Mowing Tips - Craftsman 917.20402 Operator's Manual

1. Place tractor safely on a level surface -
that is clear of objects and open - with
engine off and parking brake set.
2. Disengage transmission by placing
freewheel control in disengaged position
(See "TO TRANSPORT" in this section
of manual).
3. Sitting in the tractor seat, start engine.
After the engine is running, move throttle
control to slow position. With motion
control lever in neutral position, slowly
disengage ciutchJbrake pedal.
,I_CAUTION: At any time, during step 4,
there may be movement of the drive wheels.
4. Move motion control lever tofull forward
position and hold for five (5) seconds.
Move lever to full reverse position and
hold for five (5) seconds. Repeat this
procedure three (3) times,
5. Move motion controlleverto neutral posi-
tion. Shutoff engine andset parkingbrake.
6. Engage transmission by placing free-
wheel control in engaged position (See
"TO TRANSPORT" in this section of
manual),
7. Sitting in the tractor seat, start engine.
After the engine is running, move throttle
control to half (1/2) speed. With motion
control lever in neutral position, slowly
disengage clutch/brake pedal.
8. Slowly move motion control leverforward,
after the tractor moves approximately
five (5) feet (t ,5 m), slowly move motion
control lever to reverse position. After
the tractor moves approximately five (5)
feet (1,5 m) return the motion control
lever to the neutral position. Repeat this
procedure with the motion control lever
three (3) times,
Your transmission is now purged and now
ready for normal operation.
SERVICE MINDER!HOUR METER
Service minder shows the total number of
hours the engine has run and indicates when
the engine or mower needs servicing. After
every 50 hours of operation the oil can icon
will stay on for 2 hours. To service engine
and mower, see the Maintenance section
of this manual.
NOTE: The service minder runs when either
the engine is running or the SmartSwitch is
active (unlocked).
MOWING TIPS
• DO NOT usetire chains when the mower
housing is attached to tractor.
• Mower should be properly leveled for best
mowing performance. See "TO LEVEL
MOWER HOUSING" in the Service and
Adjustments sectionof this manual.
• The left hand side of mower should be
used for trimming.
• Drive sothat clippings are discharged onto
the area that has already been cut. Have
the cut area to the right of the tractor. This
will result in a more even distribution of
clippings and more uniform cutting.
• When mowing large areas, start byturning
to the right so that clippings will discharge
away from shrubs, fences, driveways,
etc. After one or two rounds, mow in the
opposite direction making left hand turns
until finished.
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• If grass is extremely tall, it should be
mowed twice to reduce load and possible
fire hazard from dried clippings. Make
first cut relatively high; the second to the
desired height.
• Do not mow grass when it is wet, Wet
grass will plug mower and leave undesir-
able clumps. Allow grass to dry before
mowing.
• Always operate engine at full throttle
when mowing to assure better mow-
ing performance and proper discharge
of material. Regulate ground speed by
selecting a low enough gear to give the
mower cutting performance as well as the
quality of cut desired.
• When operating attachments, select a
ground speed that will suit the terrain and
give best performance of the attachment
being used.
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