BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
OIL
Your lawn mower is shipped without oil in the engine.
oBe sure mower is level and area around oil fill is clean.
oRemove engine oil cap w/dipstick and fill
to the full line on the dipstick.
oUse 20 ozs. of oil. For type and grade of oil to use, see "ENGINE" in Customer Re-
sponsibilities section of this manual. o Pour oil slowly. Do not over fill.
oCheck oil level before each use. Add oil if
needed. Fill to full line on dipstick.
o To read proper level, tighten engine oil cap each time.
o Reinstall engine oil cap and tighten.
•Change the oil after every 25 hours of operation or each season. You may need to change the oil more often under dusty,
dirty conditions.
GAS
o Fill fuel tank.. Use fresh, clean, regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum of 87 octane. Do not mix oil with gasoline. Pur_, chase fuel in quantities that can be used within 30 days to assure fuel freshness.
WARNING: Experience indicates that at.. cobol blended fuels (called gasohol or using ethanol or methanol) can attract moisture which leads to separation and formation of acids during storage. Acidic gas can damage the fuel system of an en- gine while in storage. To avoid engine problems, the fuel system should be emp- tied before storage of 30 days or longer. Drain the fuel tank, start the engine and let it run until fuel lines and carburetor are empty. Use fresh fuel next season. See Storage Instructions for additional informa- tion. Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in fuel tank or permanent damage may occur.
TO START ENGINE
o To start a cold engine, push primer five
(5)times before trying to start. Use a firm push. This step is not usually necessary when starting an engine which has already run for a few minutes.
o Hold operator presence control bar down to the handle and pull starter handle
quickly. Do not allow starter rope to snap back.
,o To stop engine, release operator pres- ence control bar.
NOTE: In cooler weather it may be neces- san! to repeat priming steps. In warmer weather over priming may cause flooding and engine will not start, if you do flood engine, wait a few minutes before attempt-
ing to startand do not repeat priming steps. Gasoline
filler cap
Engine oil cap w/dipstick
MOWING TIPS
o 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 engine and leaving clumps of grass clippings.
o 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 dis- charge of grass.
°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.
oIf a trail of grass clippings is left on the fight side of a rear discharge !awn mower, mow in a clockwise direction with a small overlap to collect the clippings on the next
pass.
o 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 let dry before using.
8
