Cold Weather Starting - Craftsman 917.276350 Owner's Manual

depressclutch/brakepedal and set
parkingbrake.
2. Place gearshift leverin neutral (N)
position.
3. Moveattachmentclutch to disengaged
position.
4. Movethrottle control to fast position
5. Pull chokecontrol out for a cold engine
start attempt. Fora warm engine start
attemptthe chokecontrol may not be
needed.
NOTE: Beforestarting, readthe warm and
cold starting proceduresbelow.
6. Insert key into ignitionand turn key
clockwiseto start positionand release
key as soonas engine starts. Do
not run starter continuouslyfor more
than fifteen seconds per minute.If the
enginedoes not start after several
attempts,pushchoke controlin, wait
a few minutesand try again. If engine
still does not start, pull the chokecon-
trol out and retry.
WARMWEATHERSTARTING(50° F and
above)
7. Whenengine starts, slowly pushchoke
controlin until the engine beginsto
run smoothly.If the engine starts to
run roughly,pull the chokecontrol out
slightly for a few seconds and then
continueto pushthe control in slowly.
• The attachmentsand ground drivecan
now be used. If the enginedoes not
accept the load, restartthe engine and
allow it to warm up for one minuteusing
the choke as describedabove.
COLDWEATHERSTARTING(50° F and
below)
7. Whenengine starts, slowly pushchoke
controlin until the engine beginsto run
smoothly.Continueto pushthe choke
controlin small steps allowingthe en-
gine to accept small changesin speed
and load, until the chokecontrol is fully
in. If the enginestarts to run roughly,
pull the choke controlout slightly for a
few seconds and then continueto push
the control in slowly.This may re-
quire an enginewarm-up period from
severalsecondsto several minutes,
dependingon the temperature.
• The attachmentscan be usedduring
the enginewarm-up period and may
requirethe choke control be pulled out
slightly.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000
feet) or in cold temperatures(below32 F)
the carburetorfuel mixturemay need to
be adjustedfor best engineperformance.
See "TOADJUST CARBURETOR"in the
Service andAdjustmentssectionof 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 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.
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14
• If grass is extremely tall, it should be
mowed twice to reduce load and pos-
sible 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
undesirable clumps. Allow grass to dry
before mowing.
• Always operate engine at full throttle
when mowing to assure better mowing
performance and proper discharge of
material. Regulate ground speed by
selecting 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 will suit the terrain
and give best performance of the at-
tachment being used.