Craftsman 247.288843 Operator's Manual page 108

DrivingOnSlopes
Referto the SLOPE GAUGE i nthe SafetyInstructions sectionofthe manual t o help
determineslopes whereyoumayoperatethistractorsafely.
Donot mow on inclines w ith a slope inexcess of 15degrees(a riseof
approximately2-112 feet every 10feet). Thetractor couldoverturn and
causeseriousinjury.
Mowupanddownslopes, N EVER a cross.
Exercise e xtremecautionwhenchanging directiononslopes.
Watch for holes, r uts,bumps,rocks, o r otherhiddenobjects. U neven terrain
couldoverturnthe machine. T allgrass canhideobstacles.
Avoidturnswhendrivingon aslope.Ifa turn mustbemade,turn downthe
slope.Turning up aslopegreatlyincreases t he chance of aroll over.
Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupaslope.If it isnecessary t o stopwhile
drivingupaslope,startup smoothly andcarefully to reduce the possibility
of flippingthe tractoroverbackward.
Engagingthe Blades
Engaging t he PTO (BladeEngage) transferspowertothe cuttingdeckorother
(separately a vailable) a ttachments. T oengage the blades, p roceed asfollows:
1. Movethe throttle/choke controlleverto the FAST ( rabbit)position.
2. Grasp the PTO (BladeEngage) l everandpivotit all the wayforwardintothe
engaged (ON) p osition.
3. Keep the throttleleverinthe FAST ( rabbit)positionfor the mostefficientuse
of thecutting deck or other(separately a vailable) a ttachments.
NOTE: The enginewill automatically shutoff if the PTO isengaged with the shift
leverinpositionforreverse travelwith the ignitionkeyin the ON position.
Mulching
Amulchkit isavailableasanattachment. M ulchingisa process o f recirculating
grassclippings repeatedly beneath the cuttingdeck.Theultra-fineclippings are
thenforcedbackintothe lawnwherethey actasanaturalfertilizer.
Amulchkit canbepurchased t hroughthe retaillocationinwhichyoupurchased
thistractor.Formoreinformation,simplycontactSears a t 1-800-659-5917.
Mowing
Tohelpavoid bladecontactor athrown object injury, keepbystanders,
helpers,children andpets at least 75; f eet from the machinewhile it is in
operation. Stopmachineif anyoneentersthe area.
Thefollowing informationwill behelpfulwhenusingthe cuttingdeckwith your
tractor:
Planyour mowing pattern to avoiddischargeof materialstoward roads,
sidewalks,bystandersandthe like.Also,avoiddischargingmaterial against
awall or obstruction whichmay causedischargedmaterialto ricochet back
toward the operator.
Donot mowat highgroundspeed, e specially ira mulchkit or grasscollector
isinstalled.
Forbestresultsit isrecommended t hatthe first two laps be cutwith the
discharge throwntowardsthe center. A fterthe first two laps,reverse the
directionto throwthe discharge t o the outsideforthe balance of cutting.
Thiswill giveabetterappearance t o the lawn.
Donot cutthe grasstoo short.Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowth andyellows
quicklyindry weather.
Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewith the engineatfull throttle.
Under heavier c onditions it maybenecessary t o gobackoverthe cutareaa
second timeto get acleancut.
DoNOT attemptto mowheavybrushandweedsandextremely tall grass.
Yourtractorisdesigned to mowlawns,NOT clearbrush.
Keep the bladessharpandreplace the blades when worn.Refer t o Cutting
Blades i n the Service s ectionof thismanual f orproperbladesharpening
instructions.
Headlights
ThelampsareON whenever the tractor'sengineisrunning.
Thelampsturn OFF whenthe ignitionkeyis moved to the STOP p osition.
Usingthe DeckLift Lever
Toraise the cuttingdeck,movethe decklift leverto the left,then placeit inthe
notchbestsuitedfor yourapplication. R efer t o SettingTheCuttingHeightearlierin
thissection.
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