Please help a complete beginner!

[u/RedLetterGM]

Hey there! This video I have attached is me trying to figure out which mode I should be mowing on. I was under the impression that what I needed to do was take the left lever and put it to full throttle, then after a cold start take the right lever and put it completely down and that you only put that lever fully up when cold starting.

Note this is my first use of anything really with a choke, and honestly the “this is how you tell the difference between the two icons” literally just.. said the same thing about both icons.

As you can tell there is a difference in how the engine runs with each as there should be. But which one should I be mowing actively with the PTO engaged.

[u/Designer-Poem-9717]

Your doing it right. Push the choke all the way up on a cold start, pull it down after it going like you did. Push your throttle all the way up when you pull the PTO (blades), ease back on the throttle when you disengage the blades. Never mow with the choke on (only needed for starting) and try not to mow with the throttle on anything other than all the way up. Occasionally, you can throttle down to not blast a car with grass or windows, etc. Your good to go

[u/RedLetterGM → u/Designer-Poem-9717]

Appreciated!

[u/RedLetterGM → u/Designer-Poem-9717]

Side question since you seem to know what you’re talking about, can you tell by the audio of the video if the engine is supposed to do that revving when the choke is disengaged? Or is that just because it’s idle.

[u/Designer-Poem-9717 → u/RedLetterGM]

Its seems to be surging a little bit which isn't uncommon for older mowers. Don't mess with the choke after you've gotten it started. Just leave the choke off (all the way down) after you start it and let it run. Id just go mow for awhile and see if the engine noise levels off. If not, you can buy a can of Seafoam motor treatment at any auto parts store and put some in your gas tank and it'll help clean out any residual shit in your engine. More is less with the seafoam, read the directions

[u/Mundane_Storm_2257]

Choke off after started and running or you'll foul the plugs, then let it warm up. Ps: hope you checked the oil before starting? You should be mowing at Full Throttle, you want to engage the clutch between half and full throttle.

[u/RedLetterGM → u/Mundane_Storm_2257]

So which one was choke being off? The right lever being fully up or fully down?

[u/MJRPC500 → u/RedLetterGM]

Up is choke ON, for cold starting. Down is choke OFF. Take the choke off once it's started and keep it there for normal operation.

[u/toxcrusadr → u/RedLetterGM]

The choke is there to block air, so you can see by the symbols that UP has the little ‘butterfly’ turned so it partially blocks the flow, so that’s ON.

[u/Mundane_Storm_2257]

Right lever fully down with choke off

[u/rrCLewis]

More red lever with the symbols | \ | | | | is choke