Operation - Craftsman 917.249650 Owner's Manual

TIPS FOR IMPROVED BAGGING OPERATION:
Follow the mower operation instructions in your tractor
owner's manual.
When operating your grass catcher on a lawn where grass
and leaf bagging equipment has not been used, you are
picking up thatch and debris that has accumulated for long
periods of time. The amount collected and the total time of
operation may be greater than you will experience with
regular use of your grass catcher.
Always run throttle at full speed when bagging.
Select a gear low enough to give good mower cutting
performance, good q uality cut and good bagging perfor-
mance.
NOTE: It may be necessary to overlap width of cut to suit
your conditions.
• If grass is extremely tall, itshould be mowed twice. The
first time relatively high, the second time to desired
height.
Use left hand side of mower for trimming.
Plastic trash bags can be inserted inside grass catcher
containers for ease of debris disposal. To remove the
plastic trash bags when full:
a. Raise seat. Unlatch and raise cover.
b. Remove one container at a time by grasping contai-
ner handles and pulling toward the rear, off of the
tube rails.
c. With the container resting on the ground, close and
secure the top of the plastic lawn bag.
d. Tip the container on its side and slide the filled bag
from the container.
e. Install a new plastic lawn bag with the edges of the
bag draped over upper lip of the Container (for
replacement bags refer to REPLACEMENT
PARTS).
f. Repeat for other containers.
g. Reinstall containers making sure right container
overlaps left container at center supports.
h. Close cover and secure latches over center support
tubes.
Avoid cutting wet grass or in the morning while the dew
is still heavy. Grass clippings collected under these
conditions tend to be sticky and adhere to the walls of
the flow path causing clogging.
Your bagger is equipped with a full bagger indicator. As
the bags become full, movement of the wheel will slow
down and/or stop, indicating that the bags are full or the
chutes have become clogged. Care should be taken not
to damage the parts and that the wheel spin s freely at the
beginning of each use.
If the grass catcher fails to pick up cut grass or leaves,
it is an indication that clogging has occurred in the
system or that the grass catcher containers are full.
Usuallythis is indicated bythe stopped movement of the
full bagger indicator.
a. Disengage blades, shift into neutral, engage the
parking brake and stop the engine.
- Raise seat. Unlatch and raise cover.
- Slide out containers and dispose of clippings.
- Replace containers, close cover, and latch.
b. Unlatch chutes and check for clogging.
- Remove all debris in chutes.
- Reassemble and latch chutes
c. Checkto insure full bagger indicator has not become
clogged.
- The air passage hole must be clear of debris.
Gently insert a small twig or wire into passage-
way to clear.
CAUTION
• Do not operate mower with grass catcher
partially installed.
• Disengage blades and stop engine before
leaving tractor seat to empty containers,
unclogging chutes, etc.
• Close cover before starting.
• Disengage mower when crossing driveways
or gravel surfaces and other areas where
thrown objects could be a hazard.
• Do not attempt to vacuum up cans or other
potentially hazardous projectiles.
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