
Operator's Manual
[RRFrSMRN°
Zero=Turn Rider
22 HP, 42" MOWER DECK
Model No. 247.204110
CAUTION: Before using this product,
read this manual and follow all safety
rules and operating instructions.
Sears Brands Management Corporation, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179, U.S.A.
Visit our website: www.craftsman.com
• SAFETY
• ASSEMBLY
• OPERATION
• MAINTENANCE
• PARTS LIST
• ESPANOL
FormNo.769-09506
(November12,2013)

Warranty Statement ................................... 2
Safety Instructions .................................... 3
Slope Guide .......................................... 7
Assembly ............................................. 8
Operation ........................................... 12
Service and Maintenance ............................ 20
Off-Season Storage ................................... 29
Troubleshooting ..................................... 30
Espaffol .............................................. 35
Service Numbers ............................ Back Cover
CRAFTSMANFULLWARRANTY
FORTWOYEARSfromthedateofpurchase,allnon-expendablepartsofthisridingequipmentarewarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialorworkmanship.
Adefectivenon-expendablepartwill receivefreein-homerepairorreplacementifrepairisimpossible.
BATTERYLIMITEDWARRANTY
FOR90DAYSfromthedateofpurchase,thebattery(anexpendablepart)ofthisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialor
workmanship.Anewbatterywillbesuppliedfreeofcharge.Youareresponsibleforthelaborcostofbatteryinstallation.
WARRANTYSERVICE
Forwarrantycoveragedetailstoobtainfreerepairorreplacement,call1-800-659-5917orvisitthewebsite:www.craftsman.com
Inallcasesabove,ifpartrepairorreplacementisimpossible,theridingequipmentwillbereplacedfreeofchargewiththesameoranequivalentmodel.
Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageisvoidifthisridingequipmentiseverusedwhileprovidingcommercialservicesorif rentedtoanotherperson.
ThiswarrantycoversONLYdefectsinmaterialandworkmanship.Warrantycoverage
doesNOTinclude:
• Expendableparts(exceptbattery)thatcanwearoutfromnormalusewithinthewarrantyperiod,includingbutnotlimitedto blades,sparkplugs,air
cleaners,belts,andoilfilters.
• Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,ortune-ups.
• Tirereplacementorrepaircausedbypuncturesfromoutsideobjects,suchasnails,thorns,stumps,orglass.
• Tireorwheelreplacementorrepairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,orimproperoperationormaintenance.
• Repairsnecessarybecauseofoperatorabuse,includingbutnotlimitedtodamagecausedbytowingobjectsbeyondthecapabilityoftheriding
equipment,impactingobjectsthatbendtheframe,axleassemblyorcrankshaft,orover-speedingtheengine.
• Repairsnecessarybecauseofoperatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecausedbyimproperstorage,failureto
usethepropergradeandamountofengineoil,failuretokeepthedeckclearofflammabledebris,orfailuretomaintaintheridingequipmentaccording
totheinstructionscontainedintheoperator'smanual.
• Engine(fuelsystem)cleaningorrepairscausedbyfueldeterminedtobecontaminatedoroxidized(stale).Ingeneral,fuelshouldbeusedwithin30days
ofitspurchasedate.
• Normaldeteriorationandwearoftheexteriorfinishes,orproductlabelreplacement.
Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstateto state.
SearsBrandsManagementCorporation,HoffmanEstates,IL60179
Engine Oil: SAE 30
Fuel: Unleaded Gasoline
© Sears Brands, LLC 2
Model Number
Serial Number
Date of Purchase
Record the model number, serial number,
and date of purchase above.

Thissymbolpoints out importantsafety instructionswhich,if not
followed,couldendangerthe personalsafetyand/orpropertyof
yourselfandothers.Readandfollow all instructionsinthis manual
beforeattempting to operatethis machine.Failuretocomplywith these
instructionsmayresultinpersonalinjury.Whenyouseethissymbol,HEED
ITSWARNING!
Thismachinewasbuilt to beoperatedaccordingto the safeoperation
practicesinthis manual.Aswith anytype of powerequipment,
carelessnessorerroronthe part ofthe operatorcanresultinseriousinjury.
Thismachineiscapableof amputatingfingers, hands,toesandfeet and
throwing debris.Failureto observethefollowing safetyinstructionscould
resultin seriousinjury or death.
CALiFORNiA PROPOSiTiON 65
EngineExhaust,someof itsconstituents,andcertainvehide components
containoremit chemicalsknownto StateofCaliforniato causecancerand
birth defectsor other reproductiveharm.
Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontain leadand lead
compounds,chemicalsknownto the StateofCaliforniatocausecancerand
reproductiveharm.Washhandsafter handling.
GENERAL OPERATION
Read,understand,andfollowall instructionsonthemachineandinthe
manual(s)beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate.Keepthismanualin
asafeplaceforfutureandregularreferenceandfororderingreplacement
parts.
Befamiliarwith allcontrolsandtheirproperoperation.Knowhowtostop
themachineanddisengagethemquickly.
Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethis machine.Children
14andovershouldreadandunderstandtheinstructionsandsafeoperation
practicesinthismanualandonthemachineandshouldbetrainedand
supervisedbyanadult.
Neverallowadultstooperatethismachinewithout properinstruction.
Tohelpavoidbladecontactorathrownobjectinjury,keepbystanders,
helpers,childrenandpetsatleast75feetfromthemachinewhileit isin
operation.Stopmachineif anyoneentersthearea.
Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentisto beused.Remove
allstones,sticks,wire,bones,toys,andotherforeignobjectswhichcould
bepickedupandthrownbytheblade(s).Thrownobjectscancauseserious
personalinjury.
Planyourmowingpatterntoavoiddischargeofmaterialtowardroads,
sidewalks,bystandersandthelike.Also,avoiddischargingmaterialagainst
awall orobstructionwhichmaycausedischargedmaterialto ricochetback
towardtheoperator.
Alwayswearsafetyglassesorsafetygogglesduringoperationandwhile
performinganadjustmentor repairtoprotectyoureyes.Thrownobjects
whichricochetcancauseseriousinjurytotheeyes.
Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fittingslacksandshirts.
Loosefitting clothesandjewelrycanbecaughtinmovableparts.Never
operatethismachineinbarefeetorsandals.
Your Responsibility--Restrict the useof this powermachineto
personswhoread,understandandfollow the warningsandinstructionsin
thismanualandonthe machine.
SAVETHESEINSTRUCTIONS!
Beawareof themowerandattachmentdischargedirectionanddonotpoint
it at anyone.Donotoperatethemowerwithoutthedischargecoverorentire
grasscatcherin itsproperplace.
Donotput handsorfeetnearrotatingpartsor underthecuttingdeck.
Contactwiththe blade(s)canamputatehandsandfeet.
Amissingordamageddischargecovercancausebladecontactorthrown
objectinjuries.
Stoptheblade(s)whencrossinggraveldrives,walks,orroadsandwhilenot
cuttinggrass.
Watchfortrafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.Thismachineis
not intendedforuseonanypublicroadway.
Donotoperatethemachinewhileunderthe influenceofalcoholordrugs.
Mowonlyindaylightorgoodartificiallight.
Nevercarrypassengers.
Backupslowly.Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebacking
toavoidaback-overaccident.Beawareandpayattentiontothesafety
systemfunctionthatstopspowertothe bladeswhendrivingin reverse.
Ifnotfuctioningproperly,contactanauthorizeddealerforsafetysystem
inspectionandrepair.
Slowdownbeforeturning.Operatethemachinesmoothly.Avoiderratic
operationandexcessivespeed.
Disengageblade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengineandwaituntil the
blade(s)cometoacompletestopbeforeremovinggrasscatcher,emptying
grass,uncloggingchute,removinganygrassordebris,or makingany
adjustments.
Neverleavearunningmachineunattended.Alwaysturn offblade(s),place
drivecontrolleversinneutral,setparkingbrake,stopengineandremove
keybeforedismounting.

Useextracarewhenloadingorunloadingthemachineintoatrailerortruck.
Thismachineshouldnotbedrivenupordownramp(s),becausethemachine
couldtipover,causingseriouspersonalinjury.Themachinemustbepushed
manuallyonramp(s)toloadorunloadproperly.
Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcancauseaburn.Donottouch.
Checkoverheadclearancescarefullybeforedrivingunderlowhangingtree
branches,wires,dooropeningsetc.,wheretheoperatormaybestruckor
pulledfromthemachine,whichcouldresultinseriousinjury.
Disengageallattachmentclutches,settheparkingbraketothe'on'position
andmovethe RHandLHdrivecontrolleversto theneutralpositionbefore
attemptingtostarttheengine.
Yourmachineisdesignedto cutnormalresidentialgrassofa heightnomore
than10".Donotattemptto mowthroughunusuallytall,drygrass(e.g.,
pasture)orpilesofdryleaves.Drygrassor leavesmaycontacttheengine
exhaustand/orbuilduponthemowerdeckpresentingapotentialfire
hazard.
Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedforthis machinebythe
machinemanufacturer.Read,understandandfollowall instructions
providedwith theapprovedaccessoryorattachment.Foralistofapproved
accessoriesandattachments,call1-800-659-5917.
Dataindicatesthatoperators,age60yearsandabove,areinvolvedina
largepercentageofridingmower-relatedinjuries.Theseoperatorsshould
evaluatetheirabilitytooperatetheridingmowersafelyenoughto protect
themselvesandothersfromseriousinjury.
Ifsituationsoccurwhicharenotcoveredin thismanual,usecareandgood
judgment.
SLOPE OPERATION
Slopesareamajorfactorrelatedtolossofcontrolandtip-overaccidentswhichcan
resultinsevereinjuryordeath.Allslopesrequireextracaution.Ifyoucannotback
uptheslopeorif youfeeluneasyonit,donotmowit.
Foryoursafety,usetheslopegaugeincludedaspartofthis manualto measure
slopesbeforeoperatingthismachineonaslopedorhillyarea.If theslopeisgreater
than15degreesasshownontheslopegauge,donotoperatethis machineonthat
areaorseriousinjurycouldresult.
Do;
Mowacrossslopes,notupanddown.Exerciseextremecautionwhen
changingdirectiononslopes.
Watchfor holes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.Uneventerrain
couldoverturnthemachine.Tallgrasscanhideobstacles.
Useslowspeed.Choosealowenoughspeedsothatyouwill nothaveto
stopwhileontheslope.Avoidstartingorstoppingonaslope.Ifthetiresare
unableto maintaintraction,disengagethebladesandproceedslowlyand
carefullystraightdowntheslope.
Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsfor wheelweightsor
counterweightstoimprovestability.
Useextracarewith grasscatchersor otherattachments.Thesecanchange
thestabilityofthemachine.
Keepallmovementontheslopesslowandgradual.Donotmakesudden
changesinspeedordirection.Rapidaccelerationordecelerationcouldcause
thefrontof themachineto lift andrapidlyroll overbackwards,whichcould
causeseriousinjury.
Do Not:
Donotturnonslopesunlessnecessary;then turnslowlyuphillanduseextra
carewhileturning.
Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditchesorembankments.Themowercould
suddenlyturnoverirawheelisovertheedgeofacliff, ditch,orifanedge
cavesin.
Donottry tostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfootontheground.
Donotuseagrasscatcheronsteepslopes.
Donotmowonwetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.
Donottow heavypullbehindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart,lawn
roller,etc.)onslopesgreaterthan5degrees.Whengoingdownhill,the
extraweighttendstopushtheridingmowerandmaycauseyouto loose
control(e.g.ridingmowermayspeedup,brakingandsteeringabilityare
reduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcauseridingmowerto overturn).
CHILDREN
Tragicaccidentscanoccurif theoperatorisnotalertto thepresenceofchildren.
Childrenareoftenattractedtothemachineandthemowingactivity.Theydo not
understandthedangers.Neverassumethatchildrenwill remainwhereyoulastsaw
them.
Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaandinwatchfulcareof aresponsible
adultotherthantheoperator.
Bealertandturnmachineoff ifachildentersthearea.
Toavoidback-overaccidents,alwayslookbehindanddownforsmall
children.
Nevercarrychildren,evenwith theblade(s)shutoff.Theymayfall offand be
seriouslyinjuredorinterferewith safemachineoperation.
Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,doorways,shrubs,trees
orotherobjectsthat mayblockyourvisionofa childwhomayrunintothe
pathofthemachine.
Keepchildrenawayfromhotorrunningengines.Theycansufferburnsfrom
ahotmuffler.
Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedtopreventunauthorized
operation.
Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethismachine.Children14and
overshouldreadandunderstandtheinstructionsandsafeoperationpracticesin
thismanualandonthemachineandshouldbetrainedandsupervisedbyanadult.
TOWING
Towonlywith a machinethathasahitchdesignedfortowing.Donotattach
towedequipmentexceptat thehitchpoint.
Followthe manufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfortowed
equipmentandtowingonslopes.
Neverallowchildrenorothersinorontowedequipment.
4

Onslopes,theweightofthetowedequipmentmaycausebssoftractionand
lossofcontrol.
Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop.
Donotshiftto neutralandcoastdownhill.
Donottowheavypullbehindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart,lawn
roller,etc.)onslopesgreaterthan5degrees.Whengoingdownhill,the
extraweighttendstopushtheridingmowerandmaycauseyouto loose
control(e.g.ridingmowermayspeedup,brakingandsteeringabilityare
reduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcauseridingmowertooverturn).
SERVICE
Safe Handling of Gasoline:
Toavoidpersonalinjuryorproperty damageuseextreme careinhandling
gasoline.Gasolineis extremely flammableandthe vaporsareexplosive.
Seriouspersonalinjury canoccurwhen gasolineisspilledonyourselforyour
clotheswhichcanignite. Washyourskinand changeclothesimmediately.
Useonlyanapprovedgasolinecontainer.
Neverfill containersinsideavehicleoronatruckortrailerbedwith aplastic
liner.Alwaysplacecontainersonthegroundawayfromyourvehiclebefore
filling.
Whenpractical,removegas-poweredequipmentfromthetruckor
trailerandrefuelitontheground.If thisisnotpossible,thenrefuelsuch
equipmenton atrailerwitha portablecontainer,ratherthanfromagasoline
dispensernozzle.
Keepthenozzlein contactwith therimofthefueltankorcontaineropening
atalltimesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Donotuseanozzlelock-opendevice.
Extinguishallcigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersourcesofignition.
Neverfuel machineindoors.
Neverremovegascaporaddfuelwhiletheengineishotor running.Allow
engineto coolatleasttwominutesbeforerefueling.
Neveroverfill fueltank.Filltanktonomorethan1/2inchbelowbottomof
fillernecktoallowspaceforfuel expansion.
Replacegasolinecapandtightensecurely.
Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeit off theengineandequipment.Movemachineto
anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingtheengine.
Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefreeofgrass,leaves,orotherdebris
build-up.Cleanupoilorfuelspillageandremoveanyfuelsoakeddebris.
Neverstorethe machineorfuelcontainerinsidewherethereisanopen
flame,sparkorpilotlightasonawaterheater,spaceheater,furnace,clothes
dryerorothergasappliances.
Allowamachineto coolat leastfiveminutesbeforestoring.
General Service
Neverrunanengineindoorsorinapoorlyventilatedarea.Engineexhaust
containscarbonmonoxide,anodorless,anddeadlygas.
Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspecting,makecertaintheblade(s)andall
movingpartshavestopped.Disconnectthesparkplugwireandground
againsttheenginetopreventunintendedstarting.
Periodicallycheckto makesurethebladescometo completestopwithin
approximately(5)fivesecondsafteroperatingthe bladedisengagement
control.Ifthebladesdonotstopwithinthethistimeframe,aveyour
machineservicedprofessionallybySearsoranotherqualifieddealer.
Regularlycheckthesafetyinterlocksystemfor properfunction,asdescribed
laterinthis manual.Ifthesafetyinterlocksystemdoesnotfunctionproperly,
haveyourmachineservicedprofessionallybySearsoranotherqualified
dealer.
Checktheblade(s)andenginemountingboltsatfrequentintervalsfor
propertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade(s)for damage(e.g.,excessive
wear,bent,cracked).Replacetheblade(s)withtheoriginalequipment
manufacturer's(O.E.M.)blade(s)only,listedinthismanual.Useofparts
whichdonotmeettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmayleadto
improperperformanceandcompromisesafety!
Mowerbladesaresharp.Wrapthebladeorweargloves,anduseextra
cautionwhenservicingthem.
Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstight to besuretheequipmentisinsafe
workingcondition.
Nevertamperwith thesafetyinterlocksystemorothersafetydevices.Check
theirproperoperationregularly.
Afterstrikingaforeignobject,stoptheengine,disconnectthesparkplug
wire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughlyinspectthemachinefor
anydamage.Repairthedamagebeforestartingandoperating.
Neverattemptto makeadjustmentsorrepairstothe machinewhilethe
engineis running.
Grasscatchercomponentsandthedischargecoveraresubjecttowear
anddamagewhichcouldexposemovingpartsorallowobjectstobe
thrown.Forsafetyprotection,frequentlycheckcomponentsandreplace
immediatelywith originalequipmentmanufacturer's(O.E.M.)partsonly,
listedinthis manual.Useof partswhichdonotmeettheoriginalequipment
specificationsmayleadtoimproperperformanceandcompromisesafety!
Donotchangetheenginegovernorsettingsorover-speedtheengine.The
governorcontrolsthemaximumsafeoperatingspeedof theengine.
Maintainorreplacesafetyandinstructionlabels,asnecessary.
Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsforgas,oil,etc.toprotectthe
environment.
AccordingtotheConsumerProductsSafetyCommission(CPSC)andthe
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),thisproducthasanAverage
UsefulLifeofseven(7)years,or270hoursof operation.Attheendof
theAverageUsefulLifehavethemachineinspectedannuallybySearsor
anotherqualifieddealerto ensurethatallmechanicalandsafetysystems
areworkingproperlyandnotwornexcessively.Failuretodosocanresultin
accidents,injuriesordeath.

DO NOT MODIFY ENGINE
Toavoidseriousinjuryor death,donot modifyengineinanyway.Tampering
with thegovernorsetting canleadto arunawayengineandcauseit to
operateat unsafespeeds.Nevertamperwith factorysetting ofengine
governor.
NOTICE REGARDING EMiSSiONS
Engineswhicharecertified to complywith CaliforniaandfederalEPA
emissionregulationsfor SORE(SmallOffRoadEquipment)arecertified
tooperateon regularunleadedgasoline,andmayincludethefollowing
emissioncontrolsystems:EngineModification(EM),OxidizingCatalyst(0C),
SecondaryAirinjection(SAI)andThreeWayCatalyst(TWO)if soequipped.
SPARK ARRESTOR
Thismachineisequippedwith aninternalcombustionengineandshould
not beusedonor nearanyunimprovedforest-covered,brushcoveredor
grass-coveredlandunlesstheengine'sexhaustsystemisequippedwith a
sparkarrestormeeting applicablelocalor statelaws(if any).
Ifa sparkarrestorisused,itshouldbemaintained in effectiveworking order
bythe operator.Inthe StateofCaliforniathe aboveisrequiredbylaw(Section
4442of the CaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Otherstatesmayhavesimilar
laws. Federallawsapply onfederallands.
Asparkarrestorfor the muffler isavailablethroughyournearestSearsParts
andRepairServiceCenter.
SAFETY SYMBOLS
Thispagedepictsanddescribessafety symbolsthatmayappearonthisproduct.Read,understand,andfollow all instructionsonthemachinebefore
attempting to assembleandoperate.
= =
_j/_ WARNING--THROWNOBJECTS
iiii_;!:_iiii/ This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.
READTHEOPERATOR'SMANUAL(S)
Read,understand, and follow all instructions inthe manual(s) before attempting to assemble and
operate
WARNING-- ROTATINGBLADES
Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck. Contact with the blade(s)can
amputate hands and feet.
WARN NG--T.ROWNOBJECTS
_F This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.
®
J _ Keep bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least75 feet from the machine while it isin operation.
Do not operate this machine on a slope greater than 15degrees.
WARNING-- SLOPEOPERATION
DANGER-- ROTATINGBLADES
Toreduce the riskof injury, keep hands and feet away.Do not operate unless discharge cover or grass
catcher is in its proper place. If damaged, replace immediately.
6

(OK)
15° Slope
X
(TOO STEEP)
15° Slope
Figure1
USETHiS SLOPEGAUGETO DETERMINE
iFA SLOPEiSTOOSTEEPFORSAFEOPERATION!
Tochecktheslope,proceedasfollows:
1. Removethis pageandfold alongthe dashedline.
2. Locateaverticalobjecton or behindthe slope(e.g.a pole,building,fence, tree, etc.)
3. Aligneitherside ofthe slopegaugewith theobject(SeeFigure1 andFigure2 ).
4. Adjust gaugeup or downuntil theleft cornertouchesthe slope(SeeFigure1 andFigure2).
5.
O. daShed. fine
If thereis agap belowthe gauge,theslope istoo steepfor safeoperation(SeeFigure2above).
Figure2
Slopes are a major factor related to tip-over and roll-over accidents which can result in severe injury or death. Do not operate machine
on slopes in excess of 15 degrees. All slopes require extra caution. If you cannot back up the slope or if you feel uneasy on it, do not
mow it. Always mow across the face of slopes, never mow up and down the face of slopes.

Set-Up
NOTE:Removethedeckwashsystemnozzleadapterandoildraintubefromthe
manualbagandstoreforfutureuse.
Moving TheRidingMower Manually
Yourriding mower'stransmissionisequippedwithahydrostaticreliefvalvefor
occasionswhenit isnecessarytomovetheridingmowermanually.Openingthis
valvepermitsthefluid inthetransmissionto bypassitsnormalroute,allowingthe
reartiresto"freewheel."Toopenthehydrostaticreliefvalve,proceedasfollows:
1. Locatethehydrostaticbypassrodintherearoftheridingmower.SeeFigure1.
Install Operator'sSeat
Toinstalltheseatproceedasfollows:
NOTE:Theseatisshippedwith theseatswitchandseatpanattached.
1. Cutanystrapssecuringtheseatassemblyandthedrivecontrolleverstothe
ridingmower.Removeanypackingmaterial.
NOTE:Becarefulnottocutthewiringharnessconnectingtheseatandthe
seatswitch.
2. Removethetwoshoulderboltsandlocknutsintheseatpanasshownin
Figure2.
f
Figure1
Engagethebypassrodsbypullingeachoneout (a)andtotheright(b)to
lockitintoplace.SeeFigure1.
Disengagethebypassrodsbyreversingstepsa&baftermovingthetractor.
SeeFigure1.
NOTE:Thetransmissionwill NOTengagewhenthe hydrostaticbypassrodis
pulledout.Returntherodto itsnormalpositionpriorto operatingthe riding
mower.
Neverattempt to movethe riding mowermanuallywithout first opening
the hydrostaticrelief valve.Doingsowill resultinseriousdamagetothe
ridingmower'stransmission.
Shoulder
.Bolt
J
Figure2
Rotatetheseatintopositionandsecuretheseatintoplacewith the
previouslyremovedshoulderboltsandlocknuts.Becarefulnotto crimpor
damagethewire harnesswhileinstallingtheseat.SeeFigure3.
ShoulderBolts
Figure3
8

PositionDriveControllevers
Thedrivecontrolleversoftheridingmowerareloweredforshippingpurposes.
Theflangelocknuts,hexscrews,andflatwashersthat normallysecurethecontrol
leversintheiroperatingpositionareunfastenedandinstalledintheslottedholesof
thecontrolleversforshipment.Thecontrolleversmustberepositionedtooperate
theridingmower.Torepositionthecontrolleversfor operation,proceedasfollows:
1. Removethehexscrewsandflatwashersfromthehardwarepackinyour
manualbag.
2. Liftandswingthatcontrolleverupwarduntiltheslottedholeinthelever
bracketalignswith oneoftheholesinthepivotbracket.SeeFigure4.
Control
LiftControl
LeverUpward
Flat Washer..
Connectingthe Battery Cables
Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainleadandlead
compounds,chemicalsknownto the Stateof Californiato causecancerand
reproductiveharm.Washhandsafter handling.
Whenattachingbattery cables,alwaysconnectthe POSITIVE(Red)wire to
itsterminal first, followed bythe NEGATIVE(Black)wire.
Forshippingreasons,bothbatterycablesonyourequipmentmayhavebeenleft
disconnectedfromtheterminalsatthefactory.Toconnectthebatterycables,
proceedasfollows:
flOTE:ThepositivebatteryterminalismarkedPos.(+). Thenegativebattery
terminalismarkedNeg.(-).
flOTE:Ifthepositivebatterycableisalreadyattached,skipaheadto step2.
1. Removetheplasticcover,if present,fromthepositivebatteryterminaland
attachtheredcabletothepositivebatteryterminal(+)with theboltand
hexnut.SeeFigure5.
Hex Screw
Bracket
Figure4
3. Slidetheflat washerontothe hexscrew.Fromtheoutside,insertthehex
screwwith washerthroughthecontrolleverslotandtheholeofthepivot
bracket.SeeFigure4.Usinga1/2"wrenchsnugthescrew,butdo notfully
tighten.
4. Notetherelativepositionofthecontrollevertothepivotbracket,
thenrepeatthe previousstepstorepositiontheothercontrolleverin
approximatelythesameposition.
Torquethescrewsdowntightly to preventthe controlleversfrom slipping
out of position.
5.
Referto "AdjustingtheDriveControlLevers"intheMaintenance&
Adjustmentsforinstructionsonthefinaladjustmentof thelevers.
Figure5
Removetheplasticcover,if present,fromthenegativebatteryterminaland
attachtheblackcableto thenegativebatteryterminal(-) with theboltand
hexnut. SeeFigure5.
Positiontheredrubberbootoverthepositivebatteryterminaltohelp
protectitfromcorrosion.
flOTE:Ifthebatteryisputintoserviceafterthedateshownontoporside
ofbattery,chargethebatteryasinstructedintheServiceandMaintenance
sectionofthisOperator'sManualpriortooperatingtheridingmower.
9

LowerDeckDischargeChuteDeflector CheckingTirePressure
Neveroperatethe mowerdeckwithoutthechutedeflectorinstalledand in
thedown position.
Thedischargechutedeflectormustbeinstalledbeforeoperatingthe mower.
1. Removethekeysthat areattachedwith aziptie tothechutebracket.
2. Removetheflangelocknutsfromthedeck.Donotremovethepushnuts
orcarriagebolts,leavingtheminplacewill aidininstallingthechute.See
Figure6.
eBolts
Donotoverinflate tires,Checksidewallof tires for maximumpsi.Equaltire
pressureshouldbemaintainedat alltimes.
Thetiresonyourridingmowermaybeoverinflatedforshippingpurposes.Reducethe
tirepressurebeforeoperatingtheridingmower.Checksidewalloftiresformaximumpsi.
Adjusting the GaugeWheels
Keephandsandfeet awayfrom the dischargeopeningofthe cuttingdeck.
NOTE:Thedeckgaugewheelsareananti-scalpfeatureofthedeckandarenot
designedto supporttheweightof thecuttingdeck.
Themowerdeckcuttingheightcanbesetinanyofsixheightsettingsusingthe
ridingmower'sdecklift handle.Thedeckheightsrangefrom1-1_" to 4".Thedeck
gaugewheelpositionshouldbeapproximately%"to_" abovethegroundwhen
thedeckissetinthedesiredheightsetting.
Usingthelift handle,setthedeckinthedesiredheightsetting,thencheckthe
gaugewheeldistancefromthegroundbelow.Ifnecessaryadjustasfollows:
1. Visuallycheckthedistancebetweenthefrontgaugewheelandtheground.
Ifthegaugewheelisnearortouchingtheground,itshouldberaised.If
morethan_A"abovetheground,itshouldbelowered.
2. Removetheflangelocknutsecuringthefrontgaugewheelshoulderboltto
thedeck.Removethegaugewheelandshoulderbolt.RefertoFigure8.
Figure6
Installthedischargechutedeflectorusingthecarriagebolts,pushnutsand
flangelocknutsasshownin Figure7andsecurelytightenthehardware.
Flan_
Discharge
Chute
Deflector
triageBolts
PushNuts
Figure7
eWheel
LockNut
k. j
Figure8
3. Inserttheshoulderboltintotheoneoffourindexholesinthefrontgauge
wheelbracketthatwill givethegaugewheela%"to _A"clearancewiththe
groundandsecurewith theflangelocknut.
4. Notetheindexholeofthejust adjustedwheel,andadjustthereargauge
wheelintotherespectiveindexholesof theothergaugewheelbracketon
thedeck.
10

Adjusting the Seat 3.
Toadjustthepositionoftheseat,rotatetheseatforwardandlocatetheclampknob
onthefrontleftoftheseatpan.RefertoFigure9. 4.
Clamp
Knob
Seat
Adjustment
Positions
Figure9
Rotatetheclampknobstotheleft andremovethem,slidetheseatforwardor
backwardandre-inserttheclampknobsintooneofthefouravailablepositionson
theseatpanandintotheseat,thentightensecurely.Makesuretheseatislockedinto
positionbeforeoperatingthetractor.SeeFigure9
Yourridingmowerisshippedwithoilintheengine.However,youMUSTcheck
theoil levelbeforeoperating.Checkandaddtheoil asinstructedin yourEngine
UsinganapprovedredGASOLINEcontainer,addfuelslowly,beingcarefulto
avoidspilling.
Fillthetankuntilthefuelreachesthebottomofthefueltankneck.
Replacethefuelcapandtightensecurely.Wipeupspilledfuel before
startingengine.IffuelisspilledDONOTstartengine.Moveridingmower
awayfromareaofspillage.Avoidcreatinganysourceof ignitionuntilfuel
vaporsaregone.
CheckingandAdding Oil
Operator'sManual.
Gasand Oil
FuelRecommendations
Useautomotivegasoline(unleadedorlowleadedtominimizecombustionchamber
deposits)witha minimumof87octane.Gasolinewith upto 10%ethanolor15%
MTBE(MethylTertiaryButylEther)canbeused.Neveruseanoil/gasolinemixture
ordirtygasoline.Avoidgettingdirt,dust,orwaterinthefueltank.DONOTuseE85
gasoline.
Refuelinawell-ventilatedareawith theenginestopped.Donotsmokeor
allowflamesorsparksintheareawheretheengineisrefueledorwhere
gasolineisstored.
Donotoverfillthefueltank.Afterrefueling,makesurethetankcapisclosed
properlyandsecurely.
Becarefulnottospillfuelwhenrefueling.Spilledfuelorfuelvapormayignite.
Ifanyfuelisspilled,makesuretheareaisdrybeforestartingtheengine.
Avoidrepeatedorprolongedcontactwith skinorbreathingofvapor.
Adding Fuel
Useextremecarewhenhandling gasoline.Gasolineisextremely
flammable andthevaporsareexplosive.Neverfuelthe ridingmower
indoorsorwhilethe engineishotor running. Extinguishcigarettes,cigars,
pipesandother sourcesof ignition.
1. Besureengineisoutdoorsandinawell-ventilatedarea.
2. Cleanareaaroundthefuelfill capandremovethefuelfill cap.
11

FuelLevelWindow\ l\
LHDrive RHDrive
ControlLever ControlLever
LCDServiceMinder&
HourMeter
ignitionSwitch
FueiTankCap
LHTransmissionByic
Nowthat youhavesetupyourridingmower,it'simportanttobecomeacquainted
with itscontrolsandfeatures.Referto Figure10.
NOTE:ReferencestoLEFT,RIGHT,FRONT,andREARindicatethatpositiononthe
ridingmowerwhenfacingforwardwhileseatedintheoperator'sseat.
CupHolder
ThecupholderislocatedtowardtherearoftheRHconsoleto theright ofthe
operator'sseat.
StorageTray
Thestoragetray islocatedattherearofthe RHconsole.
DeckHeightindex
Thedecklifthandleislocatedonthefront!rightof theconsole,andisused
toraiseandlowerthemowerdeck.Pullthehandleto theleft outof the
indexnotchandpushdownwardto lowerthedeck,or pullupwardtoraise
thedeck.Whenthedesiredheightisattained,movethe lift handletothe
rightuntilfully intheindexnotch.
CupHolder
Tray
\nsmissionBypassRod
Figure10
RHand LHDriveControlLevers
TheRHandLHcontrolleversarelocatedoneachsideoftheoperator'sseat.These
hingedleverspivotoutwardtoopenspacetopermittheoperatorto either sitinthe
tractorseat,orto dismountthetractor.Theleversmustbefullyopenedoutandin
theneutralpositionto startthetractorengine.Whenthe leversarefullyoutward,
theparkingbrakeisalsoengaged.
EachlevercontrolstherespectiveRHorLHtransmission.Consequently,theselevers
controlallofthemovementsofthetractor.Drivingandsteeringutilizingthese
controlleversisquitedifferentfromconventionaltractors,andwill takesome
practiceto master.Referto Operationforinstructionsonusingthecontrollevers.
PowerTake-Off(PTO)Switch
ThePTOswitchislocatedontheRHconsoletotheright oftheoperator'sseat.The
PTOswitchoperatestheelectricPTOclutchmountedonthebottomoftheengine
crankshaft.PulltheswitchknobupwardtoengagethePTOclutch,orpushtheknob
downwardtodisengagetheclutch.ThePTOswitchmustbeinthe"disengaged"
positionwhenstartingtheengine.
DeckLift Handle
Thedecklift handleislocatedonthefront/right oftheseatboxframe,and
isusedto raiseandlowerthemowerdeck.Pullthehandletotheleftoutof
theindexnotchandpushdownwardtolowerthedeck,orpullupwardto raise
thedeck.Whenthedesiredheightisattained,movethelift handleto the
rightuntilfullyintheindexnotch.
12

ignition Switch LowOil
TheignitionswitchislocatedontheRH RUN
consoleto therightoftheoperator'sseat. I
Theignitionswitchhasthreepositions.
STOP_-- Theengineandelectrical
systemisturnedoff.
RUN_-- Theridingmowerelectricalsystemisenergized.
START_-- Thestartermotorwill turnovertheengine.Releasethekey
immediatelywhentheenginestarts
NOTE:Topreventaccidentalstartingand/orbatterydischarge,removethe
keyfromtheignitionswitchwhentheridingmowerisnotin use.
Theletters"LO"followedbytheletters"OIL",thenfollowedbythemeter's
accumulatedtimewill indicatethetractorislowonoil.Stopthetractor
immediatelyandchecktheengineoillevelasinstructedinthis Owner'sManual.
Low Battery 11_;I 8Rrrl
Atstartup,thebatteryvoltageisbrieflydisplayedthen
changestoaccumulatedhours.Theletters"LO"willdisplay
followedbytheletters"BATT"andthenfollowedybythemeter'saccumlulatedtime.
"LO/BATT/TIME"isdisplayedontheLCDwhenthevoltagedropsbelow11.5volts.When
thisoccurs,thebatteryisinneedofachargeortheengine'schargingsystemisnot
generatingsufficientamperage.ChargethebatteryasinstructedintheServicesectionof
thismanualorhavethechargingsystemcheckedbyyourlocalservicedealer.
TransmissionBypassRods
AirRIterServke I[_ [L ]
Thetransmissionbypassrods(oneforeachtheRHandLHtransmission)arelocated
beneaththeframeplatform,just insideeachrearwheel.
Whenengaged,thetwo rodsopena bypasswithin the hydrostatictransmissions,
whichallowstheridingmowerto bepushedshortdistancesbyhand.Refertothe
Assemblysectionfor instructionsonusingthebypassfeature.
Theletters"CLN"will display,followedbytheletters _ n
"AIR",followedby"FILT",thenfollowedbythemeter's
accumulatedtime."CLN/AIR/FILT/TIME"will alternateonthedisplayfor7minutes
afterthemeterreachges25hours.Thisairfilter servicemindertimeintervalwillbe
every25hours.Onintervallsthatarecommonwith oilservice,theoil messagewill
bediplayedfirstfollowedbytheairfilter message.
Throttle/ChokeControl
Nevertowyour ridingmower.Towingtheriding mowerwith the rear
wheelsonthe groundmaycauseseveredamageto the transmissions.
FuelTankCap
Thefueltankcapislocatednearthemiddleofthe LHconsole.Turnthefill capto
remove.Thefuelcapistetheredtothetractortopreventitsloss.Donotattemptto
removethecapfromthetractor.Filltanktothebottomofthefillerneck,allowing
somespaceinthetankforfuelexpansion.Donotoverfillthetank.
Pushthecapdownwardonthefuel tankfill neckandturn clockwiseuntilit clicksto
tighten.Alwaysre-installthefuelcaptightly ontothefuel tankafterremoving
Neverfill thefueltank when the engineisrunning. If the engineishot
from recentlyrunning,allow to coolfor severalminutesbeforerefueling.
Highlyflammable gasolinesplashingontoahotenginecouldcauseafire.
Thethrottle/chokecontrolislocatedonthe LHconsoletotheleftof the
operator'sseat.Whensetin agivenposition,auniformenginespeedwill
bemaintained.
Pushthethrottle/chokecontrolhandleforwardtoincreasetheengine
speed.Theridingmowerisdesignedtooperatewith thethrottle/choke
controlinthe FAST_ positionwhentheridingmowerisbeingdriven
andthemowerdeckisengaged.
PullthethrotNe/chokecontrolhandlerearwardto decreasetheengine
speed.
Whenstartingtheengine,pushthecontrolhandlefullyforwardintothe
CHOKENposition.
Afterstartingandwarmingtheengine,movethecontrolhandlerearwarduntilyou
feelit movepastthechokedetent.
GeneralSafety
LCDServiceMinder & HourMeter
Whentheignitionkeyisrotatedoutof theSTOPpositionbutnotintotheSTART
position,the LCDServiceMinderandHourMeterwillbrieflydisplythebattery
voltage,followedbythetractor'saccumulatedhours.
NOTE:Hoursof tractoroperationarerecordedanytimetheignitionkeyis
rotatedoutoftheSTOPposition,regardlessofwhethertheengineisstarted.
TheLCDServiceMinderwill remindtheoperatorof maintenanceintervalsfor
changingtheengineoil,airfilterservice,lowengineandlowbatterywarnings.
ChangeOil
TheLCDwill displaythe letters"CHG",followedbytheletters"OIL",followedbythe
letters"SOON",thenfinallyfollowedbythemeter'saccumulatedtime. "CHG/OIL/
SOON/TIME"will alternateonthedisplayfor 7minutesafterthe meterreaches50
hours.Thisoilserviceminderintervallwill occurevery50hours.Beforetheinterval
expires,changetheengineoil asinstructedin theMaintenancesectionof this
Operator'sManual.
13
RECEIVEINSTRUCTION-- Entirelyreadthisoperator'smanual.Learnto
operatethismachineSAFELY.DonotriskINJURYorDEATH.Allowonlythose
whohavebecomecompetentin itsusagetooperatethisridingmower.
Beforestartingtheengineorbeginningoperation,befamiliarwith the
controls.Theoperatorshouldbe intheoperator'sseat.ThePTOswitchmust
beinthedisengagedposition,theparkingbrakeengaged,andthe RHand
LHdrivecontrolleversmovedfullyoutwardintheneutralposition.
Keepallshieldsin place.Keepawayfrommovingparts.
NORIDERS!Keepall peopleandpetsasafedistanceaway.Lookbehindand
downto bothsidesoftheridingmowerbeforeandwhilebackingup.
DONOTdirectthemowerdischargeatpeople.
Avoidslopeswherepossible.Neveroperateonslopesgreaterthan15°.
Slopeswith agreaterinclinepresentdangerousoperatingconditions.Riding
mowerscanberolledover.
m
m
$LSW

Beforeleavingtheoperator'sseat:Shutoffthe PTO,movethe RHandLH
drivecontrolleversfullyoutwardintheneutralposition,engagetheparking
brake0, shutofftheengineandremovetheignitionkey.Waitforall
movementto stopbeforeservicingorcleaning.
Operatethedrivecontrolleverssmoothlyandavoidanysuddenmovements
oftheleverswhenstartingandstopping.Keepafirm griponthecontrol
levers.
Becarefulwhenoperatingnearroadways.Stopthe ridingmowermotion
andwaitfor vehiclestopassbeforeoperatingalongtheroad.
Donotoperatetheridingmowerwiththemowerdeckremoved.Removalof
thedeckwill changethebalanceof theridingmower,andcouldcontribute
toaridingmowerrollover.
Avoidoperationontractionsurfacesthat areunstable;useextremecaution
ifthesurfaceisslippery.
Slowdownbeforeturningandcometo acompletestopbeforeanyzeroturn
maneuver.
Donotstoptheridingmowerorparktheridingmowerovercombustible
materialssuchasdrygrass,leaves,debris,etc.
Donotfill thefueltankwhentheengineisrunningorwhiletheengineis
hot.Allowtheengineseveralminutestocoolbeforerefueling.Tightenthe
fuelcapsecurely.
Before Operating YourRidingmower
Beforeyouoperatetheridingmower,studythismanualcarefullyto familiarize
yourselfwith theoperationofalltheinstrumentsandcontrols.It hasbeen
preparedtohelpyouoperateandmaintainyourridingmowereffldently.
Thisengineiscertifiedtooperateonlyonclean,fresh,unleadedregular
gasoline.Forbestresults,fill thefueltankwithonlyclean,fresh,unleaded
gasolinewith a pumpstkkeroctaneratingof87orhigher.
Unleadedgasolineisrecommendedbecauseit leaveslesscombustionchamber
depositsandreducesharmfulexhaustemissions.Leadedgasolineisnot
recommendedandmustnotbeusedwhereexhaustemissionsareregulated.
NOTE:Purchasegasolineinsmallquantities.Donotusegasolineleft over
fromthe previousseason,tominimizegumdepositsinthefuelsystem.
Gasohol(upto 10%ethylalcohol,90%unleadedgasolinebyvolume)isan
approvedfuel.Othergasoline/alcoholblendsarenotapproved.
MethylTertiaryButylEther(MTBE)andunleadedgasolineblends(uptoa
maximumof 15%MTBEbyvolume)areapprovedfuels.Othergasoline/ether
blendsarenotapproved.
Checkthe engineoil level.
Cleantheaircleanerelementifnecessary.
Checkthe tireinflationpressures.
Adjusttheseatfor operator'smaximumcomfort,visibilityandfor
maintainingcompletecontroloftheridingmower.
Safety Interlock System
Thisridingmowerisequippedwith asafetyinterlocksystemfor theprotectionof
theoperator.If theinterlocksystemshouldevermalfunction,do notoperatethe
ridingmower.Call1-800-659-5917toscheduleservicefromSearsParts& Repair.
Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromcrankingorstartingunless
the RHandLHdrivecontrolleversaremovedfullyoutwardtoeachsideinthe
neutralposition,theparkingbrakeisengaged,andthePTOisdisengaged.
Toavoidsuddenmovementwhendisengagingthe parkingbrake,thesafety
interlocksystemwill shutoffthe engineiftheRHand/orLHdrivecontrol
leversaremovedto apositionotherthanthefullyout intheneutralposition
whentheparkingbrakeisengaged.
Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill shutoffthe engineiftheoperatorleavesthe
seatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.
Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillshutofftheengineiftheoperatorleavestheseat
withthePTOengaged,regardlessofwhethertheparkingbrakeisengaged.
NOTE:ThePTOswitchmustbemovedtothe"OFF"positiontorestarttheengine.
Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill shutoffthe PTOandthemowerbladeswill
stopif bothdrivecontrolleversaremovedinto thereverseposition.ThePTO
will re-engagewhenoneorbothoftheleversaremovedbacktoeitherthe
neutralorforwardposition.
Starting the Engine
Thisriding mowerisequippedwith asafetyinterlocksystemdesignedfor
the protectionof the operator.Donotoperatethe riding mowerifanypart
ofthe interlocksystemismalfunctioning.Periodicallycheckthe functions
ofthe interlocksystemfor properoperation.
Forpersonalsafety,the operatormust besitting in the riding mowerseat
whenstarting the engine.
1. Operatormustbesittinginthetractorseatwith thecontrolleversfully
outwardinneutral(parkingbrakeon).
2. MakecertainthePTOswitchisinthedisengaged(down)position.Referto
Figure11.
Ill ControlLever 3 o o o o o o o G
OntinNentral 3 o o o o o o o o _ OntinNentral
00000000000
00000000000
Throttle/ChokeControl
totheChokePosition
RHControlLever
/
(Disengaged)Position
--__itch
Figure11
14

3. Movethethrottle/chokecontrolleverfullyforwardintothe CHOKEI'_1
position.
flOTE:Iftheengineiswarmedup,it maynotbenecessaryto placethe
throttle/chokecontrolintheCHOKEI%1position.
4. Turntheignitionkeyclockwiseto theSTART_ positionandreleaseit as
soonastheenginestarts;however,donotcranktheenginecontinuouslyfor
morethan5secondsatatime.If theenginedoesnotstartwithin thistime,
turnthekeytoSTOP_ andwaitatleast15secondstoallowtheengine's
startermotortocool.Tryagainafterwaiting.Ifafterafewattemptsthe
enginefailstostart,donotkeeptryingtostart it withthechokeclosedas
thiswill causefloodingandmakestartingmoredifficult.
5. Astheenginewarmsup,graduallypull thethrottle/chokecontrollever
rearwardpastthechokedetentposition.Donotusethechokepositionto
enrichthefuelmixture,exceptasnecessaryto starttheengine.
6. Allowtheenginetorunforafewminutesatmidthrottlebeforeputtingthe
engineunderload.
ColdWeather Starting
Whenstartingtheengineattemperaturesnearor belowfreezing,ensurethe
correctviscositymotoroilisusedin theengineandthebatteryisfully charged.
Starttheengineasfollows:
I. Besurethebatteryisingoodcondition.Also,awarmbatteryhasmuch
morestartingcapacitythanacoldbattery.
2. Usefreshwintergradefuel.Wintergradegasolinehashighervolatilityto
improvestarting.Donotusegasolineleft overfromsummer.
3. FollowthepreviousinstructionforStartingthe Engine.
UsingJumper CablesToStart Engine
Batteriescontainsulfuric acidandproduceexplosivegasses.Makecertain
the areaiswell ventilated,wear glovesandeyeprotection,and avoid
sparksorflamesnearthe battery.
Ifthebatterychargeisnotsufficienttocranktheengine,rechargethebattery.Ifa
batterychargeris unavailableandtheridingmowermustbestarted,theaidofa
boosterbatterywill benecessary.Connecttheboosterbatteryasfollows:
1. Connectthe endofonecabletothedisabledridingmowerbattery'spositive
terminal;then connecttheotherendofthatcableto theboosterbattery's
positiveterminal.
2. Connectoneendoftheothercableto theboosterbattery'snegative
terminal;then connecttheotherendofthatcableto the frameofthe
disabledridingmower,asfarfromthebatteryaspossible.
3. Startthedisabledriding mowerfollowingthenormalstartinginstructions
previouslyprovided;thendisconnectthejumpercablesintheexactreverse
orderoftheirconnection.
4.
Havetheridingmower'selectricalsystemcheckedandrepairedassoonas
possibleto eliminatethe needforjumpstarting.
Stopping the Engine
1. Placethe PTOswitchintheOFFposition.
2. Movethe RHandLHdrivecontrolleversfully outwardintheneutralposition
(parkingbrakeon).
3. Movethethrottle/chokecontrolto midwaybetweentheSLOW_ and
FAST_ positions.
4. Turntheignitionkeyto the STOP_ positionandremovethekeyfromthe
ignitionswitch.
flOTE:Alwaysremovethekeyfromtheignitionswitchtopreventaccidental
startingorbatterydischargeiftheequipmentisleft unattended.
PracticeOperation (initial Use)
Operatingazero-turnridingmowerisnotlikeoperatingaconventionaltyperiding
ridingmower.Becauseazeroturnridingmowerismoremaneuverable,getting
usedtooperatingthecontrolleverstakessomepractice.
Westronglyrecommendthatyoulocatea reasonablylarge,levelandopen"practice
area"wheretherearenoobstructions,pedestrians,oranimals.Youshouldpractice
operatingtheridingmowerfor aminimumof30minutes.
Carefullymove-- orhaveanexperiencedusermove-- theridingmowerto
thepracticearea.Whenperformingthepracticesession,thePTOshouldnotbe
engaged.Whilepracticing,operatethe ridingmoweratapproximately1/2-3/4
throttleandatlessthanfull speedinbothforwardandreverse.
Carefullypracticemaneuveringtheridingmowerandproceedtodriveasdescribed
inthefollowingDrivingtheRidingmowerForwardsection.
Drivingthe Riding mower
Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedandsuddenstops.
1. Adjusttheoperator'sseattothemostcomfortablepositionthat allowsyou
tooperatethecontrols.See"AdjustingtheSeat"theAssemblysection.
2. MovetheRHandLHdrivecontrolleversinwardintheneutralposition.Refer
to Figure12.
ntrolLeverMovedInwardandinNeutral-
0000 00000
0000 0000
OOOOO OOOOO
1
L
Figure12
NOTE:Ifthecontrolleversarenotevenintheneutralposition,referto Service
andMaintenanceforinstructionstoadjusttheleverssothattheyareeven.
15

Movethethrottle/chokecontrolleverforwardtothe FAST_ (fullthrottle)
position.
NOTE:Althoughtheridingmower'sengineisdesignedtorunat full throttle,
whenperformingapracticesessiontheridingmowermustbeoperatedat
lessthanfull throttle.Thisonlyappliestopractice.
Alwaysmaintainafirm grip on the controllevers.DONOTreleasethe
control leversto slowor stopthe ridingmower;moveleversto neutral
positionusingyour hands.
4.
Todrivetheridingmower,firmly grasptherespectivedrivecontrollevers
with yourrightandleft handsandcontinuewith DrivingtheRidingmower
Forward.
Driving the Ridingmower Forward
Keepall movementofthe drive controlleversslowand smooth.Abrupt
movementofthe control leverscanaffectthe stability of the riding mower
andcouldcausetheridingmowertoflip over,whichmayresultin serious
injury ordeathto the operator.
Slowlyandevenlymovebothdrivecontrolleversforward.Theridingmower
will starttomoveforward.SeeFigure13.
Turningthe Riding mowerWhile Driving Forward
Whenreversingthedirection of travel, werecommendperforming gradual
'U'turnswherepossible.Sharperturnsincreasethe possibilityof turf
defacement,and couldaffectcontrolof the ridingmower.ALWAYSslow
the ridingmowerbeforemakingsharpturns.
Toturntheridingmowerwhiledrivingforward,movethecontrolleversas
necessarysothatoneleverisrearwardof theother.Theridingmowerwillturnin
thedirectionof therearwardcontrollever.
Toturntotheleft,movetheleftdrivecontrolleverrearwardof theright
lever.SeeFigure14.
ForwardLeftTurn
DrivingForward Faster
0 O 0 O O 0 O 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0_0 0 0 0 0_0 0
Ill
Slower
Figure13
Asthecontrolleversarepushedfartherforwardthespeedoftheriding
mowerwill increase.
Toslowtheridingmowermovethecontrolsleverrearwardto attainthedesired
speed,ormovetheleverstotheneutralpositiontostoptheridingmower.
Figure14
2. Toturntotheright,movetherightdrivecontrolleverrearwardof theleft
lever.SeeFigure15.
ForwardRightTurn
0 0 O O O _00E 0 0 0
O_11 _ O O O
O O A O O O
Alwaysmaintainyourgrasponthe drivecontrol levers.Donotreleasethe
leverstoslowthe riding moweror to returnto neutral.
Figure15
16

3.
Thegreaterthefore-to-aftdistancebetweenthetwo levers,thesharperthe
ridingmowerwillturn.
4.
Toexecuteazeroturnmovetheturnsidedrivecontrolleverto the inward
neutralposition,whilemovingtheothercontrolleverforward.
NOTE:Makinga zeroturnwhilethevehicleis movingwill greatlyincrease
thepotentialfor defacementoftheturf. Forturf protectionandtoavoid
personalinjury,alwaysstopthevehiclebeforeexecutingazeroturn.
TurningWhile Driving Rearward
I. Toturntheridingmowerwhiledrivingrearward,movethecontrollevers
asnecessarysothatoneleverisforwardof theother.Theridingmowerwill
turninthedirectionoftheforwardcontrollever.
Toturntotheleftwhiletravelingin reverse,movetheleftdrivecontrollever
forwardoftherightlever.SeeFigure17.
Driving the Riding mower In Reverse
Alwaysbok behindanddownonbothsidesoftheridingmowerbefore
backingup.Alwayslookbehindwhile travelinginthe reversedirection.
1. Slowlyandevenlymovebothdrivecontrolleversrearward.Theriding
mowerwillstarttomoveinthereversedirection.SeeFigure16.
00000000000
00000000000
00000000000
00000000000
RearwardLeftTurn
I
Figure17
Toturntotherightwhiletravelingin reverse,movetherightdrivecontrol
leverforwardof theleft lever.SeeFigure18.
I-I IZI 0 I-i I-i I-i I-i i-i i-i i-i Ci
0 IZI 0 I-i 0 Ci 0 Ci 0 Ci 0 |
I-I I-I IZI Ci Ci Ci Ci Ci Ci Ci Ci
0 I-I 0 CI 0 Ci O Ci O Ci 0
L_
L
Figure16
2.
Asthecontrolleversarepushedfartherrearwardthespeedofthe riding
mowerwill increase.
3.
Toslowtheridingmowermovethecontrolsleverforwardtoattainthedesired
speed,ormovetheleverstotheneutralpositiontostoptheridingmower.
J
Figure18
4. Thegreaterthefore-to-aftdistancebetweenthetwo levers,thesharperthe
ridingmowerwill turn.
5. Toexecuteazeroturn,movetheturnsidedrivecontrollevertotheneutral
position,whilemovingtheothercontrolleverrearward.
NOTE:Makingazeroturnwhilethevehicleismovingwillgreatlyincrease
thepotentialfordefacementoftheturf. Forturfprotectionandtoavoid
personalinjury,alwaysstopthevehiclebeforeexecutingazeroturn.
17

ExecutingaZeroTurn
Whenexecutinga zeroturn, the ridingmowerMUSTBESTOPPED.
Executingazeroturn while the ridingmowerismovingcansignificantly
reduceyourcontrolof theridingmowerandwill causesevereturf
defacementtooccur.
Stoptheforwardorreversemotionoftheridingmowerbymovingthetwo
drivecontrolleverstoneutral.
Toturnclockwise,movetheleft controlleverforwardwhilesimultaneously
movingtherightcontrolleverrearward.SeeFigure19.
Stopping the Riding mower
1. Movebothdrivecontrolleverstotheneutralposition(parkingbrakeon)to
stopthemotionoftheridingmower.
2. PushthePTOswitchdownwardtotheDISENGAGEDposition.
3. Usethedecklift handleto raisethedecktoits highestposition.
4. Ifdismountingthetractor,movethedrivecontrolhandlesfully outward
intheneutralpositionwhichalsoengagesthe parkingbrake,movethe
throttle/chokecontrolleverto theFAST_ position,turntheignition
switchtoSTOP6 andremovethekeyfromtheswitch.
Donot leavethe seatofthe riding mowerwithout disengagingthe PTO,
movingdrivecontrol leversfullyoutward inthe neutralposition(parking
brakeon).If leavingtheridingmowerunattended,turntheignitionkey
off andremovekey.
DrivingOnSlopes
Referto theslopegaugeintheSafeOperationSectiontohelpdetermineslopes
whereyoumaynotoperatesafely.
I
Figure19
Toturncounterclockwise,movetherightcontrolleverforwardwhile
simultaneouslymovingtheleftcontrolleverrearward.SeeFigure20.
Donotoperateoninclineswith aslopein excessof15degrees(ariseof
approximately2J/2 feet every10feet). Theridingmowercouldoverturn
andcauseseriousinjury.
1. Alwaysdriveacrossslopes,neverupanddown.Controlthespeedand
directionoftheridingmowerusingprimarilythecontrolleveronthe
downhillsideoftheridingmower,withtheuphillcontrolleverremaining
essentiallyinafixedposition.
2. Avoidturningdownhillif possible.Startat thebottomofaslopeandwork
upward.Alwaysslowdownbeforeturning.
3. Useextracareandgoslowlywhenturningdownhill.
I
Operating ThePTO
Operatethe PTOclutchasfollows:
1. Movethethrottle/chokecontrolleverto approximatelythemidthrottle
position.
2. PullthePTOswitchupwardto the ENGAGEDposition.
3. Advancethethrottle/chokelevertotheFAST_ position(fullthrottle).
4. Theoperatormustremainintheridingmowerseatatalltimes.Ifthe
operatorshouldleavetheseatwithoutturningoff thepowertake-off
switch,theridingmower'senginewill shutoff.
5. ThePTOclutchcannotbeoperatedwhentheridingmowerisdrivinginthe
reversedirection.ThePTOwill disengagewhenbothdrivecontrollevers
aremovedto the reverseposition,andwillre-engagewhenone(orboth)
controllever(s)ismovedtotheneutralorforwardposition.
Figure20
18

Usingthe Mower Deck
Makecertainthe areato bemowedisfree ofdebris,sticks,stones,wire or
other objectsthat canbethrown bytherotatingblades.
flOTE:Donotengagethemowerdeckwhenloweredingrass.Prematurewearand
possiblefailureofthe'V" beltandPTOclutchwill result.Fullyraisethedeckormove
toanon-grassyareabeforeengagingthemowerdeck.
1. Mowacrossslopes,notupanddown.Ifmowingaslope,start at bottomand
workupwardto ensureturnsaremadeuphill.
2. Onthefirstpasspickapointontheoppositesideoftheareatobemowed.
3. Engagethe PTOclutchusingthePTOswitchandmovethethrottle/choke
controlto the FAST_ position.
4. Lowerthe mowerdeckto thedesiredheightsettingusingthe lift handle.
5. Slowlyandevenlypushthe RHandLHdrivecontrolleversforwardto move
theridingmowerforward,andkeeptheridingmowerheadeddirectly
towardthealignmentpoint.
flOTL::Thespeedoftheridingmowerwillaffectthequalityof themower
cut.Mowingatfull speedwill adverselyaffectthecut quality.Controlthe
groundspeedwith thecontrollevers.
6. Whenapproachingtheotherendofthestrip,slowdownorstopbefore
turning.AU-turnisrecommendedunlessazeroturnisrequired.
7. Alignthemowerwithanedgeofthemowedstripandoverlap
approximately3".
8. Directtheridingmoweroneachsubsequentstriptoalignwith apreviously
cutstrip.
9. Topreventruttingorgroovingoftheturf, ifpossible,changethedirection
thatthestripsaremowedbyapproximately45°for thenextandeach
subsequentmowing.
Checkingthe SafetyInterlockCircuits
Periodicallycheckthesafetyinterlockcircuitsto ensuretheyareworkingproperly.If
asafetycircuitisnotworkingasdesigned,contactyouCubCadetdealerto havethe
tractorinspected.DONOToperatethetractorifanysafetycircuitisnotfunctioning
properly.Tocheckthesafetycircuits,proceedasfollows:
1. PullthePTOswitchupwardto theengagedposition.Momentarilyturnthe
ignitionswitchto thestart_ position;theengineshouldnotcrank.
2. Movebothcontrolleversfully inwardintheneutralposition;thenlift
upwardfromtheoperator'sseat.Theengineshouldstop.
3. Withbothcontrolleversfully outwardinthe neutral/parkingbrakeengaged
position,engagethe PTO.Liftupwardfromtheoperator'sseat;theengine
shouldstop.
4. Startthetractorandmovethecontrolleversinwardtotheneutraloperating
position.Engagethe PTOandmovebothcontrolleverslowlyintotheslow
reverseposition;thePTOshoulddisengageandthemowerdeckshouldstop.
Becarefulwhen crossinggrave[pathsor driveways.Disengagethe PTOand
raisethe deckto the highestpositionbeforecrossing.
flOTL::Whenstoppingtheridingmowerforanyreasonwhileonagrass
surface,always:
Placethecontrolleversinneutral(parkingbrakeon),
Shutengineoffand removethekey.
Doingsowii[minimizethepossibilityofhavingyourlawn
"browned"byhotexhaustfromyourridingmower'srunning
engine.
19

MAINTENANCESCHEDULE
Beforeperforminganytype of maintenance/service,disengageall controls
andstop theengine.Wait untilallmoving partshavecometo acomplete
stop.Disconnectsparkplugwire andgrounditagainsttheengineto
preventunintendedstarting. Alwayswearsafetyglassesduring operation
orwhile performingany adjustmentsor repairs.
Followthemaintenanceschedulegivenbelow.Thischartdescribesserviceguidelines
only.UsetheServiceLogcolumntokeeptrackof completedmaintenancetasks.To
scheduleservicefrom SearsParts& Repair,call1-800-659-5917.
Eachuse 1. Mowerand exhaust area 1.
2. HydraulicTransaxle 2.
3. Tiresandpressure 3.
4. Deck,mower and drivebelts 4.
5. Bladesandbolttightness 5.
6. Safetyswitchoperation 6.
Every25hours 1. SpindleBearings 1.
Every50hours 1. WearPoints 1.
2. Greasefitting 2.
Every100hours 1. Coolingshroudsandcooling 1.
areas
2. Fastenersandcomponents 2.
Everyseason/Beforestorage 1. Pivotpoints 1.
2. Controlhandle 2.
3. Extensionspring 3.
Aftermowing 1. Mowerandexhaustarea 1.
2. Wearpoints 2.
OnceMonthly I. SpindlePulleys I.
2. V-Belt 2.
Beforeperforminganymaintenanceor repairs,disengagethe PTO,move
the drive controlleversfully outward inthe neutral position,engagethe
parkingbrake,stopthe engineandremovethe keyto preventunintended
starting.
Clean
Checkfor leaks
Check
Check
Check
Check
Grease
Lubricate
Lubricate
Removeandclean
Checkandsecure
Lubricate
Lubricate
Lubricate
Clean
Lubricate
Clean
Clean
2.
Popopentheprotectivecapontheendoftheoildrainvalvetoexposethedrain
port.RefertoFigure21.Removetheoilfill cap!dipstickfromtheoilfilltube.
f
Dipstkk Oil Fill Cap
EngineMaintenance
Referto theKohlerOwner'sManualforallenginemaintenanceproceduresand
instructions.
Changingthe EngineOil
Ifthe enginehasbeenrecentlyrun,the engine,muffler andsurrounding
metalsurfaceswill behotand cancauseburnsto the skin. Exercisecaution
to avoidburns.
Tocompleteanoilchange,proceedasfollows:
1. Locatetheoildrainportontheleftsideoftheengine.
OilDrainPort
OilDrainHose
k.
Figure21
2O

3.
Pushtheoildrainhose(packedwiththismanual)ontotheoildrainport.Route
theoppositeendofthehoseintoanappropriateoilcollectioncontainerwithat
leasta2.0quartcapacity,tocollecttheusedoil.
4.
Turntheoildrainvalve1/4-turn,thenpulloutwardtobegindrainingoil.After
theoilhasfinisheddraining,pushtheendoftheoildrainvalvebackinandturn
1/4-turnto secureitbackinplace.Re-captheendoftheo[Idrainvalveto keep
debrisfromenteringthedrainport.
Aftertheoilhasfinisheddraining,pushtheendoftheoildrainvalveback
in,untilthetabsclickintoplace.Re-captheendoftheoildrainvalvetokeep
debrisfromenteringthedrainportandfill theengineasinstructedinthe
engineowner'smanual.Seeengineowner'smanualincludedwith this
tractorfor oilcapacity.
Battery Maintenance
Thebatteryisfilledwithbatteryacidandthensealedatthefactory.However,evena
"maintenancefree"batteryrequiressomemaintenancetoensureitsproperlifecycle.
Spraytheterminalsandexposedwirewithabatteryterminalsealer,orcoat
theterminalswithathincoatofgreaseorpetroleumjelly,toprotectagainst
corrosion.
Alwayskeepthebatterycablesandterminalscleanandfreeof corrosion.
Avoidtipping. Evenasealedbatterywill leakelectrolytewhentipped.
Battery Removal
TireMaintenance
Checkthetireairpressureafterevery50hoursofoperationorweekly.Keepthe
tiresinflatedtotherecommendedpressures.Improperinflationwill shortenthe
tireservicelife.Seethetiresidewallforproperinflationpressures.Observethe
followingguidelines:
Donotinflateatireabovethemaximumpressureshownonthesidewallof
thetire.
Donotreinflateatirethat hasbeenrunflat orseriouslyunderinflated.Have
aqualifiedtiremechanicinspectandservicethetire.
Lubrication
Usingapressurelubricatinggun,lubricatethefront castorwheelaxlesand
thefrontpivotaxlewith No.2multipurposelithiumgreaseafterevery10
hoursof service.
Periodicallylubricateallotherpivotpoints;i.e.theseatpivotbracket,idlerpivot
bracketonthedeck,decklift shaftassembly,etc.with aqualitylubricatingoil.
GeneralBattery Information
Shouldbattery acidaccidentallysplatter intotheeyesor onto the skin,
rinsethe affectedareaimmediatelywith cleancoldwater. If there is
anyfurther discomfort,seekprompt medicalattention. Ifacidspills on
clothing, first dilute itwith cleanwater,then neutralizewith asolution of
ammonia/wateror bakingsoda/water.
NEVERconnect(ordisconnect)battery chargerclipsto the batterywhile
the chargeristurnedon,as itcancausesparks.Keepallsourcesof ignition
(cigarettes,matches,lighters)awayfrom the battery.Thegasgenerated
during chargingcan becombustible.Asafurther precaution,onlycharge
the battery in awell ventilatedarea.Alwaysshieldeyesand protectskin
andclothingwhen working nearbatteries.
Batteryposts,terminalsandrelated accessoriescontainleadandlead
compounds.Washhandsafter handling.
Thebatteryislocatedbeneaththeseatframe.Toremovethebattery:
1. Removethehexwasherscrewsecuringthebatteryhold-downbracketto
theframe.Thenflip thebatteryhold-downbracketuptofreethebattery.
SeeFigure22.
HexWasherScrew
Battery Hold-DownBracket
Figure22
Removethehexcapscrewandseresnutsecuringtheblacknegativebatterylead
tothenegativebatterypost(markedNEG).Movethecableawayfromthenegative
batterypost,
2. Removethehexcapscrewandsemsnutsecuringtheredpositivebattery
leadtothepositivebatterypost(markedPOS).
3. Carefullylift thebatteryoutofthetractor.
4. Installthebatterybyrepeatingtheabovestepsinthereverseorder.
Batteriescontainsulfuric acidandmayemit explosivegases.Useextreme
cautionwhenhandling batteries.Keepbatteries out ofthereachof
children.
Alwaysconnectthe positiveleadto the battery beforeconnectingthe
negativelead.Thiswill preventsparkingor possibleinjuryfrom an
electricalshortcausedbycontactingthe ridingmowerbodywith tools
beingusedtoconnectthe cables.
21

Chargingthe Battery
1. Testand,ifnecessary,rechargethebatteryaftertheridingmowerhasbeen
storedfora periodof time.
2. Avoltmeterorloadtestershouldread12.6volts(DC)orhigheracrossthe
batteryterminals.SeeFigure23.
Voltmeter Stateof Charging
Reading Charge Time
12.7 100% Full Charge
12.4 7.5% 90 Min.
12.2 .50% 180 Min.
12.0 25% 280 Min.
Pullbackthelockcollarofthenozzleadapterandpushtheadapterontothe
deckwashnozzleatthe leftendofthemowerdeck.Releasethelockcollar
tolocktheadapteronthenozzle.Referto Figure24.
Figure23
3. Chargethebatterywitha 12-voltbatterychargerataMAXIMUMrateof10amps.
ServicingElectrical System
Afuseisinstalledtoprotecttheridingmower'selectricalsystemfromdamage
causedbyexcessiveamperage.Alwaysusethesamecapacityfusefor replacement.
Iftheelectricalsystemdoesnotfunction,checkfora blownfuse.
Ifyouhavearecurringproblemwith blownfuses,call1-800-659-5917to schedule
electricalsystemservicefromSearsParts&Repair.
RelaysandSwitches
Thereareseveralsafetyswitchesintheelectricalsystem.Ifa functionof thesafety
interlocksystemdescribedearlieris notfunctioningproperly,call1-800-659-5917
tohavetheelectricalsystemcheckedbySearsParts& Repair.
Usingthe DeckWashSystem
Whenusingthe deckwashsystem,neverengagethe deckfrom any
positionother thanthe operator'sseatofthe riding mower.Donot usean
assistantorengagedeckinthe presenceof anybystanders.
1. Attachthenozzleadaptertoastandardgardenhoseconnectedto awater
supply.
2. Movetheridingmowertoanareawithin reachofthehosewherethe
dispersalofwetgrassclippingsisnotobjectionabletoyou.Disengagethe
PTO,engagetheparkingbrake,andstoptheengine.
DeckWash
\
Figure24
4. Turnonthewatersupply.
5. Fromtheridingmoweroperator'sseat,starttheengineandengagethe PTO.
Allowto runasneeded.DisengagethePTOandstoptheengine.
6. Turnoffthe watersupply.
7. Pullbackthe lockcollarofthenozzleadaptertodisconnecttheadapterfrom
the nozzle.
Nozzle
(:leaning the Spindle Pulleys
Onceamonthremovethebeltcoversto removeanyaccumulationofgrassclippings
fromaroundthespindlepulleysandV-belt.Cleanmoreoftenwhenmowingtall,
drygrass.
22