Craftsman 247.377440 Operator's Manual page 13

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. Insert plastic Electric Start Push Key into starter housing located on the right
side of upper handle until it snaps in place (if using Electric Start).
2. Standing behind the mower, depress the blade control handle and hold it
against the upper handle. See Figure 15.
3. Electric Start: Push the electric starter push key to start the engine.
See Figure 15.
NOTE: Electric starter is equipped with an internal circuit breaker. If unit fails
to start when starter button is depressed, wait one minute for breaker to
reset, then attempt to start again.
Recoil Start: Pull the recoil starter lightly until resistance is felt, then
pull rapidly to overcome compression, prevent kickback, and start the
engine. Repeat if necessary.
IMPORTANT: Do not allow the recoil starter to snap back against the rope
guide. Return it gently to prevent damage to the starter.
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.
2. Remove Electric Start Push Key if mower is to be left unattended, stored, or
serviced. To remove key, grasp the key's top push button and pull it straight
up and out. Keep key in a safe place out of the reach of children.
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, squeeze the drive control against the upper
handle to propel mower.
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
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Using as Mulcher
For mulching grass, remove the grass catcher or side discharge chute from the
mower. When you remove the grass catcher from the mower, the rear discharge
door will close. When you remove the side discharge chute, the mulching cover will
close. For effective mulching, do not cut wet grass. If the grass has been allowed to
grow in excess of four inches, mulching is not recommended. Use the grass catcher
to bag clippings instead.
Using Grass Catcher
You can use the grass catcher to collect clippings while you are operating the
mower.
1. Attach grass catcher following instructions in the Assembly section. Grass
clippings will automatically collect in bag as you run mower. Operate mower
until grass bag is full.
2. Stop engine completely by releasing the blade control. Make sure that the
unit has come to a complete stop.
3. Lift discharge door and pull grass bag up and away from the mower to
remove the bag. Dispose of the grass clippings and reinstall the bag when
complete.
If you strike a foreign object, stop the engine. Disconnect the spark plug
wire, thoroughly inspect mower for any damage, and repair damage
before restarting and operating. Extensive vibration of mower during
operation is an indication of damage. The unit should be promptly
inspected and repaired.
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Figure 15
WARNING
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