Craftsman EZ3 917.251630 Owner's Manual page 15

Table of Contents

Advertisement

TO START
ENGINE
(See Fig. 7)
This engine on this product is designed for maximum
performance
and life if operated with the choke (N) fully
open and the throttle controt in the fast (,_) position.
To
open the choke fully requires an engine warm-up period of
several seconds to several minutes, depending
on the
temperature°
After starting the engine, first open the choke slowly until
the engine just begins to run smoothly,. Then open the
choke in small steps, allowing the engine to accept small
changes in speed and load, untit the choke is fully open.
During engine warm-up, the equipment can be operated°
When starting engine for the first time or if engine has run
out of fuel, it will take extra cranking time to move fuel from
the tank to the engine_
=
Depress clutch/brake
pedal and set parking brake°
o
Place gearshift lever in neutral (N) position_
=
Move attachment
clutch to "DISENGAGED"
position.
Pull choke control out to choke (\I)
position for cold
eng ne start. For warm eng ne start do not use choke
control.
o
Move throttle control to midway between fast (,_) and
slow (,_)
positions,
Insert key into ignitionand turn key clockwise to"START"
position and release key as soon as engine starts, Do
not
run starter continuously
for more than fifteen
seconds per minute°
tf engine does not start after
several attempts,
move throttle control to fast (,t_)
position, wait a few minutes and try again_
=
When engine starts, slowty push choke control in.
=
Move throttle control to fast (,_) position..
o
Aibw engine to warm up for a few minutes before
engaging drive or attachments°
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
'%0 ADJUST CARBURETOR"
in the Service and Adjust-
ments section of this manual..
NIOW NG TUPS
Tire chains cannot be used when the mower housing
is attached to tractor.
o
Mower should be properly
leveled for best mow!ng
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 right of 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, etco After one or two rounds, mow
in the opposite direction making left hand turns until
finished (See Fig. 10).
FIG. 10
.
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°
o
Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet grass wilt plug
mower and leave undesirable clumps.. Atlow grass to
dry before mowing
o
Always operate engine at full throttle when mowing to
assure better mowing performance
and proper dis-
charge of material
Regu{ate ground speed by select-
ing a low enough gear to give the mower cutting
performance as well as the quality of cut desired.r
o
When operating attachments,
select a ground speed
that wilt suit the terrain and give best performance of
the attachment being used.
MULCHING
IVIOWING TIPS
IMPORTANT:
FOR BEST
PERFORMANCE,
KEEP
MOWER HOUSING FREE OF BUiLT-UP
GRASS AND
TRASH
CLEAN AFTER EACH USE.
o
The special mulching blade wi!l recur the grass clip-
pings many times and reduce them in size so that as
they fall onto the lawn they will disperse into the grass
and not be noticed..
Also, the mulched grass will
biodegrade 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 this time the grass has dried and the newly cut area
wil! not be exposed to the direct sun.
o
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. tl).
For extremely heavy mulching,
reduce your width of cut on each pass and mow slowly,.
MAX 1/3
15
FIG. 11
°
Certain types of grass and grass conditions may re-
quire that an area be mulched
a second time to
completely hide the clippings.
When doing a second
cut, mow across or perpendicular
to the first cut path.
Change your cutting pattern from week to week. Mow
north to south one week then change to east to west the
next week° This will help prevent matting and graining
of the Iawn,

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

Table of Contents