Mowing Tips; Automatic Transmission Warm Up - Craftsman 917.289081 Operator's Manual

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WARM UP
Before driving the unit in cold weather, the
transmission should be warmed up as follows:
1. Be sure the tractor is on level ground.
2. Place the motion control lever in neutral.
Release the parking brake and let the
clutch/brake slowly return to operating
position.
3. Allow one minute fortransmission to warm
up. This can be done during the engine
warm up period.
• The attachments can also be used dur-
ing the engine warm-up period after the
transmission has been warmed up.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet)
or in cold temperatures (below 32 F/0 C °)
the carburetor fuel mixture may need to be
adjusted for best engine performance (see
"TOAD JUST 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
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 sothat 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 byturning
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.
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• If grass is extremely tall, it should be
mowed twice to reduce load and possible
fire hazard from dried clippings. 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 undesir-
able clumps. AHow grass to dry before
mowing.
, Always operate engine at full throttle
when mowing to ensure 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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