Craftsman 917.377641 Owner's Manual page 7

The operation ofany lawnmowercan resultin
foreignobjectsthrownintothe eyes,whichcan
resultinsevereeye damage.Alwayswear
safetyglassesor eye shieldswhileoperating
yourlawn moweror performinganyadjust-
mentsor repairs,We recommenda wide
visionsafetymaskoverthe spectacles or
standard safetyglasses.
HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER
ENGINE SPEED
The engine speed was set at the factory for
optimum performance, Speed is not adjust-
able.
ENGINE ZONE CONTROL
CAUTION: Federal regulations require an
engine control to be installed on this lawn
mower in order to minimize the risk of blade
contact injury. Do not under any circumstances
attempt to defeat the function of the operator
control The blade tums when the engine is
running,
o Your lawn mower is equipped with an
operator presence control bar which
requires the operator to be positioned
behind the lawn mower handle to start and
operate the lawn mower.
TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT
• All four wheels are adjusted by a single
lever.
° Pull adjuster lever toward wheel To raise
mower, move lever forward to desired
position. To lower mower, move the lever
toward the rear.
Lower Wheels for high cut
Adjuster /
Lever
Raise Wheels for low cut
TO OPERATE DRIVE SYSTEM
° To start forward motion, lift drive control bar
up to handle.
o To stop forward motion, release drive
control bar.
IMPORTANT: Always keep drive controlbar
fully engaged against handle when in use.
Drive
Operator presence controlbar
control bar \ , , /
To eng , ntrol
drive control desengaged
TO ATTACH GRASS CATCHER
° Lift the rear door of the lawn mower and
place the grass catcher frame hooks intothe
slots of the rear door,
• The grass catcher is secured to the lawn
mower housing when the rear door is
lowered onto the grass catcher frame_
CAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower
without clipping deflector or approved grass
catcher in place, Never attempt to operate the
lawn mower with the rear door removed or
propped open.
Rear door
slots Grass
Catcher fr_
_ atcher
handle
hook
TO EMPTY GRASS CATCHER
° Liftup on grass catcher using the frame
handle_
° Remove grass catcher with clippings from
under lawn mower handle°
o Empty clippings from bag using both frame
handle and bag handle.
NOTE: Do not drag the bag when emptying;
it will cause unnecessary wear,
/
BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
OIL
Your lawn mower is shipped without oil in the
engine.
• Be sure mower is level and area around oil
fill is clean.
° Remove engine oil cap w/dipstick and fill to
the full line on the dipstick.
° Use 27 ozs. of oil. For type and grade of oil
to use, see "ENGINE" in Customer
Responsibilities section of this manual.
° Pour oil slowly, Do not over fill.
° Check oil level before each use, Add oil if
needed. Fill to full line on dipstick.
,, To read proper level, tighten engine oil cap
each time.
° Reinstall engine oil cap and tighten.