Craftsman 917.256544 owner manual To Start Engine See Fig, Mulching tVIOWiNG TiPS

OP

TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 9}

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

*Depress clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake. Place gear shift lever in neutral (N) position.

*Move attachment clutch to "DBENGAGED" position.

, Move throttle control to choke (IXI) position.

Note: Before starting, read the warm and cold starting procedures below.

°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 sec- onds per minute. If the engine does not start after

several attempts, move throttle control to fast (,f_) position, wait a few minutes and try again. If engine still does not start, move the throttle control back to the choke (N) position and retry.

WARM WEATHER STARTING (50° F and above)

•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,

oWhen operating attachments, select a ground speed that will suit the terrain and give best performance of the attachment being used.

When engine starts, move the throttle control to the fast (,f_) position.

,,The attachments and ground ddve can now be used. If the engine does not accept the load, restart the engine and allow it to warm up for one minute using the choke as described above.

COLD WEATHER STARTING ( 50 ° F and below)

When engine starts, allow engineto run with thethrottle conlrol in the choke (NI) position until the engine runs roughly, then move thrott e contro to fast (,_) post on. This may require an engine warm-up period from several seconds to several minutes, depending on the temperature,

The attachments can also be used during the engine warm-up period.

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 Adjustments section of 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 peformance. 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 will 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. 11 ).

If grass is extremely tall, it should be mowed twice to reduce load and possible fire hazard from dried clip-

pings. Make first cut relatively high; the second to the
desired height.	14

FnG. 11

MULCHING tVIOWiNG TiPS

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

,The special mulching blade will recur 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 weL Wet grasstends 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.

For 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 your width of cut and mow slowly.

-Certain types of grass and grass conditions may re- quire that an area be mulched a second time to cdm- 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 will help prevent matting and graining of the lawn.

FIG. 12