Mowing Tips - Craftsman 917.271731 Owner's Manual

• The attachmentscan also be used
during the enginewarm-up period..
NOTE: Ifata highaltitude (above 3000feet)
or in coldtemperatures ( below32 F)the
carburetor fuelmixture mayneedto be
adjusted for bestengineperformance See
"TOADJUST CARBURETOR" intheService
andAdjustments s ection of thismanual..
MOWINGTIPS
• Tire chainscannot be usedwhen the
mowerhousingis attachedto tractor.
• Mowershould be properlyleveledfor
bestmowingperformance. See "TO
LEVELMOWERHOUSING"in the
Serviceand Adjustmentssectionof this
manual.
, The left hand side of mowershouldbe
usedfor trimming.
. Driveso that clippingsare discharged
ontothe area that has been cut. Have
the cut areato the right of the tractor'.
This will result in a more even distribu-
tion of clippings and more uniform
cutting,.
• When mowinglarge areas, start by
turningto the right so that clippingswill
dischargeaway from shrubs,fences,
driveways,etc, After one or two
rounds,mow in the oppositedirection
makingleft hand turns untilfinished
• if grass is extremelytall, it shouldbe
mowedtwice to reduceload and
possiblefire hazard from dried clip-
pings, Makefirst cut relativelyhigh;the
second to the desired height.
° Do not mow grasswhen it is wet,. Wet
grass will plug mowerand leave
undesirableclumps. Allow grassto 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
selecting a 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.
, C----__J
MULCHING MOWINGTIPS
IMPORTANT: For best performance,
keep mower housing free of built-up
grass and trash_ Clean after each use°
o 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 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 fawn 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 mower
cutting height 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°
. Certain types of grass and grass
conditions may require that an area be
mulched a second time to completely
hide the clippings.. When doing a
second cut, mow across or perpendicu-
lar to the first cut path.
, Change your cutting pattern from week
to week. Mow north to south one week
then change to east to west the next
week. This will help prevent matting
and graining of the lawn.
16
Max t13"