Craftsman EZ3 917.273031 Owner's Manual page 14

I[_ The operation ofanytractor canresult i nforeign o bjects t hrown i nto the
I
eyes, which can result in severe eye damage. Always wear safety glasses I
or eye shields while operating your tractor or performing any adjustments or I
repairs. We recommend a wide vision safety mask over spectacles, or stan- I
dard safety glasses. I
HOW TO USE YOUR TRACTOR
IMPORTANT: Leaving the ignition
switch
Your tractor is _luipped 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
• Depress clutch/brake pedal into full
"BRAKE" position and hold.
• Place parking brake lever in "EN-
GAGED" position and release pressure
from clutch/brake pedal. Pedal should
remain in "BRAKE" position. Make sure
parking brake will hold tractor secure.
Push-Into
=Disengaged' AttachmentClutch
Choke
Control SwitchPull Out To
Ped_ "Ddve"
Podton
Brake
Lever
STOPPING
MOWER BLADES
• To stop mower blades, move attach-
ment clutch switch to "DISENGAGED"
pcaition.
GROUND DRIVE
• To stopground ddve, depress
clutch/brake pedal into full "BRAKE"
position.
• Move gearshift lever to neutral (N)
position.
ENGINE
• Move throttle control to slow position.
NOTE: Failure to move throttle control to
_eoiwpo6ition and allowing engine to idle
re stopping may cause engine to
-bacldire'.
•Tum ign_on key to "OFF" position and
remo.ve key. Always remove key when
leav_ tractor to prevent unauthodzed
use.
• Never use choke to stop engine.
in any position other than =OFF' will cause
the battery to be discharged (dead).
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
stopping tractor on grass areas.
_. CAUTION: Always stop tractor com-
pletely, as descn'bed 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.
CHOKE CONTROL
Use choke control whenever you are start-
ing a cold engine. Do not use to stad a
warm engine.
• To engage choke control, pull knob out.
Slowly push knob in to disengage.
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 and range shift levers to
desired position.
• Slowly release clutch/brake pedal to
start movement.
IMPORTANT: Bdng tractor to a complete
stop before shifting or changing gears.
Failure to de so will shorten the useful life
of your transaxle.
TO ADJUST MOWER cu'rrlNG HEIGHT
The cuffing height is controlled by turning
the height adjustment knob in desired
direction.
• "rum knob clockwise (C,) to raise cutting
neight.
Turn knob counterclockwise (0) to
lower cuffing height.
The cutting height range is approximately
1-1/2" to 4-I/2". The heights are mea-
sured from the ground to the blade tip with
the engine cot running. These heights are
approximate and may vary depending
upon soil conditions, height of grass and
14 types of grass being mowed.