Craftsman 3One 917.255470 Owner's Manual page 14

TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 9)
When starting engine for the first time or if engine has run
out of fuel, itwill take extra cranking time to move fuel from
the tank to the engine.
- Depress the clutchlbrake pedal and set the parking
brake..
o Place gearshift lever in "NEUTRAL" position.
,, Move attachment clutch to "DISENGAGED" position°
• Move throttle control lever to "CHOKE" posilion for
cold engine start. Forwarm engine start, move throttle
control to "FAST" position.
o Turn ignition key c!oclcwise to "START" position and
release key as soon as engine starts. De not run
starter continuously for'more than fifteen seconds per
minute, If englne does not start afterseveralattempts,
move throttle control to "FAST" position, wait a few
minutes and try again°
• When engine starts, move throttle control to desired
position,
• Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes before
engaging drive or attachment clutch.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold
temperatures (below 32° F), the carburetor fuel mixture
may need to be adjusted for best engine performance. See
"TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual
MOWING TiPS
. Tire chains cannotbe 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 trim-
ming.
° Drive so that clippings are discharged onto the area
that has been cut. Have the cut area to the rightof the
tractor. This will result in a more even distdbution of
clippings and more uniform cutting,.
• When mowing large areas, start by turning to the dght
so that clippings wilt discharge away from shrubs,
fences, driveways, etc. After one or two rounds, mow
in the opposite direction making left hand turns until
finished (See Fig. 11),
° tf grass is extremely tall, it should be mowed twice to
reduce load and possibte fire hazard from dded clip-
pings. Make first cut relatively high; the second to the
desired height°
° Do not mow grass when it is weL 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 dis-
charge of material. Regulate ground speed by select-
ing a low enough gear to give the mower cutting
performance as well as the quality of cut desired.
° When operatingattachments, select a ground speed
that will suit the terrain and give best performance of
the attachment being used.
FIG. 11
MULCHING MOWING TIPS
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 clip-
pings many times and reduce them in size so that as
they fall onto the lawn they will disperse intothe grass
and not be noticed.. Also, the mulched grass wtll
biedegrade quickly to provide nutrients for the lawn.
Always mulch with your highest engine (blade) speed
as this will provide the best recutting action of the
blades.
o 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 thistime 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 (See Fig. 12). For extremely heavy mulching,
reduce your width of cut and mow slowly.
° Certain types of grass and grass conditions may re-
quire that an area be muched a second time to com-
pletelyhide the clippings. When'doing a second cut,
mow across or perpendicular to the firstcut path
o Change your cutting pattern from week to week. Mow
north tosouth oneweek then change to east towest the
next week.. This will help prevent matting and graining
of the lawn..
FIG. 12
MAX 1/3
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