Tires; Blade Care; Blade Sharpening; Battery Maintenance - Craftsman 917.255692 Owner's Manual

CUSTO
TRACTOR
Always observe safety rules when performing any mainte-
nance.
BRAKE OPERATION
if unit requires more than six (6) feet stoppingdistance at
high speed in highest gear, than brake mustbe adjusted
(See "TO ADJUST BRAKE' in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual).
TIRES
• Maintainproper airpressure in all tires (See "PROD-
UCT SPECIFICATIONS on page 3 of this manual).
o Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect control chemi-
cals which can harm rubber.
° Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp objects and
other hazards that may cause tire damage_
BLADE CARE
For best results mower blades must be kept sharp. Tile
blades can be sharpened with a file or on agdnding wheel.
We suggest they be sharpened or replaced after every 25
hours of mowing. Check blades more often if mowing in
sandy conditions°
• Do not attempt to sharpen blades while they are on the
mower.
° Replace bent or damaged blades°
ESPONSI LUTm
TO SHARPEN BLADE (See Fig. 14)
Care should be taken to keep the blade balanced. An
unbalanced blade will cause excessive vibration and even-
tual damage to mower' and engine. .....
. The blade can be sharpened with a file or o na grinding
wheel.. Do not attempt to sharpen while on the mower.
. To check blade balance, you will need a 5/8" diameter
steel bolt, pin, ora cone balancer_ (When using a cone
balancer, follow the instructions supplied w_th bal-
arlcer)_
o Slide blade on toan unthreaded portion o fthesteel bolt
orpinand holdthebolt orpinparallel withtheground.
If blade is balanced, it should remain in a horizontal
position. If either end of the blade moves downward,
sharpen the heavy end until the blade is balanced.
NOTE: Do not use a nail for balancing blade. The lobes of
the center hole may appear' to be centered, but are noL
CENTER HOLE
5!8" BOLT
OR PIN
BLADE
BLADE REMOVAL (See Fig. 13)
• Raise mower to highest position to allow access to
blades°
o Remove hex bolt, lock washerand flat washersecuring
blade_
• Install new or resharpened blade with trailing edge up
towards deck as shown,
- Reassemble hex bolt, lock washer and flat washer in
exact order as shown°
° Tighten bolt securely (30-35 Fto Lbs. torque),
IMPORTANT: BLADE BOLT,IS GRADE 8 HEATTREATED.
BLADE
_,i_ MANDREL
ASSEMBLY
T.AlU.GEDaE
FLATWAS.ER. /
LOCK WASHER __
_"_ HEX BOLT (GRADE 8)*
*AGRADE 8HEATTREATEDBOLTCAN BE
IDENTIFIED BY SIX LINES ON THE BOLT HEAD,
FIG. 13
16
FIG. 14
BATTERY (See Fig. 15)
Your unit has a battery charging system which is sufficient
for normal use. However, periodic charging of the battery
with an automotive charger will extend it's life.
° Acid solution level in each battery cell should be even
with bottoms ofvent wells_ Add only distilled or ironfree
water if necessary. Do not overfill
• Keep battery and terminals clean°
• Keep battery bolts tight.
• Keep vent caps tight and small vent holes in caps open.
• Recharge at 6 amperes for 1 hour..
TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TERMINALS ,.
Corrosion and dirt on the battery and terminals can cause
the battery to "leak" power.
• Remove terminal guard°
° Disconnect BLACK battery cable first, then RED bat-
tery cable and remove battery from tractor.
° Wash battery with solution of four tablespoons of
baking soda to one gallon of water., Be careful not to get
the soda solution into the cells,
° Rinse the battery with plain water' and dry.
= Clean terminals and battery cable ends with wire brush
until brighL
° Coat terminals with grease or petroleum jelly.
° Reinstall battery (See "INSTALL BATTERY" in the
Assembly section of this manual).