To Operate Mower; To Operate On Hills; To Transport; Before Starting The Engine - Sears Craftsman 917.252561 Owner's Manual

OPERATmON
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TO OPERATE MOWER (See Fig. 9)
. Move gearshift lever to 1st gear. Be sure you have
allowed room for tractor to roll slightty as you restart
Your tractor is equipped with an operator presence sensing movement,
switch. Any attempt by the operator to leave the seat with
the engine running and the attachment clutch engaged will • To restart movement, slowly release parking brake and
shut off the engine, clutch/brake pedal.,
o Select desired height of cut. ° Make all turns slowly
• Lower mower with attachment lift control.
o Start mower blades by engaging attachment clutch TO
control. "
- TO STOP MOWER BLADES - disengage attachment
clutch control
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CAUTION: Do not operate the mower
without either the entire grass catcher,
on mowers so equipped, or the dis-
charge guard in place.
ATTACHMENT CLUTCH LEVER
"ENGAGED" POSITION
LIFI" LEVER
"HIGHEST"
- LOWEST
.._ POSITION
DISCHARGE
GUARD
FIG. 9
TO OPERATE ON HILLS
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°°"°''"ve °r"°wnI
hills with
slopes
greater than 15° and
do not drive across any slope.
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o
e
Choose the slowest speed before starting up or down
hills
Avoid stopping or changing speed on hills.
If slowing is necessary, move throttle control lever to
slower position.
If stopping is absolutely necessary, push clutch/brake
pedal quickly to brake position and engage parking
brake.
!3
TRANSPORT
Raise attachment lift to highest position with attach-
ment lift control.
, When pushing or towing your tractor, be sure gearshift
lever is in neutral (N) position
, Do not push or tow tractor at more than five (5) MPH
NOTE: To protect hood from damage when transporting
your tractor on a truck or a trailer, be sure hood is closed
and secured to tractor. Use an appropriate means of tying
hood to tractor (rope, cord, etc.).
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL (See Fig. 15)
,, The engine in your tractor has been shipped, from the
factory, already filled with summer weight oil
o Check engine oil with tractor on level ground,
. Remove oil fill cap/dipstick and wipe clean, reinsert the
dipstick and screw cap tight, wait for a few seconds,
remove and read oil level If necessary, add oil until
"FULL" mark on dipstick is reached. Do not overfill..
, For cold weather operation you should change oil for
easier starting (See "OIL VISCOSITY CHART" in the
Customer Responsibilities section of this manual).
o To change engine oil, see the Customer Responsibili-
ties section in this manual.
ADD GASOLINE
° Fill fuel tank,, Use fresh, clean, regular unleaded
gasoline (Use of leaded gasoline will increase carbon
and lead oxide deposits and reduce valve life).
IMPORTANT: WHEN OPERATING iN TEMPERATURES
BELOW 32°F(0°C), USE FRESH, CLEAN WINTER GRADE
GASOLINE TO HELP iNSURE GOOD COLD WEATHER
STARTING.
WARNING: Experience indicates that alcohol blended
fuels (called gasohot or using ethanol or methanol) can
attract moisture which leads to separation and formation of
acids during storage. Acidic gas can damage the fuet
system of an engine while in storage To avoid engine
problems, the fuel system should be emptied before stor-
age of 30 days or longer,, Drain the gas tank, start the
engine and let it run until the fuel lines and carburetor are
empty. Use fresh fuel next season,, See Storage Instruc -
tions for additional information. Never use engine or
carburetor cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur,
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CAUTION: Fill to bottom of gas tank
filler neck. Do not overfill. Wipe off any
spilled oil or fuel. Do not store, spilt or
use gasoline near an open flame.