Sears 917.257651 Oiperatjon, Mowing T PS, To Start Engine See Fig, Mulching Mowing Tips

OIPERATJON

TO START ENGINE (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 fuel from the tank to the engine,.

oDepress clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake, ° Place gearshift lever in neutral (N) position

° Move attachment clutch to "DISENGAGED" position,,

. Move throttle control lever to choke (N) position for' cold engine start. For warm engine start, move throttle control to fast (._) position

=insert key into ignition and turn 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 (,1_,) position, wait a few minutes and try again,

. When engine starts, move throttte control to desired position_

oAllow engine to warm up for a few minutes before engaging drive or attachments,

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.

MOWING T PS

•Tire chains cannot be used when the mower housing is attached to unit,.

oMower 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 machine, This wilt result in a more even distribution of

clippings and more uniform cutting,,

oWhen 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_ t 1).

•If grass is extremely tail, it should be mowed twice to reduce load and possible fire hazard from dried ctip- pings_ 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 ctumps, Allow grass to dry before mowing,.

oAlways 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 !he 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.

f

,,_,J

FIG. 11

MULCHING MOWING TIPS

IMPORTANT: 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,.

•Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet Wet grass tends to form clumps and interferes with the mulching action The best time to mow your'lawn is the early afternoon 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. 12), For extremely heavy mulching, reduce you r width of cut on each pass and mow slowly.

•Certain types of grass and grass conditions may Ire- 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 wili help prevent matting and graining of the lawno

MAX 1/3

FIG. 12

14