Craftsman 917.27182 manual Mulching Mowingtips

MOWINGTIPS

•Mower should be properlyleveled for

best mowingperformance. See "1"O

LEVEL MOWER HOUSING" in the

Service and Adjustmentssectionof this manual.

•The left hand side of mower shouldbe used for trimming.

•Drive so that clippingsare discharged ontothe area that has been cut. Have the cut area to the dghtof the tractor.

This will resultin a more even distribu-

tion of clippingsand more uniform cutting.

•When mowinglarge areas, startby turningto the rightso that clippingswill dischargeaway from shrubs,fences, driveways,etc. After one ortwo rounds,mow in the oppositedirection making left hand turnsuntil finished.

•If grass is extremelytall, it shouldbe mowed twice to reduce load and

possiblefire hazard from dried clip- pings. Make firstcut relativelyhigh;the secondto the desired height.

•Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet grass will plug mower and leave undesirableclumps. Allow grassto dry before mowing.

•Always operate engine at full throttle when mowing to assure bettermowing performanceand proper dischargeof material. Regulate ground speed by selectinga low enough gear to give the mower cuttingperformanceas well as the qualityof cut desired.

•When operatingattachments, select a groundspeed that will suit the terrain and give best performanceof the attachmentbeing used.

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MULCHING MOWINGTIPS

IMPORTANT: For bestperformance, keep mower housingfree of built-up grass and trash. Clean after each use.

•The specialmulchingblade will recut the grass clippingsmany times and reducethem in size so that as they fall ontothe lawn they willdisperse intothe grass and not be noticed. Also, the mulched grass will biodegradequickly to providenutrientsfor the lawn. Always mulchwith your highestengine (blade) speed as this will providethe best recuttingactionof the blades.

•Avoidcuttingyour lawn when it is wet. Wet grasstends to form clumpsand interfereswith the mulchingaction. The besttime to mow your lawn is the eady afternoon. At this timethe grass has dried and the newly cut area will not be exposedto the directsun.

•For best results,adjustthe mower cuttingheightso that the mower cutsoff onlythe top one-thirdof the grass blades. For extremelyheavy mulching, reduceyourwidthof cut on each pass and mow slowly.

•Certain typesof grass and grass conditionsmay requirethat an area be mulcheda second timeto completely hide the clippings. When doinga secondcut, mow across or perpendicu- lar to the firstcut path.

•Change your cuttingpatternfrom week to week. Mow northto southone week then changeto east to west the next week. This will help preventmatting and grainingof the lawn.

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Max I/3"

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