Craftsman 917.377042 Owner's Manual page 8

The operationof any lawn
mowercan result in foreign
objects thrown into the
eyes, which can result in
severe eye damage.Always
wear safety glasses or eye shields while
operating your lawn mower or performing
any adjustments or repairs. We recom-
mend a standard safety glasses or wide
vision safety mask worn over spectacles.
HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER
THROTTLE / ENGINE CONTROL
The engine is controlled by a throttle con-
trol located on the side of the upper handle.
CHOKE position is for starting a cold engine;
FAST position is for starting a warm engine,
normal cutting, trimming and better grass
bagging; SLOW position is for light cutting,
trimming and fuel economy, STOP position
is for stopping the engine.
0
t""'v-''_ STOP
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BLADE CONTROL
_kCAUTION: When the blade control is
engaged, the blade turns.
• To start the blade, hold the operator
presence control bar down to the handle
and push the blade/brake control lever
forward until it latches. To stop the
blade, release the operator presence
control bar. Do not pull the blade/brake
lever rearward with the operator pres-
ence control bar down against the
handle. Allow a cold engine to warm
up in high idle position for one minute
before engaging the blade.
NOTE: It is normal to hear the belt slip as the
blade is engaged and comes up to speed.
• Do not start the blade in uncut grass.
Move the mower out of uncut grass
before starting the blade.
A_CAUTION: Federal regulations require
this blade/brake control to minimize the
risk of blade contact injury. Do not under
any circumstances attempt to defeat the
function of this control.
Operator presence control bar Blade / brake
control lever
TO
ENGAGE
BLADE
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 blade,
release the drive control lever only. 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.
_rator presence control bar
Drive
control
_ TO lever
ENGAGE DRIVE
Adjustment DRIVE CONTROL
turnbuckle CONTROL DISENGAGED
DRIVE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
Over time, the drive control system may
become "loose", resulting in decreased
speed. There is a turnbuckle on the drive
control housing to increase tension on the
drive cable. Proceed as follows:
1. Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug
wire from spark plug.
2. Rotate turnbuckle on 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.