Sears 917.258524 Mowingtips, To Start Engine See Fig, Mulching Mowing Tips, Desired heighL

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OPERATION
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TO START ENGINE (See Fig, 9)

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

•Sit on seat in operating position, depress clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake.

. Place gear shift lever in neutral (N) position.

•Move attachment" clutch to "DISENGAGED" position.

•Move throttle control to choke position.

Note: Before starting, read the warm and cold starting procedures below.

•lnsert keyinto ignition and rum keyclockwise to"START" position and release key as soon as engine starts. Do not run starter continuously for more than fifteen sec- onds per minute° if the engine does not start after several attempts, move throttle control to fast position, wait afew minutes and try again. If engine still does not start, move the throttle control back to the choke position and retry.

WARM WEATHER STARTING (50° F and above)

•When engine starts, movethe throttle control to the fast position.

. The attachments and ground drive can now be used. if the engine does not accept the load, restart the engine

and allow itto warm up for one minute using the cf}oke as described above.

COLD WEATHER STARTING ( 50° F and below)

•When engine starts, allow engine to runwith thethrottle

control in the choke position until the en_lne runs rougtfly, then move throttle control to fast position. This may require an engine warm-up period from several seconds to several minutes, depending on the tem- perature.

•The attachments can also be used dudng the engine warm-up period°

NOTE: if 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 Adjustments section of this manual+

MOWINGTIPS

. Tire chains cannot be used when the mower housing is attached to tractor.

. Mower should be properly leveled for best mow!,n.,g performance, See 'TO I.EVELMOWER HOUSING in

the Service and Adjustments section of this manual.

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

°Ddve so that clippings are discharged onto the area

that has been cut. Have the cut area to the right of the tractor. This will result in a more even distribution of clippings and more uniform cutting.

•When mowin_ large areas, start by tuming to the right so that clipplngs will discnarge away from shrubs, fences, driveways, etc. After one or'two rounds, mow in the opposite direction making left hand turns until finished (See Fig, 11 ).

•Do not mow grass when it is wet. Wet grass will plug mower and leave urldesirable clumps, Allow grass to dry before mowing.

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

•When operating attachments, select a ground speed that will 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 clip- 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 will provide the best recurring action of the blades+

•Avoid cutting your lawn when itiswet. 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 arid the newly cut area will riot be exposed to the direct sun+

°For best results, adjust the mower cutting height so that the mower cuts offonly the top one-third of the grass blades (See Fig. 12). For extremely heavy mulching, reduce your width of cut and mow slowly+

•Certain types of grass and grass conditions may re- quire that an area be mulched a second time to com+ pletely hide the clippings. Wt_en 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.

MAX 1/3

• If 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	14	FIG. 12
desired heighL