Poulan PR18542STC owner manual To Start Engine See Fig, Mulching Mowing Tips

OPERATION

season. See Storage Instructions for additional information.	•	When mowing large areas, start by turning to the right so
Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel		that clippings will discharge away from shrubs, fences,
tank or permanent damage may occur.		driveways, etc. After one or two rounds, mow in the
		opposite direction making left hand turns until finished
CAUTION: Fill to bottom of gas tank
		(See Fig. 8).
filler neck. Do not overfill. Wipe off any
	•	If grass is extremely tall, it should be mowed twice to
spilled oil or fuel. Do not store, spill or
		reduce load and possible fire hazard from dried clip-
use gasoline near an open flame.
		pings. Make first cut relatively high; the second to the
TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 6)	•	desired height.
When starting the engine for the first time or if the engine has		Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet grass will plug
		mower and leave undesirable clumps. Allow grass to dry
run out of fuel, it will take extra cranking time to move fuel
		before mowing.
from the tank to the engine.
	•	Always operate engine at full throttle when mowing
• Sit on seat in operating position, depress clutch/brake
		to assure better mowing performance and proper dis-
pedal and set parking brake.
		charge of material. Regulate ground speed by selecting
• Place gear shift lever in neutral (N) position.
		a low enough gear to give the mower cutting perfor-
• Move attachment clutch to “DISENGAGED” position.
		mance as well as the quality of cut desired.
• Move throttle control to fast position
	•	When operating attachments, select a ground speed
• Pull choke control out for a cold engine start attempt. For
		that will suit the terrain and give best performance of the
a warm engine start attempt the choke control may not
		attachment being used.
be needed.
NOTE: Before starting, read the warm and cold starting
procedures below.
• Insert key into ignition and turn key clockwise to
“START” position and release key as soon as engine
starts. Do not run starter continuously for more than
fifteen seconds per minute. If the engine does not start
after several attempts, push choke control in, wait a few
minutes and try again. If engine still does not start, pull
		FIG. 8
the choke control out and retry.
WARM WEATHER STARTING (50° F and above)	MULCHING MOWING TIPS
• When engine starts, slowly push choke control in until
	IMPORTANT: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, KEEP MOWER
the engine begins to run smoothly. If the engine starts
	HOUSING FREE OF BUILT-UP GRASS AND TRASH.
to run roughly, pull the choke control out slightly for a few
	CLEAN AFTER EACH USE.
seconds and then continue to push the control in slowly.	•	The special mulching blade will recut the grass clippings
• The attachments and ground drive can now be used. If		many times and reduce them in size so that as they fall
the engine does not accept the load, restart the engine		onto the lawn they will disperse into the grass and not be
and allow it to warm up for one minute using the choke		noticed. Also, the mulched grass will biodegrade
as described above.		quickly to provide nutrients for the lawn. Always mulch
COLD WEATHER STARTING (50°F and below)		with your highest engine (blade) speed as this will
• When engine starts, slowly push choke control in until		provide the best recutting action of the blades.
the engine begins to run smoothly. Continue to push the	•	Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet. Wet grass tends
choke control in small steps allowing the engine to		to form clumps and interferes with the mulching action.
accept small changes in speed and load, until the choke		The best time to mow your lawn is the early afternoon.
control is fully in. If the engine starts to run roughly, pull		At this time the grass has dried and the newly cut area
the choke control out slightly for a few seconds and then	•	will not be exposed to the direct sun.
continue to push the control in slowly. This may require		For best results, adjust the mower cutting height so that
an engine warm-up period from several seconds to		the mower cuts off only the top one-third of the grass
several minutes, depending on the temperature.		blades (See Fig. 9). For extremely heavy mulching,
• The attachments can be used during the engine warm-		reduce your width of cut on each pass and mow slowly.
up period and may require the choke control be pulled out	•	Certain types of grass and grass conditions may require
slightly.		that an area be mulched a second time to completely
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold		hide the clippings. When doing a second cut, mow
temperatures (below 32 F) the carburetor fuel mixture may		across or perpendicular to the first cut path.
need to be adjusted for best engine performance. See “TO	•	Change your cutting pattern from week to week. Mow
ADJUST CARBURETOR” in the Service and Adjustments		north to south one week then change to east to west the
section of this manual.		next week. This will help prevent matting and graining
MOWING TIPS		of the lawn.

•Mower should be properly leveled for best mowing

performance. See “TO LEVEL MOWER HOUSING” in	MAX 1/3
the Service and Adjustments section of this manual.

•The left hand side of mower should be used for trimming.

•Drive so that clippings are discharged onto the area that has been cut. Have the cut area to the right of the

machine. This will result in a more even distribution of
	13	FIG. 9
clippings and more uniform cutting.