Craftsman 247.374900 Operator's Manual page 14

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.
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
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Using as Mulcher
For mulching grass, remove the grass catcher and side discharge chute from the
mower. 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.
NOTE: Make sure to clean any excess grass from around the rear opening of
the mower, especially between the transmission cover and sidewall on the
left hand side and along the bottom, to ensure tight fit of bag onto mower.
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