Starting; Type; Cutting Height - Sears Craftsman 917.372810 Owner's Manual

OPERATION
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BEFORE STARTgNG ENGBNE
OIL (See Fig. 6)
Your lawn mower is shipped without oil in the engine..
. Be sure mower' is level and area around oil fill is clean_
• Remove engine oil cap w/dipstick and fill to the full line
on the dipstick_
o Use 28 ozs,. of oil. For type and grade of oil to use, see
"ENGINE" in Customer Responsibilities section of this
manual
. Pour oil slowly. Do not over fill..
. Check oil level before each use. Add oil if needed., Fill
to full line on dipstick,
o To read proper level, tighten engine oil cap each time_
° Reinstall engine oil cap and tighten.
° After- the first two (2) hours of mowing, change the oil,
and every 25 hours thereafter. You may need to
change the oi! more often under dusty, dirty conditions_
GAS (See Fig. 6)
° Fill gasoline tank with fresh, clean, unleaded gasoline..
DO NOT USE PREMIUM GASOLINE BE CAREFUL
NOT TO OVER FILL TANK_
WARNING: Experience indicates that alcohol blended
fuels (called gasohol or using ethanol or methanol) can
attract moisture which leads to separation and formation of
acids during storage.. Acidic gas can damage the fuel
system of an engine while in storage. To avoid engine
problems, the fuel system should be emptied before stor-
age of 30 days or longer.. Drain the fuel tank, start the
engine and let it run untii fuel lines and carburetor are
empty. Use fresh fuel next season° See Storage Instruc-
tions for additional information. Never use engine or
carburetor cleaner products in fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur..
TO START ENGINE
° To start a cold engine, push primer five (5) times before
trying to starL Use a firm push. This step is not usually
necessary when starting an engine which has already
run for a few minutes_
° Move engine speed control lever to high ('_) position.
° Hold operator presence control bar down to the handle
and pull starter handle quickly. Do not allow starter
rope to snap back.
° To stop engine, release operator presence control bar.
NOTE: In cooler weather it may be necessary to repeat
priming steps_ In warmer weather over priming may cause
flooding and engine will not start. If you do flood engine wait
a few minutes before attempting to start and do not repeat
priming steps.,
IVIOWING TIPS
° Under'certain conditions, such as very tall grass, it may
be necessary to raise the height of cut to reduce
pushing effort and to keep from overloading the engine
and leaving clumps of grass clippings.
° For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the width of cut by
overlapping previously cut path and mow slowly_
° For' better grass bagging and most cutting conditions,
the engine speed should be set in the high ('_)
position.
• For side discharge lawn mowers, cutting in a counter_
clockwise direction, starting at the outside of the area
to be cut, spreads grass clippings more evenly and
puts less load on the engine, To keep clippings off of
walk'ways, flower beds, etc.., make the first cuts in a
clockwise direction,, 8
GASOLINE FILLER CAP
ENGINE OIL CAP
W/DIPSTICK
FIG. 6
° Pores in cloth grass catchers can become filled with dirt
and dust with use and catchers will collect less grass°
To prevent this, regularly hose catcher off with water
and let dry before using_
o Keep top of engine around starter clear and clean of
grass clippings and chafL This will help engine airflow
and extend engine tife_
MAX 113
FIG. 7
MULCHING MOWING TIPS
IMPORTANT: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, KEEP
MOWER HOUSING FREE OF BUILT-UP GRASS AND
TRASH_ SEE "CLEANING" IN CUSTOMER
RESPONSIBILITIES SECTION OF THIS MANUAL,
= The special mulching blade will recut the grass clip-
pings many times and reduce them in size so that as
they fall onto the lawn they will disperse into the grass
and not be noticed° Also, the mulched grass will
biodegrade quickly to provide nutrients for the lawn.
Always mulch with your highest engine (blade) speed
as this will provide the best recutting action of the
blades.
° Avoid cutting your lawn when it is weL Wet grass tends
to form clumps and interferes with the mulching action_
The best time to mow your lawn is the early afternoon.
At this time the grass has dried and the newly cut area
will not be exposed to the direct sun,
• For best results, adjust the lawn mower cutting height
so that the lawn mower cuts off only the top one-third
of the grass blades (See Fig. 7)_ If the lawn is over-
grown it will be necessary to raise the height of cut to
reduce pushing effort and to keep from overloading the
engine and leaving clumps of mulched grass. For
extremely heavy mulching, reduce your' width of cut by
overlapping previously cut path and mow slowly.,
° Certain types of grass and grass conditions may re-
quire that an area be mulched a second time to corn-
pletely hide the clippings, When doing a second cut,
mow across or perpendicular to the first cut path.
° Change your cutting pattern from week to week. Mow
north to south one weekthen change to east to west the
next week_ This will help prevent matting and graining
of the lawn_