Craftsman 917.25545 Owner's Manual page 14

OPERATION
o
TO START ENGINE
(See Fig. 10)
When starting engine for the first time or if engine has run
out of fuel, it will take extra cranking time to move fue! from
the tank to the engine.
• Depress clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake.
• Place gearshift lever in "NEUTRAL" position.
Move attachment clutch to "DISENGAGED" position.
o Move throttle corrtrol lever to "CHOKE" position for
cold engine start. For warm engine start, move throttle
control to "FAST" position,
o Insert key into ignition and turn key clockwise to"START"
position and release key as soon as engine starts. Do
not run starter continuously for more than fifteen
seconds per minute. If engine does not start after
several attempts, move throttle control to "FAST" posi-
tion, wait a few minutes and try again,
o When engine starts, move throttle control to desired
position.
o Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes before
engaging drive or attachment&
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold
temperatures (below 32 ° F), the carburetor fuel mixture
may need to be adjusted for best engine performance. See
"TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual
MOWING TiPS
o Tire chains cannot be used when the mower hous-
ing is attached to unit.
° Mower' should be properly leveled for best mowing
performance. See "TO LEVEL MOWER HOUSING"
in the Service arrd Adjustments section of this
manual,
The left hand side of mower should be used for trim-
ming.
Drive so that clippings are discharged onto the area
that has been cuL Have the cut area to the right of
the machine This will result in a more even distri-
bution of clippings and more uniform cutting.
When mowing large areas, start by turning 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 (See Fig 11)
f
_21
FIG. 11
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 weL Wet grass will
plug mower and leave undesirable clumps. Allow
grass to dry before mowing
o Always operate engine at full throttle when mowing
to assure better mowing performance and proper dis-
charge of materiaL Regulate ground speed by se-
lecting 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.
MULCHING MOWING TIPS
IMPORTANT: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, KEEP
MOWER HOUSING FREE OF BUILT-UP GRASS AND
TRASH CLEAN AFTER EACH USE
• The special mulching blade will recut the grass clip-
pings many times and reduce them in size so that as
they fall onto the lawn they will disperse into the grass
and not be noticed_ Also, the mulched grass will
biodegrade quickly to provide nutrients for the lawn.
Always mulch with your highest engine (blade) speed
as this will provide the best recutting action of the
blades.
• Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet. Wet grass
tends to form clumps and interferes with the mulching
action. The best time to mow your lawn is the early
afternoon. At this time the grass has dried and the
newly cut area will not be exposed to the direct sun_
,, For best results, adjust the mower cutting height so
that the mower cuts off only the top one-third of the
grass blades (See Fig. 12). For extremely heavy
mulching, reduce your width of cut and mow slowly.
o Certain types of grass and grass conditions may
require that an area be mulched a second time to
completely hide the clippings. When doing a second
cut, mow across or perpendicular to the first cut path.
o Change your cutting pattern from week to week. Mow
north to south one week then change to east to west
the next week. This will help prevent matting and
graining of the lawn
MAX 1/3 ! '
FIG. 12
14