Mowing Tips; Mulching Mowing Tips - Craftsman EZ3 917.271014 Owner's Manual

MOWING'rIPS
• Mower shouldbe properlyleveled for best
mowing performance. See "TO LEVEL
MOWER HOUSING" intheService a nd
Adjustments sectionof this manual.
• The left hand side of mower should be
used for trimming.
• Drive so that clippingsare discharged onto
the area that has been cut. Have the cut
area to the right of the tractor.This will result
in a more even distribution of clippings and
more uniform cutting.
• When mowing large areas, start by tuming
to the rightso that clippings will discharge
away from shrubs, fences, driveways, etc.
Al_erone or two rounds, mow in the oppo-
site direction making left hand turns until
finished.
* If grass is extremely tall, it should be
mowed twice to reduce load and possible
fire hazard from dried clippings. Make first
cut relatively high; the second to the de-
sired height.
• Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet
grass will plug mower and leave undesir-
able clumps. Allow grass to dry before
mowing.
• Always operate engine at full throttle
when rnowing to assurebetter mowing,
performanceand properdischargeof ma-
terial. Regulate groundspeed by selecting
a low enough gear to givethe mowerthe
best cuttingperformance as well as the
quality of cut desired.
• When operatingattachments, select a
groundspeed that will suitthe terrainand
give best performance of the attachment
being used.
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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 will
biodegrade quickly to provide nutrients for
the lawn. Always mulch with your highest
engine (blade) speed as this will provide
the best recurring action of the blades.
• Avoid cuUJng your lawn when it is wet. Wet
grass tends to form clumps and interferes
with the mulching action. The best time to
mow your lawn is the early aftemoon. 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 ex-
b'emely 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 clip-
pings. 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 week then
change to east to west the next weak. This
will help prevent matting and graining of
the lawn.
Max 1/3
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