Craftsman 725 Series Owner's Manual page 15

ENGINE
ENGINE SPEED
Your engine speed has been factory set.
Immediately prepare your lawn mower for storage at the end of the season or if the unit
will not be used for 30 days or more.
LAWN MOWER
When lawn mower is to be stored for a
period of time, clean it thor oughly, remove
all dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store in a
clean, dry area.
1. Clean entire lawn mower (See
"CLEANING" in the Maintenance sec-
tion of this manual).
2. Lubricate as shown in the Main te nance
section of this manual.
3. Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and
pins are securely fas tened. Inspect
moving parts for damage, breakage
and wear. Replace if necessary.
4. Touch up all rusted or chipped paint
surfaces; sand lightly before painting.
HANDLE
You can fold your han dle for storage.
1. Loosen the two (2) handle knobs on
sides of the upper handle and allow
handle to fold down to the rear.
2. Remove the two (2) handle knobs and
carriage bolts on sides of the lower handle
and pivot entire handle as sem bly forward
and allow it to rest on mower.
3. Reinstall knobs and carriage bolts to
lower handle / handle brackets for safe
keeping.
• When setting up your handle from
the storage position, lower han dle will
require manually locking into mowing
position.
IMPORTANT: When folding the handle
for storage or transportation, be sure to
fold the handle as shown or you may dam-
age the control cables.
CARBURETOR
Your carburetor is not adjustable.
IMPORTANT: Never tamper with the
engine governor, which is factory set for
proper engine speed. Over speed ing
the engine above the factory high speed
setting can be dangerous. If you think
the engine-governed high speed needs
adjusting, contact a Sears or other
qualifi ed service center, which has proper
equip ment and ex pe ri ence to make any
nec es sary adjustments.
STORAGE
Operator
presence
control bar
FOLD
FORWARD
FOR
STORAGE
Bolt
Knob
18
Center hole
5/8" bolt or pin
GRASS CATCHER
• The grass catcher may be hosed with
water, but must be dry when used.
• Check your grass catcher often for dam-
age or de te ri o ra tion. Through normal
use it will wear. If catcher needs replac-
ing, replace only with ap proved replace-
ment catcher shown in the Repair Parts
section of this manual. Give the lawn
mower model number when ordering.
MOWING
POSITION
GEAR CASE
• To keep your drive system working
properly, the gear case and area around
the drive should be kept clean and free
of trash build-up. Clean under the drive
cover twice a season.
• The gear case is fi lled with lubricant to
Upper
the proper level at the factory. The only
handle
time the lubricant needs attention is if
service has been performed on the gear
case.
Handle
knob
ENGINE
LUBRICATION
Lower handle
Use only high quality detergent oil rated
with API service classifi cation SG–SL.
Select the oil's SAE viscosity grade
according to your expected operating
temperature.
5W-30
Handle
-20 0
F
bracket
C -20
-30
TEMPERATURE RANGE ANTICIPATED BEFORE NEXT OIL CHANGE
NOTE: Although multi-viscosity oils
(5W30, 10W30 etc.) improve starting in
cold weather, these multi-viscosity oils will
result in increased oil consumption when
used above 32°F. Check your engine oil
level more frequently to avoid possible
engine damage from running low on oil.
Change the oil after every 25 hours of
operation or at least once a year if the
lawn mower is not used for 25 hours in
one year.
Check the crankcase oil level before
starting the engine and after each fi ve (5)
hours of continuous use. Tighten oil plug
securely each time you check the oil level.
TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL
NOTE: Before tipping lawn mower to
drain oil, empty fuel tank by running en-
Blade
gine until fuel tank is empty.
1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark
plug and place wire where it cannot
come in contact with plug.
2. Remove engine oil cap; lay aside on a
clean surface.
3. Tip lawn mower on its side as shown
and drain oil into a suitable container.
Rock lawn mower back and forth to re-
move any oil trapped inside of engine.
4. Wipe off any spilled oil from lawn
mower or side of engine.
5. Slowly pour oil down the oil fi ll spout,
stopping every few ounces to check
the oil level with the dipstick.
6. Stop adding oil when you reach the
FULL mark on the dipstick. Wait a
minute to allow oil to settle.
7. Continue adding small amounts of oil,
rechecking the dipstick until oil level
settles at FULL. DO NOT overfi ll, or
SAE VISCOSITY GRADES
engine will smoke heavily from the
muffl er on startup.
SAE 30
8. Always be sure to retighten oil dipstick
before starting engine.
30 32 40 100
60 80
0 10 9. Re con nect spark plug wire to spark
-10 20 30 40
plug.
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