Craftsman 917.378520 Owner's Manual page 7

The operationof any lawn
mowercan result in foreign
objectsthrowninto the
eyes, which can resultin
severe
eye damage.
Always wear safety glasses or eye
shields while operating your lawn mower
or performing any adjustments or repairs.
We recommend standard safety glasses
or a wide vision safety mask worn over
spectacles.
HOWTO USEYOUR LAWN MOWER
ENGINE CONTROL
The engine is controlled by a throttle
control located on the side of the upper
handle. CHOKE position is for starting a
cold engine and FAST position is for
starting a warm engine and normal
operation. The engine speed is not
adjustable. ,_
FAST
CHOKE ,'" "';-.
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ENGINE ZONE CONTROL
ACAUTION: Federal regulations require
an engine control to be installed on this
lawn mower in order to minimize the risk
of blade contact injury. Do not under any
circumstances attempt to defeat the
function of the operator control. The blade
turns when the engine is running.
• Your lawn mower is equipped with an
operator presence control bar which
requires the operator to be positioned
behind the lawn mower handle to start
and operate the lawn mower.
DRIVE CONTROL
• Self-propelling is controlled by holding
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
engine, release the ddve 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 ddve control engaged when
turning comers, push down on the
handle to lift the front wheels off the
ground while turning lawn mower.
control bar
TO
Adjustment ENGAGE DRIVE
button (on DRIVE CONTROL
underside) CONTROL DISENGAGED
DRIVE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
Over time, the drive control system may
become "loose", resulting in decreased
speed. There is a button on the under-
side of 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. Pull drive control lever all the way
back to the handle.
3. Push button on underside of drive
control. While holding button in,
return drive control lever to disen-
gaged position.
4. Release button.
5. Operate mower to test drive speed. If
condition becomes worse after the
above steps (forward speed has
become slower), your system was not
"loose". Repeating the above steps
will return your unit to the proper
adjustment and speed.
6. If condition fails to improve after the
above steps (forward speed remains
the same), your drive belt is worn and
should be replaced.
TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT
Raise wheels for low cut and lower
wheels for high cut, adjust cutting height
to suit your requirements. Medium
position is best for most lawns.
• To change cutting height, squeeze
adjuster lever toward wheel. Move
wheel up or down to suit your require-
ments. Be sure all wheels are in the
same setting.
NOTE: Adjuster is properly positioned
when plate tab inserts into hole in lever.
Also, 9-position adjusters (if so equipped)
allow lever to be positioned between the
7 plate tabs.