Craftsman CX Series Operator's Manual page 13

Before Starting Engine
Service the engine with gasoline and oil as instructed in the separate engine
manual.
Be sure no one other than the operator is standing near the lawn mower
while starting engine or operating mower. Never run engine indoors or
in enclosed, poorly ventilated areas. Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide, an odorless and deadly gas. Keep hands, feet, hair and loose
clothing away from any moving parts on engine and lawn mower.
TO START ENGINE
1. Standing behind the mower, squeeze the blade control handle against upper
handle.
2. Holding these two handles together firmly, grasp recoil starter handle and
pull rope slowly until resistance is felt, then pull with a rapid, continuous,
full arm stroke. See Figure 15. Keeping a firm grip on the starter cord handle,
let the rope rewind slowly. Repeat until engine cranks. Let the rope rewind
each time slowly.
Keep a firm grip on the starter cord handle to prevent rapid retraction of
starter cord (kickback). Rapid retraction can pull hand and arm toward
engine faster than you can let go, and result in broken bones, fractures,
bruises or sprains.
TO STOP ENGINE
1. Release blade control to stop the engine and blade.
Wait for the blade to stop completely before performing any work on the
mower or to remove the grass catcher.
Using Your Lawn Mower
Be sure lawn is clear of stones, sticks, wire, or other objects which could damage
lawn mower or engine. Such objects could be accidently thrown by the mower in
any direction and cause serious personal injury to the operator and others.
1. Once the engine is running and while continuing to hold the blade control
down, squeeze the drive control against the upper handle to propel mower.
2. To change speed, move speed control to the desired speed. See Figure 16.
NOTE: When selecting a drive speed, use the first speed until you are
comfortable and familiar with the operation of the mower.
IMPORTANT: If you are shifting speeds while the mower is stationary it may be
difficult to shift into first speed under certain conditions. This is easily remedied by
briefly engaging the drive lever.
The operation of any lawn mower can result in foreign objects being
thrown into the eyes, which can damage your eyes severely. Always
wear safety glasses while operating the mower, or while performing any
adjustments or repairs on it.
OPERATION
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
NOTE: Your mower is equipped with an advanced internal drive system for ease of
use and smooth shifting. When turning or pulling the unit rearward, you may notice
higher than normal resistance in the rear wheels under certain conditions. This is
perfectly normal and can be remedied by allowing the unit to roll forward slightly
without the drive lever(s) engaged before pulling backwards.
13
1
2
Figure 15
Figure 16