Craftsman 917.38519 owner manual ADD Gasoline

The operation of any lawn mower can result in foreign objects thrown into the eyes, which can result in severe eye damage, Always

wear safety glasses or eye shields while operating your lawn mower or performing any adjustments or repairs, We recom- mend a standard safety glasses or wide vision safety mask worn over spectacles,

ACAUTION: Do not run your lawn mower without discharge guard, approved grass catcher or mulcher plate in place.

Hinge rod

Discharge

HOW TO USE YOUR LAWN MOWER

ENGINE SPEED

The engine speed was set at the factory for

optimum performance, It 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,

TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT

Raise wheels for low cut and lower wheels for high cut, adjust cutting height to suit

your requirements, Medium position is best for most lawns,

•To change cutting height, squeeze ad-

juster lever toward wheel, Move wheel

up or down to suit your requirements, Be sure all wheels are in the same setting,

NOTE: Adjuster is properly positioned when plate tab inserts into hole in lever, Also, 9- position adjusters (if so equipped) allow lever to be positioned between the plate tabs,

LEVER BACKWARD

TO LOWER MOWER

Plate tab

LEVER FORWARD TO RAISE MOWER

TO CONVERT MOWER

Your mower is shipped ready to be used as a mulcher. To convert tobagging ordischarging:

•Lift discharge guard and remove mulcher plate.

•Mower can now be used for side discharge or optional grass catcher can be attached.

•To return to mulching operation, simply reinstall mulcher plate as shown.

g

opening

Hooks

Mulcher plate Tab

BEFORE STARTING ENGINE

ADD OIL

Your lawnmower is shipped without oil in the engine. For type and grade of oil to use, see "ENGINE" in the Maintenance section of this manual.

A CAUTION: DO NOT overfill engine with oil, or it will smoke heavily from the muffler on startup.

1.Be sure lawnmower is level.

2.Remove oil dipstick from oil fill spout.

3.You receive a container of oil with the

unit. Slowly pour the entire container down the oil fill spout into the engine.

NOTE: Initial oil fill requires only 18 oz. due to residual oil in engine from the

manufacturers 100% quality testing. When changing oil you may need 20 oz.

4.Insert and tighten dipstick.

IMPORTANT:

•Check oil level before each use. Add oil if needed. Fill to full line on dipstick.

•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. See "TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL" in the Mainte-

nance section of this manual.

ADD GASOLINE

•Fill fuel tank to bottom of tank filler neck. Do not overfill. 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.

•i, CAUTION: Wipe off any spilled oil or

fuel. Do not store, spill or use gasoline

near an open flame.

A CAUTION: Alcohol blended fuels

(called gasohol or using ethanol or metha-

8 nol) can attract moisture which leads to