Sears 917.25148 manual Operation, To Start Engine See Fig, Mulching Mowing Tips

OPERATION

system of an engine while in storage. To avoid engine problems, the fuef system should be emptied before stor- age of 30 days or longer. Drain the gas tank, start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and carburetor are empty. Llse fresh fuel next season,, See Storage Instruc- tions for additional information, Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur,

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filler neck. Do not overfill, Wipe off any

AspilledCAUTION:oil or Fillfuelto. Dobottomnot store,ofgasspilltankor use gasoline near an open flame.

TO START ENGINE (See Fig. 7)

When starting engine for the first time or if engine has run out of fuel, it will take extra cranking time to move fuel from the tank to the engine

oDepress clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake.

. Place gearshift lever in neutral (N) position

o Move attachment clutch to "DISENGAGED" position. o Pul! choke control out to choke (tXt) position for cold

engine start, For warm engine start do not use choke control.

oMove throttle controi to midway between fast (.t_) and slow (._.) positions

oInsert keyinto ignition andturn keyclockwiseto"START" position and release key as soon as engine starts. Do not run starter continuously for more than fifteen seconds per minute. If engine does not start after several attempts, move throttle control to fast (.t_) position, wait a few minutes and try again_,

. When engine starts, slowly push choke control in

oMove throttle control to fast ('_) position.,

-Allow engine to warm Lip for a few minutes before engaging drive or attachments.

NOTE: tf at a high altitude (above 3000 feet) or in cold temperatures (below 32°F), the carburetor fuel mixture may need to be adjusted for best engine performance, See

"TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the Service and Adjust- ments section of this manual

MOWING TgPS

oTire chains cannot be used when the mower housing is attached to tractor,,

oMower should be properly leveled for best mowing performance. See "TO LEVEL MOWER HOUSING" in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual,

*The left hand side of mower should be used for trim- ming

°Drive so that clippings are discharged onto the area that has been cut, Have the cut area to the right of the machine. This wilt result in a more even distribution of

clippings and more uniform cutting.,

oWhen mowing large areas, start by turning to the right so that clippings will discharge away from shrubs, fences, driveways, etc After one or two rounds, mow in the opposite direction making left hand turns until finished (See Fig. 10)

oIf grass is extremely tall, it should be mowed twice to reduce load and possible fire hazard from dried clip- pings,, Make first cut relatively high; the second to the desired height,

oDo not mow grass when it is wet,, Wet grass will plug mower and leave undesirable clumps Allow grass to dry before mowing

Always operate engine at full throttle when mowing to assure better mowing perfon-nance and proper dis- charge of material. Regulate ground speed by select- ing a tow enough gear to give the mower cutting performance as well as the quality of cut desired,

oWhen operating attachments, select a ground speed that wilt suit the terrain and give best performance of the attachment being used

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FIG. 11

MULCHING MOWING TIPS

IMPORTANT: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, KEEP MOWER HOUSING FREE OF BUILT-UP GRASS AND TRASH, CLEAN AFTER EACH USE,

•The special mulching blade will recut the grass dip- 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 wilt provide the best recutting action of the blades,

°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 wilt not be exposed to the direct sun

oFor best resutts, adjust the mower cutting height so that the mower cuts off only the top one-third of the grass blades (See Fig. 12) For extremely heavy mulching, reduce your width of cut on each pass and mow slowly

. Certain types of grass and grass conditions may re- quire that an area be mulched a second tirne to com-

pletely 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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15 FIG. 12