Craftsman 247289050 Owner’s Manual

perator's

I:RnFrSMRN°

LAWN TRACTOR

20 Horsepower

Hydrostatic Transmission

42" Deck

Mode[ No. 247.28905

• Espanol, P. 59

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

this product, Call:

1-800=659=5917

CraftsmanTractorHelpLine

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

FormN0,769-05573B

(March30,2010)

Off-Season Storage ........................................................ 27

Trou bleshooting .............................................................. 28

Labels ............................................................................. 29

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

Espafiol ............................................................................ 59

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

CRAFTSMAN FULL WARRANTY

Whenoperatedand maintainedaccordingtoallsuppliedinstructions,ifany non-expendablepartof thisridingequipmentfailsduetoadefectin materialor workmanshipwithintwo yearsfromthedate orpurchase,call1-800-659-5917toarrangeforfreein-homerepair.

Theframeandfrontaxlewillbe repairedfreeofchargefor fiveyearsfromthedateofpurchaseif defectiveinmaterialorworkmanship. Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageappliesforonly90 daysfromthedateof purchaseifthis ridingequipmentiseverusedforcommercialor

rentalpurposes. Inallcases,ifrepairprovesimpossible,theridingequipmentwillbe replacedfree of chargewiththesameoran equivalentmodel. Thebatterywillbe replacedfreeofchargefor90 daysfromthedateofpurchaseifdefectiveinmaterialorworkmanship(ourtestingprovesthat it

willnotholda charge). Thiswarranty coversONLYdefects in material andworkmanship. Sears will NOTpayfor:

Expendableitemsthatbecomewornduringnormaluse,includingbutnotlimitedtoblades,sparkplugs,aircleaners,belts, andoilfilters.

Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,ortune-ups.

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

Tireor wheelreplacementor repairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,orimproperoperationormaintenance.

Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatorabuse,includingbutnot limitedtodamagecausedbytowingobjectsbeyondthe capabilityoftheridingequipment,impactingobjectsthatbendtheframeorcrankshaft,orover-speedingtheengine.

Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecaused byimproperstorage,failureto usethepropergradeandamountofengineoil,failuretokeepthe deckclear offlammable debris,orfailureto maintaintheridingequipmentaccordingto theinstructionscontainedintheoperator'smanual.

Engine(fuelsystem)cleaningorrepairscausedbyfueldeterminedto becontaminatedoroxidized(stale).In general,fuel shouldbeusedwithin30daysofitspurchasedate.

Normaldeteriorationandwearoftheexteriorfinishes,or productlabelreplacement.

Thiswarrantyappliesonlywhilethisproductiswithinthe UnitedStates.

Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstatetostate.

Sears BrandsManagementCorporation, HoffmanEstates,IL60179

GrossHP: 20 EngineOil: SAE30

Fuel: UnleadedGasoline SparkPlug: Champion®RC12YC

Engine: Briggs& StrattonIntek®

Model Number: Serial Number:

Dateof Purchase:

Recordthe modelnumber,serialnumber,

anddateof purchaseabove.

Thissymbolpointsoutimportantsafetyinstructionswhich,if not followed,couldendangerthepersonalsafetyand/orpropertyof yourselfandothers. Readandfollowall instructionsin thismanual

beforeattemptingtooperatethismachine.Failuretocomplywith

theseinstructionsmayresultin personalinjury.Whenyouseethis

symbol,HEEDITSWARNING!

Thismachinewasbuilttobeoperatedaccordingtothesafeopera- tionpracticesinthis manual.Aswithanytypeof powerequipment, carelessnessorerroron thepartoftheoperatorcanresultin serious injury.Thismachineiscapableofamputatingfingers,hands,toes andfeetandthrowingdebris.Failuretoobservethefollowingsafety instructionscouldresultin seriousinjuryor death.

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

EngineExhaust,someof itsconstituents,andcertainvehicle componentscontainoremitchemicalsknowntoStateofCalifornia 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.

• Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldtooperatethis machine. Children14yearsoldandovershouldreadandunderstandthe operationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanualandshould betrainedandsupervisedbya parent.

• Neverallowadultstooperatethis machinewithoutproper instruction.

• Tohelpavoidbladecontactor a thrownobjectinjury,keep bystanders,helpers,childrenandpetsat least75feetfromthe machinewhile itisin operation.Stopmachineifanyoneenters

thearea.

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

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

Your Responsibility--Restrict theuseof this powermachineto personswhoread,understandandfollowthewarningsandinstruc-

tionsin thismanualandon the machine.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

• Alwayswearsafetyglassesor safetygogglesduringoperation andwhileperformingan adjustmentorrepairto protectyoureyes. Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancauseseriousinjurytothe eyes.

• Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fittingslacksand

shirts.Loosefittingclothesandjewelrycanbe caughtin movable parts.Neveroperatethismachineinbarefeetorsandals.

• Beawareofthemowerandattachmentdischargedirectionand do notpointit at anyone.Donotoperatethemowerwithoutthe dischargecoverorentiregrasscatcherinits properplace.

Donot puthandsorfeetnearrotatingpartsor underthe cutting

deck.Contactwiththe blade(s)canamputatehandsandfeet. A missingordamageddischargecovercancausebladecontact

or thrownobjectinjuries.

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

• Watchfortrafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.This

machineis notintendedforuseonanypublicroadway.

• Donotoperatethemachinewhileundertheinfluenceofalcohol or drugs.

• Mowonly indaylightorgoodartificiallight.

Nevercarrypassengers.

• Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftingintoreverse.Backup slowly. Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhile backingtoavoida

back-overaccident.

• Slowdownbeforeturning.Operatethemachinesmoothly.Avoid erraticoperationandexcessivespeed.

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

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

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

Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcan causea 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)orpilesof dryleaves.Drygrassor leavesmaycontacttheengineexhaustand/orbuilduponthe mowerdeckpresentinga potentialfirehazard.

Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedforthis machine bythemachinemanufacturer.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 situationsoccurwhicharenot coveredinthismanual,usecare andgoodjudgment.Contact1-800-659-5917forinformationand

assistance.

SLOPE OPERATION

Slopesareamajorfactorrelatedtolossofcontrolandtip-over accidentswhichcanresultinsevereinjuryordeath.Allslopesrequire extracaution.Ifyoucannotbackuptheslopeor ifyoufeeluneasyon it, do notmowit.

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

result.

Do:

Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exerciseextremecaution

whenchangingdirectionon slopes.

• Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.

Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles.

Useslowspeed.Choosea lowenoughspeedsettingsothat youwillnothavetostoporshiftwhileon theslope.Tiresmay losetractionon slopeseventhoughthe brakesarefunctioning properly.Alwayskeepmachinein gearwhengoingdownslopes totakeadvantageof enginebrakingaction.

• Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsforwheelweights or counterweightstoimprovestability.Forrecommendations,call

1-800-659-5917.

• Useextracarewithgrasscatchersor otherattachments.These canchangethestabilityofthe machine.

Keepallmovementontheslopesslowandgradual.Donot make suddenchangesinspeedor direction.Rapidengagementor brakingcouldcausethefrontofthemachinetolift andrapidlyflip overbackwardswhichcouldcauseseriousinjury.

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

DoNot:

• Donotturnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turnslowlyand graduallydownhill,ifpossible.

• Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditchesorembankments.Themower couldsuddenlyturnoverifa wheelis overtheedgeofa cliff, ditch,or ifanedgecavesin.

• Donottry to stabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfooton the ground.

• Donotusea grasscatcheronsteepslopes.

• Donotmowon wetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.

• Donotattempttocoastdownhill.Over-speedingmaycausethe operatortolosecontrolofthemachineresultinginseriousinjury

or death.

• Donottowheavypull behindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart, lawnroller,etc.)onslopesgreaterthan5 degrees.Whengoing downhill,theextraweighttendstopushthe tractorandmay causeyoutoloosecontrol(e.g.tractormayspeedup,brakingand steeringabilityarereduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcause tractorto overturn).

CHILDREN

Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheoperatorisnotalert to thepresence ofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedtothemachineandthe mowing activity.Theydonotunderstandthe dangers.Neverassumethat childrenwillremainwhereyoulastsawthem.

• Keepchildrenoutof themowingareaand inwatchfulcareofa responsibleadultotherthantheoperator.

• Bealert andturnmachineoff ifa childentersthearea.

• Beforeandwhilebacking,lookbehindanddownforsmall children.

Nevercarrychildren,evenwiththe blade(s)shutoff.Theymay falloffandbe seriouslyinjuredorinterferewithsafemachine operation.

• Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,doorways, shrubs,treesorotherobjectsthatmayblockyourvisionofa child whomayrunintothe machine.

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

shouldnotbe usedwhenchildrenor othersarearound. Keepchildrenawayfromhotor runningengines.Theycansuffer

burnsfroma hotmuffler.

• Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedto preventunauthorized operation.

Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethismachine. Children14andovershouldreadandunderstandtheinstructionsand

safeoperationpracticesinthismanualandon the machineandshould betrainedandsupervisedbyan adult.

TOWING

Towonlywithamachinethathasa hitchdesignedfortowing.Do notattachtowedequipmentexceptatthehitchpoint.

Followthemanufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfor towedequipmentandtowingonslopes.For recommendations,

call1-800-659-5917. Neverallowchildrenor othersinorontowedequipment.

Onslopes,theweightof thetowedequipmentmaycauselossof tractionandlossof control.

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

Travelslowlyandallowextradistanceto stop. Donotcoastdownhill.

SERVICE

SafeHandlingof Gasoline

Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamageuseextremecarein

handlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremelyflammableandthe vaporsare explosive.Seriouspersonalinjurycanoccurwhengasolineisspilled on yourselforyourclotheswhichcanignite.Washyourskinand changeclothesimmediately.

• Useonly anapprovedgasolinecontainer.

Neverfill containersinsidea vehicleorona truckortrailer bed

witha plasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainerson thegroundaway fromyourvehiclebeforefilling.

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

refuelsuchequipmentona trailerwitha portablecontainer,rather

thanfromagasolinedispensernozzle.

Keepthenozzleincontactwiththerim of thefueltankor containeropeningat all timesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Donotuse a nozzlelock-opendevice.

Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersourcesof

ignition.

• Neverfuelmachineindoors. Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhiletheengineis hotor run-

ning.Allowengineto coolat leasttwominutesbeforerefueling. Neveroverfillfueltank.Filltankto no morethan1/2inchbelow

bottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.

• Replacegasolinecap andtightensecurely.

• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeitoff the engineandequipment.Move machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe

engine.

• Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefreeofgrass,leaves,or

otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanup oilorfuelspillageandremoveany 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.

• Nevertamperwiththe safetyinterlocksystemor othersafety devices.Checktheirproperoperationregularly.

• Afterstrikinga foreignobject,stopthe engine,disconnectthe sparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainstthe engine.Thoroughly inspectthemachineforanydamage.Repairthedamagebefore startingandoperating.

• Neverattempttomakeadjustmentsor repairstothe machine whilethe engineis running.

• Grasscatchercomponentsandthe dischargecoverare 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.Thegovernorcontrolsthemaximumsafeoperatingspeed oftheengine.

Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as necessary.

• Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsforgas,oil,etc.to protecttheenvironment.

• Accordingtothe ConsumerProductsSafetyCommission(CPSC) andthe U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),thisproduct hasanAverageUsefulLifeof seven(7)years,or 270hours ofoperation.AttheendoftheAverageUsefulLife,buyanew machineor havethemachineinspectedannuallybya Searsor otherqualifiedservicedealerto ensurethatall mechanicaland safetysystemsareworkingproperlyandnot wornexcessively.

Failuretodosocanresultinaccidents,injuriesor death.

DO NOT MODIFY ENGINE

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

NOTICE REGARDING EMISSIONS

Engineswhicharecertifiedto complywithCaliforniaandfederal

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

SPARK ARRESTOR

Thismachineisequippedwithan internalcombustionengineand shouldnotbe usedonor nearanyunimprovedforest-covered, brushcoveredorgrass-coveredlandunlessthe engine'sexhaust systemisequippedwitha sparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalor statelaws(ifany).

Ifa sparkarresteris used,it shouldbe maintainedin effectiveworking orderbytheoperator.IntheStateof Californiatheaboveis required bylaw(Section4442of the CaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Other statesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.

A sparkarresterforthemufflerisavailablethroughyournearestSears

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.

SLOPE GUIDE

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WARNING

Thissymbol points out important safety instructions which, if notfollowed,could endangerthe personal

safety and/or propertyof yourself and others. Readand follow allinstructions inthis manualbeforeattempting

to operatethis machine.Failuretocomply with these instructions mayresultin personalinjury.When you see this symbol HEED ITS WARNING!

Your Responsibility

Restrictthe useof this powermachineto persons who

read, understand,and follow thewarnings and instruc- tions in this manual and on the machine.

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 beenleftdisconnectedfromtheterminalsat the factory.Toconnect thebatterycables,proceedasfollows:

NOTE:ThepositivebatteryterminalismarkedPos.(+).The negative batteryterminalis markedNeg.(i).

1. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthe positivebattery terminaland attachthe redcableto thepositivebatteryterminal (+)withtheboltandhexnut.See Figure1.

2. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthe negativebattery terminaland attachtheblackcabletothenegativebattery terminal(-) withthebolt andhex nut.SeeFigure1.

Shipping Brace Removal

Makesurethe ridingmower'sengineisoff,removetheignitionkey,

andset the parkingbrakebeforeremovingtheshippingbrace.Refer

ItotheOperationsectionfor instructionsonhowto settheparking lbrake.

• Locatetheshippingbrace,ifpresent,andaccompanyingwarning tagfoundonthe rightsideof the mower,betweenthedischarge chutedeflectorandthe cuttingdeck.SeeFig.2.

Figure2

Figure1

3. Positiontheredrubberbootoverthe positivebatteryterminalto helpprotectit fromcorrosion.

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

Placethedecklift leverinthe highestcuttingposition.Referto

SettingtheCuttingHeightin theOperationsectionofthismanual. Whilepushingthedischargechuteddlectortowardsthemachinewith

yourlefthand,removetheshippingbracewithyourrighthandbygrasp- ingitbetweenyourthumbandindexfingerandrotatingitclockwise.

Theshippingbrace,usedfor packagingpurposesonly,mustbe

removedand discardedbeforeoperatingyourridingmower.

Themowingdeck iscapableofthrowingobjects.Failureto operate the ridingmowerwithoutthedischargecoverin theproperoperating

Ipositioncouldresultin seriouspersonalinjuryand/orproperty ldamage.

Attaching The Steering Wheel

Ifthesteeringwheelforyourtractordid notcomeattached,the hardwareforattachingithasbeenpackedwithinthesteeringwheel, beneaththesteeringwheelcap.Carefullypryoffthesteeringwheel capandremovethe hardware.

1. Withthewheelsof thetractorpointingstraightforward,placethe steeringwheeloverthesteeringshaft.

2. Placethe washer(withthe cuppedsidedown)overthe steering wheelandsecurewiththehexbolt.SeeFig.3.

f.-

Figure3

3. Placethesteeringwheelcapoverthecenterofthesteeringwheel andpushdownwarduntilit"clicks"intoplace.

Attaching The Seat NOTE: Ifyourseatwasshippedmountedbackwardsontheseatpivot

bracket,pulloutthe tab foundontheseatstopand holditopenwhile slidingtheseatoff theseatpivotbracket.

1. Lineuptheplasticseatspacerswiththeslotsin seatpivot bracket.

2. Slideseatinuntilfrontseatspacerengagestheseatstop.See Fig.4.

Beforeoperatingthis machine,makesurethe seatis engagedina

seatstop,standbehindthemachineandpullbackon seatuntilfully

_engagedntostop.

Figure5

Tire Pressure

Maximumtire pressureunderanycircumstancesis 30 psi.Equal

tirepressureshouldbe maintainedatall times.Neverexceedthe

_maxmum nfatonpressureshownonthe sdewa of thet re. Therecommendedoperatingtirepressureis:

• Approximately10psiforthe reartires

• Approximately14psiforthefronttires

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

surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.

Figure4

Toadjustthe positionoftheseatonmodelsequippedwitha seat adjustmentlever,movetheseatadjustmentlever(locatedunder theseat)tothe leftand slidethe seatforwardor rearwarduntilit securelyengagesintoa seatstop.SeeFig.5. Makesure seatis lockedintopositionbeforeoperatingthetractor.

f----It c

Figure6

NOTE: Anyreferenceinthis manualtotheRIGHTorLEFTsideof

thetractorisobservedfromoperator'sseatpositionfacingforward towardsthefrontoftractor.

Meets ANSI Safety Standards

CraftsmanTractorsconformtothesafetystandardof theAmerican

NationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).

A ParkingBrakeLever B Ammeter

C Throttle/ChokeControlLever D IgnitionSwitchModule

E DeckLiftLever

F PTOLever(BladeEngage) G Cup Holder H SpeedControlLever

I SeatAdjustmentLever

J BrakePedal

PARKING BRAKE

Tosettheparkingbrake,fullydepresstheparkingbrakepedal.Move theparkingbrakeleverintotheON position.Releasethe parkingbrake pedaltoallowtheparkingbraketo engage.

Toreleasetheparkingbrake,depressthe parkingbrakepedaland movetheparkingbrakeleveroutoftheONpositionandinto theOFF position.

NOTE:Theparkingbrakemustbe setifthe operatorleavestheseat withtheenginerunningor theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff.

AMMETER

Theammetermeasurestheelectricaloutputoftheengine'scharging system.Undernormaloperatingconditions,withengineatfull throttle, theammetershouldindicatepositivecharge.

THROTTLE/CHOKE

CONTROL LEVER

Thethrottle/chokecontrolleveris locatedontherightsideofthetrac-

tor'sdashpanel.Thislevercontrols thespeedoftheengineand, when pushedallthewayforward,the

chokecontrolalso.Whensetin a givenposition,thethrottlewill

maintaina uniformenginespeed. iMPORTANT:Whenoperating

thetractorwiththecuttingdeck engaged,becertainthatthe throttleleveris alwaysintheFAST (rabbit)position.

CHOKE

FAST

SLOW

IGNITION SWITCH MODULE

Thekeyswitchmoduleisusedtostart andstoptheengine.It isalso usedto activatetheReverseCautionMode(bladesoperatewhile ridingin reverse).Insertkeyintothe _-

keyswitchmoduleandturn clockwise _Noo,,....... oo,o

totheSTARTposition.Releasetheke_ @ intothenormalmowingpositiononce

enginehasstarted.Theheadlights willbeactivatedin theNormal(and ReverseCaution)modes.

Tostoptheengine,turnthe ignition keycounterclockwisetothe STOP position.

IMPORTANT:Priortooperatingthe tractor,referto both"Safetyinterlock System"and"StartingTheEngine"later inthis sectionofthis manual fordetailedinstructionsregardingthe IgnitionSwitchModuleand operatingthetractorin REVERSECAUTIONMODE.

Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.AlwaysdisengagePTO, moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,setparkingbrake,stopengine andremovekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

DECK LIFT LEVER

Foundonyour tractor'srightfender,thedeckliftleveris usedto changetheheightofthecuttingdeck.Touse,move

thelevertotheleft,thenplacein thenotchbestsuitedfor

yourapplication.

PTO (BLADE ENGAGE) LEVER

Foundonthe tractor'srightfender,the PTO(bladeengage) leveris usedtoengagepowertothecuttingdeckorother (separatelyavailable)attachments.Tooperate,movethe leverallthewayforward.Movingtheleverallthe way

r =

rearwardintothePTOOFFpositiondisengagespowerto

thecuttingdeck/attachment.

NOTE:ThePTO(bladeengage)levermustbe inthe

"Zl.

m -

disengaged(PTOOFF)positionwhenstartingtheengine.

CUP HOLDER

Thetractor'scupholderis locatedonthefendertotheleft oftheseat.

SPEED CONTROL LEVER

Thespeedcontrollever,locatedon theleft IF

rearfender,controlsthegroundspeedof

thelawntractoraswellasthedirectionof travel.

Todrive forwardor in reverse,slowlymove thespeedcontrollevertothedesired"F" forwardor "R"reversespeed.

Tostop,movethespeedcontrollevertothe "N" neutralposition.

Whenmowing,placethe speedcontrol

leverinthe"CuttingSpeed"position,or a slowerforwardspeedforthebestresults.

NOTE:Donot usetheparkingparking brakepedalto controlthegroundspeedof

thelawntractor.Alwaysusethespeedcontrollevertoslowtheground

speedofthelawntractor.Depressingthe parkingparkingbrakepedal

withthespeedcontrolleverengagedas partof regularoperationwill

resultin prematurewearofthedrivebelt.

iMPORTANT=Donotattempttochangethe directionoftravelwhen thetractorisin motion.Seriousdamageto thetractor'stransmission couldresult.Alwaysbringthe tractorto acompletestopbeforemoving thespeedcontrolleverfromforwardto reverseor viceversa.

SEAT ADJUSTMENT LEVER

Toadjusttheseatforwardorbackwardonunitsequippedwithaquick- adjustseat,slidetheseatadjustmentlevertotheleftandrepositionthe

seatto thedesiredposition.Onceacomfortablepositionisfound,release theseatadjustmentleverto locktheseatinplace.RefertotheAssembly ofthismanualformoredetailedinstructionsontheseatadjustments.

PARKING PARKING BRAKE PEDAL & LEVER

Theparkingparkingbrakepedalislocatedon theleftside running

boardofthelawntractor.Itis usedto bothsetthe parkingbrakeandto

stopthelawntractorin suddensituations.

Theparkingbrakeleverislocatedontheleftsideofthetractor'sdash panel.Tosettheparkingbrake,fullydepressthe parkingparking brakepedal.Movetheparkingbrakeleverallthe waydownand into theparkingbrakepositionandthenreleasethe parkingbrakepedalto allowthe parkingbraketoengage.

Toreleasethe parkingbrake,depresstheparkingbrakepedalandthe parkingbrakeleverwill automaticallymoveoutofthe parkingbrake position.

Inansuddensituation,fullydepresstheparkingbrakepedalto bring thetractortoa stopandthenimmediatelymovethespeedcontrollever tothe"N"neutralposition

iMPORTANT: Donot usetheparkingparkingbrakepedalto control thegroundspeedof thelawntractor.Doingsowill resultin premature wearof drivebelt.AlwaysusetheSpeedControlLevertocontrolthe groundspeedof thelawntractorandto stopthetractorundernormal

circumstances. NOTE: Theparkingparkingbrakepedalmustbe depressedtostart

theengine.Theparkingbrakemustalsobe setifthe operatorleaves theseatwiththeenginerunningor theenginewillautomaticallyshut off.RefertoSafetyInterlockSwitcheson page14.0il

iMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroil inthe engine. However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Becareful

notto overfill. Forinstructionsonhowto checktheengineoil, referto CheckingThe

EngineOilin the ServiceandMaintenancesectionofthismanual.

Gasoline

Thegasolinetankis locatedunderthehood.Do notoverfill.

engine.

1. Turntheengineoffand letenginecoolatleast2 minutesbefore removingthefuelcap.Thegasolinetankis underthehood,with

thefuelfill caplocatedon thelefthandsideofthetank.

2. Fillthe fueltankwithgasoline.

3. Reinstallthefuelcap.

For California Models:

ForCaliforniamodelsequippedwitha tethered,ratchetingfuelcap, STOPfillingtankoncefuelisseeninsidethefillerneck. Thisensures thata properexpansionvolumeiscreated,otherwisethefuelcanover- flowcreatinga hazardoussituation.Do NOTfill tothetopof thefiller neck.OnCaliforniamodels,fillthetankin accordancewithFigure7.

Useextremecarewhenhandlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremely flammableandthevaporsareexplosive.Neverfuelmachineindoors

orwhiletheengineishotor running.Extinguishcigarettes,cigars,

_ppes,andothersourcesof gn ton. NOTE : Purchasegasolineinsmallquantities.Donotusegasolineleft

overfromthe previousseason,to minimizegumdepositsinthefuel system.

• Thisengineis certifiedtooperateon unleadedgasoline.Forbest results,fillthefueltankwithonlyclean,fresh,unleadedgasoline witha pumpstickeroctaneratingof87orhigher.

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

• MethylTertiaryButylEther(MTBE)andunleadedgasolineblends (uptoa maximumof15%MTBEbyvolume)are approvedfuels. Othergasoline/etherblendsare notapproved.

• Fillfueltankoutdoorsorin well-ventilatedarea.

• Donotoverfillfuel tank. Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow

bottomoffillernecktoallowspacefor fuelexpansion.

• Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhiletheengineishotorrun- ning.Allowenginetocoolatleasttwo minutesbeforerefueling.

• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeit off theengineandequipment.Move machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe

Figure7

Avoid Serious Injury or Death

• Go upanddownslopes,notacross.

• Avoidsuddenturns.

• Donotoperatetheunitwhereitcouldslipor tip.

• Ifmachinestopsgoinguphill,stopbladesandbackdownhill slowly.

• Donotmowwhenchildrenorothersare around.

• Nevercarrychildren,evenwith bladesoff.

• Lookdownand behindbeforeandwhilebacking.

• Keepsafetydevices(guards,shields,andswitches)inplace andworking.

• Removeobjectsthat couldbethrownbytheblades.

• Knowlocationandfunctionofall controls.

• Besurebladesandenginearestoppedbeforeplacinghandsor feetnearblades.

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

Read Operator's Manual

SAFETY iNTERLOCK SYSTEM

Thesafetyinterlocksystemisdesignedforsafeoperationofthetrac- tor.Ifthis systemshouldevermalfunction,do notoperatethetractor, immediatelycontact1-800-4-MY-HOMEtohavethe systemserviced.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromstarting unlesstheparkingbrakeis engagedandthe PTO(BladeEngage) leveris in thedisengaged(OFF)position.

Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillautomaticallyshutoffthe engineif theoperatorleavesthe seatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.

Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillautomaticallyshutoffthe engine ifthe operatorleavesthetractor'sseatwiththePTO(Blade Engage)leverengaged,regardlessofwhethertheparkingbrake isengaged.

REVERSE CAUTION MODE

Useextremecautionwhileoperatingthetractorin theREVERSE CAUTIONMODE.Alwayslookdownand behindbeforeandwhile backing.Donotoperatethetractorwhenchildrenorothersare around.Stopthetractorimmediatelyif someoneentersthearea.

TheREVERSECAUTIONMODEpositionofthekeyswitchmodule allowsthetractorto beoperatedinreversewiththeblades(PTO) engaged.

IMPORTANT: Mowingin reverseisnotrecommended. Touse theREVERSECAUTIONMODE:

IMPORTANT:TheoperatorMUSTbeseatedinthetractorseat.

1. StartengineasinstructedundertheheadingStartingTheEngine.

2. TurnthekeyfromtheNORMALMO%NG (Green)positiontothe REVERSECAUTIONMODE(Yellow)positionofthe keyswitch module.SeeFigure8.

3. DepresstheREVERSEPUSHBUTTON(Orange,Triangular Button)atthetop,rightcornerofthekeyswitchmodule.Thered indicatorlight atthetop,leftcornerofthekeyswitchmodulewill beONwhileactivated.SeeFigure8.

4. Onceactivated(indicatorlightON),the tractorcanbedrivenin reversewiththecuttingblades(PTO)engaged.

Indicator Light

Reverse Caution

Mode

Position

Reverse "_ Push Button

- Normal

Driving Mode

5. Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackingtomake surenochildrenarearound.

6. Afterresumingforwardmotion,returnthekeytotheNORMAL MOWINGposition.

iMPORTANT: The REVERSECAUTIONMODEwill remainactivated until:

ThekeyisplacedineithertheNORMALMOWINGposition or STOPposition.

b. The operatorengagestheparkingbrakebyfullydepressing

theparkingbrakepedalandholdingitdownwhile movingthe

speedcontrolleverintothe PARKBRAKEposition.

ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE

To engage the parking brake:

1. Fullydepresstheparkingparkingbrakepedalandholditdown withyourfoot.

2. Movethe parkingbrakeleverall thewaydownand intothe parkingbrake(ON)position.

3. Releasethe parkingparkingbrakepedaltoallowtheparking braketoengage.

To release the parking brake:

1. Depressthe parkingparkingbrakepedalandmovethe parking brakeleveroutofthe parkingbrake(ON)positionandintothe OFFposition.

SETTING THE CUTTING HEIGHT

Selecttheheightpositionofthecuttingdeckby placingthedeck liftleverinanyof thesixdifferentcuttingheightnotchesonthe rightsideofthefender.

Adjustthedeckwheelssothattheyarebetween1A-inchand Y2-inchabovethegroundwhenthe tractorisona smooth,flat

surfacesuchas a driveway.

a. Adjustthedeckwheelsby removingtheflangelocknut and

shoulderboltthatsecureseachwheeland movingitintoone

oftheholesthatallowsthewheelstobe between_A-inchand Y2-inchabovethegroundwhenthe tractorisona smooth,

flat surfacesuchasadriveway.SeeFig.9

Stop

position

Figure 8

position

Figure 9

Keephandsandfeetawayfromthedischargeopeningof thecutting deck.

NOTE=Thedeckwheelsareananti-scalpfeatureofthedeckand arenotdesignedtosupporttheweightofthe cuttingdeck.Referto Levelinginthe Serviceand Maintenancesectionofthismanualfor moredetailedinstructionsregardingvariousdeckadjustments.

STARTING THE ENGINE

Donotoperatethetractoriftheinterlocksystemis malfunctioning. Thissystemwasdesignedforyour safetyandprotection.

NOTE=Refertothe Gasolineand Oilfill-upinstructionsearlierinthis section.

1. Insertthetractorkeyintotheignitionswitch.

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

3. Engagethetractor'sparkingbrake.

4. Activatethechokecontrolbymovingthe throttle/chokeleverall thewayupintothe chokeposition.

5. Turntheignitionkeyclockwisetothe STARTposition.Afterthe enginestarts,releasethekey.It will returntotheON (orNormal Mowing)position.

DO NOTholdthekeyin the STARTpositionfor longerthanten secondsata time.Doingsomaycausedamagetoyourengine's

electricstarter.

6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethechokecontroland placethe throttlecontrolinthe FASTposition.

NOTE=DoNOTleavethechokecontrolonwhileoperatingthetractor. Doingso willresultina "rich"fuelmixtureandcausethe engineto run poorly.

STOPPING THE ENGINE

Donot leavetheseatofthe tractorwithoutfirstplacingthePTO (BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF)position,depressing thebrakepedalandengagingthe parkingbrake.Ifleavingthetractor unattended,alsoturntheignitionkeyoffandremovethekey.

Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhile backingupto avoida back-overaccident.

1. Movethethrottleleverintothe FAST(rabbit)position. NOTE=Alwaysoperatethetractorwiththethrottle/chokecontrol

leverin theFAST(rabbit)positionforthe mostefficientuseof the cuttingdeckorother(separatelyavailable)attachments.

2. Releasethe parkingbrakebydepressingthe parkingbrakepedal

3. Slowlymovethe speedcontrolleverindesired"F"forwardor "R" reverseposition.Thefurtherforwardorrearwardthatthe leveris

moved,thefasterthe tractorwilltravel.

DoNOTattemptto changethedirectionoftravelwhenthetractor is inmotion.Alwaysbringthetractorto a completestopbefore movingthespeedcontrolleverfromforwardto reverseorviceversa.

Failureto dosocouldresultinseriousdamagetoyourtractor's transmission.

IMPORTANT: First-timeoperatorsshoulduseslowerspeeds. Becomecompletelyfamiliarwiththetractor'soperationandcontrols

beforeoperatingthetractorin at higherspeed.

4. Tostop,movethe speedcontrolleverto the"N"neutralposition. IMPORTANT:inan suddensituation,fullydepressthe brake

pedaltobringthetractortoa stopandthenimmediatelymovethe speedcontrollevertothe"N"neutralposition

5. Settheparkingbrakebyfullydepressingthe parkingbrakepedal

and keepingitdepressedwhileplacingthe parkingbrakelever in theONposition.Releasetheparkingbrakepedaltoallowthe parkingbraketoengage.

If youstrikea foreignobject,stoptheengine,disconnectthespark plugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughlyinspectthe machinefor anydamage.Repairthedamagebeforerestartingand operating

1. Ifthe bladesareengaged,placethePTO(BladeEngage)leverin thedisengaged(OFF)position.

2. TurntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOPposition.

3. Removethe keyfromthe ignitionswitchto preventunintended starting.

DRIVING THE TRACTOR

Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedandsuddenstops.

Beforeleavingthe operator'spositionforanyreason,disengagethe blades,placethe speedcontrolleverin neutral,engagethe parking brake,shutengineoff andremovethekey.

IMPORTANT=Whenstoppingthetractorforanyreasonwhileona

grasssurface,always:

1. Placethespeedcontrolleverin N(neutral),

2. Engagethe parkingbrake,

3. Shutengineoffand removethe key. Doingsowillminimizethe possibilityof havingyourlawn"browned"by

hotexhaustfromyourtractor'srunningengine.

DRIVING ON SLOPES

RefertotheSLOPEGAUGEintheImportantSafeOperationPractices

sectionof themanualtohelpdetermineslopeswhereyoumayoperate thetractorsafely.

Donotmowon inclineswithaslopein excessof15degrees(arise ofapproximately2-1/2feetevery10feet).Thetractorcouldoverturn andcauseseriousinjury.

• Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross. Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirectionon slopes.

Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects. Uneventerraincouldoverturnthemachine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles. Avoidturnswhendrivingona slope.Ifaturnmustbemade,turn

downthe slope.Turningupa slopegreatlyincreasesthechance ofarollover.

Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.Ifit is necessaryto stop whiledrivingupa slope,startup smoothlyandcarefullytoreduce thepossibilityofflippingthetractoroverbackward.

ENGAGING THE BLADES

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

1. Movethe throttle/chokecontrolleverto theFAST(rabbit)position.

2. GraspthePTO(BladeEngage)leverandpivotitall theway forwardintothe engaged(ON)position.

3. Keepthethrottleleverinthe FAST(rabbit)positionforthe most efficientuseof thecuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)

attachments.

IMPORTANT: Inthe ReverseCautionModetheenginewillauto- maticallyshutoffifthePTOisengagedwiththespeedcontrollever inpositionfor reversetravelwiththeignitionkeyintheNORMAL MOWINGposition.

USING THE DECK LIFT LEVER

forthebalanceofcutting.Thiswillgivea betterappearanceto the

lawn.

• Donotcutthegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowth andyellowsquicklyindryweather.

• Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewiththeengineatfull throttle.

• Underheavierconditionsit maybe necessaryto go backoverthe

cut areaa secondtimetogeta cleancut.

• Do NOTattemptto mowheavybrushandweedsandextremely tallgrass.Yourtractorisdesignedtomowlawns,NOTclear

brush.

• Keepthe bladessharpand replacethebladeswhenworn.Refer to CuttingBladesintheServiceand Maintenencesectionof this

manualforproperbladesharpeninginstructions.

MOVING THE TRACTOR MANUALLY

Yourtractor'stransmissionisequippedwitha hydrostaticreliefvalve foroccasionswhenitisnecessaryto movethetractormanually. Activatingthisvalveforcesthefluidinthetransmissiontobypassits

normalroute,allowingthe reartiresto"freewheel."Toengagethe hydrostaticreliefvalve,proceedasfollows:

1. Locatethehydrostaticbypassrodinthe rearofthetractor.See Fig.10.

2. Pullthehydrostaticbypassrodoutward,thendownandtotheleft, to lockitinplace.

NOTE:Thetransmissionwill NOTengagewhenthehydrostatic bypassrodispulledout. Returnthe rodto itsnormalpositionpriorto

operatingthetractor.

IMPORTANT:Neverattempttomovethe tractormanuallywithout firstengagingthehydrostaticreliefvalve.Doingsowillresultinserious damageto thetractor'stransmission.

Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethedecklift levertothe left,thenplace itin thenotchbestsuitedforyourapplication.RefertoSettingThe CuttingHeightearlierinthis section.

MOWING

Tohelpavoidbladecontactor a thrownobjectinjury,keepbystand- ers,helpers,childrenandpetsatleast75feetfromthemachine whileit is inoperation.Stopmachineifanyoneentersthearea.

Thefollowinginformationwill behelpfulwhenusingthecuttingdeck withyourtractor:

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

Donotmowat highgroundspeed,especiallyifamulchkitor grasscollectoris installed.

Forbestresultsitis recommendedthatthefirsttwolapsbecut withthedischargethrowntowardsthecenter.Afterthefirsttwo laps,reversethedirectionto throwthe dischargetotheoutside

Figure 10

HEADLIGHTS

• Thelampsare ONwheneverthetractor'sengineis running.

• ThelampsturnOFFwhenthe ignitionkeyismovedtothe STOP

position.

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Beforeperforminganytypeof maintenance/service,disengageall controlsandstoptheengine.Waituntilallmovingpartshavecometo acompletestop.Disconnectsparkplugwireandgrounditagainstthe enginetopreventunintendedstarting.Alwayswearsafetyglassesduring operationor whileperforminganyadjustmentsor repairs.

BeforeEachUse

IntheFirstFiveHours Every10Hours

Every25 hours

Every50 hours

Annually

BeforeStorage

*Servicemorefrequentlyunderdustyconditions.

1. Engineoillevel

2. Mufflerareaandcontrols

3. Fingerguard

7. EngineOil

9. Hood/Dashairvents

10. Batteryterminals

11. Deckspindlesand idler bracket

15. Air filter'sprecleaner*

16. Air filter*

17. Midsteeringarms,pivot shafts,andaxles

18. Frontwheelbearings

19. Frontdeckwheels

25. Engineoil/Oil filter

26. Muffler

29. Air filter

30. Air filter'spre-cleaner

31. Sparkplug

32. Air coolingsystem*

33. Fuelfilter

34. SteeringGears

35. RearWheels

43. Hood/Dashairvents

44. Batteryterminals

45. Midsteeringarms,pivot shafts,andaxles

46. Frontwheelbearings

47. Frontdeckwheels

48. Deckspindlesand idler bracket

49. Pedalpivotpoints

4. Check

5. Clean

6. Clean

8. Change

12. Clean

13. Clean

14. Lubricate

20. Clean

21. Clean

22. Lubricate

23. Lubricate

24. Lubricate

27. Change/Replace

28. Check

36. Replace

37. Replace

38. Replace

39. Clean

40. Replace

41. Clean

42. Removeandgreaseaxles

50. Clean

51. Clean

52. Lubricate

53. Lubricate

54. Lubricate

55. Lubricate

56. Lubricate

Followthe maintenanceschedulegivenbelow.Thischartdescribes serviceguidelinesonly.UsetheServiceLogcolumntokeeptrack ofcompletedmaintenancetasks.Tolocate the nearest Parts&

RepairServiceCenteror to scheduleservice,simplycontact

1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

Beforeperforminganymaintenanceor repairs,disengagethePTO (BladeEngageLever),engagethe parkingbrake,stoptheengine

and removethekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

Iftheenginehasbeen recentlyrun,theengine,mufflerandsur- roundingmetalsurfaceswill behotand cancauseburnsto theskin.

Exercisecautiontoavoidburns.

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

Checking the Engine Oil Onlyuse highqualitydetergentoilratedwithAPIserviceclassification

SF,SG,SH,orSJ, Selecttheoil'sSAEviscositygradeaccordingto theexpectedoperatingtemperature.Followthe chartbelow.

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

usedabove32°ECheckyourengineoillevelmorefrequentlytoavoid possibleenginedamagefromrunninglowonoil.

('_older _ 32°F _War me'_r

Oil Viscosity Chart

Tochecktheengineoil,proceedasfollows:

• Ensurethatthetractorisona levelsurface.

• Cleantheoil fillareaofanydebris.

1. Removethedipstickandwipe withacleancloth.

2. Insertandtightendipstick.

3. Removethe dipstickandchecktheoil level.It shouldbeatthe Full markon thedipstick.SeeFigure11.

Dipstick-_

Changing Engine Oil

Theengineoilshouldbechangedinthe first5 hoursand thenevery 50 hoursoroncea season.Tochangetheengineoil, proceedas

follows:

1. WithengineOFFbutstillwarm,disconnectsparkplugwireand keepit awayfromsparkplug.

2. Removetheoilfillcap/dipstickfromtheoil filltube.SeeFigure11.

3. Turnthesteeringwheelallthewaytotherightto betterexpose thedrainplug.

4. Clipthe oildrainsleeve(packedwiththis manual)ontotheoil drainport. Routetheoppositeendofthesleeveintoanappropri- ateoilcollectioncontainerwitha capacitygreatenoughtocollect

theusedoil.

5. Removetheoildrainplug,Theoilwillbegintodrainout of the engine.

6. Afterthe oil hasfinisheddraining,replacetheoil drainplugand tighten.Becarefulnot to overtighten.

7. Removethe oildrainsleeveandstoreforlater use.

8. Refilltheenginewithnewmotoroil untilthe oil levelonthe dipstickreadsFULL.Replacetheoilfillcap/dipstick.

Usedoil isa hazardouswasteproduct.Disposeof usedoil properly. Donotdiscardwithhouseholdwaste.Checkwithyour localauthori-

ties oror contact1-800-4-MY-HOMEfor alist ofsafedisposal/

recyclingfacilities.

Changing the Oil Filter

1. Draintheoil fromtheengineasdescribedabove.

2. Removetheoilfilteranddisposeofproperly.See Figure12.

OilDrain

Valve

Oil Drain Sleeve

Figure11

Iflow,addoilslowlyintotheengineoilfill.Donotoverfill.Afteradding oil,waitoneminuteandthenrechecktheoil level.

Donotoverfill.Overfillingwithoil maycausetheenginetonotstart, hardstarting,orenginesmoking.IfovertheFULLmarkonthe dipstick,drainoil toreduceoil leveltoFULLmarkondipstick.

5. Replaceandtightendipstick.

0il Filter

Figure12

3. Beforeyouinstallthenewoilfilter,lightlylubricatetheoilfiltergasket withfresh,cleanoil.

4. Installtheoil filterbyhanduntilthegasketcontactstheoil filter adapter,then tightentheoilfilter 1/2to3/4 turns.

5. Addoil asdescribedabove.

6. Startand runtheengine.Astheenginewarmsup,checkforoil

leaks.

7. Stoptheengineandcheckthe oil level.ItshouldbeattheFULL markon thedipstick.

Fuel Filter

31osioncancausesevereburnsordeath.

4. Securethefuel lineswiththeclamps.

Iffilters,or coversare notinstalledcorrectlyseriousinjuryordeath

couldresultfrombackfire.Do notattemptto startthe enginewith themremoved.

• Keepgasolineawayfromsparks,openflames,pilotlights,heat, andotherignitionsources.

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

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltankasperthe instructionsbelow.

• Donotdrainfuelwhentheengineishot.Allowthe engine adequatetimetocool. Drainfuelintoan approvedcontainer outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

• Drainanylargevolumeof fuelfromthetankbydisconnectingthe fuellinefromthein-linefuelfilterneartheengine.

• RemovethefuellinefromtheIn-lineside(sidetowardsthefuel tank)of thefuel filter.

• Replacementpartsmustbethe sameand installedin thesame positionastheoriginalparts.

• Iffuel spills,waituntilitevaporatesbeforestartingengine.

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltank. Otherwisefuel canleakoutandcausea fireor explosion.

ToDrainthe fuel:

1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichis routedontheleftsideoftheeng=ne betweenthefueltankandthecarburetor,andmaybeattachedto theenginewitha tiestrap.Cutthetie strap,ifpresent,thenpinch thein-lineclamponthefuelfilterwitha pairof pliers,slidethe clampupthefuelline.Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterandplace theopenendof the lineintoanapprovedcontainerto drainthefuel.

Tochangethe fuel filter:

1. Useplierstosqueezethe tabsontheotherclamp(theout-line sideof thefuelfilter),thenslidethe clampawayfromthefuel filter. Twistandpullthefuellineoffof thefuelfilter.SeeFigure13.

2. Checkthefuel linesfor cracksor leaks.Replaceifnecessary.

3. Replacethefuelfilterwithanoriginalequipmentreplacementfilter. Call1-800-4-MY-HOME®topurchasetheoriginalequipment replacementfilter.

Donot usepressurizedair or solventstocleantheaircleaner

cartridge.

Air Cleaner

Theairfiltersystemusesacylindricalcartridge.

1. Removethefasteners(A)andtheairfiltercover(B).SeeFigure14.

2. Toremovethefilter(C),lifttheendofthefilterandthen pullthefilter off theintake(D).

3. Toloosendebris,gentlytapthefilteronahardsurface,ifthe filteris excessivelydirty,replacewitha newfilter.

Figure14

4. Installthefilterontheintake.Pushtheendofthefilterintothebaseas shown.Makesurefilterfitssecurelyinthebase.

5. installairfiltercoverandsecurewithfasteners.

Clamp

Fuel Line

Tab

... J

Figure13

Spark Plug

1. Cleanareaaroundthesparkplugbase.Donotsandblastspark plug,Sparkplugshouldbecleanedbyscrapingorwire brushing andwashingwitha commercialsolvent

Removeandinspectthesparkplug.Checkgap to makesureitis setat.030".SeeFigure15.

Electrode Porcelain

_.030 (.76 mm) gap

Figure15

3. Replacethesparkplug(Champion®RC12YC)oncea season.

Muffler

Temperatureof mufflerandnearbyengineareasmayexceed150°F

(65°0).Avoidcontactwiththeseareas.

• inspectmufflerperiodically,and replaceifnecessary.Replace- mentpartsforthemufflermustbethesameand installedinthe samepositionasthe originalparts.

Clean Engine

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

• Keepareaaroundandbehindmufflerfreeofany combustible debris.

• Keepingenginecleanallowsair movementaroundengine.

• Enginepartsshouldbe keptcleanto reducetheriskofoverheat-

ingandignitionofaccumulateddebris.

Donotusewatertocleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel system.Useabrushordrycloth.

Carburetor Adjustment

• Thecarburetoron thisengineisnot adjustable.

LUBRICATION

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

Pivot Points & Linkage Lubricateallthepivotpointsonthedrivesystem,parkingbrakeandlift

linkageatleastoncea seasonwithlightoil. Rear Wheels

Therearwheelsshouldberemovedfromtheaxlesoncea season.

Lubricatetheaxlesandthe rimswellwithan all-purposegreasebefore re-installingthem.

Front Axles

Eachendof thetractor'sfrontpivotbar maybeequippedwitha grease fitting.Lubricatewitha greasegunafterevery25hoursoftractor operation.

Battery Thebatteryissealedandismaintenance-free.Acidlevelscannotbe

checked.

• Alwayskeepthebatterycablesandterminalscleanandfreeof

corrosivebuild-up.

• Aftercleaningthebatteryandterminals,applya lightcoatof

petroleumjellyorgreasetobothterminals.

• Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositionedoverthepositiveterminal

to preventshorting.

IMPORTANT: If removingthebatteryforanyreason,disconnectthe

NEGATIVE(Black)wirefromitsterminalfirst,followedby the POSI- TIVE(Red)wire.Whenre-installingthebattery,alwaysconnectthe

POSITIVE(Red)wiretoits terminalfirst,followedbythe NEGATIVE

(Black)wire.Becertainthatthe wiresareconnectedtothecorrect terminals;reversingthemcouldchangethepolarityandresultin damageto yourengine'salternatingsystem.

Cleaning Battery

Cleanthebatteryby removingitfromthetractorandwashingwith a bakingsodaandwatersolution.Ifnecessary,scrapethe battery terminalswitha wirebrushto removedeposits.Coatterminalsand exposedwiringwithgreaseor petroleumjellyto preventcorrosion.

Battery Failures

Somecommoncausesfor batteryfailureare:

• incorrectinitialactivation

• Overcharging

• Freezing

• Undercharging

• Corrodedconnections

Thesefailuresare NOTcoveredbyyourtractor'swarranty.

CLEANING THE ENGINE AND DECK

Anyfuel oroil spilledonthemachineshouldbewipedoffpromptly.Do NOTallowdebristoaccumulatearoundthe coolingfinsoftheengine oron anyotherpartof themachine.

IMPORTANT: Theuseofa pressurewasherto cleanyourtractoris NOTrecommended.It maycausedamagetoelectricalcomponents, spindles,pulleys,bearingsortheengine.

A screwplugcanbefoundon yourtractor'sdecksurfaceas seenin Fig. 16.Thisplugcanbereplacedwithawaterporttobeusedas part ofaseparately-availabledeckwashsystem.

TheDeckWashSystemTM is usedto rinsegrassclippingsfromthe deck'sundersideandpreventthebuildupofcorrosivechemicals.

NOTE:Adeckwashsystemcanbepurchasedthroughtheretail locationinwhichyoupurchasedthistractor.Formoreinformation, simplycall 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

2. Measurethedistancefromthefrontofthe bladetiptotheground andthe rearofthebladetipto theground.Thefirstmeasure-

menttakenshouldbe between1A"and3A"lessthanthesecond measurement.Determinetheapproximatedistancenecessaryfor

properadjustmentandproceed,ifnecessary,to thenextstep.

3. Locatethe flangelocknutonthefrontsideofthe stabilizer bracket.SeeFig.17.

Tightentheflangelocknut toraisethefrontof thedeck; Loosentheflangelocknutto lowerthefrontof thedeck.

Figure16

ADJUSTMENTS

Neverattempttomakeanyadjustmentswhiletheengineis running, exceptwherespecifiedinthe operator'smanual.

Leveling the Deck NOTE: Checkthetractor'stirepressurebeforeperforminganydeck

levelingadjustments.Referto Tiresinthe Servicesectionofthis manualformoreinformationregardingtire pressure.

Front To Rear Thefrontofthe cuttingdeckissupportedby a stabilizerbarthatcan

beadjustedtolevelthe deckfromfronttorear.Thefrontofthedeck shouldbebetween1A-inchand3A-inchlowerthantherearofthedeck.

Adjustif necessaryas follows:

1. Withthetractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placetheleverfor liftingtheplatformon thesecondtothetopnotch(secondhighest position)androtatethebladeasclosetothedischargechannel thatisparalleltothetractor.

Figure17

Side to Side

Ifthecuttingdeckappearstobe mowingunevenly,a sideto side

adjustmentcan beperformed.Adjustifnecessaryas follows:

1. Withthetractorparkedonafirm,levelsurface,placethedeckliftlever in thesecondfromthetopnotch(secondhighestposition)and

rotatebothbladessothattheyare perpendicularwiththe tractor.

2. Measurethedistancefromtheoutsideof theleft bladetip tothe groundandthedistancefromthe outsideoftherightbladetip to theground.Bothmeasurementstakenshouldbeequal.Ifthey're not, proceedto thenextstep.

3. Loosen,but do NOTremove,thehexcap screwonthe leftdeck hangerbracket.SeeFig. 18.

4. Balancethedeckbyusinga wrenchtoturn theadjustmentgear (foundimmediatelybehindthehexcap screwjust loosened) clockwise/uporcounterclockwise/down.Thedeckisproperly balancedwhenbothbladetip measurementstakenearlierare equal.

5. Retightenthehexcapscrewon the left deck hangerbracket whenproperadjustmentisachieved.

He× Cap Screw

'_. ._

Figure18

Seat Adjustment RefertotheAssemblysectionofthismanualforseatadjustment

instructions. Parking Brake Adjustment

Neverattempttoadjustthe brakeswhiletheengineisrunning. AlwaysdisengagePTO,moveshift leverintoneutralposition,stop engineandremovekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

If thetractordoes notcometoacompletestopwhenthebrakepedal iscompletelydepressed,or ifthe tractor'srearwheelscanrollwiththe parkingbrakeapplied,thebrakeis in needofadjustment.Contactthe nearest SearsService Centerto haveyourbrakesproperlyadjusted.

TolocatethenearestParts&RepairServiceCenteror to schedule service,contact 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

CUTTING DECK REMOVAL

To remove the cutting deck, proceed as follows:

1. Placethe PTO(Blade Engage)leverin thedisengaged(OFF) positionandengagethe parkingbrake.

2. Lowerthedeckbymovingthedecklift lever intothe bottom notchon the rightfender.

3. Removetheself-tappingscrew(A)thatsecuresthebelt-keeper rodfromaroundthetractor'sPTOpulley,thenremovethe belt keeperrod(B). SeeFig. 19.

NOTE: Makea mentalnotewhatholetheotherendof the belt-keeper rodisinsertedinforreinstallationpurposes.

4. Removethebelt(C)fromaroundthetractor'sPTOpulley.See Fig.19.

Figure19

Lookingatthecuttingdeckfromtheleftsideof thetractor,locate

thebow-tiepinthat securesthedecksupportrodontherear

Idt sideofthedeck.SeeFig.20.Removethebow-tiepinthat securesthedecksupportrod,andcarefullyremovethedeck supportfromthedecklift arm.

Bow-TieClip

6. Repeatthe abovestepsonthetractor'srightside. NOTE:Thebow-tieclipsshouldbe re-installedfromthetopdown.

7. Movethedeckliftleverintothetopnotchontherightfendertoraise

thedecklift armsupandoutoftheway.

Avoidpinchinginjuries.Neverplaceyourfingersontheidlerspringor betweenthe beltanda pulleywhileremovingthe belt.

8. Removethebow-tiecotterpinsecuringthedeckstabilizerrodtothe deck.Slidethedeck lift rodfromthemountingbracketonthe deckasseenin Fig.21.

............./1;_,_......................... / ..............................

The recommended operating tire pressure is:

• Approximately10psi for thereartires

• Approximately14psi for thefronttires

IMPORTANT=Refertothe tiresidewallfor exacttiremanufacturer's recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot ovednflate.Uneventire pres-

surecould causethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.

BATTERY

CaliforniaProposition65 WARNING!Batteryposts,terminals,and

relatedaccessoriescontainleadandleadcompounds,chemicals knowntotheStateofCaliforniatocausecancerandreproductive harm.Washhandsafterhandling.

If removingthe battery,disconnecttheNEGATIVE(Black)wire

fromits terminalfirst,followedbythe POSITIVE(Red)wire.When

relinstallingthe battery,alwaysconnectthePOSITIVE(Red)wire to

Its termna f rst,fo owedby theNEGATVE (Back) wre.

JUMP STARTING

_,., j2

Figure21

CarefullyremovethePTOcablefromtherearofthecuttingdeck byremovingthebow-tiecotterpinwhichsecuresit.Removethe springfromthe deckidlerbracket.SeeFig.22.

PTOCable

_ J

Figure22

10. Gentlyslidethecuttingdeck(fromthe left side)outfrom underneaththetractor.

TIRES

Neverexceedthe maximuminflationpressureshownonthesidewall oftire.

Neverjump starta damagedorfrozenbattery.Becertainthevehicles

do nottouch,andignitionsareoff.Do notallowcable clampsto touch.

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

2. Connecttheotherendof thecableto the (positive+) postofthe jumperbattery.

3. Connectthesecondcable (negative-) totheotherpostofthe jumperbattery.

4. Connecttheotherendof thenegativecableto theengineblockof thetractor,awayfromthe battery.Attachtoanunpaintedpartto assurea goodconnection.

Ifthejumperbatteryis installedona vehicle(i.e.car,truck),do NOT startthe vehicle'senginewhenjumpstartingyourtractor.

5. Startthetractor(asinstructedearlierinthissectionofthismanual).

6. Setthetractor'sparkingbrakebeforeremovingthejumpercables, in reverseorderofconnection.

CHARGING

Batteries ina wellventilatedareaandkeepawayfroman openflameor pilot

ghtasonawaterheater,spaceheater,furnace,cothesdryeror |

othergas appliances.

Whenchargingyourtractor'sbattery,useonlya chargerdesignedfor I

12Vlead-acidbatteries.ReadyourbatterychargersOwners Manual priortochargingyourtractorsbattery.Alwaysfollowits instructions I

land heed ts warnngs. j

giveoffan explosivegaswhilecharging.ChargethebatteryI

If yourtractorhasnotbeenputintouseforanextendedperiodoftime, chargethebatteryas follows:

1. Setyourbatterychargertodelivera maxof 10amperes.

If yourbatterychargerisautomatic,chargethebatteryuntilthe chargerindicatesthatchargingiscomplete.Ifthechargeris not automatic,chargefor nofewerthaneighthours.

FUSE

One20AMPfuseisinstalledin yourtractor'swiringharnesstoprotect thetractor'selectricalsystemfromdamagecausedbyexcessive

amperage. If theelectricalsystemdoesnot function,or yourtractor'senginewill

notcrank,firstcheckto be certainthatthefusehasnotblown.It can befoundat the rearof theunit,underneaththefenderlocatedby the

battery.

Alwaysusea fusewiththesameamperagecapacityforreplacement.

CUTTING BLADES

Shutthe engineoff andremoveignitionkeybeforeremovingthe cuttingblade(s)forsharpeningor replacement.Protectyourhands byusingheavygloveswhengraspingtheblade.

Removethehexflangenutthatsecuresthebladetothespindle

assembly.SeeFig.23.

Toproperlysharpenthecuttingblades,removeequalamounts of metalfrombothendsofthebladesalongthe cuttingedges,

parallelto thetrailingedge,ata250.to 300angle.Alwaysgrind

eachcutting bladeedgeequallytomaintainproperbladebalance.

SeeFig.24.

Periodicallyinspectthebladeand/orspindleforcracksordamage, especiallyafter you'vestrucka foreignobject.Donotoperatethe machineuntil damagedcomponentsare replaced.

Toremovetheblades,proceedasfollows.

1. Removethedeckfrombeneaththetractor,(refertoCuttingDeck Removalearlierinthis section)thengentlyflipthedeckoverto exposeitsunderside.

2. Placeablockofwoodbetweenthecenterdeckhousingbaffleandthe cuttingbladeto act as a stabilizer. SeeFig.23.

Figure 24

Ifthecuttingedgeofthe bladehaspreviouslybeensharpened,or if

anymetalseparationis present,replacethebladeswithnewones.

A poorlybalancedbladewillcauseexcessivevibration,maycause damagetothetractorand/or resultin personalinjury.

5. Testtheblade'sbalanceusinga bladebalancer.Grindmetalfrom the heavysideuntil itbalancesevenly.

NOTE:Whenreplacingtheblade,be suretoinstallthebladewiththe sideof theblademarked"Bottom"(orwitha partnumberstampedin it)facingthegroundwhenthemowerisintheoperatingposition.

Usea torquewrenchtotightenthebladespindlehexflangenutto

between70Ibs-ftand 90Ibs-ft.

CHANGING THE DECK BELT

Besuretoshuttheengineoff, removeignitionkey,disconnectthe

Isparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheenginetopreventunin- ltendedstartingbeforeremovingthebelt.

All beltsonyourtractoraresubjecttowearandshouldbereplacedif anysignsof wearare present.

iMPORTANT:TheV-beltfoundonyourtractorisspeciallydesigned toengageanddisengagesafely.A substitute(non-OEM)V-beltcan bedangerousbynotdisengagingcompletely.Fora properworking machine,useidenticalequipmentbeltsas listedinthepartspagesof thisOperator'sManual.

Tochangeor replacethedeckbelt onyourtractor,proceedasfollows:

1. Removethe deckas instructedearlierinthis section.

2. Removethebeltcoversfromthespindlepulleysbyremovingthehex screwsthatfastenthecoversto thedeck.SeeFig.25.

3. Itmayalsobenecessarytoloosenthehexnutontheleftidlerpulleyto getthe beltoffthe pulleyandaroundthebeltguard.

4. Carefullyremovethedeckbeltfromaroundthetwospindlepulleysand thetwo deckidlerpulleys,SeeFig,25,

5. Toplacethenewbelt,beginbyroutingthebeltaroundthetwoouter spindlepulleysasshowninFig.25.

6. Thenroutethe beltaroundthetwodeckidlerpulleysasshownin Fig.25.

7. Retightenthe beltkeeperrodloosenedearlier.

8. Remountthebeltguardsremovedearlier,

9. Re-installthedeck,makingsurethebeltremainsroutedaroundthe pulleysasinstructed.ThecompletebeltroutingisshowninFig.

25,

10. Pulltherightsideofthebelt,andplacethenarrowV sideof thebelt intothe PTOpulley.

11. Whileholdingthe belt andpulleytogether,rotatethepulleyto the left.Continueholdingand rotatingthepulleyandbeltuntilthebelt is fullyrolledintothePTOpulley.

PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTMENT

Neverattempttoadjustthebrakeswhiletheengineis running.Always

disengagePTO(BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutral

position,stopengineandremovekeyto preventunintendedstarting.

Ifthe tractordoesnot cometoa completestopwhenthe clutch-brake pedaliscompletelydepressed,or ifthetractor'srearwheelscan roll withtheparkingbrakeapplied,the brakeis inneedofadjustment. Contactthenearest Parts & RepairService Centertohaveyour

brakesserviced.

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

CHANGING THE TRANSMiSSiON DRIVE

BELT

NOTE:Severalcomponentsmustberemovedandspecialtools(i.e. air/impactwrench)inordertochangethetractor'sdrivebelt.Contact the nearest Parts & RepairService Centerto haveyourtransmis-

siondrivebeltserviced. Tolocatethe nearestParts& RepairServiceCenteror to schedule

service, contact 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

Hex Washer Screws

Belt Guard

_ _oo Deckidier Pu,,ey

This portion of the belt routes around

the PTO Pulley

Belt Cover

Figure 25

Neverstorelawntractorwithfuelintankindoorsorin poorly ventilatedareaswherefuelfumesmayreachan openflame,spark, orpilotlightas ona furnace,waterheater,clothesdryer,or gas appliance.

PREPARING THE ENGINE

IMPORTANT:Fuelleftin thefuel tankduringwarmweatherdeterio-

ratesandwillcauseseriousstartingproblems.

Topreventgumdepositsfromforminginsidetheengine'scarburetor andcausingpossiblemalfunctionof theengine,thefuelsystemmust be eithercompletelyemptied,orthegasolinemustbe treatedwitha stabilizertopreventdeterioration.

1. Ifusingafuel stabilizer: a. Readtheproductmanufacturer'sinstructionsandrecom-

mendations.

b. Addto clean,freshgasolinethecorrectamountofstabilizer

forthecapacityof thefuelsystem.

c. Fillthefueltankwithtreatedfuelandruntheenginefor2-3

minutestogetstabilizedfuelintothe carburetor.

2. Ifemptyingthefuelsystem: a. Donot drainfuelwhenthe engineis hot.Allowtheengine

adequatetimeto cool.Drainfuelinto anapprovedcontainer outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

b. Drainanylargevolumeoffuelfromthetank bydisconnect-

ing thefuellinefromthein-linefuelfilterneartheengine. SeethecompleteinstructionsforDrainingTheFuellaterin

this section.

DRAiNiNG THE FUEL

1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichislocatedonthe leftsideofthe engine,andmaybe attachedtotheenginewitha tie strap.

2. Cutthetie strap,ifpresent,thenpinchthe in-lineclamponthe fuelfilterwitha pairofpliers,slidetheclampupthe fuelline.

3. Pullthefuel linefreefromthe filterandplacetheopenendofthe

lineintoanapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.

PREPARING THE LAWN TRACTOR

1. Cleanandlubricatetractorthoroughlyasdescribedinthelubrica- tioninstructions.

2. Donot usea pressurewasheror gardenhosetocleanyourunit.

3. Storemowerina dry,cleanarea. Do notstorenextto corrosive materials,suchas fertilizer.

Gasolineisextremelyflammableandcanbeexplosiveundercertain

conditions.Draingasolinebeforestoringtheequipmentfor extended

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

Storegasolineinan approvedcontainerinsafelocation.

c. Reconnectthefuellineandruntheengineuntilitstartsto

falter,thenusethechoketo keeptheenginerunninguntilall fuelinthecarburetorhasbeenexhausted.

d. Disconnectthefuel lineanddrainanyremaininggasoline

fromthesystem.

Gasolineisa toxicsubstance.Disposeofgasolineproperly.Contact

yourlocalauthoritiesforapproveddisposalmethods.

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

Enginefailstostart

1. PTO/BladeEngageleverengaged.

2. Parkingbrakenotengaged.

3. Sparkplugwire(s)disconnected.

4. Throttlecontrollevernotin correctstarting position.

5. Chokenotactivated

6. Fueltankempty,or stalefuel.

7. Blockedfuelline.

8. Faultysparkplug(s).

9. Engineflooded.

Enginerunserratically

1. UnitrunningwithCHOKEactivated.

2. Sparkplugwire(s)loose.

3. Blockedfuellineor stalefuel.

4. Ventingascapplugged.

5. Waterordirt in fuelsystem.

6. Dirtyair cleaner.

Engineoverheats 1. Engineoillevellow. 1.

2. Airflowrestricted. 2.

Enginehesitatesat highRPM 1. Sparkpluggaptoo close. 1. Engineidles rough 1. Sparkplugfouled,faultyorgaptoowide. 1.

2. Dirtyair cleaner. 2.

Excessivevibration

1. Cuttingbladelooseor unbalanced.

2. Damagedorbentcuttingblade.

Mowerwill notmulchgrass

1. Enginespeedtoolow.

2. Wetgrass.

3. Excessivelyhighgrass.

4. Dullblade.

Unevencut

1. Decknotleveledproperly.

2. Dullblade.

3. Uneventirepressure.

1. Placeleverindisengaged(OFF)position.

2. Engageparkingbrake.

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

4. Placethrottleleverto FASTposition.

5. PulltheCHOKEcontroloutward.

6. Filltankwithclean,fresh(lessthan30 daysold) gas.

7. Replacethefuellineandreplacefuelfilter.

8. Clean,adjustgapor replaceplug(s).

9. Crankenginewiththrottlein FASTposition.

1. PushCHOKEcontrolin.

2. Connectsparkplugwire(s).

3. Replacethefuelline;filltankwithclean,fresh gasolineandreplacefuelfilter.

4. Clearventor replacecapif damaged.

5. Drainfueltank. Refillwithclean,freshgasoline.

6. Replaceaircleanerpaperelementor cleanfoam pre-cleaner,ifequipped.

Fillcrankcasewithproperamountandweightof oil. Cleangrassclippingsanddebrisfromaroundthe

engine'scoolingfinsandhousing. Removesparkplugandresetthe gap. Replacesparkplug.Set pluggap.

Replaceair cleanerelementand/orcleanpre- cleaner.

1. Tightenbladeandspindle.

2. Replaceblade.

1. Placethrottlein FAST(rabbit)position.

2. Donotmulchwhengrassis wet.

3. Mowonceata highcuttingheight,thenmowagain atdesiredheightor makea narrowercuttingswath.

4. Sharpenorreplaceblade.

1. Performside-to-sidedeckadjustment.

2. Sharpenorreplaceblade.

3. Checktirepressureinallfourtires.

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