Sears 917.25271 Customer Responsibilities, GRADE8, Tractor, Brake Operation, Tires, Blade Care

CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES

TRACTOR

Always observe safety rules when performing any mainte- nance.

BRAKE OPERATION

If tractor requires more than six (6) feet stopping distance at high speed in highest gear, then brake must be adjusted. (See "TO ADJUST BRAKE" in the Service and Adjust- ments section of this manual).

TIRES

•Maintain proper air pressure in all tires (See "PROD- UCT SPECIFICATIONS" on page 3 of this manual).

•Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect control chemi- cals which can harm rubber.

°Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp objects and other hazards that may cause tire damage.

BLADE CARE

For best results mower blades must be kept sharp. Re- place bent or damaged blades.

BLADE REMOVAL (See Fig. 14)

°Raise mower to highest position to allow access to blades.

•Remove hex bolt, Iockwasher and flat washer securing blade.

•Install new or resharpened blade with trailing edge up towards deck as shown.

°Reassemble hex bolt, lock washer and flat washer in exact order as shown.

•Tighten bolt securely (30-35 Ft. Lbs. torque).

IMPORTANT: BLADE BOLT IS GRADE 8 HEATTREATED.

NOTE: We do not recommend sharpening blade - but if you do, be sure the blade is balanced.

MANDREL

BLADE		_	ASSEMBLY
_A		_-	TRAILING
""_--	_._	1	EDGE UP
FLAT WASHER.	_,._ _'_%-_		/

LOCK WASHER....... _"__

,GRADE8,*

*A GRADE 8 HEAT TREATED BOLT CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY SIX LINES ON THE BOLT HEAD.

FIG. 14

°To check blade balance, you will need a 5/8" diameter steel bolt, pin, or a cone balancer. (When using a cone balancer, follow the instructions supplied with hal- anGer).

•Slide blade on to an unthreaded portion of the steel bolt

or pin and hold the bolt or pin parallel with the ground. If blade is balanced, it should remain in a horizontal position. If either end of the blade moves downward, sharpen the heavy end until the blade is balanced.

NOTE: Do not use a nail for balancing blade. The lobes of the center hole may appear to be centered, but are not.

CENTER	HOLE	//
		/
5/8" BOLT		BLADE
OR PIN

FIG. 15

BATTERY (See Fig. 16)

Your tractor has a battery charging system which is suffi- cient for normal use. However, periodic charging of the battery with an automotive charger will extend its life.

•Acid solution level in each battery cell should be even with bottoms of vent wells. Add only distilled or iron free water if necessary. Do not overfill.

•Keep battery and terminals clean.

•Keep battery bolts tight.

°Keep vent caps tight and small vent holes in caps open.

• Recharge at 6 amperes for 1 hour. TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TERk!!" _ALS

Corrosion and dirt on the battery and terminals can cause the battery to "leak" power.

•Open battery box door.

•Disconnect BLACK battery cable first then RED bat- tery cable and remove battery from tractor.

•Wash battery with solution of four tablespoons of baking soda to one gallon of water. Be careful not to get the soda solution into the cells.

•Rinse the battery with plain water and dry.

•Clean terminals and battery cable ends with wire brush until bright.

•Coat terminals with grease or petroleum jelly.

•Reinstall battery (See "INSTALL BATTERY" in the Assembly section of this manual).

CUT AWAY VIEW VENTCAP

TO SHARPEN BLADE (See Fig. 15)

Care should be taken to keep the blade balanced. An unbalanced blade will cause excessive vibration and even-

tual damage to mower and engine.

° The blade can be sharpened with a file or on a grinding	FIG. 16
wheel. Do not attempt to sharpen while on the mower.

BATTERY CELL ACID LEVEL

17