Craftsman 247288812 Owner’s Manual

perator's

I:RnFrSMRN°

LAWN TRACTOR

7 Speed, Shift-on=the=Go

42" Deck

Model No. 247.288812

• Espanol, P. 58

This product has a low emission engine which operates differently

from previously built engines. Before you start the engine, read and

understand this Operator's Manual.

For answers to your questions about

Before using this equipment, 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 FormNo.769-06422E

this product, Call:

1-800=659=5917

CraftsmanTractorHelpLine

7 am =7 pm CT, Mort. =Sun.

(February3,2012)

Warranty Statement .......................................................... 2

Safety Instructions ............................................................ 3

Slope Gauge ..................................................................... 8

Assembly ........................................................................... 9

Operation ........................................................................ 11

Service and Maintenance .............................................. 17

Off-Season Storage ........................................................ 26

Trou bleshooting .............................................................. 27

Labels ............................................................................. 28

Parts List ......................................................................... 30

Espa_ol ............................................................................ 58

Service Numbers ............................................. Back Cover

CRAFTSMAN FULL WARRANTY

FORTWOYEARSfromthedateofpurchase,all non-expendablepartsofthis ridingequipmentarewarrantedagainstanydefectsin material orworkmanship.A defectivenon-expendablepartwill receivefreein-homerepairor replacementif repairis impossible.

FORFIVEYEARSfromthe dateofpurchase,theframeof thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialorworkmanship. A defectiveframewillreceivefree in-homerepairor replacementifrepairis impossible.

FORTENYEARSfromthe dateofpurchase,thefrontaxleof thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstany defectsin materialor workman- ship.A defectivefrontaxlewillreceivefreein-homerepairorreplacementif repairisimpossible.

FOR90 DAYSfromthedateof purchase,thebattery(anexpendablepart)of thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterial orworkmanship(ourtestingprovesthatit willnotholdacharge).Adefectivebatterywill receivefree in-homereplacement.

ADDiTiONAL LiFETiMELiMiTEDWARRANTYon CASTiRONFRONTAXLE(if equipped) FORAS LONGASITISUSEDbytheoriginalownerafterthetenthyearfromthe dateofpurchase,thecast ironfrontaxle(if equipped)of this ridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialor workmanship.Withproofof purchase,a defectivecastironfrontaxlewill

receivefreein-homereplacement.

WARRANTYSERVICE

Forwarrantycoveragedetailsto obtainfreerepairor replacement,call1-800-659-5917orvisitthewebsite: www.craftsman.corn Inallcasesabove,if partrepairor replacementisimpossible,theridingequipmentwillbe replacedfreeof chargewiththesameoran

equivalentmodel. Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageisvoidifthisridingequipmentiseverusedwhileprovidingcommercialservicesorifrentedto anotherperson.

This warrantycovers ONLYdefects in materialandworkmanship. Warranty coverage does NOTinclude:

• Expendableparts(exceptbattery)thatcanwearoutfromnormalusewithinthewarrantyperiod,includingbutnot limitedto blades,

sparkplugs,aircleaners,belts,andoil filters.

• Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,ortune-ups.

• Tirereplacementor repaircausedbypuncturesfromoutsideobjects,suchasnails,thorns,stumps,or glass.

• Tireor wheelreplacementor repairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,orimproperoperationormaintenance.

• Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatorabuse,includingbutnotlimitedto damagecausedbytowingobjectsbeyondthecapabilityof

theridingequipment,impactingobjectsthatbendtheframe,axleassemblyorcrankshaft,orover-speedingtheengine.

• Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecausedby

improperstorage,failureto usethepropergradeandamountofengineoil, failuretokeepthedeckclearofflammabledebris,or failureto maintaintheridingequipmentaccordingtotheinstructionscontainedintheoperator'smanual.

• Engine(fuelsystem)cleaningor repairscausedbyfuel determinedtobecontaminatedor oxidized(stale).Ingeneral,fuelshouldbe

usedwithin30 daysof itspurchasedate.

• Normaldeteriorationandwearofthe exteriorfinishes,orproductlabelreplacement.

Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstatetostate.

SearsBrands ManagementCorporation, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

EngineOil: SAE30 Fuel: UnleadedGasoline

SparkPlug: Champion®RC12YC Engine: Briggs& StrattonI/C®

ModelNumber: Serial Number:

Dateof Purchase:

Recordthe modelnumber,serialnumber,

anddateof purchaseabove.

Thissymbolpointsout importantsafetyinstructionswhich,if not followed,couldendangerthepersonalsafetyand/orpropertyof yourselfandothers. Readandfollowallinstructionsin thismanual

beforeattemptingtooperatethismachine.Failuretocomplywith

theseinstructionsmayresultin personalinjury.Whenyou seethis

symbol,HEEDITSWARNING!

Thismachinewasbuilttobeoperatedaccordingtothe safeopera- tionpracticesinthis manual.Aswithanytypeof powerequipment, carelessnessorerroron the partofthe operatorcanresultin serious injury.Thismachineiscapableofamputatingfingers,hands,toes andfeetandthrowingdebris.Failuretoobservethefollowingsafety instructionscouldresultin seriousinjuryor death.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

EngineExhaust,someof itsconstituents,andcertainvehicle componentscontainoremitchemicalsknowntoStateof California tocausecancerandbirthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm.

Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainleadand

leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.

GENERAL OPERATION

• Read,understand,andfollowall instructionson themachineand

in themanual(s)beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate. Keepthis manualina safeplaceforfutureand regularreference andfororderingreplacementparts.

• Befamiliarwithall controlsandtheirproperoperation.Knowhow tostopthemachineanddisengagethemquickly.

• Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldtooperatethismachine. Children14yearsoldandovershouldreadandunderstandthe operationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanualandshould betrainedandsupervisedbyaparent.

• Neverallowadultsto operatethismachinewithoutproper instruction.

• Tohelpavoidbladecontactor athrownobjectinjury,keep bystanders,helpers,childrenandpetsatleast75feetfromthe machinewhile itisin operation.Stopmachineifanyoneenters

thearea.

• Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentisto be used. Removeallstones,sticks,wire,bones,toys,andotherforeign objectswhichcouldbe pickedupandthrownby the blade(s). Thrownobjectscancauseseriouspersonalinjury.

• Planyourmowingpatternto avoiddischargeofmaterialtoward roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthelike.Also,avoiddischarg- ingmaterialagainstawallorobstructionwhichmaycause dischargedmaterialto ricochetbacktowardthe operator.

Your Responsibility--Restrict theuseof thispowermachineto personswhoread,understandandfollowthewarningsandinstruc-

tionsin thismanualandon the machine.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

• Alwayswearsafetyglassesorsafetygogglesduringoperation andwhileperformingan adjustmentorrepairto protectyoureyes. Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancauseseriousinjurytothe eyes.

• Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fittingslacksand

shirts.Loosefittingclothesandjewelrycanbe caughtinmovable parts.Neveroperatethismachineinbarefeetorsandals.

• Beawareofthemowerandattachmentdischargedirectionand do notpointit at anyone.Donotoperatethemowerwithoutthe dischargecoverorentiregrasscatcherin its properplace.

Donot puthandsorfeetnearrotatingpartsor underthe cutting

deck.Contactwiththe blade(s)canamputatehandsandfeet. A missingordamageddischargecovercancausebladecontact

or thrownobjectinjuries.

• Stoptheblade(s)whencrossinggraveldrives,walks,orroads andwhilenotcuttinggrass.

• Watchfor trafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.This

machineis notintendedforuseonanypublic roadway.

• Donot operatethemachinewhileundertheinfluenceofalcohol or drugs.

• Mowonlyindaylightorgoodartificiallight.

Nevercarrypassengers.

• Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftingintoreverse.Backup slowly. Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackingtoavoida

back-overaccident.

• Slowdownbeforeturning.Operatethemachinesmoothly.Avoid erraticoperationandexcessivespeed.

Disengageblade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengineandwaituntil theblade(s)cometoa completestopbeforeremovinggrass catcher,emptyinggrass,uncloggingchute,removinganygrassor debris,or makinganyadjustments.

Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.Alwaysturnoff blade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengineandremovekeybefore dismounting.

Useextracarewhenloadingorunloadingthemachineintoa trailerortruck.Thismachineshouldnotbedrivenupor down ramp(s),becausethemachinecouldtip over,causingserious personalinjury.Themachinemustbe pushedmanuallyon ramp(s)to loador unloadproperly.

Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcancausea burn.Donot touch.

Checkoverheadclearancescarefullybeforedrivingunderlow hangingtree branches,wires,dooropeningsetc.,wherethe operatormaybestruckor pulledfromthemachine,whichcould resultinseriousinjury.

Disengageallattachmentclutchesanddepressthebrakepedal completelybeforeattemptingto startengine.

Yourmachineisdesignedto cutnormalresidentialgrassofa heightnomorethan10".Donot attemptto mowthroughunusually tall,drygrass(e.g.,pasture)orpiles ofdryleaves.Drygrassor leavesmaycontacttheengineexhaustand/orbuilduponthe mowerdeckpresentinga potentialfirehazard.

Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedfor this machine bythe machinemanufacturer.Read,understandandfollowall instructionsprovidedwiththe approvedaccessoryorattachment. Fora list ofapprovedaccessoriesandattachments,call 1-800-

659-5917. Dataindicatesthatoperators,age60yearsandabove,are

involvedin a largepercentageofridingmower-relatedinjuries. Theseoperatorsshouldevaluatetheirabilityto operatetheriding mowersafelyenoughto protectthemselvesandothersfrom seriousinjury.

If situationsoccurwhicharenotcoveredinthismanual,usecare andgoodjudgment.Contact1-800-659-5917for informationand

assistance.

SLOPE OPERATION

Slopesarea majorfactorrelatedtolossof controlandtip-over accidentswhichcanresultinsevereinjuryor death.Allslopesrequire extracaution.Ifyoucannotbackuptheslopeor if youfeeluneasyon it, do notmowit.

Foryoursafety,usetheSlopeGuideincludedaspartofthis manual to measureslopesbeforeoperatingthismachineona slopedor hilly area.Iftheslopeisgreaterthan15degreesasshownonthe Slope Guide,do notoperatethis machineonthatareaor seriousinjurycould

result.

Do:

Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exerciseextremecaution

whenchangingdirectionon slopes.

• Watchfor holes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orother hiddenobjects.

Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles.

Useslowspeed.Choosea lowenoughspeedsettingsothat youwill nothaveto stopor shiftwhileon the slope.Tiresmay losetractionon slopeseventhoughthe brakesarefunctioning properly.Alwayskeepmachineingearwhengoingdownslopes totakeadvantageof enginebrakingaction.

• Followthe manufacturer'srecommendationsforwheelweights or counterweightstoimprovestability.Forrecommendations,call

1-800-659-5917.

• Useextracarewithgrasscatchersor otherattachments.These canchangethestabilityofthe machine.

Keepallmovementontheslopesslowandgradual.Donotmake suddenchangesinspeedor direction.Rapidengagementor brakingcouldcausethefrontofthe machinetolift andrapidlyflip overbackwardswhichcouldcauseseriousinjury.

• Avoidstartingorstoppingona slope.Iftireslosetraction,disen- gagetheblade(s)andproceedslowlystraightdownthe slope.

DoNot:

• Donot turnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turnslowlyand graduallydownhill,ifpossible.

• Donot mowneardrop-offs,ditchesor embankments.Themower couldsuddenlyturnoverifa wheelis overtheedgeof a cliff, ditch,or ifan edgecavesin.

• Donot try tostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfooton the ground.

• Donot usea grasscatcheronsteepslopes.

• Donot mowon wetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.

• Donot attempttocoastdownhill.Over-speedingmaycausethe operatortolosecontrolofthe machineresultinginseriousinjury

or death.

• Donot towheavypull behindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart, lawnroller,etc.)on slopesgreaterthan5 degrees.Whengoing downhill,theextraweighttendstopushthe tractorandmay causeyouto loosecontrol(e.g.tractormayspeedup,brakingand steeringabilityarereduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcause tractorto overturn).

CHILDREN

Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheoperatorisnotalerttothe presence ofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedtothemachineandthe mowing activity.Theydo notunderstandthedangers.Neverassumethat childrenwillremainwhereyoulastsawthem.

• Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaand inwatchfulcare of a responsibleadultotherthantheoperator.

• Bealertandturnmachineoff ifa childentersthe area.

• Beforeandwhilebacking,lookbehindanddownforsmall children.

Nevercarrychildren,evenwiththeblade(s)shutoff.Theymay falloffandbe seriouslyinjuredorinterferewithsafemachine operation.

• Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,doorways, shrubs,treesorotherobjectsthatmayblockyourvisionof a child whomayrunintothe machine.

Toavoidback-overaccidents,alwaysdisengagethe cutting blade(s)beforeshiftingintoReverse.Ifequipped,the"Reverse CautionMode"(bladesoperatewhilemachineridesinreverse)

shouldnotbe usedwhenchildrenor othersarearound. Keepchildrenawayfromhotor runningengines.Theycansuffer

burnsfroma hotmuffler.

• Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedtopreventunauthorized operation.

Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethismachine. Children14andovershouldreadandunderstandthe instructionsand

safeoperationpracticesinthismanualandon the machineandshould betrainedandsupervisedbyanadult.

TOWING

Towonlywitha machinethathasahitchdesignedfortowing.Do notattachtowedequipmentexceptatthehitchpoint.

Followthemanufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfor towedequipmentandtowingonslopes.For recommendations,

call1-800-659-5917. Neverallowchildrenor othersinoron towedequipment.

Onslopes,theweightof thetowedequipmentmaycauselossof tractionandlossof control.

Alwaysuseextracautionwhentowingwithamachinecapableof makingtightturns(e.g."zero-turn"ride-onmower). Makewide turnstoavoidjack-knifing.

Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop. Donotcoastdownhill.

SERVICE

SafeHandlingof Gasoline

Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamageuseextremecarein

handlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremelyflammableandthevaporsare explosive.Seriouspersonalinjurycanoccurwhengasolineisspilled on yourselforyourclotheswhichcanignite.Washyourskinand changeclothesimmediately.

• Useonlyanapprovedgasolinecontainer.

Neverfill containersinsidea vehicleoron a truckortrailerbed

witha plasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainerson thegroundaway fromyourvehiclebeforefilling.

Whenpractical,removegas-poweredequipmentfromthe truck or trailerandrefueliton theground.Ifthis isnotpossible,then

refuelsuchequipmentona trailerwitha portablecontainer,rather

thanfroma gasolinedispensernozzle.

Keepthenozzleincontactwiththerim ofthefueltankor containeropeningat all timesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Donot use a nozzlelock-opendevice.

Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersourcesof

ignition.

• Neverfuel machineindoors. Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhilethe engineis hotorrun-

ning.Allowengineto coolat leasttwominutesbeforerefueling. Neveroverfillfueltank. Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow

bottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.

• Replacegasolinecapandtightensecurely.

• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeitoff theengineandequipment.Move machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe

engine.

• Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefree ofgrass,leaves,or

otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanup oilor fuelspillageandremoveany fuelsoakeddebris.

• Neverstorethemachineorfuelcontainerinsidewherethereisan

openflame,sparkor pilotlight as ona waterheater,spaceheater, furnace,clothesdryeror othergasappliances.

Allowa machineto coolatleastfiveminutesbeforestoring.

GeneralService

• Neverrunanengineindoorsorinapoorlyventilatedarea.Engine exhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,anodorless,anddeadlygas.

• Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspecting,makecertainthe blade(s)andallmovingpartshavestopped.Disconnectthespark plugwireandgroundagainsttheenginetopreventunintended starting.

• Periodicallychecktomakesurethebladescometocomplete stopwithinapproximately(5)fivesecondsafteroperatingthe bladedisengagementcontrol.Ifthebladesdonotstopwithinthe thistimeframe,yourmachineshouldbeservicedprofessionally byaSearsorotherqualifiedservicedealer.

• Checkbrakeoperationfrequentlyasitissubjectedtowearduring normaloperation.Adjustandserviceasrequired.

• Checktheblade(s)andenginemountingboltsatfrequent intervalsforpropertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade(s) fordamage(e.g.,excessivewear,bent,cracked).Replacethe blade(s)withtheoriginalequipmentmanufacturer's(O.E.M.) blade(s)only,listedinthismanual.Useofpartswhichdonot meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmayleadtoimproper performanceandcompromisesafety!

• Mowerbladesaresharp.Wrapthebladeorweargloves,anduse extracautionwhenservicingthem.

• Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstighttobesuretheequipmentis

insafeworkingcondition.

• Nevertamperwiththesafetyinterlocksystemor othersafety devices.Checktheirproperoperationregularly.

• Afterstrikingaforeignobject,stoptheengine,disconnectthe sparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughly inspectthemachineforanydamage.Repairthedamagebefore startingandoperating.

• Neverattempttomakeadjustmentsor repairstothemachine whilethe engineis running.

• Grasscatchercomponentsandthedischargecoverare subject towearanddamagewhichcouldexposemovingpartsor allow objectsto bethrown.Forsafetyprotection,frequentlycheck componentsand replaceimmediatelywithoriginalequipment manufacturer's(O.E.M.)partsonly,listedinthis manual.Useof partswhichdo not meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmay leadtoimproperperformanceandcompromisesafety!

• Donot changetheenginegovernorsettingsorover-speedthe engine.Thegovernorcontrolsthe maximumsafeoperatingspeed ofthe engine.

Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as necessary.

• Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsfor gas,oil, etc.to protecttheenvironment.

• Accordingto the ConsumerProductsSafetyCommission(CPSC) andthe U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),thisproduct hasanAverageUsefulLifeofseven(7)years,or 270hours ofoperation.AttheendoftheAverageUsefulLife,buy anew machineor havethemachineinspectedannuallybya Searsor otherqualifiedservicedealerto ensurethatall mechanicaland safetysystemsareworkingproperlyandnot wornexcessively.

Failuretodosocanresultinaccidents,injuriesor death.

DO NOT MODIFY ENGINE

Toavoid seriousinjuryor death,do notmodifyengineinanyway. Tamperingwiththe governorsettingcanleadtoa runawayengineand causeittooperateat unsafespeeds.Nevertamperwithfactorysetting ofenginegovernor.

NOTICE REGARDING EMISSIONS

Engineswhicharecertifiedto complywithCaliforniaandfederal

EPAemissionregulationsfor SORE(SmallOffRoadEquipment)are certifiedto operateonregularunleadedgasoline,andmayinclude thefollowingemissioncontrolsystems:EngineModification(EM)and ThreeWayCatalyst(TWO)if so equipped.

SPARK ARRESTOR

Thismachineis equippedwithan internalcombustionengineand shouldnotbe usedonor nearanyunimprovedforest-covered, brushcoveredorgrass-coveredlandunlesstheengine'sexhaust systemisequippedwitha sparkarrestormeetingapplicablelocalor statelaws(if any).

Ifa sparkarrestoris used,it shouldbemaintainedin effectiveworking orderbytheoperator.IntheStateof Californiatheaboveis required bylaw (Section4442of the CaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Other statesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.

A sparkarrestorforthemuffleris availablethroughyournearestSears

PartsandRepairServiceCenter.

SAFETY SYMBOLS

Thispagedepictsanddescribessafetysymbolsthatmayappearonthis product.Read,understand,andfollowallinstructionson the machine beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate.

READ THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL(S) Read, understand, and follow all instructions in the manual(s) before attempting to assemble and operate

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES Never carry passengers. Never carry children, even with the blades off.

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES

Always look down and behind before and while backing to avoid a back-over accident.

WARNING-- ROTATING BLADES

Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck. Contact with the blade(s) can amputate hands and feet.

WARNING--THROWN OBJECTS This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.

BYSTANDERS Keep bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in

operation.

WARNING-- SLOPE OPERATION

Do not operate this machine on a slope greater than 15 degrees.

WARNING-- HOT SURFACE

Engine parts, especially the muffler, become extremely hot during operation. Allow engine and muffler to cool before touching.

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES

To reduce the risk of injury, keep hands and feet away. Do not operate unless discharge cover or grass

catcher is in its proper place. If damaged, replace immediately.

15° Slope

(OK)

'_. _ Figure1

(TOO STEEP)

Figure2

15°

dashedline

USETHISSLOPEGAUGETODETERMINE

IFA SLOPEISTOOSTEEPFORSAFEOPERATION!

Tochecktheslope,proceedasfollows:

1. Removethis pageandfold alongthe dashedline.

2. Locatea verticalobject onor behindthe slope (e.g.a pole,building,fence, tree,etc.)

3. Align eithersideof theslopegaugewith theobject(SeeFigure1and Figure2 ).

4. Adjust gaugeupor downuntil the left cornertouchestheslope (SeeFigure1and Figure2).

If thereisagap belowthegauge,theslopeis too steepfor safeoperation(SeeFigure2 above).

Slopesare a majorfactor relatedto tip-over androll-over accidents which can resultin severe injuryor death.Do not operatemachine on slopes in excess of 15degrees.All slopesrequire extra caution. Ifyou cannotback up theslope orif you feeluneasyon it, do not mow it.

Always mowup and down theface ofslopes, never mowacrossthe faceof slopes.

IMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroil in theengine. However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Refertothe Service& Maintenancesectionforinstructionson checkingtheoil

level. Attaching the Battery Cables

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

Batteryposts,terminals,andrelatedaccessoriescontainleadand leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato

causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.

Whenattachingbatterycables,alwaysconnectthePOSITIVE(Red) wireto its terminalfirst,followedby theNEGATIVE(Black)wire.

Forshippingreasons,bothbatterycablesonyourequipmentmay havebeenleftdisconnectedfromtheterminalsatthefactory.To connectthebatterycables,proceedasfollows:

NOTE:ThepositivebatteryterminalismarkedPos.(+).Thenegative batteryterminalis markedNeg.(-).

1. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthepositivebattery terminaland attachthe redcableto thepositivebatteryterminal (+)withthebolt andhexnut.See Figure1.

2. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthenegativebattery terminaland attachtheblackcabletothe negativebattery terminal(-) withthe bolt andhexnut.SeeFigure1.

Shipping Brace Removal

Makesurethe ridingmower'sengineisoff,removetheignitionkey,

andset the parkingbrakebeforeremovingtheshippingbrace.Refer

ItotheOperationsectionfor instructionsonhowto setthe parking lbrake.

• Locatethe shippingbrace,ifpresent,andaccompanyingwarning tagfoundonthe rightsideof themower,betweenthedischarge chutedeflectorandthe cuttingdeck.SeeFig.2.

Figure2

Figure1

3. Positionthe redrubberbootoverthepositivebatteryterminalto helpprotectit fromcorrosion.

NOTE:If thebatteryisputinto serviceafterthedateshownon topof battery,chargethebatteryas instructedintheService& Maintenance sectionofthis manualpriortooperatingthetractor.

Placethedecklift leverinthehighestcuttingposition.Referto

SettingtheCuttingHeightin the Operationsectionofthismanual. Whilepushingthedischargechuteddlectortowardsthemachinewith

yourlefthand,removetheshippingbracewithyourrighthandbygrasp- ingitbetweenyourthumbandindexfingerandrotatingitclockwise.

Theshippingbrace,usedfor packagingpurposesonly,mustbe

removedand discardedbeforeoperatingyourridingmower.

Themowingdeckiscapableofthrowingobjects.Failureto operate the ridingmowerwithoutthedischargecoverin theproperoperating

Ipositioncouldresultin seriouspersonalinjuryand/orproperty ldamage.

Attaching The Steering Wheel

Ifthesteeringwheelforyourtractordid notcomeattached,the hardwareforattachingithasbeenpackedwithinthe steeringwheel, beneaththesteeringwheelcap.Carefullypryoff thesteeringwheel capandremovethe hardware.

1. Withthewheelsofthe tractorpointingstraightforward,placethe steeringwheeloverthesteeringshaft.

2. Placethewasher(withthe cuppedsidedown)overthe steering wheeland securewiththe hex bolt.SeeFig.3-3.

Figure3

3. Placethe steeringwheelcap overthecenterof the steering wheeland pushdownwarduntilit"clicks"intoplace.

Attaching The Seat If theseatforyourtractorwasnotattachedatthefactory,refertothe

followingsteps. NOTE: Forshippingreasons,seatsareeitherfastenedtothe tractor

seat'spivotbracketwitha plastictie,or mountedbackwardtothe pivot bracket.Ineithercase,free theseatfromits shippingpositionand removethe adjustmentknobfromthebottomof seatbeforeproceed- ingwiththeinstructionsbelow.

1. Positionthe shoulderscrews(foundon the baseofthe seat) insidethe slotopeningsintheseatpivotbracket. Fig.4.

2. Slidetheseat slightlyrearwardin theseatpivot bracket,lining up thecenterrearslotin thepivotbracketwiththeremaininghole

in theseat'sbase.

Figure4

3. Selectdesired positionfor theseat,and securewiththeadjust- mentknobremovedearlier.

4. Toadjustthepositionof theseat,loosentheadjustmentknob

on thebottomoftheseat.Slidetheseatforwardor backwardas desired.Retightentheadjustmentknob.

Tire Pressure

Maximumtire pressureunderanycircumstancesis 30 psi.Equal

tirepressureshouldbe maintainedatall times.Neverexceedthe

_maxmum nfatonpressureshownonthesdewa of thet re. Therecommendedoperatingtirepressureis:

Approximately10psi forthe reartires Approximately14psi forthefronttires

IMPORTANT: Refertothetire sidewallforexacttire manufacturer's recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinfiate.Uneventirepres-

surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.

Figure5

A SpeedControlLever/ ParkingBrakeLever B Throttle/chokecontrollever

C IgnitionSwitch D DeckLiftLever

E PTOLever(BladeEngage) F CupHolder

G Shift Lever H Clutch-BrakePedal

NOTE: Anyreferenceinthis manualtotheRIGHTorLEFTsideofthe tractorisobservedfromoperator'sseat positionfacingforwardtowardsthefrontoftractor.

Meets ANS! Safety Standards

CraftsmanTractorsconformtothesafetystandardof theAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).

SPEED CONTROL LEVER

Thespeedcontrollever,locatedontheleft sideofthe tractor'sdashconsole,allowsyouto regulatethe ground speedof thelawntractor.Touse,depresstheclutch- brakepedalandmovethe leveroutof the parkingbrake notchandforwardto increasethe tractor'sgroundspeed. Whenadesiredspeedhasbeenreached,releasethe leverintoan appropriatenotchto maintainthatspeed.

Toslowthetractor'sgroundspeed,depressthe clutch- brakepedalandmovethe speedcontrolleverrearward

andreleaseit intoa notch.

PARKING BRAKE

Tosetthe parkingbrake,fullydepresstheclutch-brake pedal.Movethe speedcontrolleverallthe waydownand intothe parkingbrakeposition.Releasethe clutch-brake pedaltoallowtheparkingbraketoengage.

Toreleasethe parkingbrake,depressthe clutch-brakepedaland movethespeedcontrolleveroutof thenotchestothedesiredposition. Releasethe speedcontrolleverandthe clutch-brakepedal.

NOTE: Theparkingbrakemustbe setif the operatorleavestheseat withtheenginerunningortheenginewill automaticallyshutoff.

THROTTLE/CHOKE CONTROL LEVER

Thethrottle/chokecontrolleveris locatedon therightsideofthe trac- tor'sdashpanel.Thislevercontrolsthespeedofthe engineandwhen pushedallthe wayforward,thechokecontrolalso.Whensetin agiven position,thethrottlewillmaintaina uniformenginespeed.

IMPORTANT: Whenoperatingthetractorwiththecuttingdeck engaged,thethrottle/chokecontrollevermustalwaysbeinthe FAST (rabbit)position.

IGNITION SWITCH

Thekeyswitchmoduleisusedto startand stoptheengine.Insert keyintothe keyswitchmodule

andturnclockwisetotheSTART position.Releasethekeyintothe

normalmowingpositiononceen- ginehasstarted.The headlights willbeactivatedautomatically.

Tostoptheengine,turnthe ignitionkeycounterclockwiseto theSTOPposition.

IMPORTANT:Priorto operatingthe tractor,refertoboththe"Safety InterlockSystem"and"StartingTheEngine"laterin thissectionofthis manualfordetailedinstructionsregardingtheIgnitionSwitchModule.

SHIFT LEVER

Theshift leveris locatedon theleft sideof the fenderandhasthree

positions,FORWARD,NEUTRAL and REVERSE.Theclutch-brake

pedalmustbedepressedand the tractormustnotbein motionwhen

themovingshift lever.

IMPORTANT: Neverforcethe

shiftlever.Doingsomayresultin seriousdamageto thetractor's

transmission.

DECK LIFT LEVER

Foundonyourtractor'srightfender,thedeckliftleveris used tochangetheheightof thecuttingdeck.Touse,movethe leverto theleft,thenplace inthe notchbestsuitedforyour application.

PTO (BLADE ENGAGE) LEVER

Foundonthe tractor'srightfender,the PTO(bladeengage) leveris usedtoengagepowertothecuttingdeckorother (separatelyavailable)attachments.Tooperate,movethe leverall thewayforward.Movingtheleveralltheway

rearwardintothe PTOOFFpositiondisengagespowertothe cuttingdeck/attachment.

NOTE: ThePTO(bladeengage)levermustbein the disengaged(PTOOFF)positionwhenstartingtheengine.

CUP HOLDER

Thetractor'scupholderis locatedonthe fendertothe left of theseat.

SEAT ADJUSTMENT KNOB

Theseatadjustmentknobislocatedonthebottomsideofthe seat.

Usethis knobtoadjustthe seatforwardorrearwardtoa comfortable operatingpositionbylooseningtheknob,positioningtheseatto the desiredpreference,thenretighteningthe knob.

CLUTCH-BRAKE PEDAL

Theclutch-brakepedalislocatedontheleft sideofthelawntractor, alongtherunningboard.Depressthe clutch-brakepedalpartway downwhen slowingthetractorbychangingspeeds(RefertoSpeed ControlLever).Depressthepedalall thewaydownto engagethe disc brakeandbringthetractortoa completestop.

NOTE: Thepedalmustbedepressedto startthe engine.Referto SafetyInterlockSwitcheslaterin thissectionofthismanual.

Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.AlwaysdisengagePTO (BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,setpark- ingbrake,stopengineandremovekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

Gas and Oil Fill=up 0il

iMPORTANT: Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroilintheengine.

However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Becareful nottooverfill.

Forinstructionsonhowto checktheengineoil, refertoCheckingThe EngineOilintheServiceandMaintenancesectionofthis manual.

Gasoline

Thegasolinetank islocatedunderthehood.Donotoverfill.

Useextremecarewhenhandlinggasoline.Gasolineis extremely flammableandthevaporsareexplosive.Neverfuel machineindoors

orwhiletheengineishotor running.Extinguishcigarettes,cigars, p pes,andothersourcesof gn ton.

NOTE : Purchasegasolineinsmallquantities.Do notusegasolineleft overfromthe previousseason,to minimizegumdepositsinthefuel system.

• Thisengineiscertifiedtooperateonunleadedgasoline.Forbest results,fillthefueltankwithonlyclean,fresh,unleadedgasoline witha pumpstickeroctaneratingof 87or higher.

• Gasohol(upto 10%ethylalcohol,90% unleadedgasolineby volume)isanapprovedfuel.Othergasoline/alcoholblends,such asE85,arenotapproved.

• MethylTertiaryButylEther(MTBE)andunleadedgasolineblends (uptoa maximumof 15%MTBEbyvolume)areapprovedfuels. Othergasoline/etherblendsarenotapproved.

• Fillfueltankoutdoorsorinwell-ventilatedarea.

• Donotoverfillfueltank.Filltanktono morethan 1/2inchbelow

bottomof fillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.

• Neverremovegas cap oraddfuel whiletheengineishotor run- ning.Allowenginetocoolat leasttwo minutesbeforerefueling.

• If gasolineisspilled,wipeitofftheengineandequipment.Move machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe engine.

To Add Gasoline

1. Turntheengineoff andlet enginecoolat least2 minutesbefore removingthe fuelcap.Thegasolinetankisundertherearfender, withthefuelfill caplocatedinthecenterof the rearfender. Thefuel capistetheredto thetractortopreventitsloss. Donot attempttoremovethecapfromthetractor.

2. Fillthefuel tankwithgasoline.

3. Reinstallthefuelcap. NOTE: Thetractorisfittedwitha tethered,ratchetingfuel cap.STOP

fillingthe tankoncethefuelis seeninsidethefillerneck. Thisensures thata properexpansionvolumeiscreated,otherwisethefuelcan overflowcreatinga hazardoussituation.Do NOTtopoffthefueltank. SeeFig.6.

Figure 6

Avoid Serious injury or Death

• Go upanddownslopes,notacross.

• Avoidsuddenturns.

• Donot operatetheunitwhereitcouldslipor tip.

• Ifmachinestopsgoinguphill,stopbladesandbackdownhill

slowly.

• Donot mowwhenchildrenorothersarearound.

• Nevercarrychildren,evenwithbladesoff.

• Lookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebacking.

• Keepsafetydevices(guards,shields,and switches)in place

andworking.

• Removeobjectsthatcould bethrownby theblades.

• Knowlocationandfunctionof allcontrols.

• Besurebladesandenginearestoppedbeforeplacinghandsor

feetnearblades.

• Beforeleavingoperator'sposition,stoptractor,disengage blades,engageparkingbrake,shutengineoff,and removekey.

Read Operator's Manual

SAFETY INTERLOCK SYSTEM

Thesafetyinterlocksystemisdesignedfor safeoperationofthetrac- tor.If thissystemshouldevermalfunction,do notoperatethetractor.

Immediatelycontact1-800-4-MY-HOMEtohavethe systemserviced.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromstarting unlessthe parkingbrakeis engagedandthePTO(BladeEngage) leveris inthe disengaged(OFF)position.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillautomaticallyshutoff theengineif

theoperatorleavestheseatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill automaticallyshutoff the engine iftheoperatorleavesthetractor'sseatwiththe PTO(Blade Engage)leverengaged,regardlessof whetherthe parkingbrake isengaged.

• Theenginewill automaticallyshutoffif thePTO(BladeEngage) leveris movedintotheengaged(ON)positionwiththeshiftlever

in Reverse.

IGNITION SWITCH

Theignitionswitchisactivatedtostarttheengine.Insertkeyintothe ignitionswitchandturnclockwisetotheSTARTposition.Releasethe keyintothe ON positiononceenginehasfired.SeeFig.7.

Tostoptheengine,turntheignitionkeycounterclockwiseto theOFF position.SeeFig.7.

SETTING THE CUTTING HEIGHT

1. Selecttheheightpositionofthecuttingdeckbyplacingthedeck lift leverin anyofthe sixdifferentcuttingheightnotchesonthe

rightsideofthefender.

Keephandsandfeetawayfromthedischargeopeningofthecutting

deck.

STARTING THE ENGINE

NEVER leavea runningmachineunattended.Alwaysdisengage PTO,moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,setparkingbrake,stop

_engne andremovekeyto preventunntendedstartng. iMPORTANT: Priortooperatingthetractor,refertobothSafety

InterlockSwitchesandStartingThe Engineinthe Operationsectionof thismanualforfurtherdetailedinstructions.

Start

off

Figure 7

Donot operatethetractorifthe interlocksystemismalfunctioning.

Thissystemwasdesignedforyoursafetyand protection.

NOTE: Refertothe GasolineandOilfill-upinstructionsearlierinthis

section.

1. Insertthetractorkeyintothe ignitionswitch.

2. PlacethePTO(BladeEngage)leverinthe disengaged(OFF) position.

3. Engagethetractor'sparkingbrake.

4. Activatethechokecontrolbymovingthethrottle/chokeleverall thewayupintothechokeposition.

5. Turnthe ignitionkeyclockwisetotheSTARTposition.Afterthe enginestarts,releasethekey.Itwill returnto theON(or Normal

Mowing)position.

DO NOTholdthekeyinthe STARTpositionforlongerthanten

secondsat atime. Doingsomaycausedamagetoyourengine's electricstarter.

6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethechokecontrolandplacethe throttlecontrolin theFASTposition.

NOTE: DoNOTleavethechokecontrolonwhileoperatingthetractor. Doingsowillresultin a "rich"fuelmixtureandcausetheengineto run

poorly.

ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE

To engage the parking brake:

1. Fullydepresstheclutch-brakepedalandholditdownwithyour foot.

2. Movethespeedcontrolleverallthewaydownandintothe parkingbrakeposition.

3. Releasetheclutch-brakepedaltoallowthe parkingbraketo engage.

To release the parking brake:

1. Depresstheclutch-brakepedalandmovethespeedcontrollever outof the parkingbrakepositionandintoa desiredspeed.

STOPPING THE ENGINE

Ifyoustrikea foreignobject,stoptheengine,disconnectthe spark plugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughlyinspectthe machinefor anydamage.Repairthedamagebeforerestartingand operating

If thebladesareengaged,placethe PTO(BladeEngage)leverin thedisengaged(OFF)position.

2. TurntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOPposition.

3. Removethekeyfromtheignitionswitchto preventunintended starting.

DRIVING THE TRACTOR

Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedandsuddenstops.

Donotleavetheseatof thetractorwithoutfirstplacingthePTO (BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF)position,depressing thebrakepedalandengagingtheparkingbrake.Ifleavingthetractor unattended,alsoturn theignitionkeyoff andremovethekey.

Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackinguptoavoida back-overaccident.

1. Depresstheclutch-brakepedalto releasetheparkingbrakeand thenlet thepedalup.

2. Movethethrottleleverintothe FAST(rabbit)position.

3. Placethe shiftleverin eitherthe FORWARDor REVERSE position.

IMPORTANT: DoNOTusetheshiftlevertochangethe directionof travelwhenthe tractorisin motion.Alwaysusetheclutch-brakepedal tobringthe tractortoa completestopbeforeshifting.

4. Releasetheparkingbrakebydepressingtheclutch-brakepedal andpositioningthe speedcontrolleverinthedesiredposition.

IMPORTANT: First-timeoperatorsshouldusespeedpositions1or

2.Becomecompletelyfamiliarwiththetractor'soperationandcontrols

beforeoperatingthe tractorinhigherspeedpositions.

5. Releaseclutch-brakepedalslowlytoput unit intomotion.

6. Thelawntractorisbroughttoa stopbydepressingtheclutch- brakepedal.

NOTE: Whenoperatingtheunitinitially,therewillbe littledifference betweenthe highesttwo speedsuntilafterthe beltshaveseated themselvesintothepulleysduringthebreak-inperiod.

WARNING!Beforeleavingtheoperator'spositionforany reason, disengagetheblades,placetheshiftleverinneutral,engagethe parkingbrake,shutengineoff andremovethe key.

1. Placetheshiftleverinneutral,

2. Engagetheparkingbrake,

3. Shutengineoffand removethekey.Doingsowillminimizethe possibilityof havingyourlawn"browned"byhotexhaustfrom

yourtractor'srunningengine.

Ifunitstallswithspeedcontrolinhighspeed,orif unitwillnotoperate

with speedcontrolleverina lowspeedposition,proceedasfollows:

1. PlaceshiftleverinNEUTRAL.

2. Restartengine.

3. Placespeedcontrolleverinhighestspeedposition.

4. Releaseclutch-brakepedalfully.

5. Depressclutch-brakepedal.

6. Placespeedcontrolleverindesiredposition.

7. PlaceshiftleverineitherFORWARDor REVERSE,andfollow normaloperatingprocedures.

DRIVING ON SLOPES

Referto the SLOPEGAUGEinthe SafetyInstructionssectionofthe manualtohelpdetermineslopeswhereyoumayoperatethistractor safely.

Donot mowon inclineswitha slopeinexcessof 15degrees(arise ofapproximately2-1/2feetevery 10feet).The tractorcouldoverturn andcauseseriousinjury.

• Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross.

• Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirectiononslopes. Watchfor holes,ruts,bumps,rocks,or otherhiddenobjects.

Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles.

• Avoidturnswhendrivingona slope.If a turnmustbe made,turn downthe slope.Turningupaslopegreatlyincreasesthechance

ofa rollover.

• Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.If itisnecessaryto stop whiledrivingup a slope,startupsmoothlyandcarefullyto reduce thepossibilityof flippingthetractoroverbackward.

ENGAGING THE BLADES

Engagingthe PTO(BladeEngage)transferspowertothe cuttingdeck

or other(separatelyavailable)attachments.Toengagethe blades,

proceedas follows:

1. Movethethrottle/chokecontrollevertothe FAST(rabbit)position.

2. GraspthePTO(BladeEngage)leverandpivotitallthe way forwardintotheengaged(ON)position.

3. KeepthethrottleleverintheFAST(rabbit)positionforthemost efficientuseof the cuttingdeckorother(separatelyavailable)

attachments.

NOTE: Theenginewill automaticallyshutoff ifthe PTO(Blade Engage)leverismovedintothe engaged(ON)positionwiththeshift

leverinReverse.

IMPORTANT: Whenstoppingthetractorfor anyreasonwhileona grasssurface,always:

MULCHING

A mulch kit is available as an attachment. Mulching is a process of recirculating grass clippings repeatedly beneath the cutting deck. The ultra-fine clippings are then forced back into the lawn where they act as a natural fertilizer.

A mulchkitcan be purchased.SeetheReplacementParts& Attach- mentssectionofthis manualformoreinformation.

USING THE DECK LIFT LEVER

Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethedecklift leverto the left,thenplace itin thenotchbestsuitedforyourapplication.RefertoSettingThe CuttingHeightearlierinthisOperationsection.

MOWING

Tohelpavoidbladecontactor a thrownobjectinjury,keepbystand- ers,helpers,childrenandpetsat least75feetfromthe machine

[wh e t s noperaton.Stop roachne fanyoneentersthearea. Thefollowinginformationwillbehelpfulwhenusingthecuttingdeck

withyourtractor:

Planyourmowingpatterntoavoiddischargeof materialstoward roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthelike.Also,avoiddischarging materialagainsta wallor obstructionwhichmaycausedischarged materialto ricochetbacktowardtheoperator.

HEADLIGHTS

* ThelampsareONwheneverthetractor'sengineis running.

o Thelampsturn OFFwhentheignitionkeyismovedtothe STOP

position.

Donot mowat highgroundspeed,especiallyifa mulchkitor grasscollectorisinstalled.

Forbest resultsitisrecommendedthatthe firsttwo lapsbecut withthedischargethrowntowardsthecenter.Afterthefirsttwo laps,reversethe directionto throwthedischargetothe outside forthe balanceofcutting.Thiswillgivea betterappearanceto the

lawn. Donotcut thegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowth

andyellowsquicklyindryweather. Mowingshouldalwaysbe donewiththeengineatfull throttle.

• Underheavierconditionsitmaybenecessarytogo backoverthe cutareaa secondtimeto geta cleancut.

• DoNOTattempttomowheavybrushandweedsandextremely tallgrass.Yourtractorisdesignedto mowlawns,NOTclear

brush.

• Keepthebladessharpandreplacethebladeswhenworn.Refer toCuttingBladesintheServicesectionof thismanualforproper bladesharpeninginstructions.

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Beforeperforminganytypeofmaintenance/service,disengageall controlsandstoptheengine.Waituntilallmovingpartshavecometo acompletestop.Disconnectsparkplugwireandgrounditagainstthe enginetopreventunintendedstarting.Alwayswearsafetyglassesduring operationorwhileperforminganyadjustmentsor repairs.

BeforeEachUse

Inthe FirstFiveHours Every10Hours

Every25 hours

Every50 hours

Annually

BeforeStorage

*Servicemorefrequentlyunderdustyconditions.

1. Engineoillevel

2. Mufflerareaandcontrols

3. Fingerguard

7. EngineOil

9. Hood/Dashairvents

10. Batteryterminals

11. Deckspindlesand idler bracket

15. Air filter'sprecleaner*

16. Air filter*

17. Midsteeringarms,pivot shafts,andaxles

18. Frontwheelbearings

19. Frontdeckwheels

25. Engineoil

26. Muffler

29. Air filter

30. Air filter'spre-cleaner

31. Sparkplug

32. Air coolingsystem*

33. Fuelfilter

34. SteeringGears

35. RearWheels

43. Hood/Dashairvents

44. Batteryterminals

45. Midsteeringarms,pivot shafts,andaxles

46. Frontwheelbearings

47. Frontdeckwheels

48. Deckspindlesand idler bracket

49. Pedalpivotpoints

4. Check

5. Clean

6. Clean

8. Change

12. Clean

13. Clean

14. Lubricate

20. Clean

21. Clean

22. Lubricate

23. Lubricate

24. Lubricate

27. Change

28. Check

36. Replace

37. Replace

38. Replace

39. Clean

40. Replace

41. Clean

42. Removeandgreaseaxles

50. Clean

51. Clean

52. Lubricate

53. Lubricate

54. Lubricate

55. Lubricate

56. Lubricate

Followthe maintenanceschedulegivenbelow.Thischartdescribes serviceguidelinesonly.Usethe ServiceLogcolumnto keeptrack

ofcompletedmaintenancetasks.Tolocate the nearestParts&

RepairService Centeror to scheduleservice,simplycontact 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

Beforeperforminganymaintenanceor repairs,disengagethePTO (BladeEngageLever),engagethe parkingbrake,stoptheengine andremovethe keyto preventunintendedstarting.

If theenginehasbeenrecentlyrun,theengine,mufflerandsur- roundingmetalsurfaceswillbehotandcancauseburnstothe skin.

Exercisecautiontoavoidburns.

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

7. Replaceandtightendipstick.

Checking the Engine Oil Onlyuse highqualitydetergentoilratedwithAPIserviceclassification

SF,SG,SH,or SJ.Selecttheoil'sSAEviscositygradeaccordingto theexpectedoperatingtemperature.Followthe chartbelow.

Althoughmulti-viscosityoils (5W20,10W30,etc.)improvestarting incoldweather,theywillresultinincreasedoilconsumptionwhen

usedabove32°E Checkyourengineoillevelmorefrequentlyto avoid possibleenginedamagefromrunninglowon oil.

Colder_ 32°F D"-Warmer

5W20

Oil Viscosity Chart

Figure9

Tochecktheengineoil,proceedasfollows:

1. Ensurethatthe tractorisona levelsurface.

2. Cleantheoil fill areaof anydebris.

3. Removethedipstickandwipewitha cleancloth.

4. Insertandtightendipstick.

5. Removethedipstickandcheckthe oil level.It shouldbeatthe Fullmarkonthedipstick.SeeFigure10.

6. If low,addoil slowlyintotheengineoilfill. Do notoverfill.After addingoil,wait oneminuteandthenrechecktheoil level.

Dipstick_

Changing Engine Oil Theengineoil shouldbechangedinthefirst5 hoursandthenevery

50 hoursoroncea season.Tochangetheengineoil,proceedas follows:

1. WithengineOFFbutstillwarm,disconnectsparkplugwireand keepit awayfromsparkplug.

2. Removethe oilfill cap/dipstickfromtheoil filltube.SeeFigure9.

3. Turnthe steeringwheelall thewaytothe rightto betterexpose thedrainplug.

4. Cliptheoil drainsleeve(packedwith thismanual)ontotheoil drainport. Routetheoppositeendofthesleeveintoanappropri- ateoilcollectioncontainerwitha capacitygreatenoughtocollect

theusedoil.

5. Removedrainplugand drainoil intoa suitablecontainerwitha capacityofno lessthan64oz.

6. Performsteps2 through4in theoppositeorderafteroil has finisheddraining.

7. Refillthe enginewithnewmotoroil untiltheoil levelonthe dipstickreadsFULL.Replacetheoilfillcap/dipstick.

Usedoil isa hazardouswasteproduct.Disposeof usedoil properly. Donotdiscardwithhouseholdwaste.Checkwithyourlocalauthori- tiesoror contact1-800-4-MY-HOMEfora listof safedisposal/ recyclingfacilities.

8. Reconnectsparkplugwire.

OilDrain

Valve

Oil Drain Sleeve

Figure10

Donot overfill.Overfillingwithoil maycausetheengineto notstart, hardstarting,orenginesmoking.If overtheFULLmarkon the dipstick,drainoil toreduceoil levelto FULLmarkondipstick.

Fuel Filter Air Cleaner

Gasolineanditsvaporsareextremelyflammableandexplosive.Fire

or explosioncancausesevereburnsor death.

• Keepgasolineawayfromsparks,openflames,pilotlights,heat, andotherignitionsources.

• Checkfuellines,tank,cap,andfittingsfrequentlyforcracksor leaks.Replaceif necessary.

• Beforereplacingthe fuel filter,drainthefueltankasperthe instructionsbelow.

• Donotdrainfuel whentheengineis hot.Allowtheengine adequatetimetocool. Drainfuelintoan approvedcontainer outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

• Drainany largevolumeoffuelfromthetankbydisconnectingthe fuellinefromthein-linefuel filterneartheengine.

• RemovethefuellinefromtheIn-lineside(sidetowardsthefuel tank)ofthefuel filter.

• Replacementpartsmustbethesameandinstalledinthesame positionasthe originalparts.

• If fuelspills,waituntil it evaporatesbeforestartingengine.

• Beforereplacingthe fuel filter,drainthefueltank.Otherwise,fuel canleakoutandcausea fireor explosion.

ToDrainthe fuel:

1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichisroutedontheleftsideof theengine betweenthefueltankandthecarburetor,andmaybeattachedto theenginewitha tiestrap.Cutthetie strap,ifpresent,thenpinch thein-lineclamponthefuelfilterwitha pairofpliers,slidethe clampupthefuelline.Pullthe fuellinefreefromthefilterandplace theopenendof thelineintoanapprovedcontainerto drainthefuel.

Tochangethe fuel filter:

1. Usepliersto squeezethetabsontheotherclamp(theout-line sided thefuelfilter),thenslidetheclampawayfromthefuelfilter. Twistandpullthefuellineoff ofthefuelfilter.SeeFigure11.

2. Checkthefuellinesfor cracksor leaks.Replaceifnecessary.

3. Replacethefuel filterwithanoriginalequipmentreplacement filter.Call 1-800-4-MY-HOME®topurchasetheoriginalequip- mentreplacementfilter.

Securethefuellineswiththe clamps.

Iffilters,or coversare notinstalledcorrectlyseriousinjury ordeath

couldresultfrombackfire.Do notattemptto starttheenginewith themremoved.

Donot usepressurizedair orsolventsto cleantheaircleaner

cartridge.

Theairfiltersystemusesa cylindricalcartridge.This modelalso

includesa pre-cleanerthatcanbewashedand reused.

1. Removethefasteners(A)andtheair filtercover(B).SeeFigure

12.

2. Toremovethe filter(C),lift theendofthefilterand thenpullthe filteroff the intake(D).

3. Toloosendebris,gentlytap thefilterona hardsurface.If thefilter

isexcessivelydirty,replacewitha newfilter.

4. Installthefilterontheintake.Pushtheendofthe filterintothe

baseas shown.Makesurefilterfits securelyinthebase.

5. Installair filtercoverandsecurewithfasteners.

Figure12

Tab

Clamp

Fuel Line

Figure11

Spark Plug

1. Cleanareaaroundthe sparkplugbase.Donot sandblastspark plug.Sparkplugshouldbecleanedbyscrapingorwirebrushing andwashingwitha commercialsolvent

2. Removeand inspectthesparkplug.Checkgapto makesureit is setat .030".SeeFigure13.

Electrode Porcelain

.030 (.76 mm) gap

Figure13

3. Replacethesparkplug(Champion®RC12YC)oncea season.

Muffler

Temperatureof mufflerandnearbyengineareasmayexceed150° F (65°0).Avoidcontactwiththeseareas.

• Inspectmufflerperiodically,and replaceifnecessary.Replace- mentpartsforthemufflermustbethesameand installedin the samepositionas the originalparts.

Clean Engine

• Dailyor beforeeveryuse,cleangrass,chafforaccumulated debrisfromengine.Keeplinkage,spring,andcontrolsclean.

• Keepareaaroundandbehindmufflerfreeofanycombustible debris.

• Keepingenginecleanallowsairmovementaroundengine.

• Enginepartsshouldbekeptcleanto reducetheriskofoverheat- ingandignitionofaccumulateddebris.

Donotusewatertocleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel system.Usea brushordrycloth.

Carburetor Adjustment

• Thecarburetoronthis engineisnot adjustable.

LUBRICATION

Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO (BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,set parkingbrake,stopengineandremovekeyto preventunintended starting.

Pivot Points & Linkage Lubricateall the pivotpointsonthedrivesystem,parkingbrakeandlift

linkageat leastoncea seasonwithlightoil.

Rear Wheels

Therearwheelsshouldberemovedfromthe axlesonceaseason.

Lubricatetheaxlesandtherimswellwithan all-purposegreasebefore re-installingthem.

Front Axles

Eachendof thetractor'sfrontpivotbarmaybeequippedwitha grease fitting.Lubricatewitha greasegunafterevery25hoursoftractor operation.

Battery Thebatteryissealedand ismaintenance-free.Acidlevelscannotbe

checked.

• Alwayskeepthebatterycablesandterminalscleanandfree of

corrosivebuild-up. Aftercleaningthebatteryandterminals,applya lightcoatof

petroleumjelly orgreasetobothterminals.

• Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositionedoverthepositiveterminal

to preventshorting.

iMPORTANT: If removingthebatteryforanyreason,disconnectthe

NEGATIVE(Black)wirefromitsterminalfirst,followedbythePOSI- TIVE(Red)wire.Whenre-installingthebattery,alwaysconnectthe

POSITIVE(Red)wiretoits terminalfirst,followedbythe NEGATIVE (Black)wire.Becertainthatthe wiresareconnectedtothe correct terminals;reversingthemcouldchangethe polarityandresultin damagetoyourengine'salternatingsystem.

Cleaning Battery Cleanthe batterybyremovingitfromthetractorandwashingwith

a bakingsodaandwatersolution.Ifnecessary,scrapethebattery terminalswitha wirebrushto removedeposits.Coatterminalsand exposedwiringwithgreaseor petroleumjellytopreventcorrosion.

Battery Failures Somecommoncausesfor batteryfailureare:

Incorrectinitialactivation

• Overcharging

• Freezing

• Undercharging

• Corrodedconnections

Thesefailuresare NOTcoveredbyyourtractor'swarranty.

CLEANING THE ENGINE AND DECK

Anyfuel oroil spilledonthe machineshouldbewipedoffpromptly.Do NOTallowdebristoaccumulatearoundthecoolingfinsofthe engine oron anyotherpart ofthemachine.

IMPORTANT: Theuseof a pressurewashertocleanyourtractoris NOTrecommended.It maycausedamagetoelectricalcomponents, spindles,pulleys,bearingsor theengine.

A screwplugcanbefoundon yourtractor'sdecksurfaceasseenin Fig.14.Thisplugcanbereplacedwitha waterportto beusedas part ofa separately-availabledeckwashsystem.

TheDeckWashSystemTM isusedto rinsegrassclippingsfromthe deck'sundersideand preventthebuildupof corrosivechemicals.

NOTE: A deckwash systemcanbe purchasedthroughtheretail locationinwhichyoupurchasedthis tractor.Formoreinformation,call

1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

2. Measurethedistancefromthe frontofthebladetipto theground andthe rearofthebladetip totheground.Thefirstmeasure-

menttakenshouldbebetween1A"and3A"lessthanthe second measurement.Determinetheapproximatedistancenecessaryfor

properadjustmentandproceed,ifnecessary,tothenextstep.

3. Locatetheflangelocknutonthe frontsideofthestabilizer

bracket.SeeFig. 15.

• Tightentheflangelocknutto raisethe frontof thedeck;

• Loosentheflangelock nutto lowerthefrontof thedeck.

Figure14

ADJUSTMENTS

Neverattempttomakeanyadjustmentswhiletheengineis running, exceptwherespecifiedintheoperator'smanual.

Leveling the Deck NOTE: Checkthe tractor'stirepressurebeforeperforminganydeck

levelingadjustments.Referto Tiresin theServicesectionofthis manualformoreinformationregardingtirepressure.

Front To Rear Thefrontof the cuttingdeckissupportedbya stabilizerbarthatcan

beadjustedtolevelthe deckfromfrontto rear.Thefrontof thedeck shouldbebetween1A-inchand3A-inchlowerthantherearof thedeck.

Adjustif necessaryas follows:

1. Withthetractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placethelever forliftingthe platformon thesecondtothetop notch(second highestposition)androtatethebladeascloseas possibleto the dischargechannelthat isparalleltothetractor.

Figure15

Side to Side Ifthecuttingdeckappearstobe mowingunevenly,a sideto side

adjustmentcan beperformed.Adjustif necessaryasfollows:

1. Withthetractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placethedecklift leverinthe secondfromthe topnotch(secondhighestposition)

and rotatebothbladessothattheyare perpendicularwiththe tractor.

2. Measurethedistancefromthe outsideoftheleft bladetiptothe groundandthedistancefromtheoutsideoftherightbladetipto theground.Bothmeasurementstakenshouldbeequal.Ifthey're

not,proceedtothenextstep.

3. Loosen,butdo NOTremove,the hexcapscrewontheleft deck

hangerbracket.SeeFig.16.

4. Balancethe deckby usinga wrenchtoturnthe adjustmentgear

(foundimmediatelybehindthe hexcapscrewjustloosened)

clockwise/upor counterclockwise/down.Thedeck isproperly

balancedwhenboth bladetipmeasurementstakenearlierare

equal.

5. Retightenthe hexcapscrewon theleftdeckhangerbracketwhen

properadjustmentisachieved.

HexCapScrew

Figure16

Seat Adjustment Refertothe Assemblysectionofthismanualforseatadjustment

instructions. Parking Brake Adjustment

Neverattempttoadjustthebrakeswhiletheengineis running.Always disengagePTO(bladeengage)lever,moveshiftleverintoneutral

3osifion,stopengineandremovekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

thetractordoesnotcometo a completestopwhenthebrakepedal iscompletelydepressed,or ifthe tractor'srearwheelscan rollwiththe parkingbrakeapplied,thebrakeis in needof adjustment.Contactthe nearest SearsService Centerto haveyourbrakesproperlyadjusted.

Tolocatethenearest Parts&Repair ServiceCenteror to schedule service,contact 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

CUTTING DECK REMOVAL

To remove the cutting deck, proceed as follows:

1. Placethe PTO(BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF)

positionandengagetheparkingbrake.

2. Lowerthe deck bymovingthe deck lift leverintothe bottom

notchon the rightfender.

3. Removethe self-tappingscrew(A)thatsecuresthebelt-keeper

rodfromaroundthetractor'sPTOpulley,thenremovethe belt keeperrod(B). See Fig.17.

NOTE: Makea mentalnotewhatholetheotherendofthebelt-keeper rodisinsertedinforreinstallationpurposes.

4. Removethe belt(C)fromaroundthe tractor'sPTOpulley.See

Fig. 17.

Figure17

Lookingatthecuttingdeckfromtheleftsideofthetractor,locate thebow-tiepinthatsecuresthedecksupportrodonthe rear left sideofthe deck.SeeFig.18.Removethebow-tiepinthat securesthedecksupportrod,andcarefullyremovethedeck supportfromthedecklift arm.

Bow-TieClip

/ /

Figure18

6. Repeattheabovestepson thetractor'srightside. NOTE: Thebow-tieclipsshouldbe re-installedfromthetopdown.

7. Movethedecklift leverintothe top notchon the rightfenderto

raisethedecklift armsupandoutofthe way.

Avoidpinchinginjuries.Neverplaceyourfingersontheidlerspringor betweenthe beltanda pulleywhileremovingthe belt.

8. Removethebow-tiecotterpinsecuringthe deckstabilizerrodto thedeck.Slidethedecklift rodfromthe mountingbracketon the deckasseenin Fig.19.

f -,

........,j_!_ _;_ _ .....,

The recommended operating tire pressure is:

Approximately10psiforthe reartires Approximately14psiforthefronttires

IMPORTANT: Refertothetire sidewallforexacttire manufacturer's recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinfiate.Uneventirepres-

surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly. BATTERY

CaliforniaProposition65WARNING!Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainleadandleadcompounds,chemicals knownto the StateofCaliforniatocausecancerand reproductive harm.Washhandsafterhandling.

If removingthe battery,disconnecttheNEGATIVE(Black)wire

fromitsterminalfirst,followedbythe POSFIVE(Red)wire.When

re-installingthebattery,alwaysconnectthePOSITIVE(Red)wireto

ts termna f rst,fo owedbytheNEGATVE (Back) wre.

JUMP STARTING

Figure19

CarefullyremovethePTOcablefromtherearof the cuttingdeck byremovingthebow-tiecotterpinwhichsecuresit.Removethe springfromthe deckidlerbracket.SeeFig.20.

Neverjump starta damagedorfrozenbattery.Becertainthevehicles

do nottouch,andignitionsareoff.Donotallowcableclampsto touch.

1. Connectpositive(+)cableto positivepost(+)of yourtractor's dischargedbattery.

2. Connectthe otherendofthecableto the(positive+)postofthe jumperbattery.

3. Connectthe secondcable(negative-) to the otherpostof the jumperbattery.

4. Connectthe otherendofthe negativecabletothe engineblockof thetractor,awayfromthe battery.Attachtoanunpaintedpartto assurea goodconnection.

Ifthejumper batteryis installedon avehicle(i.e.car,truck),do NOT

startthe vehicle'senginewhenjumpstartingyourtractor.

5. Startthe tractor(asinstructedearlierinthissectionof this

manual).

6. Setthetractor'sparkingbrakebeforeremovingthejumpercables,

inreverseorderofconnection.

CHARGING

Figure20

10. Gentlyslidethe cuttingdeck(fromtheleft side)outfrom underneaththetractor.

TIRES

Neverexceedthemaximuminflationpressureshownonthesidewall oftire.

Batteriesgiveoffan explosivegaswhilecharging.Chargethebattery in a wellventilatedareaandkeepawayfroman openflameor pilot lightas ona waterheater,spaceheater,furnace,clothesdryeror othergas appliances.

Whenchargingyourtractor'sbattery,useonlya chargerdesignedforI

12Vlead-acidbatteries.Readyourbatterycharger_sOwner'sManualI priortochargingyourtractors battery.Alwaysfollowitsinstructions I

_andheed tswarnngs. J

Ifyourtractorhasnotbeenputinto useforanextendedperiodof time, chargethebatteryas follows:

1. Setyour batterychargerto deliveramaxof 10amperes. Ifyourbatterychargerisautomatic,chargethebatteryuntilthe

chargerindicatesthatchargingiscomplete.Ifthechargerisnot automatic,chargefor nofewerthaneighthours.

FUSE

One20AMPfuseis installedin yourtractor'swiringharnesstoprotect thetractor'selectricalsystemfromdamagecausedbyexcessive

amperage. Iftheelectricalsystemdoesnot function,or yourtractor'senginewill

notcrank,firstcheckto becertainthatthe fusehasnotblown.It can befoundat the rearoftheunit,underneaththefenderlocatedbythe

battery.

Alwaysusea fusewiththe sameamperagecapacityforreplacement.

CUTTING BLADES

Shutthe engineoffand removeignitionkeybeforeremovingthe cuttingblade(s)forsharpeningor replacement.Protectyourhands

_byusng heavygoveswhengraspngthebade.

Removethehexflangenutthatsecuresthebladetothe spindle

assembly.SeeFig.21.

Toproperlysharpenthecuttingblades,removeequalamounts of metalfrombothendsofthebladesalongthecuttingedges, paralleltothe trailingedge,at a 250.to300angle.Alwaysgrind eachcuttingbladeedgeequallytomaintainproperbladebalance. See Fig.22.

Periodicallyinspectthebladeand/or spindleforcracksor damage, especiallyafter you'vestrucka foreignobject.Donotoperatethe machineuntil damagedcomponentsare replaced.

Toremovetheblades,proceedasfollows.

1. Removethedeckfrombeneaththetractor,(referto CuttingDeck Removalearlierinthis section)thengentlyflipthedeckoverto exposeitsunderside.

2. Placea blockofwoodbetweenthecenterdeckhousingbaffle andthecuttingbladetoact asa stabilizer. SeeFig.21.

Figure 22

Ifthecuttingedgeof thebladehaspreviouslybeensharpened,or if

anymetalseparationispresent,replacethebladeswithnewones.

A poorlybalancedbladewillcauseexcessivevibration,maycause damageto thetractorand/orresultin personalinjury.

5. Testthe blade'sbalanceusinga bladebalancer.Grindmetalfrom theheavysideuntil itbalancesevenly.

NOTE: Whenreplacingthe blade,be suretoinstallthe bladewith the sideof the blademarked"Bottom"(orwitha partnumberstampedin it) facingthegroundwhenthemoweris intheoperatingposition.

Usea torquewrenchtotightenthe bladespindlehexflangenutto between70Ibs-ftand90Ibs-ft.

CHANGING THE DECK BELT

Besureto shutthe engineoff,removeignitionkey,disconnectthe sparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengineto preventunin-

tendedstartingbeforeremovingthebelt.

Figure21

All beltsonyourtractoraresubjectto wearandshouldbereplacedif

anysignsof wear arepresent.

iMPORTANT: TheV-beltfoundon yourtractorisspeciallydesigned

toengageanddisengagesafely.A substitute(non-OEM)V-beltcan bedangerousbynotdisengagingcompletely.Fora properworking machine,useidenticalequipmentbeltsas listedin thepartspagesof thisOperator'sManual.

Tochangeor replacethedeckbelt onyourtractor,proceedasfollows:

1. Removethedeckasinstructedearlierinthis section.

2. Removethebeltcoversfromthe spindlepulleysby removingthe hexscrewsthatfastenthecoverstothedeck.SeeFig.23.

3. It mayalso benecessaryto loosenthehexnutson thedeck idler pulleysto getthebeltoffofthe pulleyandaroundthebeltguard. Afterlooseningthedeckidlerpulleys,rotatethebeltguideoutof thewayon theleftidlerpulleyto removethebelt.

4. Carefullyremovethedeckbeltfromaroundthetwospindle pulleysand thetwo deckidlerpulleys.SeeFig.23.

5. Toplacethenewbelt,beginbyroutingthebeltaroundthe two outerspindlepulleysas shownin Fig.23.

6. Thenroutethebeltaroundthe twodeckidlerpulleysasshownin Fig.23.

7. Retightenthebeltkeeperrodloosenedearlier.

8. Remountthebeltguardsremovedearlier.

9. Re-installthedeck,makingsurethebeltremainsroutedaround thepulleysas instructed.Thecompletebeltroutingisshownin Fig.23.

10.

Pulltherightsideof thebelt,and placethe narrowV sideofthe beltintothePTOpulley.

11. Whileholdingthe belt andpulleytogether,rotatethepulleytothe Idt. Continueholdingand rotatingthe pulleyandbeltuntilthe belt isfully rolledintothe PTOpulley.

PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTMENT

Neverattempttoadjustthebrakeswhiletheengineisrunning.Always

disengagePTO(BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutral

3osition,stopengineandremovekeyto preventunintendedstarting.

Ifthetractordoesnotcometo a completestopwhentheclutch-brake pedaliscompletelydepressed,or ifthe tractor'srearwheelscan roll

withtheparkingbrakeapplied,thebrakeis inneedofadjustment.

Contactthe nearest Parts & RepairService Centertohaveyour brakesserviced.

Tolocatethe nearestParts& RepairServiceCenteror to schedule service,contact1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION DRIVE

BELT

NOTE: Severalcomponentsmustbe removedandspecialtools(i.e. air/impactwrench)in ordertochangethetractor'sdrivebelt.Contact the nearest Parts& RepairService Centertohaveyourtransmis-

siondrivebeltserviced.

Tolocatethe nearestParts& RepairServiceCenteror to schedule service,contact1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

Figure 23

This portion of the belt routes around

the PTO Pulley

Neverstorelawntractorwithfuelintankindoorsor in poorly ventilatedareaswherefuelfumesmayreachanopenflame,spark, or pilotlightasona furnace,waterheater,clothesdryer,or gas appliance.

PREPARING THE ENGINE

IMPORTANT:Fuelleftinthefueltankduringwarmweatherdeterio-

ratesandwillcauseseriousstartingproblems.

Topreventgumdepositsfromforminginsidetheengine'scarburetor andcausingpossiblemalfunctionof theengine,the fuelsystemmust be eithercompletelyemptied,or thegasolinemustbetreatedwitha stabilizertopreventdeterioration.

1. Ifusingafuelstabilizer: a. Readtheproductmanufacturer'sinstructionsandrecom-

mendations.

b. Addtoclean,freshgasolinethecorrectamountof stabilizer

forthe capacityof thefuelsystem.

c. Fillthe fueltankwithtreatedfuelandruntheenginefor2-3

minutestogetstabilizedfuelintothe carburetor.

2. Ifemptyingthefuelsystem: a. Donotdrainfuelwhentheengineishot.Allowtheengine

adequatetimeto cool.Drainfuelinto anapprovedcontainer outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

b. Drainanylargevolumeof fuel fromthetankbydisconnect-

ingthefuellinefromthein-linefuel filternearthe engine. SeethecompleteinstructionsforDrainingTheFuellaterin

this section.

DRAINING THE FUEL

1. Locatethefuel filter,whichislocatedon theleft sideof the engine,andmaybeattachedtotheenginewitha tiestrap.

2. Cutthetiestrap,if present,then pinchthein-lineclamponthe fuelfilterwitha pairof pliers,slidetheclampupthefuel line.

3. Pullthe fuellinefreefromthefilterand placetheopenendofthe line intoanapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.

PREPARING THE LAWN TRACTOR

1. Cleanandlubricatetractorthoroughlyas describedinthe lubrica- tioninstructions.

2. Donotusea pressurewasheror gardenhoseto cleanyourunit.

3. Storemowerin a dry,cleanarea.Do notstorenexttocorrosive materials,suchas fertilizer.

Gasolineisextremelyflammableandcanbeexplosiveundercertain

conditions.Draingasolinebeforestoringtheequipmentfor extended

periods.Drainfuelonlyinto anapprovedcontaineroutdoors,away froman openflame.Allowengineto cool.Extinguishcigarettes, cigars,pipes,andothersourcesofignitionpriortodrainingfuel.

Storegasolineinan approvedcontainerinsafelocation.

c. Reconnectthefuellineandruntheengineuntilit startsto

falter,thenusethe choketo keeptheenginerunninguntilall fuelinthecarburetorhasbeenexhausted.

d. Disconnectthefuellineanddrainanyremaininggasoline

fromthesystem.

Gasolineisatoxicsubstance.Disposeofgasolineproperly.Contact yourlocalauthoritiesforapproveddisposalmethods.

3. Removethe sparkplugandpourone(1)ounceof engineoil throughthe sparkplugholeintothecylinder.Cranktheengine severaltimesto distributetheoil. Replacethesparkplug.

Enginefailstostart

1. PTO/BladeEngageleverengaged.

2. Parkingbrakenotengaged.

3. Sparkplugwire(s)disconnected.

4. Throttle/Chokecontrollevernotincorrect

4. PlaceThrottle/Chokeleverintothe FASTposition.

startingposition.

5. Chokenotactivated

6. Fueltankempty,or stalefuel.

7. Blockedfuelline.

8. Faultysparkplug(s).

9. Engineflooded.

10. BlownFuse(s)

Enginerunserratically

1. UnitrunningwithCHOKEactivated.

2. Sparkplugwire(s)loose.

3. Blockedfuellineor stalefuel.

4. Ventingascapplugged.

4. Clearventor replacecapif damaged.

5. Waterordirtin fuelsystem.

6. Dirtyaircleaner.

Engineoverheats 1. Engineoillevellow. 1.

2. Airflowrestricted. 2.

Enginehesitatesat high RPM 1. Sparkpluggaptoo close. 1. Engineidlesrough 1. Sparkplugfouled,faultyor gaptoowide. 1.

2. Dirtyaircleaner. 2.

Excessivevibration

1. Cuttingbladelooseor unbalanced.

2. Damagedorbentcuttingblade.

Mowerwillnot mulchgrass

1. Enginespeedtoolow.

2. Wetgrass.

3. Excessivelyhighgrass.

Unevencut

4. Dullblade.

1. Decknotleveledproperly.

4. Sharpenorreplaceblade.

2. Dullblade.

3. Uneventirepressure.

1. Placeleverindisengaged(OFF)position.

2. Engageparkingbrake.

3. Connectwire(s)to sparkplug(s).

5. MovetheThrottle/Chokeleverintothe Choke position.

6. Filltankwithclean,fresh(lessthan30daysold)gas.

7. Replacethefuel lineandreplacefuelfilter.

8. Clean,adjustgapor replaceplug(s).

9. CrankenginewiththrottleinFASTposition.

10. ReplaceFuse(s)

1. Deactivatethe CHOKE.

2. Connectsparkplugwire(s).

3. Replacethefuel line;filltankwithclean,fresh gasolineandreplacefuelfilter.

5. Drainfueltank.Refillwithclean,freshgasoline.

6. Replaceaircleanerpaperelementorcleanfoam pre-cleaner,ifequipped.

Fillcrankcasewithproperamountandweightof oil. Cleangrassclippingsanddebrisfromaroundthe

engine'scoolingfinsandhousing. Removesparkplugandresetthegap.

Replacesparkplug.Setpluggap. Replaceair cleanerelementand/orcleanpre-

cleaner.

1. Tightenbladeandspindle.

2. Replaceblade.

1. Placethrottlein FAST(rabbit)position.

2. Donotmulchwhen grassiswet.

3. Mowonceat a highcuttingheight,then mowagain atdesiredheightor makea narrowercuttingswath.

1. Performside-to-sidedeckadjustment.

2. Sharpenorreplaceblade.

3. Checktirepressureinallfour tires.

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Craftsman 247288812 Owner’s Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual