Craftsman 247288852 Owner’s Manual
perator's
I:RnFrSMRN°
LAWN TRACTOR
21 HP, Variation Speed
46" Deck
Model No. 247.288852
• 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.769-06474D
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-expendablepartsofthisridingequipmentarewarrantedagainstanydefectsin material
orworkmanship.A defectivenon-expendablepartwill receivefreein-homerepairor replacementif repairis impossible.
FORFIVEYEARSfromthedateof purchase,theframeof thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialorworkmanship.
Adefectiveframewillreceivefreein-homerepairor replacementif repairisimpossible.
FORTENYEARSfromthe dateofpurchase,thefrontaxleof thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstany defectsin materialorworkman-
ship.A defectivefrontaxlewillreceivefree in-homerepairor replacementif repairisimpossible.
FOR90 DAYSfromthe dateofpurchase,thebattery(anexpendablepart)ofthis ridingequipmentis warrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterial
orworkmanship(ourtestingprovesthatitwillnotholdacharge).Adefectivebatterywillreceivefreein-homereplacement.
ADDiTiONAL LiFETiMELiMiTEDWARRANTYon CASTiRONFRONTAXLE(if equipped)
FORAS LONGASIT ISUSEDbythe originalownerafterthetenthyearfromthe dateofpurchase,thecast ironfrontaxle(ifequipped)of
thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialor workmanship.Withproofof purchase,a defectivecastironfrontaxlewill
receivefreein-homereplacement.
WARRANTYSERVICE
Forwarrantycoveragedetailstoobtainfreerepairor replacement,call1-800-659-5917orvisit thewebsite: www.craftsman.corn
Inallcasesabove,if partrepairor replacementisimpossible,theridingequipmentwillbe replacedfreeof chargewiththesameoran
equivalentmodel.
Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageisvoidifthisridingequipmentiseverusedwhileprovidingcommercialservicesorif rentedto anotherperson.
This warrantycovers ONLYdefects in materialandworkmanship. Warrantycoverage does NOTinclude:
• Expendableparts(exceptbattery)thatcanwearoutfromnormalusewithinthewarrantyperiod,includingbutnot limitedto blades,
sparkplugs,aircleaners,belts,andoil filters.
• Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,ortune-ups.
• Tirereplacementor repaircausedbypuncturesfromoutsideobjects,suchasnails,thorns,stumps,orglass.
• Tireor wheelreplacementor repairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,orimproperoperationormaintenance.
• Repairsnecessarybecauseofoperatorabuse,includingbutnotlimitedto damagecausedbytowingobjectsbeyondthecapabilityof
theridingequipment,impactingobjectsthatbendtheframe,axleassemblyorcrankshaft,or over-speedingtheengine.
• Repairsnecessarybecauseofoperatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecausedby
improperstorage,failureto usethepropergradeandamountof engineoil, failuretokeepthedeckclearof flammabledebris,or
failureto maintaintheridingequipmentaccordingto theinstructionscontainedintheoperator'smanual.
• Engine(fuelsystem)cleaningorrepairscausedbyfueldeterminedto becontaminatedor oxidized(stale).Ingeneral,fuelshouldbe
usedwithin30 daysof itspurchasedate.
• Normaldeteriorationandwearofthe exteriorfinishes,orproductlabelreplacement.
Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstateto state.
SearsBrands ManagementCorporation, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
EngineOil: SAE30
Fuel: UnleadedGasoline
SparkPlug: Champion®RC12YC
Engine: Briggs& Stratton
© KCDIRLLC 2
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 controlsandtheir properoperation.Knowhow
tostopthemachineanddisengagethemquickly.
• Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldto operatethismachine.
Children14yearsoldandovershouldreadandunderstandthe
operationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanualandshould
betrainedandsupervisedbyaparent.
• Neverallowadultstooperatethis machinewithoutproper
instruction.
• Tohelpavoidbladecontactor a thrownobjectinjury,keep
bystanders,helpers,childrenandpetsatleast75feetfromthe
machinewhile itisin operation.Stopmachineifanyoneenters
thearea.
• Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentistobe 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.
• Watchfortrafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.This
machineis notintendedforuseonanypublic roadway.
• Donotoperatethemachinewhileunderthe influenceofalcohol
or drugs.
• Mowonly indaylightorgoodartificiallight.
Nevercarrypassengers.
• Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftingintoreverse.Backupslowly.
Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackingtoavoida
back-overaccident.
3
• 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".Donotattemptto 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.Contact1-800-659-5917forinformationand
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:
o
Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exerciseextremecaution
whenchangingdirectionon slopes.
• Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.
Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide
obstacles.
Useslowspeed.Choosea lowenoughspeedsettingsothat
youwill nothaveto stopor shiftwhileon the slope.Tiresmay
losetractionon slopeseventhoughthe brakesarefunctioning
properly.Alwayskeepmachineingearwhengoingdownslopes
totakeadvantageof enginebrakingaction.
• Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsfor wheelweights
or counterweightstoimprovestability.Forrecommendations,call
1-800-659-5917.
• Useextracarewithgrasscatchersorotherattachments.These
canchangethestabilityofthe machine.
Keepallmovementontheslopesslowandgradual.Donotmake
suddenchangesinspeedor direction.Rapidengagementor
brakingcouldcausethefrontofthe machinetolift andrapidlyflip
overbackwardswhichcouldcauseseriousinjury.
• Avoidstartingorstoppingona slope.Iftireslosetraction,disen-
gagetheblade(s)andproceedslowlystraightdownthe slope.
DoNot:
• Donotturnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turnslowlyand
graduallydownhill,ifpossible.
• Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditchesorembankments.Themower
couldsuddenlyturnoverifa wheelis overtheedgeof a cliff,
ditch,or ifan edgecavesin.
• Donottry tostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfooton the
ground.
• Donotusea grasscatcheronsteepslopes.
• Donotmowon wetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.
• Donotattempttocoastdownhill.Over-speedingmaycausethe
operatortolosecontrolofthe machineresultinginseriousinjury
or death.
• Donottowheavypull behindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart,
lawnroller,etc.)on slopesgreaterthan5 degrees.Whengoing
downhill,theextraweighttendstopushthe tractorandmay
causeyouto loosecontrol(e.g.tractormayspeedup,brakingand
steeringabilityarereduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcause
tractorto overturn).
4
CHILDREN
Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheoperatorisnotalerttothe presence
ofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedtothemachineandthe mowing
activity.Theydo notunderstandthedangers.Neverassumethat
childrenwillremainwhereyoulastsawthem.
• Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaand inwatchfulcareofa
responsibleadultotherthantheoperator.
• Bealertandturnmachineoff ifachildentersthearea.
• Beforeandwhilebacking,lookbehindanddownforsmall
children.
Nevercarrychildren,evenwiththeblade(s)shutoff.Theymay
falloffandbe seriouslyinjuredorinterferewithsafemachine
operation.
• Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,doorways,
shrubs,treesorotherobjectsthatmayblockyourvisionof a child
whomayrunintothe machine.
Toavoidback-overaccidents,alwaysdisengagethecutting
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.Gasolineisextremelyflammableandthe vaporsare
explosive.Seriouspersonalinjurycanoccurwhengasolineisspilled
on yourselforyourclotheswhichcanignite.Washyourskinand
changeclothesimmediately.
• Useonly anapprovedgasolinecontainer.
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.
• Neverfuelmachineindoors.
Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhilethe engineis hotorrun-
ning.Allowengineto coolat leasttwominutesbeforerefueling.
Neveroverfillfueltank. Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow
bottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.
• Replacegasolinecap andtightensecurely.
• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeitoff the engineandequipment.Move
machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe
engine.
• Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefreeof grass,leaves,or
otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanup oilor fuelspillageandremoveany
fuelsoakeddebris.
• Neverstorethe machineorfuelcontainerinsidewherethereisan
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 repairstothe machine
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!
• Donotchangetheenginegovernorsettingsorover-speedthe
engine.Thegovernorcontrolsthe maximumsafeoperatingspeed
ofthe engine.
Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as necessary.
• Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsforgas,oil,etc.to
protecttheenvironment.
• Accordingtothe 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 soequipped.
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.
6
SAFETY SYMBOLS
Thispagedepictsanddescribessafetysymbolsthatmayappearonthis product.Read,understand,andfollowallinstructionson themachine
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.
0
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.
A
WARNING--THROWN OBJECTS
This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.
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.
7
15° Slope
15° Slope
X
(OK)
'_. _ Figure1
(TOO STEEP)
Figure2
15°
dashedline
USETHISSLOPEGAUGETODETERMINE
IFA SLOPEISTOOSTEEPFORSAFEOPERATION!
Tochecktheslope,proceedasfollows:
1. Removethis pageandfoldalongthedashedline.
2. Locateaverticalobject onor behindtheslope (e.g.a pole,building,fence, tree,etc.)
3. Align eithersideoftheslope gaugewith the object(SeeFigure1and Figure2).
4. Adjust gaugeupor down untilthe left cornertouchesthe slope(SeeFigure1and Figure2).
5.
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,bothbatterycablesonyourequipmenthave
beenleftdisconnectedfromthe terminalsat thefactory.Toconnect
thebatterycables,proceedasfollows:
NOTE:ThepositivebatteryterminalismarkedPos.(+).Thenegative
batteryterminalis markedNeg.(i).
1. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthe positivebattery
terminaland attachthe redcableto thepositivebatteryterminal
(+)withthebolt andhexnut.See Figure1.
2. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthe negativebattery
terminaland attachtheblackcabletothe negativebattery
terminal(-) withthe bolt andhexnut.SeeFigure1.
f
Shipping Brace Removal
Makesurethe ridingmower'sengineisoff,removetheignitionkey,
andset the parkingbrakebeforeremovingtheshippingbrace.Refer
ItotheOperationsectionfor instructionsonhowto setthe parking
lbrake.
• Locatetheshippingbrace,if present,andaccompanyingwarning
tagfoundonthe rightsideof themower,betweenthedischarge
chutedeflectorandthe cuttingdeck.SeeFig.2.
Figure2
J
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. Withthe wheelsof thetractorpointingstraightforward,placethe
steeringwheeloverthesteeringshaft.
2. Placethewasher(withthecuppedsidedown)overthesteering
wheeland securewiththe hex bolt.SeeFig.3.
9
f
\
Adjusting the Seat
Toadjustthe positionof theseat,pullupandholdtheseatadjustment
lever.Slidethe seatforwardor rearwardtothedesiredposition;then
releasetheadjustmentlever.Makesureseatis lockedintopositionin
a seat-stopbeforeoperatingthe tractor.SeeFigure5.
Beforeoperatingthetractor,makesurethe seatis engagedina
seat-stop.Engagetheparkingbrake.Standbehindthe machineand
pull backon seatuntil it clicksintoplace.
3. Placethe steeringwheelcap overthe centerof the steering
Figure3
wheeland pushdownwarduntilit"clicks"intoplace.
Attaching The Seat
NOTE:Forshippingreasons,the seatis eitherfastenedtothetractor
seat'spivotbracketwitha plastictie,or mountedbackwardtothe pivot
bracket.Ineithercase,free theseatfromits shippingpositionbeing
carefulnotto bendor kinkthewiringharnessandfollowtheinstruc-
tionsbelowtoattachit.
1. Removethetwo hexscrewsandnutsfromthe seatpivotbracket.
2. Alignthefrontholesoftheseatmountingbracketwiththe holesin
theseatpivotbracketonyourtractorandsecurewith previously
removedhex screwsandnuts. SeeA in Figure4.
3. Plugthewiringharnessintothe seatsafetyswitchinthebottomof
theseat,asshownin Bof Figure4.
NOTE:Thetractorwillnotoperatewiththe wiringharness
disconnected.
," -)
Figure5
Tire Pressure
Maximumtire pressureunderanycircumstancesis 30 psi.Equal
tirepressureshouldbe maintainedatall times.Neverexceedthe
_maxmum nfatonpressureshownonthesdewa of thet re.
Therecommendedoperatingtirepressureis:
Approximately10psi forthe reartires
Approximately14psi forthefronttires
iMPORTANT: Refertothe tiresidewallforexacttiremanufacturer's
recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinfiate.Uneventirepres-
surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.
Figure4
10
J
C
D
E
G
Figure6
A ParkingBrakeLever
B Throttle/ChokeControlLever
C IgnitionSwitchModule
D Auto-drivePedal
E DeckLift Lever
NOTE: Anyreferenceinthis manualtotheRIGHTorLEFTsideofthe tractorisobservedfromoperator'sseat
positionfacingforwardtowardsthefrontoftractor.
Meets ANS! Safety Standards
CraftsmanTractorsconformtothesafetystandardof theAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).
F PTOLever(BladeEngage)
G CupHolder
H Shift Lever
I SeatAdjustmentLever
J BrakePedal
11
F
PARKING BRAKE LEVER
Tosetthe parkingbrake: Fullydepressthebrakepedal.Movethe
parkingbrakeleverintotheparkingbrakeposition.Releasethebrake
pedaltoallowtheparkingbraketoengage.
Toreleasethe parking brake: Depressthebrakepedalandthepark-
ingbrakeleverwillmoveoutof theparkingbrakepositionon its own.
Theparkingbrakewillthenbe released.Releasethebrakepedal.
NOTE: Theparkingbrakemustbe setif the operatorleavestheseat
withtheenginerunningortheenginewill automaticallyshutoff.
THROTTLE/CHOKE CONTROL LEVER
Thethrottle/chokecontrolleveris
locatedontherightside ofthetrac-
tor'sdashpanel.Thislevercontrols
thespeedof theengineandwhen
pushedallthe wayforward,the
chokecontrolalso.Whensetin
agivenposition,thethrottlewill
maintaina uniformenginespeed.
iMPORTANT: Whenoperating
thetractorwiththecuttingdeck
engaged,thethrottle/chokecontrol
levermustalwaysbeintheFAST
(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.
Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.AlwaysdisengagePTO
(BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,setpark-
ingbrake,stopengineandremovekeytopreventunintendedstarting.
SEAT ADJUSTMENT LEVER
Theseatadjustmentleveris locatedbelowthefront!leftofthe seat.The
leverallowsforadjustmentof theforeandaftpositionofthe seat.Refer
tothe Assemblysectionofthemanual formoredetailedinstructionsfor
adjustingthe seatposition.
CHOKE
FAST
-tell
SLOW
AUTO-DRIVE PEDAL
Thedrivepedalislocatedontherightsideof thetractor,alongthe
runningboard.Depressthedrivepedalforwardandthetractorwill
moveinthedirectionthattheshiftleverisengagedin.Tocausethe
tractorto travelforward,whileata completestop,movethe shiftlever
intothe Forwardposition.Graduallysteponthedrivepedalandthe
tractorwill begintomoveforward.Tomovein Reverse,followthesame
procedureonlymovethe shiftleverintothe reverseposition.
Thegroundspeediscontrolledwiththedrivepedal.Thefurther
forwardthatthepedalispivoted,thefasterthetractorwill travel.
Thepedalwill returntoitsoriginalpositionwhen it'snotdepressed.
Refertothe Operationsectionofthismanualfordetailedinstructions
regardingthedrivepedal.
IMPORTANT: Alwayssettheparkingbrakewhenleavingthetractor
unattended.
DECK LIFT LEVER
Foundonyourtractor'srightfender,thedeckliftleverisused
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 locatedon the fendertotheleft of
theseat.
SHIFT LEVER _"
Theshift leveris locatedon theleft
sideof the fenderandhasthree
positions,FORWARD,NEUTRAL
and REVERSE.The brakepedal
mustbedepressedandthe tractor
mustnotbe inmotionwhenthe
movingshiftlever.
IMPORTANT: Neverforcethe
shiftlever.Doingsomayresultin
seriousdamageto thetractor's
transmission.
BRAKE PEDAL
Thebrakepedalis locatedon theleftsideof thelawntractor,alongthe
runningboard.Depressthebrakepedaltoengagethe discbrakeand
bringthetractorto acompletestop.
NOTE: Thepedalmustbedepressedto startthe engine.Referto
SafetyInterlockSwitcheslaterin thissectionofthismanual.
12
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.Donotusegasolineleft
overfromthe previousseason,to minimizegumdepositsinthefuel
system.
• Thisengineiscertifiedto operateonunleadedgasoline.For best
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.
• Donotoverfillfuel tank. Filltanktono morethan 1/2inchbelow
bottomof fillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.
• Neverremovegascaporaddfuelwhiletheengineishot or run-
ning.Allowenginetocoolat leasttwo minutesbeforerefueling.
• If gasolineisspilled,wipe itofftheengineandequipment.Move
machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe
engine.
To Add Gasoline
1. Turntheengineoff andletenginecoolat least2 minutesbefore
removingthe fuelcap.Thegasolinetankislocatedunderthe
hood.Removethefuel capbyturningitcounterclockwise.
2. Fillthefueltankwithgasoline.Useonlyclean,fresh(nomore
than30 daysold),unleadedgasoline.Filltankto nomore
than1/2 inchbelowbottomoffillerneckto allowspacefor fuel
expansion.
3. Reinstallthefuelcap.
IMPORTANT: Donotoverfillthe tank.Filltankto nomorethan1/2
inchbelowbottomoffillerneckto allowspaceforfuel expansion.See
Fig.7.
Figure7
Avoid Serious injury or Death
• Go upanddownslopes,notacross.
• Avoidsuddenturns.
• Donotoperatetheunitwhereitcouldslipor tip.
• Ifmachinestopsgoinguphill,stopbladesandbackdownhill
slowly.
• Donotmowwhenchildrenorothersarearound.
• Nevercarrychildren,evenwithbladesoff.
• Lookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebacking.
• Keepsafetydevices(guards,shields,andswitches)in place
andworking.
• Removeobjectsthatcouldbethrownbytheblades.
• Knowlocationandfunctionof allcontrols.
• Besurebladesandenginearestoppedbeforeplacinghandsor
feetnearblades.
• Beforeleavingoperator'sposition,stoptractor,disengage
blades,engageparkingbrake,shutengineoff,and removekey.
Read Operator's Manual
13
SAFETY iNTERLOCK SYSTEM
Thesafetyinterlocksystemisdesignedforsafeoperationof thetrac-
tor.Ifthis systemshouldevermalfunction,do notoperatethetractor,
Immediatelycontact1-800-4-MY-HOMEto havethesystemserviced.
• Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromstarting
unlesstheparkingbrakeis engagedandthe PTO(BladeEngage)
leveris inthe disengaged(OFF)position.
• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillautomaticallyshutoff theengineif
theoperatorleavesthe seatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.
• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill automaticallyshutoff theengine
ifthe operatorleavesthetractor'sseatwiththePTO(Blade
Engage)leverengaged,regardlessofwhethertheparkingbrake
isengaged.
• Theenginewillautomaticallyshutoffif thePTO(BladeEngage)
leveris movedintotheengaged(ON)positionwiththeshiftlever
in Reverse.
IGNITION SWITCH
Theignitionswitchisactivatedtostarttheengine,insertkeyinto the
ignitionswitchandturnclockwisetotheSTARTposition.Releasethe
On
Start
off
SETTING THE CUTTING HEIGHT
1. Selectthe heightpositionof thecuttingdeckbyplacingthedeck
lift leverinanyof thedifferentcuttingheightnotchesonthe right
sideof the fender.
2. Adjustthedeckwheelssothattheyare between1A-inchand
1/2-inchabovethegroundwhenthetractoris ona smooth,fiat
surfacesuchas adriveway.
To adjust Deck Wheels:
1. Removetheflangelocknuton theshoulderboltsecuringthe
deckwheel.
2. Positionthewheeltothedesiredheightaslistedabove.SeeFig.
8.
3. Securethe shoulderboltwiththeflangelocknut.
Keephandsandfeetawayfromthedischargeopeningofthecutting
deck.
NOTE: Thedeckwheelsarean anti-scalpfeatureofthedeckand
are notdesignedtosupporttheweightof the cuttingdeck.Referto
LevelingintheMaintenance& Servicesectionof thismanualformore
detailedinstructionsregardingvariousdeckadjustments.
keyintotheONpositiononceenginehasfired.
Tostoptheengine,turntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetothe OFF
position.
Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.AlwaysdisengagePTO,
moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,setparkingbrake,stopengine
_andremovekeyto preventunntendedstartng.
ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE
To engage the parking brake:
1. Fullydepressthebrakepedalandholditdownwithyourfoot.
2. Movethespeedcontrolleverallthewaydownandintothe
parkingbrakeposition.
3. Releasethe brakepedalto allowthe parkingbraketo engage.
To release the parking brake:
1. Depressthebrakepedalandmovethe speedcontrolleverout of
theparkingbrakepositionandintoa desiredspeed.
Figure8
STARTING THE ENGINE
Donot operatethetractorifthe interlocksystemismalfunctioning.
Thissystemwasdesignedforyoursafetyand protection.
NOTE: Refertothe GasolineandOilfill-upinstructionsearlierinthis
section.
1. Insertthetractorkeyintotheignitionswitch.
2. PlacethePTO(BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF)
position.
3. Engagethetractor'sparkingbrake.
4. Activatethechokecontrolby movingthethrottle/chokeleverall
thewayupintothechokeposition.
14
5. TurntheignitionkeyclockwisetotheSTARTposition.Afterthe
enginestarts,releasethekey.Itwill returntotheON(or Normal
Mowing)position.
DoNOTholdthekeyintheSTARTpositionfor longerthanten
secondsata time.Doingso maycausedamagetoyourengine's
electricstarter.
6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethe chokecontroland placethe
throttlecontrolinthe FASTposition.
NOTE: DoNOTleavethechokecontrolon whileoperatingthetractor.
Doingso willresultin a"rich"fuelmixtureandcausetheenginetorun
poorly.
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.
.
TurntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOPposition.
3.
Removethekeyfromtheignitionswitchto preventunintended
starting.
DRIVING THE TRACTOR
Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedandsuddenstops.
Donot leavetheseatof thetractorwithoutfirstplacingthePTO
(BladeEngage)leverin thedisengaged(OFF)position,depressing
thebrakepedalandengagingtheparkingbrake.Ifleavingthetractor
unattended,alsoturntheignitionkeyoff and removethekey.
Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackinguptoavoida
back-overaccident.
1. Depressthebrakepedalto releasetheparkingbrakeandthenlet
thepedalup.
2. Movethethrottleleverintothe FAST(rabbit)position.
3. Placetheshiftleverineitherthe FORWARDor REVERSE
position.
iMPORTANT: DoNOTuse theshiftlevertochangethedirection
oftravelwhenthetractoris inmotion.Alwaysusethebrakepedalto
bringthetractortoa completestopbeforeshifting.
4. Graduallybegintoapplypressureto thedrivepedal.Thefurther
downthe pedalispushed,the fasterthetractorwilltravelinthe
desireddirectionbasedon thepositionofthe shiftlever.
5. Thelawntractorisbroughttoa stopbyreleasingthedrive pedal
andthendepressingthe brakepedal.
Beforeleavingthe operator'spositionforanyreason,disengagethe
blades,placethe shiftleverinneutral,engagethe parkingbrake,
shutengineoff andremovethekey.
Whenstoppingthetractorfor anyreasonwhileona grasssurface,
always:
1. Placetheshiftleverinneutral,
2. Engagetheparkingbrake,
3. Shutengineoffand removethekey.Doingsowill minimizethe
possibilityof havingyourlawn"browned"byhotexhaustfrom
yourtractor'srunningengine.
15
DRiViNG ON SLOPES
Refertothe SLOPEGAUGEinthe SafetyInstructionssectionofthe
manualtohelpdetermineslopeswhereyou mayoperatethistractor
safely.
Donotmowoninclineswitha slope inexcessof 15degrees(arise
ofapproximately2-1/2feetevery10feet). Thetractorcouldoverturn
[and causeserous njury.
• Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross.
Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirectionon slopes.
Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,or otherhiddenobjects.
Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide
obstacles.
Avoidturnswhendrivingona slope.Ifa turnmustbemade,turn
downthe slope.Turningupaslopegreatlyincreasesthechance
ofa rollover.
Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.Ifitisnecessarytostop
whiledrivingupa slope,start upsmoothlyandcarefullytoreduce
thepossibilityofflippingthetractoroverbackward.
ENGAGING THE BLADES
Engagingthe PTO(BladeEngage)transferspowertothecuttingdeck
orother(separatelyavailable)attachments.Toengagethe blades,
proceedasfollows:
1. Movethethrottle/chokecontrollevertothe FAST(rabbit)position.
2. Graspthe PTO(BladeEngage)leverandpivotit all the way
forwardintothe engaged(ON)position.
3. Keepthethrottleleverinthe FAST(rabbit)positionforthe most
efficientuseof thecuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)
attachments.
NOTE: Theenginewill automaticallyshutoff ifthePTOisengaged
withtheshiftleverinpositionforreversetravelwiththe ignitionkeyin
theONposition.
MULCHING
A mulchkit isavailableas an attachment.Mulchingisa processof
recirculatinggrassclippingsrepeatedlybeneaththecuttingdeck.The
ultra-fineclippingsarethenforcedbackintothe lawnwheretheyact as
a naturalfertilizer.
A mulchkitcan be purchasedthroughthe retaillocationinwhichyou
purchasedthistractor.For more information,simply contact Sears
at 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.
USING THE DECK LIFT LEVER
Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethedecklift leverto the left,thenplace
itin thenotchbestsuitedforyourapplication.RefertoSettingThe
CuttingHeightearlierinthis section.
MOWING
Tohelpavoidbladecontactora thrownobjectinjury,keepbystand-
ers,helpers,childrenandpetsatleast75feetfromthemachine
whileit is in operation.Stopmachineifanyoneentersthearea.
Thefollowinginformationwill behelpfulwhenusingthecuttingdeck
withyourtractor:
Planyourmowingpatternto avoiddischargeof materialstoward
roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthe like.Also,avoiddischarging
materialagainstawallorobstructionwhichmaycausedischarged
materialtoricochetbacktowardtheoperator.
• Donotmowat highgroundspeed,especiallyifa mulchkitor
grasscollectorisinstalled.
• Forbestresultsit isrecommendedthatthefirsttwolapsbecut
withthedischargethrowntowardsthecenter.Afterthefirsttwo
laps, reversethedirectionto throwthe dischargeto theoutside
forthe balanceofcutting.Thiswill givea betterappearanceto the
lawn.
• Donotcutthegrasstooshort. Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowth
andyellowsquicklyindryweather.
• Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewiththeengineat full throttle.
• Underheavierconditionsit maybe necessaryto go backoverthe
cut areaa secondtimetoget a cleancut.
• Do NOTattemptto mowheavybrushandweedsandextremely
tallgrass.Yourtractorisdesignedtomowlawns,NOTclear
brush.
• Keepthe bladessharpandreplacethebladeswhenworn.Refer
to CuttingBladesintheServicesectionofthismanualfor proper
bladesharpeninginstructions.
HEADLIGHTS
• ThelampsareONwheneverthetractor'sengineis running.
• ThelampsturnOFFwhenthe ignitionkeyismovedtotheSTOP
position.
16
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
Beforeperforminganytypeofmaintenance/service,disengageall
controlsandstoptheengine.Waituntilallmovingpartshavecometo
acompletestop.Disconnectsparkplugwireandgrounditagainstthe
enginetopreventunintendedstarting.Alwayswearsafetyglassesduring
operationorwhileperforminganyadjustmentsorrepairs.
BeforeEachUse 1.
2.
3.
Inthe FirstFiveHours 1.
Every10Hours 1.
2.
3.
Engineoil level
Mufflerareaandcontrols
Fingerguard
EngineOil
Hood/Dashairvents
Batteryterminals
Deckspindlesandidler
1. Check
2. Clean
3. Clean
1. Change
1. Clean
2. Clean
3. Lubricate
bracket
Every25 hours 1.
2.
3.
Air filter'sprecleaner*
Air filter*
Midsteeringarms,pivot
1. Clean
2. Clean
3. Lubricate
shafts,andaxles
4.
5.
Every50 hours 1.
2.
Annually 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
BeforeStorage 1.
2.
3.
Frontwheelbearings
Frontdeckwheels
Engineoil/Oil filter
Muffler
Air filter
Air filter'spre-cleaner
Sparkplug
Air coolingsystem*
Fuelfilter
SteeringGears
7.
RearWheels
Hood/Dashairvents
Batteryterminals
Midsteeringarms,pivot
4. Lubricate
5. Lubricate
1. Change/Replace
2. Check
1. Replace
2. Replace
3. Replace
4. Clean
5. Replace
6. Clean
7. Removeandgreaseaxles
1. Clean
2. Clean
3. Lubricate
shafts,andaxles
4.
Frontwheelbearings
5.
Frontdeckwheels
6.
Deckspindlesandidler
4. Lubricate
5. Lubricate
6. Lubricate
bracket
7.
*Servicemorefrequentlyunder
Pedalpivotpoints
dustyconditions.
7. 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.
17
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
Checking the Engine Oil
Onlyuse highqualitydetergentoilratedwithAPIserviceclassification
SF,SG,SH,or SJ.Selecttheoil'sSAEviscositygradeaccordingto
theexpectedoperatingtemperature.Followthe chartbelow.
Althoughmulti-viscosityoils (5W20,10W30,etc.)improvestarting
incoldweather,theywillresultinincreasedoil consumptionwhen
usedabove32°E Checkyourengineoillevelmorefrequentlyto avoid
possibleenginedamagefromrunninglowon oil.
Colder_ 32°F _Warmer
5W20
Oil Viscosity Chart
_, J
Tochecktheengineoil,proceedasfollows:
• Ensurethatthetractorisona levelsurface.
• Cleantheoil fillareaof anydebris.
1. Removethedipstickandwipewithacleancloth.
2. Insertandtightendipstick.
3. Removethedipstickandcheckthe oil level.It shouldbeatthe
Fullmarkonthedipstick.SeeFigure9.
f
Dipstick
Changing Engine Oil
Theengineoil shouldbechangedinthefirst5 hoursandthenevery
50 hoursoroncea season.Tochangetheengineoil,proceedas
follows:
1. WithengineOFFbutstillwarm,disconnectsparkplugwireandkeepit
awayfromsparkplug.
2. Removetheoilfillcap/dipstickfromtheoilfilltube.SeeFigure9.
3. Turnthesteeringwheelallthewaytotherighttobetterexposethedrain
plug.
4. Cliptheoildrainsleeve(packedwiththismanual)ontotheoildrainport.
Routetheoppositeendd thesleeveintoanappropriateoilcollection
containerwithacapacitygreatenoughtocollecttheusedoil.
5. Removetheoildrainplug,Theoilwillbegintodrainoutoftheengine.
6. Aftertheoilhasfinisheddraining,replacetheoildrainplugandtighten.
Becarefulnottoovertighten.
7. Removetheoildrainsleeveandstoreforlateruse.
8. Rdilltheenginewithnewmotoroiluntiltheoillevelonthedipstick
readsFULL.Replacetheoilfillcap/dipstick.
Usedoil isa hazardouswasteproduct.Disposeof usedoil properly.
Donotdiscardwithhouseholdwaste.Checkwithyourlocalauthori-
tiesoror contact1-800-4-MY-HOMEfora listof safedisposal/
recyclingfacilities.
Changing the Oil Filter
1. Draintheoil fromtheengineasdescribedabove.
2. Removetheoilfilteranddisposeof properly.SeeFigure10.
OilDrain
Valve
Oil Drain
Sleeve
._.,,, J
Figure9
.
If low,addoil slowlyintotheengineoilfill. Donotoverfill.After
addingoil,waitoneminuteandthenrechecktheoil level.
Donot overfill.Overfillingwithoil maycausetheengineto notstart,
hardstarting,orenginesmoking.If overtheFULLmarkon the
dipstick,drainoil toreduceoil levelto FULLmarkondipstick.
5. Replaceandtightendipstick.
Figure10
3. Beforeyouinstallthe newoil filter, lightlylubricatethe oil filter
gasketwithfresh,cleanoil.
4. Installtheoilfilterby handuntilthegasketcontactstheoilfilter
adapter,then tightentheoilfilter 1/2to3/4turns.
5. Addoil as describedabove.
6. Startand runtheengine.As theenginewarmsup,checkfor oil
leaks.
7. Stopthe engineand checktheoillevel.ItshouldbeattheFULL
markonthedipstick.
18
Fuel Filter Air Cleaner
Gasolineanditsvaporsareextremelyflammableandexplosive.Fire
or explosioncancausesevereburnsor death.
• Keepgasolineawayfromsparks,openflames,pilotlights,heat,
andotherignitionsources.
• Checkfuellines,tank,cap,andfittingsfrequentlyforcracksor
leaks.Replaceif necessary.
• Beforereplacingthefuel filter,drainthefueltankasperthe
instructionsbelow.
• Donotdrainfuelwhentheengineishot.Allowtheengine
adequatetimetocool. Drainfuelintoan approvedcontainer
outdoors,awayfromopenflame.
• Drainanylargevolumeof fuelfromthetankbydisconnectingthe
fuellinefromthein-linefuel filterneartheengine.
• RemovethefuellinefromtheIn-lineside(sidetowardsthefuel
tank)ofthefuel filter.
• Replacementpartsmustbethe sameandinstalledinthesame
positionasthe originalparts.
• If fuelspills,waituntilit evaporatesbeforestartingengine.
• Beforereplacingthefuel filter,drainthefueltank.Otherwise,fuel
canleakoutandcausea fireor explosion.
ToDrainthe fuel:
1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichisroutedonthe leftsideof theengine
betweenthefueltankandthecarburetor,andmaybeattachedto
theenginewitha tiestrap.Cutthetie strap,ifpresent,thenpinch
thein-lineclamponthefuelfilterwitha pairofpliers,slidethe
clampupthefuelline.Pullthe fuellinefreefromthefilterandplace
theopenendof thelineintoanapprovedcontainerto drainthefuel.
Tochangethe fuel filter:
1. Useplierstosqueezethe tabsonthe otherclamp(theout-line
sideof thefuelfilter),thenslidetheclampawayfromthefuelfilter.
Twistandpullthefuellineoff ofthefuelfilter.SeeFigure11.
f
Clamp
Fuel
Line
Tab
J
Figure11
2. Checkthefuellinesforcracksor leaks.Replaceifnecessary.
3. Replacethefuel filterwithanoriginalequipmentreplacement
filter.Call 1-800-4-MY-HOME®topurchasetheoriginalequip-
mentreplacementfilter.
4. Securethefuellineswiththe clamps.
Iffilters,or coversare notinstalledcorrectlyseriousinjury ordeath
couldresultfrombackfire.Do notattemptto startthe enginewith
themremoved.
Donot usepressurizedair orsolventsto cleantheaircleaner
cartridge.
Theairfiltersystemusesa cylindricalcartridge.
1. Removethefasteners(A)andtheair filtercover(B).SeeFigure
12.
A
Figure12
2. Toremovethefilter(C),lift theendof the filterand thenpullthe
filteroff the intake(D).
3. Toloosendebris,gentlytapthefilterona hardsurface.If thefilter
isexcessivelydirty,replacewitha newfilter.
4. Installthefilteronthe intake.Pushtheendofthe filterintothe
baseas shown.Makesurefilterfits securelyinthebase.
5. Installairfiltercoverandsecurewithfasteners.
Spark Plug
1. Cleanareaaroundthe sparkplugbase.Donotsandblastspark
plug.Sparkplugshouldbecleanedbyscrapingor wirebrushing
andwashingwitha commercialsolvent
2. Removeandinspectthesparkplug.Checkgaptomakesureitis
setat.030".SeeFigure13.
3. Replacethesparkplug(Champion®RC12YC)oncea season.
19
Electrode
Porcelain
i. _ .030 (.76 mm) gap
J
Figure13
Muffler
Temperatureof mufflerandnearbyengineareasmayexceed150°F
(65°0).Avoidcontactwiththeseareas.
• inspectmufflerperiodically,and replaceifnecessary.Replace-
mentpartsforthemufflermustbethesameand installedin the
samepositionas the originalparts.
Clean Engine
• Dailyor beforeeveryuse,cleangrass,chaffor accumulated
debrisfromengine.Keeplinkage,spring,andcontrolsclean.
• Keepareaaroundandbehindmufflerfreeofanycombustibledebris.
• Keepingenginecleanallowsairmovementaroundengine.
• Enginepartsshouldbekeptcleanto reducetheriskofoverheat-
ingandignitionofaccumulateddebris.
Donotusewatertocleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel
system.Usea brushordrycloth.
Carburetor Adjustment
• Thecarburetoronthis engineisnot adjustable.
LUBRICATION
Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO
(BladeEngageLever),moveshift leverintoneutralposition,set
parkingbrake,stopengineand removekeyto preventunintended
starting.
Pivot Points & Linkage
Lubricateall thepivotpointson thedrivesystem,parkingbrakeandlift
linkageatleastonceaseasonwithlightoil.
Rear Wheels
Therearwheelsshouldbe removedfromtheaxlesoncea season.
Lubricatethe axlesandthe rimswell withanall-purposegreasebefore
re-installingthem.
Front Axles
Eachendofthetractor'sfrontpivotbarmaybeequippedwithagrease
fitting.Lubricatewithagreasegunafterevery25hoursoftractoroperation.
Battery
Thebatteryissealedandis maintenance-free.Acidlevelscannotbe
checked.
• Alwayskeepthebatterycablesandterminalscleanandfree of
corrosivebuild-up.
• Aftercleaningthebatteryandterminals,applya lightcoatof
petroleumjelly orgreasetobothterminals.
• Alwayskeeptherubberbootpositionedoverthepositiveterminal
to preventshorting.
iMPORTANT: if removingthe batteryforany reason,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 petroleumjellyto preventcorrosion.
Battery Failures
Somecommoncausesfor batteryfailureare:
incorrectinitialactivation
Overcharging
Freezing
Undercharging
Corrodedconnections
Thesefailuresare NOTcoveredbyyourtractor'swarranty.
CLEANING THE ENGINE AND DECK
Anyfuelor oil spilledonthe machineshouldbewipedoff promptly.Do
NOTallowdebristoaccumulatearoundthecoolingfinsoftheengine
or onany otherpartof themachine.
IMPORTANT: Theuse ofa pressurewashertocleanyourtractoris
NOTrecommended,itmaycausedamagetoelectricalcomponents,
spindles,pulleys,bearingsor theengine.
Deck Wash System
Yourtractor'sdeckisequippedwitha waterport on itssurfaceas part
of itsdeckwashsystem.
Usethedeckwashto rinsegrassclippingsfromthedeck'sunderside
and preventthebuildupofcorrosivechemicals.Completethefollowing
stepsAFTEREACHMOWING:
1. Drivethetractortoalevel,clearspotonyourlawn,nearenough
foryourgardenhoseto reach.
Makecertainthe tractor'sdischargechuteis directedAWAYfromyou
house,garage,parkedcars,etc.
2. Disengagethe PTO(BladeEngage),setthe parkingbrakeand
stoptheengine.
2O
3. Threadthehosecoupler(packagedwithyourtractor'sOperator's
Manual)ontotheendofyourgardenhose.
4. Attachthe hosecouplertothewaterport onyourdeck'ssurface.
SeeFigure14.
,/JJ"
/ ......:%:_................................................
8
Figure14
5. Turnthewateron.
6. Whilesittingin theoperator'spositiononthetractor,startthe
engineandplacethe throttleleverinthe FAST(rabbit)position.
7. Movethetractor'sPTO(BladeEngage)intotheONposition.
8. Remainintheoperator'spositionwiththecuttingdeckengaged
fora minimumoftwo minutes,allowingtheundersideof the
cuttingdeckto thoroughlyrinse.
9. Movethetractor'sPTO(BladeEngage)intotheOFFposition.
10. Turntheignitionkeyto the STOPpositiontoturnthetractor's
engineoff.
11. Turnthewateroff anddetachthe hosecouplerfromthe water
porton yourdeck'ssurface.
12. Repeatsteps4through11on theoppositesideofthe cutting
deck.
Aftercleaningyourdeck,returntotheoperator'spositionandengage
thePTO.Keepthe cuttingdeckrunningfora minimumoftwominutes,
allowingtheundersideofthecuttingdecktothoroughlydry.
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
shouldbebetweenl_-inchand3A-inchlowerthanthe rearof thedeck.
Adjustifnecessaryas follows:
1. Withthe tractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placethelever
forliftingtheplatformonthesecondtothe topnotch(second
highestposition)and rotatethe bladeas closeaspossibletothe
dischargechannelthatisparalleltothetractor.
2. Measurethedistancefromthefrontofthebladetip to theground
andthe rearofthebladetip totheground.Thefirstmeasure-
menttakenshouldbebetween1_"and3A"lessthanthesecond
measurement.Determinetheapproximatedistancenecessaryfor
properadjustmentandproceed,ifnecessary,tothenextstep.
3. Locatetheflangelocknut onthe frontsideofthe stabilizer
bracket.SeeFig. 15.
• Tightentheflangelocknutto raisethefrontof the deck;
o
Loosentheflangelock nutto lowerthefrontof thedeck.
f__
Figure15
Side to Side
Ifthecuttingdeckappearstobe mowingunevenly,a sideto side
adjustmentcan beperformed.Adjustif necessaryasfollows:
1. Withthe tractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placethedecklift
leverinthe secondfromthe topnotch(secondhighestposition)
and rotatebothbladessothattheyare perpendicularwiththe
tractor.
2. Measurethedistancefromtheoutsideofthe left bladetipto the
groundandthedistancefromtheoutsideoftherightbladetipto
theground.Bothmeasurementstakenshouldbeequal.Ifthey're
not,proceedtothenextstep.
3. Loosen,butdo NOTremove,thehexcapscrewontheleft deck
hangerbracket.SeeFig.16.
4. Balancethedeckbyusinga wrenchtoturntheadjustmentgear
(foundimmediatelybehindthe hexcapscrewjustloosened)
clockwise/upor counterclockwise/down.Thedeck is properly
balancedwhenboth bladetipmeasurementstakenearlierare
equal.
21
HexCapScrew
Figure16
5. Retightenthe hexcap screwonthe left deckhangerbracket
whenproperadjustmentisachieved.
Seat Adjustment
Refertothe Assemblysectionofthismanualforseatadjustment
instructions.
Parking Brake Adjustment
Neverattempttoadjustthebrakeswhiletheengineis running.Always
disengagePTO(bladeengage)lever,moveshiftleverintoneutral
3osition,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 by movingthe deck lift leverintothe bottom
notchon the rightfender.
3. Removethe self-tappingscrew(A)that securesthebelt-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
Avoidpinchinginjuries.Neverplaceyourfingerson theidlerspringor
betweenthe beltanda pulleywhileremovingthebelt.
Lookingatthecuttingdeckfromtheleftsideofthetractor,locatethe
bow-tiepinthatsecuresthedecksupportrodontherearIdtsideofthe
deck.SeeFig.18.Removethebow-tiepinthatsecuresthedecksupport
rod,andcarefullyremovethedecksupportfromthedeckliftarm.
f
\
Figure18
6. Repeattheabovestepsonthetractor'srightside.
NOTE: Thebow-tieclipsshouldbe re-installedfromthetopdown.
7. Movethedecklift leverintothe topnotchon the rightfenderto
raisethedecklift armsupandoutofthe way.
22
.
Removethebow-tiecotterpinsecuringthe deckstabilizerrodto
thedeck.Slidethedecklift rodfromthe mountingbracketon the
deckasseenin Fig.19.
f
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f
The recommended operating tire pressure is:
Approximately10psiforthe reartires
Approximately14psiforthefronttires
h
IMPORTANT: Refertothe tire sidewallforexacttire manufacturer's
recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinflate.Uneventirepres-
surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.
BATTERY
CaliforniaProposition65WARNING!Batteryposts,terminals,and
relatedaccessoriescontainleadandleadcompounds,chemicals
knownto the StateofCaliforniatocausecancerand reproductive
harm.Washhandsafterhandling.
If removingthe battery,disconnecttheNEGATIVE(Black)wire
fromitsterminalfirst,followedbythe POSITIVE(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.Do notallowcable clampsto
touch.
1. Connectpositive(+)cableto positivepost(+)ofyourtractor's
dischargedbattery.
2. Connecttheotherendofthe cableto thepositive(+)postofthe
jumperbattery.
3. Connectthe secondcablenegative(-) tothe negativepost(-) of
thejumperbattery.
4. Connecttheotherendofthe negativecabletothe engineblockof
thetractor,awayfromthe battery.Attachtoanunpaintedpartto
assurea goodconnection.
Ifthejumper batteryis installedon avehicle(i.e.car,truck),do NOT
startthe vehicle'senginewhenjump startingyourtractor.
5. Startthetractor(as instructedearlierinthissectionof this
manual).
6. Setthetractor'sparkingbrakebeforeremovingthejumpercables,
inreverseorderofconnection.
CHARGING
Figure20
10. Gentlyslidethe cuttingdeck(fromtheleft side)out from
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
23
Ifyourtractorhasnotbeenputinto useforanextendedperiodof time, 4.
chargethebatteryas follows:
1. Setyour batterychargertodeliveramaxof 10amperes.
Ifyourbatterychargerisautomatic,chargethebatteryuntilthe
chargerindicatesthatchargingiscomplete.Ifthechargerisnot
automatic,chargefor nofewerthaneighthours, f
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.
Toproperlysharpenthecuttingblades,removeequalamounts
of metalfrombothendsofthebladesalongthecuttingedges,
paralleltothe trailingedge,at a 250.to300angle.Alwaysgrind
eachcuttingbladeedgeequallytomaintainproperbladebalance.
See Fig.22.
Figure22
Periodicallyinspectthebladeand/or spindleforcracksor damage,
especiallyafter you'vestrucka foreignobject.Donotoperatethe
machineuntil damagedcomponentsare replaced.
Toremovetheblades,proceedasfollows.
1. Removethedeckfrombeneaththetractor,(referto CuttingDeck
Removalearlierinthis section)thengentlyflipthedeckoverto
exposeitsunderside.
2. Placea blockofwood betweenthecenterdeckhousingbaffle
andthecuttingbladetoact asa stabilizer.SeeFig.21.
3. Removethe hexflangenutthatsecuresthebladetothespindle
assembly.SeeFig.21.
Ifthecuttingedgeof thebladehaspreviouslybeensharpened,or if
anymetalseparationispresent,replacethebladeswithnewones.
A poorlybalancedbladewillcauseexcessivevibration,maycause
damageto thetractorand/orresultin personalinjury.
5. Testthe blade'sbalanceusinga bladebalancer.Grindmetal
fromthe heavysideuntilit balancesevenly.
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.
Figure 21
All beltsonyourtractoraresubjectto wearandshouldbereplacedif
anysignsof wear arepresent.
24
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. Removethedeckas instructedearlierinthis section.
2. Removethebeltcoversfromthespindlepulleysby removingthe
hexscrewsthatfastenthecoverstothedeck.SeeFig.23.
3. Loosenthehexnutson thedeck idlerpulleystoget the beltoff
(andon)thepulleysandaroundthebeltguards.Afterloosening
thedeckidlerpulleys,rotatethebeltguideoutof thewayonthe
rightidlerpulleytoremove(andreinstall)thebelt.
4. Carefullyremovethedeckbeltfromaroundthe twospindle
pulleysand thetwo deckidlerpulleys.SeeFig.23.
5. Toplacethenewbelt,beginby routingthebeltaroundthetwo
outerspindlepulleysas shownin Fig.23.
6. Thenroutethebeltaroundthetwodeckidlerpulleysas shownin
Fig.23.
7. Retightenthebelt keeperrodloosenedearlier.
8. Remountthebeltguardsremovedearlier.
9. Re-installthedeck,makingsurethebeltremainsroutedaround
thepulleysas instructed.Thecompletebeltroutingisshownin
Fig.23.
10. Pulltherightsideof thebelt,and placethe narrowV sideofthe
beltintothePTOpulley.
11. Whileholdingthe beltandpulleytogether,rotatethepulleytothe
left.Continueholdingandrotatingthe pulleyandbeltuntil thebelt
isfully rolledintothe PTOpulley.
F
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®.
He× Washer Screws
This portion of the
belt routes around
the PTO Pulley
Belt Cover
o
Figure 23
25
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. Ifusinga fuelstabilizer:
a. Readtheproductmanufacturer'sinstructionsandrecom-
mendations.
b. Addtoclean,freshgasolinethecorrectamountof stabilizer
forthe capacityof thefuelsystem.
c. Fillthe fueltankwithtreatedfuelandruntheenginefor2-3
minutestogetstabilizedfuelintothe carburetor.
2. Ifemptyingthefuel system:
a. Donotdrainfuel whentheengineis hot.Allowtheengine
adequatetimeto cool.Drainfuelinto anapprovedcontainer
outdoors,awayfromopenflame.
b. Drainanylargevolumeoffuelfromthetankbydisconnect-
ingthefuellinefromthein-linefuel filternearthe engine.
SeethecompleteinstructionsforDrainingTheFuellaterin
this section.
DRAINING THE FUEL
1. Locatethe fuelfilter,whichis locatedon theleft sideof the
engine,andmaybeattachedtotheenginewitha tiestrap.
2. Cutthetiestrap,if present,thenpinchthe in-lineclamponthe
fuelfilterwitha pairof pliers,slidetheclampupthefuel line.
3. Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterand placetheopenendofthe
line intoanapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.
PREPARING THE LAWN TRACTOR
1. Cleanandlubricatetractorthoroughlyasdescribedinthelubrica-
tioninstructions.
2. Donotusea pressurewasherorgardenhosetocleanyour unit.
3. Storemowerinadry,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. Removethesparkplugandpourone(1)ounceof engineoil
throughthe sparkplugholeintothecylinder.Cranktheengine
severaltimesto distributetheoil. Replacethesparkplug.
26
Enginefailstostart
1. PTO/BladeEngageleverengaged.
2. Parkingbrakenotengaged.
3. Sparkplugwire(s)disconnected.
4. Throttle/Chokecontrollevernotincorrect
4. PlaceThrottle/Chokeleverintothe FASTposition.
startingposition.
5. Chokenotactivated
6. Fueltankempty,orstalefuel.
7. Blockedfuel line.
8. Faultysparkplug(s).
9. Engineflooded.
10. BlownFuse(s)
Enginerunserratically
1. UnitrunningwithCHOKEactivated.
2. Sparkplugwire(s)loose.
3. Blockedfuel lineor stalefuel.
4. Ventingascap plugged.
4. Clearventorreplacecapifdamaged.
5. Wateror dirtin fuelsystem.
6. Dirtyair cleaner.
Engineoverheats 1. Engineoillevellow. 1.
2. Airflowrestricted. 2.
Enginehesitatesat high RPM 1. Sparkpluggaptoo close. 1.
Engineidlesrough 1. Sparkplugfouled,faultyor gaptoowide. 1.
2. Dirtyair cleaner. 2.
Excessivevibration
1. Cuttingbladelooseor unbalanced.
2. Damagedorbent cuttingblade.
Mowerwillnot mulchgrass
1. Enginespeedtoolow.
2. Wetgrass.
3. Excessivelyhighgrass.
Unevencut
4. Dullblade.
1. Decknot leveledproperly.
4. Sharpenor replaceblade.
2. Dullblade.
3. Uneventire pressure.
1. Placeleverindisengaged(OFF)position.
2. Engageparkingbrake.
3. Connectwire(s)to sparkplug(s).
5. MovetheThrottle/Chokeleverintothe Choke
position.
6. Filltankwithclean,fresh(lessthan30daysold)gas.
7. Replacethe fuellineandreplacefuelfilter.
8. Clean,adjustgapor replaceplug(s).
9. Crankenginewiththrottlein FASTposition.
10. ReplaceFuse(s)
1. Deactivatethe CHOKE.
2. Connectsparkplugwire(s).
3. Replacethe fuelline;filltankwithclean,fresh
gasolineandreplacefuelfilter.
5. Drainfueltank.Refillwithclean,freshgasoline.
6. Replaceair cleanerpaperelementorcleanfoam
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. Donotmulchwhengrassiswet.
3. Mowonceat a highcuttingheight,thenmowagain
atdesiredheightor makea narrowercuttingswath.
1. Performside-to-sidedeckadjustment.
2. Sharpenor replaceblade.
3. Checktirepressureinallfourtires.
NEED MORE HELP?
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27
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28
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