Craftsman 247288861 Owner’s Manual

perator's

I:RnFrSMRN°

LAWN TRACTOR

21 HP, Variation Speed

46" Deck

Model No. 247.288861

• 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.769-06502D

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,allnon-expendablepartsofthis ridingequipmentarewarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterial orworkmanship.A defectivenon-expendablepartwillreceivefreein-homerepairor replacementif repairis impossible.

FORFIVEYEARSfromthedateof purchase,the frameofthis ridingequipmentis warrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialorworkmanship. A defectiveframewillreceivefree in-homerepairorreplacementifrepairis impossible.

FORTENYEARSfromthe dateofpurchase,the frontaxleofthisridingequipmentis warrantedagainstanydefectsin materialor workman- ship.Adefectivefrontaxle will receivefreein-homerepairor replacementif repairisimpossible.

FOR90 DAYSfromthedateof purchase,the battery(anexpendablepart)of thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterial orworkmanship(ourtestingprovesthatitwill not holda charge).A defectivebatterywillreceivefreein-homereplacement.

ADDITIONALLIFETIMELIMITEDWARRANTYon CASTIRONFRONTAXLE(if equipped)

FORASLONGASITIS USEDby theoriginalownerafterthetenthyearfromthe dateofpurchase,thecastironfrontaxle(if equipped)of thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialorworkmanship.Withproofofpurchase,a defectivecastironfrontaxlewill receivefreein-homereplacement.

WARRANTYSERVICE

Forwarrantycoveragedetailsto obtainfreerepairor replacement,call 1-800-659-5917orvisitthewebsite:www.craftsman.corn Inall casesabove,ifpartrepairor replacementisimpossible,theridingequipmentwillbe replacedfree ofchargewiththe sameor an

equivalentmodel. Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageisvoidifthisridingequipmentiseverusedwhileprovidingcommercialservicesorif rentedtoanotherperson.

Thiswarranty coversONLYdefects in material andworkmanship. Warrantycoveragedoes NOTinclude:

• Expendableparts(exceptbattery)thatcanwearoutfromnormalusewithinthewarrantyperiod,includingbutnotlimitedto blades,

sparkplugs,aircleaners,belts,andoil filters.

• Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,or tune-ups.

• Tirereplacementor repaircausedbypuncturesfromoutsideobjects,suchasnails,thorns,stumps,orglass.

• Tireor wheelreplacementor repairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,or improperoperationor maintenance.

• Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatorabuse,includingbutnotlimitedtodamagecausedbytowingobjectsbeyondthecapabilityof

theridingequipment,impactingobjectsthatbendthe frame,axleassemblyorcrankshaft,orover-speedingtheengine.

• Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecausedby improperstorage,failureto usethe propergradeandamountofengineoil,failureto keepthedeckclearofflammabledebris,or failureto maintaintheridingequipmentaccordingtothe instructionscontainedinthe operator'smanual.

• Engine(fuelsystem)cleaningor repairscausedbyfueldeterminedtobecontaminatedoroxidized(stale).Ingeneral,fuelshouldbe usedwithin30daysof itspurchasedate.

• Normaldeteriorationandwearofthe exteriorfinishes,orproductlabelreplacement.

Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstateto state.

SearsBrands ManagementCorporation, Hoffman Estates,IL 60179

EngineOil: SAE30 Fuel: UnleadedGasoline

SparkPlug: Champion®RC12YC Engine: Briggs& Stratton

ModelNumber: Serial Number:

Dateof Purchase:

Recordthe modelnumber,serialnumber,

anddateof purchaseabove.

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

beforeattemptingtooperatethismachine.Failureto complywith

theseinstructionsmayresultin personalinjury.Whenyouseethis

symbol,HEEDITSWARNING!

Thismachinewasbuiltto beoperatedaccordingtothesafeopera- tionpracticesinthis manual.As withanytypeof powerequipment, carelessnessorerroron the partoftheoperatorcanresultin serious injury.Thismachineiscapableofamputatingfingers,hands,toes andfeetandthrowingdebris.Failuretoobservethefollowingsafety instructionscouldresultin seriousinjuryordeath.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

EngineExhaust,someof itsconstituents,andcertainvehicle componentscontainoremitchemicalsknownto StateofCalifornia tocausecancerandbirthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm.

Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainleadand

leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.

GENERAL OPERATION

• Read,understand,andfollowall instructionsonthemachineand

in themanual(s)beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate. Keepthis manualinasafeplaceforfutureand regularreference andfororderingreplacementparts.

• Befamiliarwithall controlsandtheirproperoperation.Knowhow tostopthe machineanddisengagethemquickly.

• Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldtooperatethis machine. Children14yearsoldandover shouldreadandunderstandthe operationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanualandshould betrainedandsupervisedbya parent.

• Neverallowadultstooperatethismachinewithoutproper instruction.

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

thearea.

• Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentis tobe used. Removeallstones,sticks,wire,bones,toys,andotherforeign objectswhichcouldbe pickedupandthrownbytheblade(s). Thrownobjectscancauseseriouspersonalinjury.

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

Your Responsibility--Restrict theuseof thispowermachineto personswhoread,understandandfollowthewarningsand instruc-

tionsin thismanualandonthemachine.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

• Alwayswearsafetyglassesorsafetygogglesduringoperation andwhileperformingan adjustmentorrepairto protectyoureyes. Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancauseseriousinjurytothe eyes.

• Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fittingslacksand

shirts.Loosefittingclothesandjewelrycanbe caughtin movable parts.Neveroperatethismachineinbarefeetorsandals.

• Beawareofthe mowerandattachmentdischargedirectionand do notpointit at anyone.Donotoperatethemowerwithoutthe dischargecoverorentiregrasscatcherinits properplace.

Donot puthandsorfeetnearrotatingpartsor underthecutting

deck.Contactwiththe blade(s)canamputatehandsandfeet. A missingordamageddischargecovercancausebladecontact

or thrownobjectinjuries.

• Stoptheblade(s)whencrossinggraveldrives,walks,or roads andwhilenotcuttinggrass.

• Watchfortrafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.This

machineis notintendedforuseonanypublicroadway.

• Donotoperatethemachinewhileundertheinfluenceof alcohol or drugs.

• Mowonly indaylightorgoodartificiallight.

Nevercarrypassengers.

• Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftingintoreverse.Backupslowly. Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackingto avoida

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.

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

Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcancausea burn.Do not touch.

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

Disengageallattachmentclutchesanddepressthe brakepedal completelybeforeattemptingto startengine.

Yourmachineisdesignedto cutnormalresidentialgrassofa heightnomorethan10".Donotattemptto mowthroughunusually tall,drygrass(e.g.,pasture)orpilesof dry leaves.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. Theseoperatorsshouldevaluatetheirabilitytooperatetheriding mowersafelyenoughto protectthemselvesandothersfrom seriousinjury.

If situationsoccurwhicharenotcoveredinthismanual,usecare andgoodjudgment.Contact1-800-659-5917forinformationand

assistance.

SLOPE OPERATION

Slopesarea majorfactorrelatedtolossofcontrolandtip-over accidentswhichcanresultinsevereinjuryor death.Allslopesrequire extracaution.Ifyoucannotbackuptheslopeor ifyoufeeluneasyon it, do notmowit.

Foryoursafety,usetheSlopeGuideincludedaspartofthis manual to measureslopesbeforeoperatingthismachineona slopedor hilly area.Ifthe slopeisgreaterthan15degreesasshownonthe Slope Guide,do notoperatethis machineonthatareaor seriousinjurycould

result.

Do:

Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exerciseextremecaution

whenchangingdirectionon slopes.

• Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.

Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles.

Useslowspeed.Choosea lowenoughspeedsettingsothat youwill nothavetostopor shiftwhileon theslope.Tiresmay losetractionon slopeseventhoughthebrakesarefunctioning properly.Alwayskeepmachineingearwhen goingdownslopes totakeadvantageofenginebrakingaction.

• Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsforwheelweights or counterweightstoimprovestability.Forrecommendations,call

1-800-659-5917.

• Useextracarewithgrasscatchersorotherattachments.These canchangethestabilityof the machine.

Keepallmovementonthe slopesslowandgradual.Donot make suddenchangesinspeedor direction.Rapidengagementor brakingcouldcausethefrontof themachinetolift andrapidlyflip overbackwardswhichcouldcauseseriousinjury.

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

DoNot:

• Donotturnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turnslowlyand graduallydownhill,ifpossible.

• Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditchesorembankments.Themower couldsuddenlyturnoverif a wheelisovertheedgeofa cliff, ditch,or ifan edgecavesin.

• Donottry tostabilizethemachineby puttingyourfooton the ground.

• Donotusea grasscatcheron steepslopes.

• Donotmowon wetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.

• Donotattemptto coastdownhill.Over-speedingmaycausethe operatortolosecontrolof themachineresultinginseriousinjury

or death.

• Donottowheavypull behindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart, lawnroller,etc.)on slopesgreaterthan5 degrees.Whengoing downhill,theextraweighttendsto pushthetractorandmay causeyouto loosecontrol(e.g.tractormayspeedup,brakingand steeringabilityarereduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcause tractorto overturn).

CHILDREN

Tragicaccidentscanoccurifthe operatorisnotalertto thepresence ofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedto the machineandthemowing 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,treesorotherobjectsthatmayblockyourvisionofa child whomayrunintothe machine.

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

shouldnotbe usedwhenchildrenorothersarearound. Keepchildrenawayfromhotor runningengines.Theycansuffer

burnsfroma hotmuffler.

• Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedtopreventunauthorized operation.

Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofageto operatethismachine. Children14andovershouldreadandunderstandtheinstructionsand

safeoperationpracticesinthismanualandon themachineandshould betrainedandsupervisedbyan adult.

TOWING

Towonlywitha machinethathasa hitchdesignedfortowing.Do notattachtowedequipmentexceptatthe hitchpoint.

Followthemanufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfor towedequipmentandtowingonslopes.Forrecommendations,

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

Onslopes,theweightof thetowedequipmentmaycauselossof tractionandlossof control.

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

Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop. Donotcoastdownhill.

SERVICE

SafeHandlingof Gasoline

Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamageuseextremecarein

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

• Useonly anapprovedgasolinecontainer.

Neverfill containersinsidea vehicleorona truckortrailerbed

witha plasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainerson thegroundaway fromyourvehiclebeforefilling.

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

refuelsuchequipmentona trailerwitha portablecontainer,rather

thanfroma gasolinedispensernozzle.

Keepthenozzleincontactwiththe rimofthefueltankor containeropeningat all timesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Donotuse a nozzlelock-opendevice.

Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersourcesof

ignition.

• Neverfuelmachineindoors. Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhiletheengineishotor run-

ning.Allowengineto coolat leasttwominutesbeforerefueling. Neveroverfillfuel tank. Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow

bottomoffillerneckto allowspaceforfuel expansion.

• Replacegasolinecap andtightensecurely.

• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeitofftheengineandequipment.Move machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe

engine.

• Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefree of grass,leaves,or

otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanup oilor fuelspillageandremoveany fuelsoakeddebris.

• Neverstorethe machineorfuelcontainerinsidewherethereisan

openflame,sparkor pilotlight asona 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.

• Nevertamperwiththesafetyinterlocksystemorothersafety 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 notmeettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmay 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.Attheendof the AverageUsefulLife,buyanew machineor havethemachineinspectedannuallybya Searsor otherqualifiedservicedealerto ensurethatallmechanicaland safetysystemsareworkingproperlyandnotwornexcessively.

Failuretodosocan resultinaccidents,injuriesor death.

DO NOT MODIFY ENGINE

Toavoid seriousinjuryor death,do notmodifyengineinanyway. Tamperingwiththe governorsettingcanleadtoa runawayengineand causeitto operateat 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 usedonornearanyunimprovedforest-covered, brushcoveredorgrass-coveredlandunlessthe engine'sexhaust systemisequippedwitha sparkarrestormeetingapplicablelocalor statelaws(if any).

Ifa sparkarrestoris used,itshouldbemaintainedin effectiveworking orderbythe operator.IntheStateof Californiatheaboveis required bylaw (Section4442of theCaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Other statesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.

A sparkarrestorforthemuffleris availablethroughyournearestSears

PartsandRepairServiceCenter.

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.

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 pageandfoldalongthe dashedline.

2. Locateaverticalobject onor behindtheslope(e.g.a pole, building,fence, tree,etc.)

3. Align eithersideofthe slopegaugewith the object(SeeFigure1and Figure2 ).

4. Adjust gaugeupor downuntil the left cornertouchestheslope (SeeFigure1andFigure2).

If thereisagap belowthegauge,theslope istoo steepfor safeoperation(SeeFigure2 above).

Slopesare a majorfactor relatedtotip-over and roll-over accidents which can resultin severe injury or death. Do not operatemachineon slopes in excess of 15degrees.All slopesrequireextra caution. Ifyou cannotbackup theslope orifyou feeluneasyon it, do not mowit.

Always mowup and down theface ofslopes, never mowacrossthe face of slopes.

IMPORTANT:Yourtractoris shippedwithmotoroilin theengine. However,you MUSTchecktheoil 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 (+)withtheboltandhexnut.SeeFigure1.

2. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthe negativebattery terminaland attachtheblackcableto thenegativebattery terminal(-) withthe boltandhexnut.SeeFigure1.

Shipping Brace Removal

Makesurethe ridingmower'sengineisoff, removetheignitionkey,

andset theparkingbrakebeforeremovingtheshippingbrace.Refer

ItotheOperationsectionforinstructionsonhowto settheparking lbrake.

• Locatetheshippingbrace,if present,andaccompanyingwarning tagfoundonthe rightsideofthe mower,betweenthe discharge chutedeflectorandthe cuttingdeck.SeeFig.2.

Figure2

Figure1

3. Positionthe redrubberbootoverthe positivebatteryterminalto helpprotectit fromcorrosion.

NOTE:If thebatteryisput intoserviceafterthedateshownontopof battery,chargethebatteryas instructedinthe Service& Maintenance sectionofthis manualpriortooperatingthetractor.

Placethedecklift leverinthehighestcuttingposition.Referto

SettingtheCuttingHeightin theOperationsectionofthismanual. Whilepushingthedischargechuteddlectortowardsthemachinewith

yourlefthand,removetheshippingbracewithyourrighthandbygrasp- ingitbetweenyourthumbandindexfingerandrotatingitclockwise.

Theshippingbrace,usedfor packagingpurposesonly,mustbe

removedand discardedbeforeoperatingyourridingmower.

Themowingdeckiscapableof throwingobjects.Failureto operate the ridingmowerwithoutthedischargecoverinthe properoperating

Ipositioncouldresultin seriouspersonalinjuryand/orproperty ldamage.

Attaching The Steering Wheel

Ifthesteeringwheelforyourtractordid notcomeattached,the hardwareforattachingithasbeenpackedwithinthe steeringwheel, beneaththesteeringwheelcap.Carefullypry off thesteeringwheel capandremovethe hardware.

1. Withthe wheelsofthetractorpointingstraightforward,placethe steeringwheeloverthesteeringshaft.

2. Placethewasher(withthecuppedsidedown)overthesteering wheeland securewiththe hexbolt.SeeFig.3.

Adjusting the Seat Toadjustthe positionoftheseat,pullupandholdthe seatadjustment

lever.Slidethe seatforwardor rearwardtothedesiredposition;then releasetheadjustmentlever.Makesure seatis lockedintopositionin

a seat-stopbeforeoperatingthetractor.SeeFigure5.

Beforeoperatingthe tractor,makesuretheseatisengagedina seat-stop.Engagetheparkingbrake.Standbehindthe machineand pull backon seatuntil it clicksintoplace.

3. Placethe steeringwheelcap overthe centerofthe steering

Figure3

wheeland pushdownwarduntilit"clicks"intoplace.

Attaching The Seat NOTE:Forshippingreasons,the seatis eitherfastenedtothetractor

seat'spivotbracketwitha plastictie,ormountedbackwardtothepivot bracket.Ineithercase,free theseatfromits shippingpositionbeing carefulnotto bendor kinkthewiringharnessandfollowtheinstruc-

tionsbelowtoattachit.

1. Removethetwo hexscrewsandnutsfromthe seatpivotbracket.

2. Alignthefrontholesofthe seatmountingbracketwiththe holesin theseatpivotbracketon yourtractorandsecurewithpreviously removedhex screwsandnuts. SeeA inFigure4.

3. Plugthewiringharnessintothe seatsafetyswitchinthebottomof theseat,asshownin Bof Figure4.

NOTE:Thetractorwillnotoperatewiththewiringharness disconnected.

," -)

Figure5

Tire Pressure

Maximumtire pressureunderanycircumstancesis30 psi.Equal

tirepressureshouldbe maintainedatall times.Neverexceedthe

_maxmum nfat onpressureshownonthesdewa of thet re. Therecommendedoperatingtirepressureis:

Approximately10psi forthe reartires Approximately14psi forthefronttires

iMPORTANT: Refertothe tiresidewallforexacttiremanufacturer's recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinfiate.Uneventirepres-

surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.

Figure4

Figure6

A ParkingBrakeLever

B Throttle/ChokeControlLever

C IgnitionSwitchModule D Auto-drivePedal

E DeckLift Lever

NOTE: Anyreferenceinthis manualtotheRIGHTorLEFTsideofthetractorisobservedfromoperator'sseat positionfacingforwardtowardsthefrontoftractor.

Meets ANS! Safety Standards

CraftsmanTractorsconformtothe safetystandardof theAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).

F PTOLever(BladeEngage) G CupHolder

H Shift Lever

I SeatAdjustmentLever

J BrakePedal

PARKING BRAKE LEVER

Tosetthe parkingbrake: Fullydepressthe brakepedal.Movethe parkingbrakeleverintotheparkingbrakeposition.Releasethe brake pedaltoallowtheparkingbraketoengage.

Toreleasethe parking brake: Depressthebrakepedalandthepark- ingbrakeleverwillmoveoutofthe parkingbrakepositiononits own. Theparkingbrakewillthenbe released.Releasethebrakepedal.

NOTE: Theparkingbrakemustbe setiftheoperatorleavestheseat withtheenginerunningorthe enginewillautomaticallyshutoff.

THROTTLE/CHOKE CONTROL LEVER

Thethrottle/chokecontrolleveris locatedontherightsideof the trac-

tor'sdashpanel.Thislevercontrols thespeedof theengineandwhen pushedallthe wayforward,the

chokecontrolalso.Whensetin agivenposition,thethrottlewill

maintaina uniformenginespeed. iMPORTANT: Whenoperating

thetractorwiththecuttingdeck engaged,thethrottle/chokecontrol levermustalwaysbeinthe FAST (rabbit)position.

IGNITION SWITCH

Thekeyswitchmoduleisusedto startand stoptheengine.Insert keyintothe keyswitchmodule

andturnclockwisetothe START position.Releasethekeyintothe

normalmowingpositiononceen- ginehasstarted.Theheadlights willbeactivatedautomatically.

Tostoptheengine,turnthe ignitionkeycounterclockwiseto theSTOPposition.

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

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

SEAT ADJUSTMENT LEVER

Theseatadjustmentleveris locatedbelowthefront!leftoftheseat.The leverallowsforadjustmentof theforeandaft positionofthe seat.Refer tothe Assemblysectionofthemanual formoredetailedinstructionsfor adjustingthe seatposition.

CHOKE

FAST

-tell

SLOW

AUTO-DRIVE PEDAL

Thedrivepedalislocatedonthe right sideofthetractor,alongthe

runningboard.Depressthedrivepedalforwardandthe tractorwill moveinthedirectionthatthe shiftleveris engagedin.Tocausethe tractorto travelforward,whileata completestop,movethe shiftlever intothe Forwardposition.Graduallysteponthedrivepedalandthe tractorwill begintomoveforward.Tomovein Reverse,followthesame procedureonlymovethe shiftleverintothe reverseposition.

Thegroundspeediscontrolledwiththe drivepedal.Thefurther forwardthatthepedalis pivoted,thefasterthetractorwilltravel. Thepedalwill returntoitsoriginalpositionwhenit'snotdepressed.

Refertothe Operationsectionofthismanualfordetailedinstructions

regardingthe drivepedal.

IMPORTANT: Alwayssettheparkingbrakewhenleavingthetractor unattended.

DECK LIFT LEVER

Foundonyourtractor'srightfender,thedecklift leverisused tochangetheheightof thecuttingdeck.To use,movethe leverto theleft,thenplace inthenotchbestsuitedforyour application.

PTO (BLADE ENGAGE) LEVER

Foundonthe tractor'srightfender,the PTO(bladeengage) leveris usedtoengagepowertothe cuttingdeckorother (separatelyavailable)attachments.Tooperate,movethe leverall thewayforward.Movingthe leveralltheway

rearwardintothe PTOOFFpositiondisengagespowertothe cuttingdeck/attachment.

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

CUP HOLDER

Thetractor'scupholderis locatedonthefendertotheleft of theseat.

SHIFT LEVER _"

Theshift leveris locatedon theleft sideof thefenderandhasthree

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.Depressthebrakepedalto engagethediscbrakeand bringthetractorto acompletestop.

NOTE: Thepedalmustbedepressedto starttheengine.Referto SafetyInterlockSwitcheslaterin thissectionofthismanual.

GAS AND OIL FILL-UP 0il

IMPORTANT: Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroilinthe engine. However,you MUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Becareful

nottooverfill. Forinstructionsonhowto checktheengineoil, refertoCheckingThe

EngineOilintheServiceandMaintenancesectionofthis manual.

Gasoline

Thegasolinetank islocatedunderthehood.Donotoverfill.

Useextremecarewhenhandlinggasoline.Gasolineis extremely flammableandthevaporsareexplosive.Neverfuelmachineindoors

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

NOTE : Purchasegasolineinsmallquantities.Donotuse gasolineleft overfromthe previousseason,tominimizegumdepositsinthefuel system.

• Thisengineiscertifiedtooperateonunleadedgasoline.Forbest results,fillthefueltankwithonlyclean,fresh,unleadedgasoline witha pumpstickeroctaneratingof87or higher.

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

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

• Fillfueltankoutdoorsorinwell-ventilatedarea.

• Donotoverfillfuel tank. Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow

bottomof fillernecktoallowspaceforfuel expansion.

• Neverremovegascap oraddfuelwhiletheengineishotor run- ning.Allowenginetocool atleasttwo 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.Useonly clean,fresh(nomore than30 daysold),unleadedgasoline.Filltankto nomore than1/2 inchbelowbottomoffillerneckto allowspaceforfuel expansion.

3. Reinstallthefuelcap.

IMPORTANT: Donotoverfillthetank.Filltankto nomorethan1/2 inchbelowbottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.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.

• Removeobjectsthatcouldbethrownbythe blades.

• Knowlocationandfunctionof allcontrols.

• Besurebladesandenginearestoppedbeforeplacinghandsor feetnearblades.

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

Read Operator's Manual

SAFETY iNTERLOCK SYSTEM

Thesafetyinterlocksystemisdesignedforsafeoperationof thetrac- tor.Ifthis systemshouldevermalfunction,do notoperatethetractor, Immediatelycontact1-800-4-MY-HOMEto havethesystemserviced.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromstarting unlesstheparkingbrakeis engagedandthePTO(BladeEngage) leveris inthedisengaged(OFF)position.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillautomaticallyshutoff theengineif theoperatorleavesthe seatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill automaticallyshutoff theengine ifthe operatorleavesthetractor'sseatwiththe PTO(Blade Engage)leverengaged,regardlessofwhethertheparkingbrake isengaged.

• Theenginewillautomaticallyshutoffif the PTO(BladeEngage) leveris movedintotheengaged(ON)positionwiththeshift lever

in Reverse.

IGNITION SWITCH

Theignitionswitchisactivatedto starttheengine,insertkeyintothe ignitionswitchandturnclockwisetotheSTARTposition.Releasethe

Start

off

SETTING THE CUTTING HEIGHT

1. Selectthe heightpositionofthecuttingdeckby placingthedeck lift leverinanyofthedifferentcuttingheightnotchesonthe right

sideof thefender.

2. Adjustthedeck wheelssothattheyare between1A-inchand 1/2-inchabovethegroundwhenthe tractorisona smooth,fiat surfacesuchas adriveway.

To adjust Deck Wheels:

1. Removetheflangelocknuton theshoulderboltsecuringthe deckwheel.

2. Positionthewheeltothedesiredheightaslistedabove.SeeFig.

3. Securethe shoulderboltwiththeflangelocknut.

Keephandsandfeetawayfromthe dischargeopeningofthe cutting

deck.

NOTE: Thedeckwheelsarean anti-scalpfeatureofthe deckand

are notdesignedtosupporttheweightofthecuttingdeck. Referto

LevelingintheMaintenance& Servicesectionof thismanualformore

detailedinstructionsregardingvariousdeckadjustments.

keyintotheON positiononceenginehasfired. Tostoptheengine,turntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheOFF

position.

Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.AlwaysdisengagePTO, moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,setparkingbrake,stopengine

_andremovekeyto preventunntendedstartng.

ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE

To engage the parking brake:

1. Fullydepressthebrakepedalandholditdown withyourfoot.

2. Movethespeedcontrolleverallthe waydownandintothe parkingbrakeposition.

3. Releasethe brakepedalto allowtheparkingbraketo engage.

To release the parking brake:

1. Depressthebrakepedalandmovethe speedcontrolleveroutof theparkingbrakepositionandintoa desiredspeed.

Figure8

STARTING THE ENGINE

Donot operatethetractoriftheinterlocksystemismalfunctioning.

Thissystemwasdesignedforyoursafetyand protection.

NOTE: Refertothe GasolineandOilfill-upinstructionsearlierinthis

section.

1. Insertthetractorkeyintothe ignitionswitch.

2. PlacethePTO(BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF) position.

3. Engagethetractor'sparkingbrake.

4. Activatethechokecontrolby movingthethrottle/chokeleverall thewayupintothechokeposition.

5. Turntheignitionkeyclockwisetothe STARTposition.Afterthe enginestarts,releasethekey.Itwill returntotheON (or Normal Mowing)position.

DoNOTholdthe keyinthe STARTpositionfor longerthanten secondsata time.Doingsomaycausedamagetoyourengine's

electricstarter.

6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethe chokecontroland placethe throttlecontrolinthe FASTposition.

NOTE: DoNOTleavethechokecontrolon whileoperatingthetractor. Doingso willresultin a"rich"fuelmixtureandcausetheengineto run poorly.

STOPPING THE ENGINE

Ifyoustrikea foreignobject,stopthe engine,disconnectthespark plugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughlyinspectthe machinefor anydamage.Repairthedamagebeforerestartingand operating

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

Turntheignitionkeycounterclockwiseto theSTOPposition.

Removethekeyfromtheignitionswitchto preventunintended starting.

DRIVING THE TRACTOR

Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedandsuddenstops.

Donot leavetheseatofthetractorwithoutfirstplacingthePTO (BladeEngage)leverin thedisengaged(OFF)position,depressing thebrakepedalandengagingtheparkingbrake.If leavingthetractor unattended,alsoturntheignitionkeyoff and removethekey.

Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackingupto avoida back-overaccident.

1. Depressthebrakepedalto releasetheparkingbrakeandthenlet thepedalup.

2. Movethethrottleleverintothe FAST(rabbit)position.

3. Placetheshiftleverineitherthe FORWARDor REVERSE position.

iMPORTANT: DoNOTuse theshiftlevertochangethedirection

oftravelwhenthetractorisinmotion.Alwaysusethebrakepedalto

bringthetractortoa completestopbeforeshifting.

4. Graduallybegintoapplypressureto thedrivepedal.Thefurther

downthe pedalispushed,thefasterthetractorwilltravelinthe desireddirectionbasedon thepositionoftheshiftlever.

5. Thelawntractorisbroughttoa stopby releasingthedrivepedal

andthendepressingthebrakepedal.

Beforeleavingthe operator'spositionforanyreason,disengagethe blades,placethe shiftleverinneutral,engagethe parkingbrake, shutengineoff andremovethekey.

Whenstoppingthetractorfor anyreasonwhileona grasssurface, always:

1. Placetheshiftleverinneutral,

2. Engagetheparkingbrake,

3. Shutengineoffandremovethekey.Doingsowillminimizethe possibilityof havingyourlawn"browned"byhot exhaustfrom

yourtractor'srunningengine.

DRiViNG ON SLOPES

Refertothe SLOPEGAUGEinthe SafetyInstructionssectionofthe manualtohelpdetermineslopeswhereyoumayoperatethistractor safely.

Donotmowoninclineswitha slopeinexcessof 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 turn mustbemade,turn

downthe slope.Turningupaslopegreatlyincreasesthechance ofa rollover.

Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.Ifitisnecessaryto stop whiledrivingupa slope,startupsmoothlyandcarefullytoreduce thepossibilityofflippingthetractoroverbackward.

ENGAGING THE BLADES

Engagingthe PTO(BladeEngage)transferspowertothecuttingdeck orother(separatelyavailable)attachments.Toengagethe blades, proceedasfollows:

1. Movethethrottle/chokecontrollevertothe FAST(rabbit)position.

2. Graspthe PTO(BladeEngage)leverand pivotitall the way forwardintothe engaged(ON)position.

3. Keepthethrottleleverinthe FAST(rabbit)positionfor themost efficientuseof thecuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)

attachments.

NOTE: Theenginewill automaticallyshutoff ifthePTOisengaged withtheshiftleverinpositionfor reversetravelwiththe ignitionkeyin theONposition.

MULCHING

A mulchkit isavailableas an attachment.Mulchingisa processof recirculatinggrassclippingsrepeatedlybeneaththecuttingdeck.The ultra-fineclippingsarethenforcedbackintothelawnwheretheyact as

a naturalfertilizer. A mulchkitcanbe purchasedthroughthe retaillocationinwhichyou

purchasedthistractor.For more information,simply contact Sears at 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

USING THE DECK LIFT LEVER

Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethe decklift leverto theleft,then place itin thenotchbestsuitedfor yourapplication.RefertoSettingThe CuttingHeightearlierinthis section.

MOWING

Tohelpavoidbladecontactora thrownobjectinjury,keepbystand- ers,helpers,childrenandpetsat least75feetfromthe machine whileit is in operation.Stopmachineifanyoneentersthearea.

Thefollowinginformationwill behelpfulwhenusingthecuttingdeck withyourtractor:

Planyourmowingpatternto avoiddischargeofmaterialstoward

roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthe like.Also,avoiddischarging materialagainstawallorobstructionwhichmaycausedischarged materialtoricochetbacktowardtheoperator.

• Donotmowat highgroundspeed,especiallyifa mulchkitor grasscollectorisinstalled.

• Forbestresultsit isrecommendedthatthefirst twolapsbecut withthedischargethrowntowardsthe center.Afterthefirsttwo laps, reversethedirectionto throwthedischargeto theoutside forthe balanceofcutting.Thiswillgiveabetterappearancetothe

lawn.

• Donotcutthegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowth andyellowsquicklyindryweather.

• Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewiththe engineat fullthrottle.

• 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.

• ThelampsturnOFFwhentheignitionkeyismovedtotheSTOP

position.

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

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

BeforeEachUse 1.

Inthe FirstFiveHours 1. Every10Hours 1.

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.

Air filter'sprecleaner* Air filter*

Midsteeringarms,pivot

1. Clean

2. Clean

3. Lubricate

shafts,andaxles

Every50 hours 1.

Annually 1.

BeforeStorage 1.

Frontwheelbearings Frontdeckwheels

Engineoil/Oil filter Muffler

Air filter Air filter'spre-cleaner

Sparkplug

Air coolingsystem*

Fuelfilter SteeringGears

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

Frontwheelbearings

Frontdeckwheels

Deckspindlesandidler

4. Lubricate

5. Lubricate

6. Lubricate

bracket

*Servicemorefrequentlyunder

Pedalpivotpoints

dustyconditions.

7. Lubricate

Followthe maintenanceschedulegivenbelow.Thischartdescribes serviceguidelinesonly.Usethe ServiceLogcolumntokeeptrack

ofcompletedmaintenancetasks.To locate 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- roundingmetalsurfaceswillbehot andcancauseburnsto theskin.

Exercisecautiontoavoidburns.

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

Checking the Engine Oil Onlyuse highqualitydetergentoil ratedwithAPIserviceclassification

SF,SG,SH,or SJ.Selecttheoil's SAEviscositygradeaccordingto theexpectedoperatingtemperature.Followthechartbelow.

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

usedabove32°E Checkyourengineoillevelmorefrequentlytoavoid possibleenginedamagefromrunninglowon oil.

Colder_ 32°F _Warmer

5W20

Oil Viscosity Chart

_, J

Tochecktheengineoil, proceedasfollows:

• Ensurethatthetractorisona levelsurface.

• Cleantheoil fill areaof anydebris.

1. Removethedipstickandwipe witha cleancloth.

2. Insertandtightendipstick.

3. Removethedipstickandchecktheoil level.It shouldbeatthe Fullmarkonthe dipstick.SeeFigure9.

Dipstick

Changing Engine Oil Theengineoil shouldbechangedinthefirst 5 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 usedoilproperly. Donotdiscardwithhouseholdwaste.Checkwithyour localauthori- tiesoror contact1-800-4-MY-HOMEfora listofsafedisposal/ recyclingfacilities.

Changing the Oil Filter

1. Draintheoil fromtheengineasdescribedabove.

2. Removetheoilfilteranddisposeofproperly.SeeFigure10.

OilDrain

Valve

Oil Drain Sleeve

._.,,, J

Figure9

Iflow,addoilslowlyintotheengineoilfill.Donotoverfill.Afteradding oil,wait oneminuteand thenrechecktheoil level.

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

5. Replaceandtightendipstick.

Figure10

3. Beforeyouinstallthenewoilfilter,lightlylubricatetheoilfiltergasket withfresh,cleanoil.

4. Installtheoilfilterbyhanduntilthegasketcontactstheoilfilter adapter,then tightentheoilfilter 1/2to3/4 turns.

5. Addoil asdescribedabove.

6. Startand runtheengine.Astheenginewarmsup,checkforoil leaks.

7. Stopthe engineand checktheoil level.Itshouldbeatthe FULL markonthedipstick.

Fuel Filter Air Cleaner

Gasolineanditsvaporsareextremelyflammableandexplosive.Fire

or explosioncancausesevereburnsor death.

• Keepgasolineawayfromsparks,openflames,pilotlights,heat, andotherignitionsources.

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

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltankasperthe instructionsbelow.

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

• Drainanylargevolumeoffuelfromthetankby disconnectingthe fuellinefromthe in-linefuelfilterneartheengine.

• RemovethefuellinefromtheIn-lineside(sidetowardsthefuel tank)ofthefuelfilter.

• Replacementpartsmustbethesameandinstalledinthesame positionasthe originalparts.

• If fuelspills,waituntilit evaporatesbeforestartingengine.

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltank.Otherwise,fuel canleakoutand causea fireorexplosion.

ToDrainthe fuel:

1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichisroutedontheleftsideoftheengine betweenthefueltankandthecarburetor,andmaybeattachedto theenginewitha tiestrap.Cutthetie strap,ifpresent,thenpinch thein-lineclamponthefuelfilterwitha pairofpliers,slidethe clampupthefuelline.Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterandplace theopenendof thelineintoanapprovedcontainerto drainthefuel.

Tochangethe fuel filter:

1. Useplierstosqueezethetabsontheotherclamp(theout-linesideof thefuelfilter),then slidetheclampawayfromthe fuelfilter.Twist andpullthefuel lineoff ofthe fuelfilter.SeeFigure11.

Clamp

Fuel Line

Tab

Figure11

Iffilters,or coversarenotinstalledcorrectlyseriousinjuryordeath

couldresultfrombackfire.Donotattemptto starttheenginewith themremoved.

Donot usepressurizedair orsolventsto cleantheaircleaner

cartridge.

Theairfiltersystemusesa cylindricalcartridge.

1. Removethefasteners(A)andtheairfiltercover(B).SeeFigure12.

2. Toremovethefilter(C),lifttheendofthefilterandthenpullthefilter

Figure12

off theintake(D).

3. Toloosendebris,gentlytapthe filteronahardsurface.Ifthefilteris excessivelydirty, replacewithanewfilter.

4. Installthefilterontheintake.Pushtheendofthefilterintothebaseas

shown.Makesurefilterfitssecurelyinthe base.

5. Installairfiltercoverandsecurewithfasteners.

Spark Plug

1. Cleanareaaroundthesparkplugbase.Donotsandblastsparkplug. Sparkplugshouldbecleanedbyscrapingorwirebrushingand

washingwithacommercialsolvent

2. Removeandinspectthesparkplug.Checkgaptomakesureit isset at .030".See Figure13.

3. Replacethesparkplug(Champion®RC12YC)oncea season.

2. Checkthefuellinesforcracksor leaks.Replaceifnecessary.

3. Replacethe fuelfilterwithanoriginalequipmentreplacementfilter. Call1-800-4-MY-HOME®topurchasetheoriginalequipment replacementfilter.

4. Securethefuellineswiththeclamps.

Electrode

Porcelain

i. _ .030 (.76 mm) gap

Figure13

Muffler

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

• inspectmufflerperiodically,and replaceifnecessary.Replace- mentpartsforthe mufflermustbethe sameand installedinthe samepositionas theoriginalparts.

Clean Engine

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

• Keepareaaroundandbehindmufflerfreeofanycombustibledebris.

• Keepingenginecleanallowsairmovementaroundengine.

• Enginepartsshouldbekeptcleanto reducetheriskof overheat- ingandignitionof accumulateddebris.

Donotusewaterto cleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel system.Usea brushordrycloth.

Carburetor Adjustment

• Thecarburetoronthis engineisnotadjustable.

LUBRICATION

Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO (BladeEngageLever),moveshift leverintoneutralposition,set parkingbrake,stopengineand removekeyto preventunintended starting.

Pivot Points & Linkage Lubricateall thepivotpointson thedrivesystem,parkingbrakeandlift

linkageatleastoncea seasonwithlightoil. Rear Wheels

Therearwheelsshouldbe removedfromtheaxlesoncea season. Lubricatethe axlesandthe rimswellwithanall-purposegreasebefore

re-installingthem.

Front Axles

Eachendofthetractor'sfrontpivotbarmaybeequippedwithagrease fitting.Lubricatewithagreasegunafterevery25hoursoftractoroperation.

Battery

Thebatteryissealedand is maintenance-free.Acidlevelscannotbe checked.

• Alwayskeepthebatterycablesandterminalscleanandfreeof corrosivebuild-up.

• Aftercleaningthebatteryandterminals,applya lightcoatof petroleumjelly orgreasetobothterminals.

• Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositionedoverthepositiveterminal to preventshorting.

iMPORTANT: if removingthe batteryforanyreason,disconnectthe NEGATIVE(Black)wirefromitsterminalfirst,followedbythePOSi-

TIVE(Red)wire.Whenre-installingthe battery,alwaysconnectthe

POSITIVE(Red)wiretoits terminalfirst,followedbythe NEGATIVE (Black)wire.Becertainthatthewiresareconnectedtothecorrect 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 onanyotherpartofthemachine.

IMPORTANT: Theuse ofa pressurewashertocleanyourtractoris

NOTrecommended,it maycausedamagetoelectricalcomponents, spindles,pulleys,bearingsor theengine.

Deck Wash System Yourtractor'sdeckisequippedwithawaterporton itssurfaceaspart

of itsdeckwashsystem.

Usethedeckwashto rinsegrassclippingsfromthedeck'sunderside and preventthebuildupof corrosivechemicals.Completethefollowing stepsAFTEREACHMOWING:

1. Drivethe tractortoa level,clear spotonyourlawn,nearenoughfor yourgardenhosetoreach.

Makecertainthe tractor'sdischargechuteisdirectedAWAYfromyou

house,garage,parkedcars,etc.

2. DisengagethePTO(BladeEngage),settheparkingbrakeand stoptheengine.

3. Threadthehosecoupler(packagedwithyourtractor'sOperator's Manual)ontotheendof yourgardenhose.

4. Attachthe hosecouplertothe waterportonyourdeck'ssurface. SeeFigure14.

,/JJ"

/ ......:%:_................................................

Figure14

5. Turnthewateron.

6. Whilesittingintheoperator'spositiononthetractor,starttheengine andplacethe throttleleverintheFAST(rabbit)position.

7. Movethetractor'sPTO(BladeEngage)intotheONposition.

8. Remainin theoperator'spositionwiththecuttingdeckengagedfor a minimumoftwo minutes,allowingthe undersideofthecutting decktothoroughlyrinse.

9. Movethetractor'sPTO(BladeEngage)intotheOFFposition.

10. TurntheignitionkeytotheSTOPpositionto turnthetractor'sengine off.

11. Turnthewateroffanddetachthehosecouplerfromthewaterporton yourdeck'ssurface.

12. Repeatsteps4 through11ontheoppositesideofthe cuttingdeck.

Aftercleaningyourdeck,returntothe operator'spositionandengage thePTO.Keepthe cuttingdeckrunningfora minimumoftwominutes, allowingtheundersideofthe cuttingdecktothoroughlydry.

ADJUSTMENTS

Neverattempttomakeanyadjustmentswhilethe engineis running, exceptwherespecifiedintheoperator'smanual.

Leveling the Deck NOTE: Checkthe tractor'stirepressurebeforeperforminganydeck

levelingadjustments.RefertoTiresin theServicesectionofthis manualformoreinformationregardingtirepressure.

Front To Rear Thefrontof thecuttingdeckissupportedbyastabilizerbarthatcan

beadjustedtolevelthedeckfromfrontto rear.Thefrontof thedeck shouldbebetweenl_-inchand3A-inchlowerthantherearof thedeck.

Adjustifnecessaryasfollows:

1. Withthe tractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placetheleverfor liftingtheplatformon thesecondtothetopnotch(second highestposition)and rotatethe bladeas closeaspossibletothe

dischargechannelthatisparallelto the tractor.

2. Measurethedistancefromthefrontof thebladetipto theground andthe rearofthe bladetip totheground.Thefirst measure-

menttakenshouldbebetween1_"and3A"lessthanthe second measurement.Determinetheapproximatedistancenecessaryfor

properadjustmentandproceed,ifnecessary,tothe nextstep.

3. Locatetheflangelocknutonthe frontsideofthestabilizerbracket.

SeeFig.15.

Tightentheflangelocknutto raisethefrontof the deck;

Loosentheflangelock nutto lowerthefrontofthedeck.

Side to Side

f__

Figure15

Ifthecuttingdeckappearstobe mowingunevenly,a sideto side

adjustmentcan beperformed.Adjustif necessaryasfollows:

1. Withthetractorparkedonafirm,levelsurface,placethedeckliftlever inthesecondfromthe topnotch(secondhighestposition)and rotatebothbladessothattheyare perpendicularwiththetractor.

2. Measurethedistancefromtheoutsideof theleft bladetip tothe groundandthedistancefromtheoutsideof therightbladetipto theground.Bothmeasurementstakenshouldbeequal.Ifthey're

not,proceedtothenextstep.

3. Loosen,butdo NOTremove,thehex capscrewonthe left deck

hangerbracket.SeeFig.16.

4. Balancethedeckbyusingawrenchtoturntheadjustmentgear(found

immediatelybehindthe hexcapscrewjustloosened)clockwise/ uporcounterclockwise/down.Thedeckisproperlybalanced

whenboth bladetipmeasurementstakenearlierareequal.

HexCapScrew

Figure16

5. Retightenthehexcapscrewonthe leftdeckhangerbracketwhen properadjustmentis achieved.

Seat Adjustment Refertothe Assemblysectionofthismanualforseatadjustment

instructions. Parking Brake Adjustment

Neverattempttoadjustthebrakeswhiletheengineis running.Always disengagePTO(bladeengage)lever,moveshiftleverintoneutral

3osition,stopengineandremovekeyto preventunintendedstarting.

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

Tolocatethe nearest 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)leverin thedisengaged(OFF)

positionandengagetheparkingbrake.

2. Lowerthe deck by movingthe deck lift leverintothe bottom

notchon therightfender.

3. Removethe self-tappingscrew(A)that securesthebelt-keeper

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

NOTE: Makea mentalnotewhatholetheotherendofthe belt-keeper rodisinsertedinforreinstallationpurposes.

4. Removethe belt(C) fromaroundthetractor'sPTOpulley.See

Fig. 17.

Figure17

Avoidpinchinginjuries.Neverplaceyourfingerson theidlerspringor

betweenthe beltanda pulleywhileremovingthebelt.

Lookingatthecuttingdeckfromtheldtsidedthetractor,Iocatethebow-tiepin

thatsecuresthedecksupportrodontherearIdt sided thedeck.See

Fig.18.Removethebow-tiepinthatsecuresthedecksupportrod,and

carefullyremovethedecksupportfromthedeckliftarm.

Figure18

6. Repeattheabovestepsonthe tractor'srightside. NOTE: Thebow-tieclipsshouldbe re-installedfromthetopdown.

7. Movethedeckliftleverintothetopnotchonthe rightfendertoraise

thedecklift armsup andout oftheway.

Removethebow-tiecotterpinsecuringthedeckstabilizerrodtothe deck.Slidethe decklift rodfromthemountingbracketon the deckasseenin Fig.19.

..........._,,_2_...................... /_ .....................

L}}(- } C J_ C}_} /

The recommended operating tire pressure is:

Approximately10psiforthe reartires Approximately14psi forthefronttires

IMPORTANT: Refertothe tiresidewallforexacttiremanufacturer's recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinflate.Uneventirepres-

surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly. BATTERY

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

If removingthebattery,disconnecttheNEGATIVE(Black)wire

fromitsterminalfirst,followedbythe POSITIVE(Red)wire.When

re-installingthe battery,alwaysconnectthePOSITIVE(Red)wireto

[ts termna f rst,fo owedby theNEGATVE (Back) w re.

JUMP STARTING

Figure19

Carefullyremovethe PTOcablefromthe rearofthecuttingdeckby removingthe bow-tiecotterpinwhichsecuresit.Removethe springfromthe deckidlerbracket.SeeFig.20.

Figure20

10. Gentlyslidethecuttingdeck(fromtheleftside)outfromunderneath thetractor.

TIRES

Neverexceedthemaximuminflationpressureshownonthe sidewall oftire.

Neverjump starta damagedorfrozenbattery.Becertainthevehicles

do nottouch,andignitionsareoff.Do notallowcable clampsto touch.

1. Connectpositive(+)cableto positivepost(+)ofyourtractor's dischargedbattery.

2. Connecttheotherendofthe cableto thepositive(+)postof the 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'senginewhenjumpstartingyourtractor.

5. Startthetractor(asinstructedearlierinthissectionofthismanual).

6. Setthetractor'sparkingbrakebeforeremovingthejumpercables,in

reverseorderof connection.

CHARGING

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

Whenchargingyourtractor'sbattery,useonlyachargerdesignedforI

12Vlead-acidbatteries.Readyourbatterycharger_sOwner'sManualI priortochargingyourtractorsbattery.Alwaysfollowits instructions I

[and heed tswarnngs.

Ifyourtractorhasnot beenputintouseforanextendedperiodof time, 4. chargethebatteryas follows:

1. Setyour batterychargertodeliveramaxof 10amperes. Ifyourbatterychargerisautomatic,chargethe batteryuntilthe

chargerindicatesthatchargingiscomplete.Ifthe chargerisnot automatic,chargefor nofewerthaneighthours, f

FUSE

One20AMPfuseis installedinyourtractor'swiringharnessto protect thetractor'selectricalsystemfromdamagecausedbyexcessive

amperage. Iftheelectricalsystemdoesnotfunction,oryourtractor'senginewill

notcrank,firstchecktobecertainthatthefusehasnotblown.It can befoundat therearoftheunit,underneaththe fenderlocatedbythe

battery.

Alwaysusea fusewiththesameamperagecapacityforreplacement.

CUTTING BLADES

Shutthe engineoffand removeignitionkeybeforeremovingthe cuttingblade(s)forsharpeningor replacement.Protectyourhands

_byusng heavygoveswhengraspngthebade.

Toproperlysharpenthecuttingblades,removeequalamountsof metalfrombothendsofthe bladesalongthecuttingedges, paralleltothe trailingedge,ata 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)thengentlyflip thedeckoverto exposeitsunderside.

2. Placea blockofwood betweenthecenterdeckhousingbaffle andthecuttingbladetoact asa stabilizer.SeeFig.21.

3. Removethe hexflangenutthatsecuresthe bladetothe spindle assembly.SeeFig.21.

Ifthecuttingedgeof thebladehas previouslybeensharpened,or if

anymetalseparationispresent,replacethebladeswithnewones.

A poorlybalancedbladewillcauseexcessivevibration,maycause damageto thetractorand/orresultin personalinjury.

5. Testthe blade'sbalanceusinga bladebalancer.Grindmetal fromthe heavysideuntilit balancesevenly.

NOTE: Whenreplacingthe blade,be suretoinstallthebladewith the sideof theblademarked"Bottom"(orwitha partnumberstampedin it) facingthegroundwhenthemoweris inthe operatingposition.

Usea torquewrenchtotightenthebladespindlehexflangenutto between70Ibs-ftand90Ibs-ft.

CHANGING THE DECK BELT

Besureto shuttheengineoff,removeignitionkey,disconnectthe sparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengineto preventunin-

tendedstartingbeforeremovingthebelt.

Figure 21

All beltsonyourtractoraresubjectto wearandshouldbereplacedif anysignsof weararepresent.

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 hexscrewsthatfastenthecoverstothe deck.SeeFig.23.

3. Loosenthehexnutson thedeck idlerpulleysto getthebeltoff (andon)thepulleysandaroundthe beltguards.Afterloosening thedeckidlerpulleys,rotatethebeltguideoutofthewayonthe rightidlerpulleytoremove(andreinstall)thebelt.

4. Carefullyremovethedeckbeltfromaroundthetwospindle pulleysand thetwo deckidlerpulleys.SeeFig.23.

5. Toplacethenewbelt,beginbyroutingthebeltaroundthetwo outerspindlepulleysas shownin Fig.23.

6. Thenroutethebeltaroundthetwodeckidlerpulleysas shownin Fig.23.

7. Retightenthebelt keeperrodloosenedearlier.

8. Remountthebeltguardsremovedearlier.

9. Re-installthedeck,makingsurethebelt remainsroutedaround thepulleysas instructed.Thecompletebeltroutingis shownin Fig.23.

10. Pulltherightsideof thebelt,and placethe narrowVsideofthe beltintothePTOpulley.

11. Whileholdingthebeltandpulleytogether,rotatethepulleytotheleft. Continueholdingand rotatingthe pulleyandbeltuntilthebeltis fullyrolledintothe PTOpulley.

PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTMENT

Neverattempttoadjustthebrakeswhilethe engineisrunning.Always

disengagePTO(BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutral

3osition,stopengineandremovekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

Ifthetractordoesnotcometoa 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

Figure 23

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

PREPARING THE ENGINE

IMPORTANT:Fuelleftinthe fueltankduringwarmweatherdeterio-

ratesandwillcauseseriousstartingproblems.

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

1. Ifusinga fuelstabilizer: a. Readtheproductmanufacturer'sinstructionsandrecom-

mendations.

b. Addtoclean,freshgasolinethecorrectamountof stabilizer

forthe capacityofthefuelsystem.

c. Fillthe fueltankwithtreatedfuelandrunthe enginefor2-3

minutestogetstabilizedfuelintothecarburetor.

2. Ifemptyingthefuelsystem: a. Donotdrainfuelwhenthe engineis hot.Allowtheengine

adequatetimeto cool.Drainfuelintoanapprovedcontainer outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

b. Drainanylargevolumeoffuelfromthetankby disconnect-

ingthefuel linefromthe in-linefuelfilterneartheengine. SeethecompleteinstructionsforDrainingTheFuellaterin

this section.

DRAINING THE FUEL

1. Locatethe fuelfilter,whichis locatedon theleft sideof the engine,andmaybeattachedtothe enginewitha tiestrap.

2. Cutthetie strap,if present,thenpinchthein-lineclamponthe fuelfilterwitha pairof pliers,slidethe clampupthe fuelline.

3. Pullthefuellinefreefromthe filterand placetheopenendofthe line intoanapprovedcontainertodrainthe fuel.

PREPARING THE LAWN TRACTOR

1. Cleanandlubricatetractorthoroughlyasdescribedinthe lubrica- tioninstructions.

2. Donotuseapressurewasherorgardenhosetocleanyourunit.

3. Storemowerina dry,cleanarea. Donotstorenexttocorrosive materials,suchas fertilizer.

Gasolineisextremelyflammableandcan beexplosiveundercertain

conditions.Draingasolinebeforestoringtheequipmentfor extended

periods.Drainfuelonlyinto anapprovedcontaineroutdoors,away froman openflame.Allowenginetocool.Extinguishcigarettes, cigars,pipes,andothersourcesofignitionpriorto drainingfuel.

Storegasolineinan approvedcontainerinsafelocation.

c. Reconnectthe fuellineandruntheengineuntilit startsto

falter,thenusethe choketokeeptheenginerunninguntilall fuelinthe carburetorhasbeenexhausted.

d. Disconnectthefuellineanddrainany remaininggasoline

fromthesystem.

Gasolineisatoxicsubstance.Disposeofgasolineproperly.Contact yourlocalauthoritiesforapproveddisposalmethods.

3. Removethesparkplugandpourone(1)ounceofengineoil throughthe sparkplugholeintothecylinder.Cranktheengine severaltimesto distributetheoil.Replacethesparkplug.

Enginefailstostart

1. PTO/BladeEngageleverengaged.

2. Parkingbrakenotengaged.

3. Sparkplugwire(s)disconnected.

4. Throttle/Chokecontrollevernotincorrect

4. PlaceThrottle/ChokeleverintotheFASTposition.

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. Ventingascapplugged.

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 gaptoo wide. 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(lessthan 30daysold)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,if equipped.

Fillcrankcasewithproperamountandweightof oil. Cleangrassclippingsanddebrisfromaroundthe

engine'scoolingfinsandhousing. Removesparkplugandresetthegap.

Replacesparkplug.Setpluggap. Replaceair cleanerelementand/orcleanpre-

cleaner.

1. Tightenbladeandspindle.

2. Replaceblade.

1. Placethrottlein FAST(rabbit)position.

2. Donotmulchwhengrassis wet.

3. Mowonceat a highcuttingheight,thenmowagain atdesiredheightor makea narrowercuttingswath.

1. Performside-to-sidedeckadjustment.

2. Sharpenor replaceblade.

3. Checktirepressureinallfourtires.

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Craftsman 247288861 Owner’s Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual