Craftsman 917.37248 owner manual Op Ation, Mulching Mowing Tips

OP ATION

MOWING TIPS

•Under certain conditions, such as very tall grass, it may be necessary to raise the height of cut to reduce pushing effort and to keep from overloading the en- gine and leaving clumps of grass clippings.

•For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the width of cut and raise the rear of the lawn mower housing one (1) wheel adjuster setting higher than the front for better discharge o_ grass.

For better grass bagging and most cutting conditions, the engine speed should be set in the '"HIGH" (_) (FAST) position.

°When using a rear discharge lawn mower in moist, heavy grass, clumps of cut grass may not enter the grass catcher. Reduce ground speed (pushing speed) and/or run the lawn mower over the area a second time.

•If a trail of grass clippings is left on the right side of a rear discharge lawn mower, mow in a clockwise direction with a small overlap to collect the clippings on the next pass.

•Keep top of engine around starter clear and clean of grass clippings and chaff. This will help engine air flow and extend engine life.

Pores in cloth grass catchers can become filled with dirt and dust with use and catchers will collect less

grass. To prevent this, regularly hose catchers off with water and tet dry before using.

MULCHING MOWING TIPS

IMPORTANT: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, KEEP MOWER HOUSING FREE OF BUILT-UP GRASS AND TRASH. CLEAN AFTER EACH USE. SEE "CLEANING" IN CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES SECTION OF THIS MANUAL.

The 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.

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*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.

,For best results, adjust the lawn mower cutting height so that the lawn mower cuts off only the top one-third of the grass blades (See Fig. 12). If the lawn is overgrown it will be necessary to raise the height of cut to reduce pushing effort and to keep from overloading the engine and leaving clumps of mulched grass. For extremely heavy mulching, reduce your width of cut, mow slowly and raise the rear of the lawn mower one wheel adjuster setting higher than the front.

oCertain types of grass and grass conditions may require that an area be mulched a second time to completely 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.

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