Craftsman 917.28874 Operator's Manual page 18

3. Allow one minute for transmission to warm
up. This can be done during the engine
warm up period.
• The attachments can be used during the
engine warm-up period after the transmis-
sion has been warmed up and may require
the choke control be pulled out slightly.
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 CARBU RETO R" in the Service
and Adjustments section of this manual).
PURGE TRANSMISSION
Ai,
_I, CAUTION: Never engage or disengage
freewheel lever while the engine is running.
To ensure proper operation and performance,
it is recommended that the transmission be
purged before operating tractor for the first
time. This procedure will remove any trapped
air inside the transmission which may have
developed during shipping of your tractor.
IMPORTANT: Should your transmission
require removal for service or replacement,
it should be purged after reinstallation before
operating the tractor.
1. Place tractor safely on a level surface
- that is clear of objects and open - with
engine off and parking brake set.
2. Disengage transmission by placing
freewheel control in disengaged position
(See "TO TRANSPORT" in this section
of manual).
3. Sitting in the tractor seat, start engine.
After the engine is running, move throttle
control to slow position. Disengage park-
ing brake.
CAUTION: At any time, during step 4,
there may be movement of the drive wheels.
4. Depressforward drive pedal tofull forward
position and hold for five (5) seconds and
release pedal. Depress reverse drive
pedal to full reverse position and hold
for five (5) seconds and release pedal.
Repeat this procedure three (3) times.
5. Shutoff engine and set parking brake.
6. Engagetransmissionbyplacingfreewheel
control in engaged position (See "TO
TRANSPORT" in this section of manual).
7. Sitting in the tractor seat, start engine.
After the engine is running, move throttle
control to half (1/2) speed. Disengage
parking brake.
8. Drive tractor forward for approximately
five feet then backwards for five feet.
Repeat this driving procedure three times.
Your transmission is now purged and now
ready for normal operation.
MOWING TIPS
• Tire chains cannot be 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 trimming.
Drive so that clippings are discharged onto
the area that has already been cut. Have
the cut area to the right of the tractor. 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.
f
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,_ ,.,2
• If grass is extremelytall, itshould be mowed
twice to reduce load and possible fire haz-
ard from dried clippings. Make first cut rela-
tively high; the second to the desi red 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 mow-
ing performance and proper discharge
of material. Regulate ground speed by
selecting a low enough speed 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.
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