Ground Drive - Craftsman EZ3 917.270611 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 performing any adjust-
ments or repairs. We recommend a wide vision safety mask over 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
o Depress clutch/brake pedal into full
"BRAKE" position and hold.
o 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.
Throttle/Choke Attachment Clutch Lever
Control lever "Engaged" Position
"-._"_ _ "Disengaged"
ClutcS'_rake .,__._ _ Position
Pedal"Drive" ,_-" _ _/" Parkin
Position- ', "\:'\ _ r,_ irake g
/_----_:, ,_'_ _" "_Ensigtagned"
,, _ .. "%<.,_./_,.__"-_. "..Gearshift
DJsengageo" - D_u _. Lever
Position Position
STOPPING
MOWER BLADES -
° To stop mower blades, move attach.
ment clutch lever to "DISENGAGED"
position.
GROUND DRIVE -
° To stopground drive, depress
clutch/brake pedal into full "BRAKE"
position.
,, Move gearshift lever to neutral (N) posi-
tion.
ENGINE -
,, Move throttle controlto slow position.
NOTE: Failure to move throttlecontrolto
slow positionand allowingengine to idle
before stoppingmay cause engine to
"backfire".
= Turn ignition key to "OFF" position and
remove key. Always remove key when
leaving tractor to prevent unauthorized
use.
° Never use choke to stop engine.
NOTE; Under certain conditions when
tractor is standing idle with the engine run-
ning, hot engine exhaust gases may
cause "browning" of grass. To eliminate
this possibility, always stop engine when
pping tractor on grass areas.
CAUTION; Always stop tractor com-
pletely, as described above, 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 clutcl-dbrake 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 positionof the attachment liftlever
determines the cutting heighL
° Grasp lift lever.
° Press plunger with thumb and move
lever to desired position.
The cutting height range is approximately
I-1/2 to 4". The heightsare measured
from the ground to the blade tip withthe
engine not running.These heightsare
approximate and may vary depending
upon soilconditions,height of grass and
types of grass being mowed.
° The average lawn should be cut to
approximately 2-1/2 inches duringthe
cool season and to over 3 inches during
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