Craftsman 917.28035 owner manual and Adjustments section of this manual

NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold temperatures (below32° F) the carburetorfuel mixture may needto be

adjustedfor best engine performance (see "TOADJUSTCARBURETOR"intheService

and Adjustments section of this manual).

MOWING TIPS

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

•Mowershould be properlyleveled 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 trimming.

•Ifgrassisextremelytall, it should be mowed twice to reduce load and possible fire haz- ard from dried clippings. Makefirst cut rela- tively high;the second to the desired height.

•Donotmowgrasswhenitiswet. Wetgrass 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 discharge of

material. Regulate ground speed by selecting a low enough gear to give the

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.

MULCHING MOWING TIPS

IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep mower housing free of built-up grass and trash. Clean after each use.

•The special mulching blade will recut the grass clippings 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 quicklyto 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, yet the newly cut area will not be exposed to direct sunlight.

•For best results, adjustthe mowercutting height so that the mower cuts off only the top one-third of the grass blades. For extremely heavy mulching, reduce your width of cut on each pass and mow slowly.

•Certain types of grass and grass condi- tions may requirethat an area be mulched a second time to completely hide the clip- pings. When doing a second cut, mow across (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.

TO DUMP BAGGER

Your tractor is equipped with a Dump Bag

Alarm. To turn off the alarm disengage the attachment clutch switch.

•Position tractor in location you wish to dump bagger.

•Place motion control lever in neutral posi- tion and set parking brake.

•Raise dump handle to its highest position. Pull handle forward to raise bagger and dump clippings.

•To continue mowing, be sure bagger is down and in proper operating position to allow mower to operate.

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