Craftsman 917.376990 Owner's Manual page 8

The operation of any lawn
SAFETY GLASSES mower can result in foreign
objectsthrownintothe eyes,
which can result in severe
eye damage. Atways wear
safety glasses or eye shields while oper-
ating your lawn mower or performingany
adjustmentsor repairs. We recommenda
standardsafetyglassesorwidevisionsafety
maskworn over spectacles.
HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER
ENGINE SPEED
The engine speed was set at the factory
for optimum performance. Speed is not
adjustable.
ENGINE ZONE CONTROL
_CAUTION: Federal regulations require
an engine control to be installed on this
lawn mower in order to minimize the
risk of blade contact injury. Do not under
any circumstances attempt to defeat the
function of the operator control. The blade
turns when the engine is running.
• Your lawn mower is equipped with an
operator presence control bar which
requires the operator to be positioned
behind the lawn mower handle to start
and operate the lawn mower.
DRIVE CONTROL
• Self-propelling is controlled by hold-
ing the operator presence control bar
down to the handle and pulling the drive
control lever rearward to the handle.
The farther toward the handle the lever
is pulled, the faster the unit will travel.
• Forward motion will stop when either
the operator presence control bar or
drive control lever are released. To stop
forward motion without stopping engine,
release only the drive control lever. Hold
operator presence control bar down
against handle to continue mowing
without self-propelling
NOTE: If after releasing the drive control
the mower will not roll backwards, push
the mower forward slightly to disengage
drive wheels.
• To keep drive control engaged when
turning corners, push down on the
handle to lift the front wheels off the
ground while turning lawn mower.
DRIVE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
Over time, the drive control system may
become "loose", resulting in decreased
speed. There is a turnbuckle on the
underside of the drive control housing to
increase tension on the drive cable. Pro-
ceed as follows:
1. Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug
wire from spark plug.
2. Turn nut on underside of drive control
to increase drive speed.
3. Operate mower to test drive speed.
Readjust as required.
4. If condition fails to improve after the
above steps (forward speed remains
the same), your drive belt is worn and
should be replaced.
O _=ratorpresence control bar
Drive
control
TO
lever
ENGAGE DRIVE
Adjustment DRIVE CONTROL
turnbuckle CONTROL DISENGAGED
TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT
Both front wheels are adjusted by a single
lever on the left front wheel. Likewise,
both rear wheels are adjusted by a single
lever on the left rear wheel.
• Pull adjuster lever toward wheel. To
raise mower, move lever forward to
desired position. To lower mower, move
the lever backward to desired position.
Be sure to adjust both front and rear
wheels to the same height.
Height uster lever
LEVER BACKWARD
TO LOWER MOWER
LEVER FORWARD
TO RAISE MOWER
TO CONVERT MOWER
Your lawn mower was shipped ready to
be used as a mulcher. To convert to rear
bagging or side discharging:
REAR BAGGING
1. Remove knob securing mulcher door
to lawn mower housing.
2. Open mulcher door and insert tabs
of discharge chute into hinge bracket
opening and position rear of chute over
threaded stud.