Mowing Tips; Level Mower - Craftsman 917.27066 Owner's Manual

PURGE TRANSMISSION
_ILCAUTION: Never engage or disen-
gage freewheel lever while the engine is
running.
To ensure proper operation and perfor-
mance, it is recommended that the trans-
mission be purged before operating trac-
tor for the first time. This procedure will re-
move any trapped air inside the transmis-
sion which may have developed during
shipping of your tractor.
IMPORTANT: Should your transmission
require removal for service or replace-
ment, it should be purged after reinstalla-
tion before operating the tractor.
• Place tractor safely on level surface
with engine off and parking brake set.
• Disengage transmission by placing
freewheel control in freewheeling posi-
tion (See "TO TRANSPORT" in this sec-
tion of manual).
• Sitting in the tractor seat, start engine.
After the engine is running, move
throttle control to slow position. With
motion control lever in neutral (N) posi-
tion, slowly disengage clutch/brake
pedal.
• Move motion control lever to full for-
ward position and hold for five (5) sec-
onds. Move lever to full reverse position
and hold for five (5) seconds. Repeat
this procedure three (3) times.
NOTE: During this procedure there will
be no movement of drive wheels. The air
is being removed from hydraulic drive
system.
• Move motion control lever to neutral (N)
position. Shut off engine and set park-
ing brake.
• Engage transmission by placing free-
wheel control in driving position (See
'TO TRANSPORT" in this section of
manual).
• 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 (N) posi-
tion, slowly disengage clutch/brake
pedal.
• Slowly move motion control lever for-
ward; after the tractor moves approxi-
mately five (5) feet, slowly move motion
control lever to reverse position. After
the tractor moves approximately five (5)
feet return the motion control lever to
the neutral (N) position. Repeat this
procedure with the motion control lever
three (3) times.
• Your tractor is now purged and ready
for normal operation.
MOWING TIPS
• Tire chains cannot be used 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 section of this
manual.
• The left hand side of mower should be
used for trimming.
• Drive so that clippings are discharged
onto the area that has been cut. Have
the cut area to the right of the tractor.
This will result in a more even distribu-
tion 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.
• If grass is extremely tall, it should be
mowed twice to reduce load and
possible fire hazard from dried clip-
pings. 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
undesirable clumps. Allow grass to dry
before mowing.
• Always operate engine at full throttle
when mowing to assure better mowing
performance and proper discharge of
material. Regulate ground speed by
selecting a low enough gear to give the
mower the best 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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