Craftsman 917.256511 Owner's Manual page 14

OPERATION
TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 6)
When starting the engine for the first time or if the engine
has run out of fuel, it wilt take extra cranking time to move
fuel from the tank to the engine.
• Depress clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake_
° Place gear shift lever'in neutral (N) position.
° Move attachment clutch to "DISENGAGED" position°
° Move throttle control to choke (N) position.
Note: Before starting, read the warm and cold starting
procedures below_
• Insert keyinto ignition and turn key clockwiseto"START"
,- t n ' .
Dosi ion a d release key as soon as englnestarts Do
not run starter continuously Tormore than fifteen sec-
onds per minute. If the engine does not start after
several attempts, move throttle control to fast (,_ee)
position, wait a few minutes and try again_ If engine still
does not start, move the throttle control back to the
choke (N) position and retry.
WARM WEATHER STARTING (50 ° F and above)
° When engine starts, move the throttle control to the fast
(,tee)position°
° The attachments and ground drive can now be used., if
the engine does not accept the load, restart the engine
and allow it to warm up for one minute using the choke
as described above.
COLD WEATHER STARTING ( 50° F and below)
= When engine starts, allowengine to run with the throttle
control in the choke (\1) position until the engine runs
rough y, then move thrott e control to fast ('_e) position.
This may require an engine warm-up period from
several seconds to several rninutes, depending on the
temperature_
• The attachments can also be used during the engine
warm-up period.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in coId
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 Adjustments
section of this manual.
MOWING TIPS
° Tire chains cannot be used when the mower housing
is attached to tractor.
° Mower should be,properly leveled for best mow!ng
performance. See q'O 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
machine. This will result in a more even distribution 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 (See Fig. 8 ).
• if grass is extremely tall, it should be mowed twice to
reduce load and possible fire hazard from dried clip-
pings_ 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 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 operating attachments, select a ground speed
that wilt suit the terrain and give best performance of
the attachment being used.
FIG. 8
14