Craftsman 917.25693 owner manual MOWtNG Trps, To Start Engbne See Fig, Mulching Mowhng Tbps

TO START ENGBNE (See Fig. 9)

When starting engine for'the first time or if engine has run out of fuel, it wilt take extra cranking time to move fue! from the tank to the engine.

°Depress the clutch/brake pedal and set the parking brake.

o Place gearshift lever in "NEUTRAL" position.

o Move mower clutch to*"DISENGAGED" position,.

. Move throttle control lever to"CHOKE" position for cold engine start.. For warm engine start, move throttle control to "FAST" position..

oTurn ignition 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. If engine does not start after several attempts, move throttle control to "FAST" position, wait a few minutes and try again,

oWhen engine starts, move throttle control to desired position.

°Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes before engaging drive or attachment clutch..

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 CARBURETOR" in the Service and Adjust* ments section of this manual.

MOWtNG TRPS

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 trim- ming.

Drive so that clippings are discharged onto the area that has been cut. Have the cut area to the right of the tractor_ This wilt 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 (See Fig° 13)_

If grass is extremely tall, it should be mowed twice to reduce toad and possible fire hazard from dried clip- dPings_Make first cut relatively high; the second to the

esired 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 dis- charge of material.. Regulate ground speed by select- ing 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 attachment being used.,

FIG, 13

MULCHING MOWHNG TBPS

itVlPORTANT: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, KEEP MOWER HOUSING FREE OF BUILT-UP GRASS AND TRASH.. CLEAN AFTER EACH USE°

oThe special mulching blade will recut 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..

oAvoid cutting your lawn when it is wet.. Wet gr ass tends

to form clumps and interferes with the mulching action. The best time to mow your lawn is the early aftemoon_ At this time the grass has dried and the newly cut area will not be exposed to the direct sun..

oFor best results, adjust the mower cutting height so that the mower cuts off only the top one-third of the grass blades (See Fig. 14). For extremely heavy mulching, reduce yourwidth of cut on each pass and mow slowly.

oCertain types of grass and grass conditions may re- quire that an area be mulched a second time to com- pletely 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 witl help prevent matting and graining of the lawno

MAX 113

FIG. 14

14