower when the engine is running.

13. Turn off the engine before emptying the grass-catcher, and before clearing any grass caught in the rear flap where the mulching plug or catcher fits.

14. Do not alter engine governing settings or over-rev the engine, as excessive speed is dangerous and can reduce engine life and void warranty.

15. Never open the fuel filler cap, or fill the tank, if the engine is still hot after use. And please ensure that you securely tighten the petrol cap after filling.

16. Do not transport the mower in a vehicle if there is any petrol in the tank.

17. Store fuel and oil in a cool well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and not near gas cylinders or hot water heater systems.

18. Do not smoke when filling the fuel tank, using the machine, or when petrol is in the immediate area. And never use or store the mower near a naked flame.

19. Sanli recommends that you wear a safety helmet, ear protectors, safety goggles, and safety boots when using a lawnmower.

20. All servicing and repair work under warranty must be carried out by an Authorised Sanli Dealer, otherwise, the 2-year warranty may be void.

Assembly of handles

Fit the lower handles with bolts and nuts supplied.
Please note that there are three possible settings for the angle of the bottom handle to suit the operator. (See fig.1)

Lock the top handlebar into position using the quick-release clamps. (See fig. 2)

Fit the cable clamp to the inside of the lower handle with the bolt supplied. (See fig. 3)

Fit Zone starter guide to lower handle and attach the starter cord. (See fig. 4 & 5)

Fitting and adjusting the throttle cable

In its transmission-engaged position, the mower’s advance lever is pushed fully towards the handlebar (see fig. 6). An incorrectly-adjusted transmission cable can cause premature wear to the mower’s drive system.
If the transmission cable is too tight, it will be difficult to move the advance lever towards the handlebars. Conversely, if the transmission cable is not tight enough, the transmission will function poorly and will lack power.
To adjust the tension of the cable transmission, increase or reduce the length of the adjustment device using the wrench (see fig. 7). Check the effectiveness of the transmission and the resistance of the lever. Once the proper adjustment has been reached, secure the adjustment device by tightening the lock nuts.
Note: There should be about 2 cm of free-play before the advance lever engages drive.
Start to move forward manually and then slowly engage the advance lever. The mower should begin to move forwards gradually from that point onwards.

Fitting the side chute

Lift the flap, placing the two hooks under the axis of the hinge (see fig. 8) and let the flap return to hold the chute in place. (See fig. 9)

Cutting height adjustment.

WARNING! Turn the mower off before adjusting the cutting height lever.

Adjusting the cutting height
For best results, always adjust the cutting height of your mower to suit the mowing conditions, and do not try to remove too much grass in one pass.

• Take hold of the height adjustment lever positioned on the mower’s right-hand rear wheel.

• Move the lever outwards to release it from its locating notch (see fig.10).
  

• Move the lever towards the front of the machine to decrease the cutting height and towards the rear to increase the cutting height.

• Return the lever to the locating notch to set the desired cutting height.

• Make sure the handle fits snugly and securely into its serrated holder. Obstructions such as grass clippings should not hinder this movement or positioning.

Before you begin.

WARNING! The following procedures must be carried out before you start the engine of your lawnmower.

Fill oil sump with oil.
The mower is NOT supplied with oil in the engine, however, a container with the correct amount of oil (600ml) is supplied. It is essential that this is added before starting the engine for the first time.
Firstly, remove the warning label from under the dipstick, then remove the dipstick and slowly pour the entire contents of the container into the engine via the oil filler (see fig.11). Replace the dipstick and tighten.
Before you use the mower each time, check the oil level and if necessary top up with SAE30 engine oil. To check the oil level, just unscrew the yellow dipstick, wipe with a clean rag and replace it with the oil filler, but do not screw it back in place, and remove it again. The oil level must be on or just below the MAX mark on the dipstick, never above (see fig.12).

Fill fuel tank with 95 octanes regular unleaded petrol.

Petrol is highly flammable so extreme caution must be taken when handling it. Always store petrol in approved containers and you must ensure that you use fresh petrol that is less than three months old. Do not mix oil with petrol.
To put petrol in the fuel tank, firstly remove the warning label from under the petrol cap (see fig.13). It’s best to fill the tank using a clean funnel but never fill it completely. Instead, leave at least 13mm from the bottom of the filler neck to allow for expansion. Ensure that you securely tighten the petrol cap after filling.

Attach the grass catcher.
Just lift the rear flap with one hand and then gently slide the catcher into position (see fig.14) and hook over the hinge rod ends.
Never fit grass catcher with mulch plug inserted.

Fitting the mulching plug.

WARNING! Turn off the mower before fitting or removing the mulching plug.

Turn off your mower and then lift the rear flap to inspect the area inside, making sure it is clean and free of any built-up grass deposits.
With one hand, raise the rear flap, and then hold the handle of the mulching plug with your other hand and insert it downwards into the vacant area (see fig.15).
Finally, ensure that the base of the mulching plug is fixed firmly into place and is positioned against the outside of the cutting deck. Then lower the flap. For best mulching results, Sanli recommends that you mulch on cutting height setting number 7 or above and avoid mulching wet grass.

Starting the engine.

WARNING! Keep hands, feet, and clothing well away from moving parts, the exhaust, and the engine cowling. Refer to ‘Tips on mower safety’ on pages 4 and 5 for more information.

1. Make sure that your mower is on a safe, flat area (a paved area or path is ideal – avoid thick wet grass and gravel surfaces) to make starting safe.

2. Move the throttle control lever located on the handle to the ‘Cold Start’ position (see fig.16 previous page).

3. Slide the ‘Red’ petrol tap lever to the left ‘On’ position (see fig.17 previous page).

4. Firmly hold the top handle with one hand, and then with your other hand pull the cord slowly until you feel resistance (see fig.18 previous page). Then pull vigorously.

5. When the engine has been running for at least 3 seconds (slightly longer on cold days) adjust the throttle control lever to the ‘Run’ position.

6. To turn off your mower, slide the throttle control lever down to the ‘Stop’ position.
   After it has stopped, slide the ‘Red’ petrol tap lever to the right ‘Off’ position.

Engaging the self-propelled drive

Your SSP550 mower is equipped with a gearbox that allows the mower to be self- propelled. When the transmission is activated, it engages the rear wheels of the mower and the mower moves forward under its own power.
To activate the transmission, push the full-width advance lever at the rear of the handlebar forwards so that the lever presses against the handlebar (see fig.19).
While the machine is moving, hold the lever flexibly so it can be released easily when needed.
To stop driving to the wheels, release the advance lever.

Note: The transmission operates only when the engine is running to use the mower manually without driving the wheels, do not touch the advance lever at the rear of the handlebar.
When making U-turns, tight turns or when finishing off, release the advance lever and move the mower across the ground manually.

Basic maintenance made easy.

WARNING! If your mower is not serviced correctly, you could reduce your mower’s ability to operate and void warranty.

Spark plug.

Firstly, wait until the engine has cooled before disconnecting the spark plug cover and then removing the spark plug with the box spanner supplied (see fig. 20). If it is dirty, you can clean the plug with a wire brush. For best results, we advise you to replace the spark plug after 100 hours of use. The replacement spark plug is NGK BPR 6ES. When refitting the spark plug do not overtighten. If adjusting yourself, note the spark plug gap must be set to 0.75mm.

Air filter.
Ensure the engine is cool, unscrew the two top air filter nuts, using the small box spanner supplied (see fig. 21), lift up the cover, and remove the air filter element. Put the cover back on the housing immediately to prevent any objects from falling into the air intake.
Either carefully brush off any excess dirt particles, or replace the air filter with a new one (see fig. 22). To protect your warranty, only use a genuine Sanli air filter. We recommend that you replace the air filter after every 12 months of regular usage. When the air filter has been cleaned or replaced, screw in the cover, taking care not to over-tighten.

Oil changing.
Sanli recommends that the first oil change be carried out after the first 5 hours of mower use. Thereafter, change the oil after every 25 hours of use or at least once a year. Also, check your oil level before mowing every time to ensure that the engine is being fully protected. Sanli mowers run on SAE30 engine oil.
Before changing the oil, leave the engine running outdoors for several minutes to warm the oil and make it more fluid. Warning: parts of the engine will become very hot and can cause severe burns.
Remove the spark plug cap and unscrew the oil level dipstick. Place a suitable container beneath the mower’s oil filler pipe and tilt the mower onto its side with the air filter and carburetor uppermost (see fig. 23). Allow the oil to drain completely into the container. Return the mower back onto its four wheels and fill the engine with new SAE30 engine oil as described on page 9.

Using and storing petrol.

After three months, unleaded petrol begins to break down and may make your lawnmower difficult to start. If during the colder months you have not mowed in a while, you should drain the remaining fuel and replace with fresh unleaded.
Remove the fuel cap, then release the spring clip on the black hose leading into the fuel filter (see fig. 24) and then disconnect the hose ensuring you squeeze it together firmly. Then release your grip on the hose to allow the fuel to drain out into an appropriate container.

Blades and cutting system.

Extreme care should be taken with blades. Ensure the mower is off and the spark plug lead is disconnected from the spark plug, to prevent accidental ignition.
Remove the catcher or mulching plug, set the cutting height lever to the highest level, and then hold up the rear flap in order to inspect your blades (see fig. 25). Check every few months to make sure they are not damaged, loose, or overly worn. If loose, tighten, but not over-tighten, the nuts and bolts.

If you are planning to change the blades yourself, use thick work gloves and take extreme care at all times. A full range of parts is available from your Authorised
Sanli Dealer.

Technical specifications.

Fast troubleshooting

Often, a depleted, loose, or dirty spark plug is responsible for a mower not being able to start, but there can be a number of other reasons. Refer below to the list of potential problems you may encounter, along with suggested remedies. For servicing and all warranty work, contact your local Authorised Sanli Dealer.

Problem

| Likely cause|

Suggested remedy

---|---|---
The engine does not start.| The throttle lever is not set properly Out. or almost out. of fuel Spark plug depleted Spark plug dirty Spark plug not connected Flooded engine Old petrol in the tank  water in the fuel tank Dirty air cleaner  filter| Set to ‘Cold Start’ for cold or a little lower when warm Fill tank with 95 octanes regular unleaded petrol Replace with a suitable new spark plug Clean or replace with a new spark plug Press firmly on the spark plug cover Turn fuel ‘off’ then zip until it starts. then turn on Drain  stale fuel and replace with new unleaded Contact an Authorised Sanli  Dealer Clean or replace with a new Sanli air-filter
Engine stops often| Blocked fuel supply Fuel cap is not venting the Wrong type of fuel A dirty air cleaner filter| Ensure the fuel line is not pinched or blocked You may need to slightly loosen the fuel cap Drain petrol tank and fill with new unleaded Clean or replace with a new Sanli air-filter
Engine loses power| A dirty air cleaner filter
Incorrect height adjustment
Blocked fuel cap vent holes| Clean or replace with a new Sanli air filter Raise the mower’s cutting height lever
Ensure the 3 holes in the fuel tank cap are clear
The engine becomes excessively hot| Engine cooling fins blocked Low oil level| Clean engine exterior carefully Check the oil level
Transmission drive
operates but loses power| The transmission engagement cable is loose The drive V-belt is loose| Adjust the cable using the tensioning device Contact a SANLI approved dealer
Mower
vibrates
too much| Loose cutting blade Bent or broken  disc/blades Excessive grass/dirt build-up| Check and tighten bolts and nuts Replace disc or blades Clean and ensure underside clear of build-up
Poor cutting catching or mulching| Disc or blades worn/damaged Catcher not fitted correctly Incorrect cutting height set Blocked grass catcher vents Mulching plug not incorrectly| Replace disc or blades Reattach carefully and also check for damage  Adjust the cutting height Clear and clean the vents Reinsert carefully  and also check for damage

Mower features.

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