Craftsman 917.377542 owner manual Mowingtips, Mulching Mowing .TIPS

MOWINGTIPS

•Under certain conditions, such as very tall grass, it may be necessary to raise the height of cut to reduce pushing effort and to keep from overloading the engine and leaving clumps of grass clippings. It may also be necessary to reduce ground speed and/or run the lawn mower over the area a second time.

•For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the width of cut by overlapping previously cut path and mow slowly.

•For better grass bagging and most cutting conditions, the engine speed should be set in the fast position.

•When using a rear discharge lawn mower in moist, heavy grass, clumps of cut grass may not enter the grass catcher. Reduce ground speed (push-

ing speed) and/or run the lawn mower over the area a second time.

•If a trail of clippings is left on the right side of a rear discharge mower, mow in a clockwise direction with a small

overlap to collect the clippings on the next pass.

•Pores in cloth grass catchers can become filled with dirt and dust with use

and catchers will collect less grass. To prevent this, regularly hose catcher off with water and let dry before using.

•Keep top of engine around starter clear and clean of grass clippings and chaff. This will help engine air flow and extend engine life.

MULCHING MOWING .TIPS

IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep mower housing free of built-up grass and

trash. See "Cleaning" in Maintenance section of this manual.

•The spacial mulching blade will recutthe grass clippingsmany limes and reduce them in size so that as they fail onto the lawn they will disperse intothe grass and not be noticed. Also, the mulched grass will biodegrade quicldy to pro_de nutrientsfor the lawn. Always mulch with your highest engine (blade) speed as this will provide the best recuttingaction of the blades.

•Avoid curlingyour lawn when it is wet. Wet grass tends to form dumps and interferes with the mulchingaction. The best time to mow your lawn is the Party afternoon. At this time the grass has dried and the newly cut area will not be exposed to the direct sun.

•For best results, adjust the lawn mower cutting height so that the lawn mower cuts off only the top one-third of the grass blades. If the lawn is overgrown it will be necessary to raise the height of cut to reduce pushing effort and to keep from overloading the engine and leaving clumps of mulched grass. For extremely heavy mulching, reduce yourwidth of cut by overlapping previously cut path and mow slewly.

•Certain typas of grass and grass conditions may requirethat an area be mulched a seceed tJrneto complately hide the cl'q0pingsWhan. doing a second cut, mow across or perpendicular to the first cut path.

•Change your curlingpattern from week to week. Mow north to south one week then

change to east to west the next week. This w_llhelp prevent matting and graining of the lawn.

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