Cold Weather Starting - Craftsman 917.272053 Owner's Manual

COLD WEATHER STARTING ( 50° F and
below)
6. When engine starts, allow engine to
run with the throttle control in the
choke position until the engine runs
roughly, then move throttle control to
fast position. This may require an
engine warm-up period from several
seconds to several minutes, depend-
ing on the temperature.
• The attachments can also be used
dudng the engine warm-up period.
NOTE: If at a highaltitude (above 3000 feet)
or in coldtemperatures(below32 F) the
carburetor fuel mixturemay need to be
a_usted for bestengineperfom_ance. S ee
"TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the Service
and Adjustmentssec_eeof this manual.
MOWlNGTIPS
• Mower should be propedy 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 ltimming.
• 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 distdbu-
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
clippings. 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 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.
f
16
MULCHING MOWlNGTIPS
IMPORTANT: For best performance,
keep mower housing free of built-up
grass and trash. Clean after each use.
• The special mulching blade will recut
the grass clippings many times and
reduce them in size so that as they fall
onto the lawn they will disperse into
the grass and not he noticed. Also, the
mulched grass will biodegrade quickly
to provide nutrientsfor the lawn.
Always mulch with your highest
engine (blade) speed as this will
provide the best recuttingaction of the
blades.
• Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet.
Wet grass tends to form clumps and
interferes with the mulching action.
The best time to mow your lawn is the
early afternoon. At this time the grass
has dded and the newly cut area will
not be exposed to the direct sun.
• For best results, adjust the mower
cutting height so that the mower cuts
off only the top one-third of the grass
blades. For extremely heavy mulching,
reduce your width of cut on each pass
and mow slowly.
• Certain types of grass and grass
conditions may require that an area be
mulched a second time to completely
hide the clippings. When doing a
second cut, maw across or perpen-
dicularto the first cut path.
• Change your cutting pattern from week
to week. Mow north to south one week
then change to east to west the next
week. This will help prevent matting
and graining of the lawn.
Max 1/3"