How To Use Your Tractor; To Set Parking Brake; Stopping; Throttle Control - Craftsman 917.270512 Owner's Manual

The operation of any tractor can result in foreign objects thrown into the
eyes, which can result in severe eye damage. Always wear safety glass-
es or eye shields while operating your tractor or perfor_m._g.an_just-
ments or repairs. We recommend a wide vision safety _ask'b_-"_-r the
spectacles, or standard safety glasses.
HOW TO USE YOUR TRACTOR
Your tractor is equipped with an operator
presence sensing switch. When engine
is running, any attempt by the operator to
leave the seat without first setting the
parking brake will shut off the engine.
TO SET PARKING BRAKE
• Depress clutch/brake pedal into full
=BRAKE" position and hold.
• Place parking brake lever in
"ENGAGED" position and release pres-
sure from clutch/brake pedal. Pedal
should remain in =BRAKE" position.
Make sure parking brake will hold trac-
tor secure.
AttachmentClutchLever
ThrotUe/Choke _ 'Engaged"Position
Controllever
"
_
_ _ "Disengaged-
Clutch/B _ _._ Parking
Pedal "Ddve"
t_ \ _2._._ Brake
Posi ._ /'Engaged-
__osi_on
_ Gearshift
"Disengaged" " _ Lever
Position "Brake"_osition
STOPPING
MOWER BLADES -
• To stop mower blades, move attach-
ment clutch lever to =DISENGAGED"
position.
GROUND DRIVE -
• To stop ground ddve, depress
clutch/brake pedal into full =BRAKE"
position.
• Move gearshift lever to neutral (N) posi-
tion.
ENGINE -
• Move throttle control to slow position.
NOTE: Failure to move throttle control to
slow position and allowing engine to idle
before stopping may cause engine to
=backfire".
•Tum ignition key to =OFF" position and
remove key. Always remove key when
leaving tractor to prevent unauthorized
use.
• Never use choke to stop engine.
IMPORTANT: Leaving the ignitionswitch
in any positionother than =OFF" will cause
the battery to be discharged (dead).
NOTE: Under certain conditionswhen
tractor is standing idle withthe engine run-
ning, hot engine exhaust gases may
cause =browning" of grass. To eliminate
this possibility, a lways stop engine when
_l_pping tractor on grass areas.
CAUTION: Always stoptractor com-
pletely,as describedabove, before leaving-
the operator's position;to empty grass
catcher, etc.
THROTTLE CONTROL
Always operate engine at full throttle.
• Operating engine at less than full throt-
tle reduces the battery charging rate.
• Full throttle offers the best bagging and
mower performance.
TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACKWARD
The direction and speed of movement is
controlled by the gearshift lever.
• Start tractor with clutch/brake pedal
depressed and gearshift lever in neutral
(N) position.
• Move gearshift lever to desired posi-
tion.
• Slowly release clutch/brake pedal to
start movement.
IMPORTANT: Bring tractor to a complete
stop before shifting or changing gears.
Failure to do so will shorten the useful life
of your transaxle .............
TO ADJUST MOWER CUTTING HEIGHT
The position of the attachment lift lever
determines the cutting height.
• Grasp lift lever.
• Press plunger with thumb and move
lever to desired position.
The cutting height range is approximate-
ly 1-1/2 to 4". The heights are measured
from the ground to the blade tip with the
engine not running. These heights are
approximate and may vary depending
upon soil conditions, height of grass and
types of grass being mowed.
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