Craftsman 987.889 owner manual Mowingtipsandhints

OPERATION

MOWINGTIPSANDHINTS

WARNING

To avoidinjury or propertydamage:

•Before mowing, thoroughly inspect area where mower is to be used and remove all stones, sticks, wires, bones, nails and other foreign objects.

•Disengagemower blades beforecrossinggravel drives, roads, or side- walks to prevent blades from throwing stones or other hazardous objects.

MulchingLeaves

•The mower can also be used to mow leaves in the fall. The leaf particles filter down into the lawn and provide added fertilizer.

•The leaves must be dry in order to be mulched.

•Use a slower ground speed if the leaves are not mulched into fine

particles.

Mow When

LawnIs Dry

For best results, avoid c

grass when it is wet. Wet grass tends to form clumps which inter- fere with the cutting action. The best time to mow is in the late af- ternoon or early evening when the grass is usually dry.

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CutTop1/3 of .... _

GrassBlade_

Cutting more than 1/3 of grass length may cause the grass to be- come excessively dry. In tall grass, it may be necessary to mow at a higher setting and then mow again at the desired height.

NOTE: The cutting height is criti- cal to achieving a well-groomed lawn. You should experiment with various settings to find that "just right" cutting height.

VaryCuttingPattern

Vary the cutting pattern from week to week to help prevent mat- ting of the grass. One week, mow from north to sooth, the next week mow from east to west.: Overlap several inches when mowing to obtain an even appearance.

MowingonSlopes

Do not mow excessively steep slopes (see WARNING statement below). Slow down and exercise extreme caution when changing di- rection on slopes. Before mowing on slopes, check the engine oil lev- el and make sure that the level is at

the FULL mark. Maintaining a FULL oil level is particularly im- portant when operating on slopes as oil can be drained away from vi- tal engine parts.

WARNING

To avoid injury or property damage:

•Maximum safe operating angle is 15o.

•Exceeding maximum safe operating angle may cause tipping or loss of footing.

•Do not mow wet slopes.

•Mow across slopes, not up and down.

•Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on slopes.

•If you mulch oak leaves (which add acid to the soil), add lime to the lawn in the spring to reduce the acidity of the soil.

KeepMowerBladesSharp

For best mower performance, keep the blades sharp. A dull blade will tear, bruise and split the ends of grass.

Clean Mower Frequently

Clean the underside of the mower

deck frequently to remove grass build-up.

Precision_imming

For precision trimming, use the slowest gear and inch the mower along by "feathering" the Wheel Drive Control lever. Or, disengage the wheel drive by releasing the Wheel Drive Control so that you can manually maneuver the mower (if needed, put the Gear Select Lever in neutral so that the wheels turn freely).

Mowing Ditches

If you have to mow ditches, stop the engine and adjust the cutting height to its highest setting. Mow in the direction of the ditch. Mow both sides of the ditch fast, and then mow the bottom. When mowing ditches, watch out for cans, bottles, or other debris.

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