Instruction Sheet
Kit Number: 71508700, 71509000, 71509100
ZOOM XL / ZT XL MULCHING KIT
INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING: FAILURE TO FOLLOW
INSTRUCTIONS could result in personal injury
and/or damage to unit.
Read, understand, and follow all safety
practices in Owner/Operator Manual before
beginning.
ACCIDENTAL ENGINE START UP can cause
death or serious injury. ALWAYS stop engine,
remove key, wait for moving parts to stop, and
remove wire from spark plug before adjusting
or servicing.
SHARP EDGES CAN CUT BODY PARTS.
ALWAYS wrap blades, wear protective gloves,
and use extreme caution when handling
blades.
WARNING: ALWAYS block wheels and know
all jack stands are strong and secure and will
hold weight of unit during maintenance.
CAUTION: On multiblade mowers, rotation of
one blade will cause all blades to rotate.
1. Set mower deck to lowest cutting height.
2. Jack up the mower deck to expose the blades.
3. Remove hardware and blades from the mower
spindles. Save hardware for installing mulching
blades (figure 1).
1
PACKAGE CONTENTS
2
Check the contents of your kit for parts listed below
(figure 4):
Item
1
2
3
4
5
Description
Qty
Part Number
Right Mulch Baffle
(42" Decks)
Right Mulch Baffle
(48" Decks)
Right Mulch Baffle
(54" Decks)
1
03374851
1
00615551
1
03295551
Center Mulch Baffle
(42" Decks)
Center Mulch Baffle
(48" Decks)
Center Mulch Baffle
(52" Decks)
1
03374951
1
00615151
1
03295651
Left Mulch Baffle (42"
Decks)
Left Mulch Baffle (48"
Decks)
Left Mulch Baffle (54"
Decks)
1
03375051
3
4
5
1
00611251
1
03295751
5/16-18 Nyloc Flange Nut
(48" & 54" Decks)
5/16-18 Nyloc Flange Nut
(42" Decks)
6
06545400
8
06545400
14.50" Mulching Blade
(42" Decks)
16.25" Mulching Blade
(48" Decks)
18.50" Mulching Blade
(54" Decks)
3
03288600
3
00273000
3
03288700
1. Mower Spindle
Assembly
2. Washer
3. Blade
4. Washer
5. Spindle Hex Bolt
Figure 1
IFf0200
WARNING: THROWN OBJECTS could result
in death or serious injury. ALWAYS operate
with full mulching kit or full front baffle and
deflector installed.
4. Remove and save the discharge chute from the
deck. Save discharge chute and mounting
hardware to reinstall the chute when the mulch kit
gets removed.
© Copyright 2008 • Ariens Company • P.O. Box 157 • Brillion, WI 54110-0157
03293400 4/08 Page 1 of 3
5. Remove the discharge deflector from the deck.
Install the bolt and nut in the top of the deck to plug
the deck hole. Save the hardware to reinstall
deflector when mulching baffles are removed.
Remove discharge deflector from
deck. Save deflector and hardware
for reinstallation.
Reinstall this bolt
to plug the hole in
the deck.
NOTE: Refer to figure 4 for the following procedures.
7. Align the studs on the left mulch baffle (item 3) and
the studs on the center mulch baffle (item 2) with
the deck mounting holes and install the baffles on
the mower deck with four 5/16-18 nyloc flange nuts
(item 4) on 48" and 54" decks or with six 5/16-18
nyloc flange nuts (item 4) on 42" decks.
8. Align the studs on the right mulch baffle (item 1)
with the deck mounting holes and install the baffle
on the mower deck with two 5/16-18 nyloc flange
nuts (item 4).
9. Tighten all hardware and check that the baffles fit
flush to the mower deck.
2
3
1
Reinstall this nut
to plug the hole in
the deck.
4
5
Lock Nuts
Figure 2
6. Remove the hex bolts and flange nuts used to plug
the baffle mounting holes.
NOTE: 48" and 54" decks have four bolts plugging the
mounting holes. 42" decks have six bolts plugging the
mounting holes.
Remove hardware plugging the baffle
mounting holes. Reinstall hardware
after removing the baffles.
4
4
Figure 4
The right and center baffles will
overlap slightly here.
Figure 5
Figure 3
03293400 4/08 Page 2 of 3
10. Install the mulching blades (item 5) on mower
spindles with hardware removed in step 3. Make
sure the hardware is installed as shown in figure 6.
11. Turn the blades to make sure they do not contact
the baffles or any other parts, and then torque the
spindle hex bolts to 80 – 120 lbf-ft (108 – 163 N•m).
5
Install the two
washers below the
blade.
Figure 6
03293400 4/08 Page 3 of 3