Mowing Tips; Mulching; Cold Weather Starting - Craftsman EZ3 917.273030 Owner's Manual

COLD WEATHERSTARTING(50
° F AND
BELOW)
o Wh6n engine starts, slowly push choke
control in until the engine begins to run
smoothly. Continue to push the choke
control in small steps allowing the
engine to accept small changes in
speed and load, until the choke control
is fully in. if the engine starts to run
roughly, pull the choke control out slight-
ly for a few seconds and then continue
to push the control in slowly. This may _
require an engine warm-up period from
several seconds to several minutes,
depending on the temperature.
, The attachments can be used during
the engine warm-up period and may
require the choke control be pulled out
slightly.
NOTE: 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.
o Do not' mow grass When it is wet. Wet
grass'will plug mower and leave unde-
sirable clumps. Allow grass to dry
before mowing.
° Always operate engine at full throttle
when mowing to assure better mowing
performance and proper discharge of
material. Regulate ground speed by se-
lecting a low enough gear to give the
mower the best 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 at-
tachment being used.
f
i
MOWING TIPS
o Tire chains cannot be used when the
mower housing is attached to tractor.
° Mower should be properly leveled for
best mowing performance. See "TO
LEVEL MOWER HOUSING" in'the
Service and Adjustments sectiqn of this
manual.
° The left hand side of mower sPibuld be
used for trimming.
° Drive so that clippings are discharged
onto the area that has been cuL Have
the cut area to the right of the tractor.
This will result in a more even distribu-
tion of clippings and more uniform cut-
ting.
* When mowing large areas, start by turn-
ii_g to the right so that clippings will dis-
charge away from shrubs, fences, drive-
ways, 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 possi-
ble fire hazard from dried clippings.
Make first cut relatively high; the second
to the desired height.
MULCHING MOWING TIPS
IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep
mower housing free of built-up grass and
trash. Clean after each use.
° The special mulching blade will recut
the grass clippings 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 wilt biodegrade quickly
to provide nutrients for the lawn. Always
mulch with your highest engine (blade)
speed as this will provide the best recut-
ting action of the blades.
° Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet.
Wet grass tends to f0rm _lumlS'Sand
interferes with the mulching action. The
best time to mow your lawn is the early
afternoon. At thi s time th_ grass has
dried and the newly cut area will not be
exposed to the direct sun.
• For best results;adjLtst the mower cut-
ting helght so that the mower cuts off
only the top one-third of the grass
blades. For extremely heavy mulching,
reduce your width of cut on each pass
and mow slowly.
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