Craftsman EZ3 917.270611 Owner's Manual page 16

o Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet
grass will plug mower and leave unde-
sirable clumps. Allow grass to dry
before mowing.
o Always operate engine at full throttle
when mowing to assure better mowing
performance and proper discharge of
material. Regulate groundspeed by se-
lectinga low enough gear to give the
mower the best cuttingperformance as
well as the quality of cut desired.
• When operating attachments,select a
ground speed that will suit the terrain
and give best performanceof the at-
tachment being used.
MULCHING MOWING TIPS
IMPORTANT: For best performance,
keep mower housingfree of built-upgrass
and trash. Clean after each use.
° The special mulchingblade will recut
the grass clippingsmany 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 will biodegradequickly
to provide nutrientsfor the lawn.
Always mulch with your highestengine
(blade) speed as thiswill provide the
best recuttingactionof the blades.
o Avoid cuttingyour lawn when it is wet.
Wet grass tends to form clumpsand
interfereswiththe mulchingaction. The
best time to mow your lawn is the early
afternoon. At this time the grass has
dried and the newly cut area will not be
exposed to the directsun.
For best results,adjustthe mower cut-
ting heightso that the mower cuts off
only the top one-thirdof the grass
blades. For extremely heavy mulching,
reduce your width of cut on each pass
and mow slowly.
Max 1/3
° Certain types of grass and grass condi-
tions may requirethat an area be
mulched a secondtime to completely
hide the clippings. When doinga sec-
ond cut, mow across or perpendicularto
the first cut path.
° Change your cuttingpattern from week
to week. Mow northto southone week
then change to east to west the next
week. This will help prevent matting
and grainingof the lawn.
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