Craftsman 917.37181 owner manual How To Use Your Lawn Mower

The operation of any lawn SAFETYGLASSESmower can result in foreign

objectsthrownintotheeyes, which can result in severe

eye damage. Atways wear safety glasses or eye shields while oper- ating your lawn mower or performingany adjustmentsor repairs. We recommenda standardsafetyglassesorwidevisionsafety maskworn over spectacles.

HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER

ENGINE SPEED

The engine speed was set at the factory for optimum performance. Speed is not adjustable.

ENGINE ZONE CONTROL

_CAUTION: Federal regulations require

an engine control to be installed on this lawn mower in order to minimize the

risk of blade contact injury. Do not under

any circumstances attempt to defeat the function of the operator control. The blade turns when the engine is running.

•Your lawn mower is equipped with an operator presence control bar which

requires the operator to be positioned behind the lawn mower handle to start

and operate the lawn mower.

DRIVE CONTROL

•Self-propelling is controlled by hold- ing the operator presence control bar down to the handle and pulling the drive control lever rearward to the handle.

The farther toward the handle the lever is pulled, the faster the unit will travel.

•Forward motion will stop when either the operator presence control bar or

drive control lever are released. To stop forward motion without stopping engine, release only the drive control lever. Hold operator presence control bar down against handle to continue mowing without self-propelling

NOTE: If after releasing the drive control the mower will not roll backwards, push

the mower forward slightly to disengage drive wheels.

•To keep drive control engaged when

turning corners, push down on the handle to lift the front wheels off the

ground while turning lawn mower.

DRIVE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT

Over time, the drive control system may become "loose", resulting in decreased speed. There is a turnbuckle on the

underside of the drive control housing to increase tension on the drive cable. Pro-

ceed as follows:

1.Turn unit off and disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug.

2.Turn nut on underside of drive control to increase drive speed.

3.Operate mower to test drive speed. Readjust as required.

4.If condition fails to improve after the above steps (forward speed remains the same), your drive belt is worn and should be replaced.

O _=ratorpresence control bar

Drive control

TO

lever

ENGAGEDRIVE

Adjustment DRIVECONTROL

turnbuckle CONTROL DISENGAGED

TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT

Both front wheels are adjusted by a single lever on the left front wheel. Likewise,

both rear wheels are adjusted by a single lever on the left rear wheel.

•Pull adjuster lever toward wheel. To raise mower, move lever forward to desired position. To lower mower, move the lever backward to desired position.

Be sure to adjust both front and rear wheels to the same height.

Height uster lever

LEVER BACKWARD

TO LOWER MOWER

LEVER FORWARD

TO RAISE MOWER

TO CONVERT MOWER

Your lawn mower was shipped ready to be used as a mulcher. To convert to rear

bagging or side discharging:

REAR BAGGING

1.Remove knob securing mulcher door to lawn mower housing.

2.Open mulcher door and insert tabs of discharge chute into hinge bracket

opening and position rear of chute over threaded stud.