Craftsman 944.101781 Owner's Manual page 9

24
The operation of any lawn mower can result in foreign objects
thrown into the eyes, which can result in severe eye damage.
Always wear safety glasses or eye shields while operating your
lawn mower or performing any adjustments or repairs. We recom-
mend standard safety glasses or a wide vision safety mask over spectacles.
HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER
ENGINE SPEED
Engine speed was set at the factory for
optimum performance. It is not adjustable.
ENGINE ZONE CONTROL
CAUTION: Federal regulations re quire
an engine control to be installed on this
lawn mower in order to minimize the risk
of blade contact injury. Do not un der
any circumstances attempt to de feat the
func tion of the operator con trol. The blade
turns when the engine is running.
• Your lawn mower is equipped with an
operator pres ence 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 hold ing
the operator presence control bar down
to the handle and pulling either drive
control lever rearward to the handle.
The further toward the handle a lever is
pulled, the faster the unit will travel.
• Forward motion will stop when either
the operator presence control bar or
a drive control lever are released. To
stop forward motion without stop ping
engine, re lease a drive control lever
only. Hold op er a tor presence control
bar down against handle to con tin ue
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 drive control engaged when
turning corners, push down on the
handle to lift the front wheels off the
ground while turning lawn mower.
Operator presence control bar
Drive
control levers
TO ENGAGE DRIVE CONTROL
DRIVE CONTROL DISENGAGED
damage to hearing.
DRIVE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
Over time, the drive control system may
become "loose", resulting in decreased
speed. There is a turnbuckle on the drive
control housing to increase tension on the
drive cable. Pro ceed as follows:
1. Turn unit off and disconnect spark
plug wire from spark plug.
2. Rotate turnbuckle on drive control to
increase drive speed.
3. Operate mower to test drive speed.
Readjust as required.
4. If condition fails to improve after the
above steps (forward speed remains
the same), your drive belt is worn and
should be re placed.
Adjustment
turnbuckle
TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT
Raise wheels for low cut and lower wheels
for high cut, adjust cutting height to suit
your requirements. Me di um position is
best for most lawns.
• To change cutting height, squeeze ad-
juster lever to ward wheel. Move wheel
up or down to suit your re quire ments.
Be sure all wheels are in the same set-
ting.
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
plate tabs.
ROTATE LEVER BACKWARD
TO LOWER MOWER
Plate tab
ROTATE LEVER FORWARD
TO RAISE MOWER
9
Use ear
protec-
tors to
a v o i d
Lever