Craftsman 917.27224 Owner's Manual page 17

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WARM U P
Before d riving t heunit i ncold weather
thetransm ssion should b ewarmed upas
follows:
1. Be sure the tractor is on level ground.
2. Release the parking brake and let the
brake slowly retum to operating
position.
3. Allow one minute for transmission to
warm up. This can be done during the
engine warm up period.
• The attachments can be used during
the engine warm-up period after the
transmission has been warmed up and
may require the choke control be
pulled out slightly.
NOTE: ff at a high altitude (above 3000
feet) or in cold temperatures (below 32 F)
the carburetor fuel mixture may need to
be adjusted for best engine performance.
See TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the
Service and Adjustments section of this
manual.
PURGETRANSMISSION
_,CAUTION: Never engage or disengage
free.wheellever while the engine is
running.
To ensure proper operation and perfor-
manse, it is recommended that the
transmissionbe purged before operating
tractorfor the first time. This procedure will
remove any trapped air inside the trans-
mission which may have developed during
shippingof your tractor.
IMPORTANT: Should your transmission
require removal for service or replacement,
it shouldbe purged after reinstallation
before operatingthe tractor.
1. Place tractor safely on level surface
with engine off and parking brake set.
2. Disengage transmission by placing
freewheel control in freewheeling
position (See =TO TRANSPORT" in
thissection of manual).
3. Sitting in the tractor seat, start engine,
After the engine is running, move
throttlecontrol to slow position.
Disengage parking brake.
4. Depress forward drive pedal to full
forward position and hold for five (5)
seconds and release pedal. Depress
reverse ddve pedal to full reverse
position and hold for five (5) seconds
and release pedal. Repeat this
procedure three (3) times.
NOTE: During thisprocedure there will be
no movement of drive wheels. The air is
being removed from hydraulicdrive
system.
5. Shut- off engine and set parking
brake.
17
6. Engage transmission by placing
freewheel control in driving position
(See "TO TRANSPORT in thissection
of manual).
7. Sitting in the tractor seat, start engine.
After the engine is running, move
throttle control to haft (1/2) speed.
Disengage parking brake.
8. Drive tractor forward for approximately
five feet then backwards for five feet.
Repeat this driving procedure three
times.
Your tractor is now purged and now ready
for normal operation.
MOWlNGTIPS
• Mower should be propedy leveled for
best mowing performance. See "TO
LEVEL MOWER HOUSING" in the
Service and Adjustments section of this
manual.
• The left hand side of mower should be
used for trimming.
• Drive so that clippings are discharged
onto the area that has been cut. Have
the cut area to the right of the tractor.
This will result in e more even distribu-
tion of clippings and more uniform
cutting.
• When mowing large areas, start by
turning to the right so that clippings will
discharge away from shrubs, fences,
driveways, etc. After one or two
rounds, mow in the opposite direction
making left hand turns until finished.
• If grass is extremely tall, it should be
mowed twice to reduce load and
possible fire hazard from dried dip-
pings. Make first cut relatively high; the
second to the desired height.
• Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet
grass will plug mower and leave
undesirable clumps. Allow grass to dry
before mowing.
• Atways operate engine at full throttle
when mowing to assure better mowing
performance and proper discharge of
material. Regulate ground speed by
selecting e low enough gear to give the
mower cutting performance as well as
the quality of cut desired.
• When operating attachments, select a
ground speed that will suit the terrain
and give best performance of the
attachment being used.