Craftsman 247375590 Owner’s Manual

YaRD'MaN:)/(

OPERATOR'S MANUAL

21" Self-Propelled

Mulching Mower Model No.

247.375590

Fa_ow No. 12A-559K402

IMPORTANT: READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-

covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land unless the engine's exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting

applicable local or state laws (if any). tf a spark attester is used, it should be maintained in effec_we working order by the operator.

In the State of California the above is required by law (Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code). Other states may have similar laws. Federal laws apply on federal lands. A spark arrester for the muffler is available through your nearest engine authorized service dealer or contact the service department, P.O. Box 368022 Cleveland, Ohio 44136-9722.

MTD PRODUCTS INC. P.O. BOX 368022 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44136-9722

PRINTED IN U.S.A, FORM NO. 770-10212

(11/98)

SECTION 1: FINDING MODEL NUMBER

This owner's guide is an important part of your new Yard-Man lawn mower. It will help you to assemble, prepare and maintain your mower. Please read and understand what it says.

Before you start assembling the mower for its first use, please locate its model plate and copy the information on to this owner's guide. The information on the model plate is very important if you need help from your nearest service

center or the Yard-Man customer support department.

• Every mower has a model plate. You can locate it by standing behind the unit in the operating position and looking down at the cutting deck. An example of the model plate is shown below.

This is where mower model number will be.

This is where mower serial number will be.

Copy the model number here:

Copy the serial number here:

SECTION 2: CALLING CUSTOMER SUPPORT

• LOCATE YOUR MODEL NUMBER AND SERIAL NUMBER -- Record this information in the space provided, To find your unit's specific model number and serial number, see SECTION 1: FINDING YOUR

MODEL NUMBER.

• If you are having difficulty assembling this product or if you have any questions regarding the controls,

operation or maintenance of this unit, please call the Customer Support Department.

• Customer Support can be reached by dialing: 1- (330) 220-4MTD

(4683)

1- (800)-800-7310

• Please have your model number and serial number ready when you call.

• Although both numbers are important, you willbe asked to enter only your aerial number before your call can

be processed.

SECTION 3: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES

WARNING: THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF

NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF

YOURSELF AND OTHERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL

BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR LAWN MOWER. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH

THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL,

HEED ITS WARNING.

WARNING: The Engine Exhaust from this product contains chemicals known to

the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

DANGER: Your lawn mower was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in

this manual. As with any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury. This lawn mower is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing

objects. Failure to observe the following safety instructions could result in sedous injury or death.

1. GENERAL OPERATION

• Read this operator's manual carefully in its entirety °

before attempting to assemble this machine. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the

machine and in the manual(s) before operation, Be

completely familiar with the controls and the proper •

use of this machine before operating it. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and regular reference and for ordering replacement pads.

• Your rotary mower is a precision piece of power

equipment, not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme caution at all times, Your unit has been

designed to perform one job: to mow grass. Do not use itfor any other purpose.

• Never allow children under 14 years old to operate a power mower. Children 14 years old and over should only operate mower under close parental supervision. Only responsible individuals who are familiar with these rules of safe operation should be allowed to use your mower.

• Keep the area of operation clear of all persons, particularly small children and pets. Stop engine when they are in the vicinity of your mower to help prevent blade contact or thrown object injury. Although the area of operation should be completely cleared of foreign objects, an object

may have been ovedooked and could be accidentally thrown by the mower in any direction

and cause serious personal injury to the operator or any others allowed in the area.

• Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close- fitting slacks and shirts. Shirts and pants that cover

the arms and legs and steel-toed shoes are recommended. Do not wear loose fitting clothes or

jewelry. They can be caught in moving parts, Never operate a unit in bare feet, sandals, slippery or light

weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.

Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles duringoperationor whileperformingan adjustment

or repair, to protect eyes from foreign objects that may be thrown from the machine inany direction.

Thoroughlyinspectthe area where the equipment is to be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire,

bones, toys and otherforeign objectswhich could be picked up and thrown by the mower in any directionand cause serious personalinjuryto the operatoror any others allowed in the area. Plan yourmowingpatternto avoiddischargeof material toward roads, sidewalks,bystandersand the like. To help avoid a thrown objects injury, keep children,bystandersand helpers at least 75 feet

from themowerwhileitis inoperation.

Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating parts. Keep clear of discharge opening at all times

asthe rotatingbladecancauseinjury.

Many injudes occur as a result of the mower being pulled over the foot during a fall. Do not hang on to

the mower if you are falling; release the handle

immediately. Never pull the mower toward you while you are

walking. If you must back the mower away from a wall or obstruction first look down and behind, and

then follow these steps:

• Step back from the mower to fully extend your arms.

• Be sure you are well balanced with sure footing.

• Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way toward you.

• Repeat these steps as needed.

• Do not operate the mower while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

• Do not engage the self-propelled mechanism on units so equipped while starting engine.

• The blade control handle is a safety device. Never attempt to bypass its operation. Doing so makes

the safety device inoperative and may result in

personal injury through contact with the rotating blade. The blade control handle must operate

easily in both directions and automatically return to the disengaged position when released,

• Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be

sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal injury. Keep a firm hold on the

handle and walk, never run. tf you feel you are

losing your footing, RELEASE THE BLADE

CONTROL HANDLE IMMEDIATELY and the blade will stop rotating within three seconds.

• Mow only in daylight or good artificial light.

• Stop the blade when crossinggraveldrives, walks or roads.

• If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally,

stop the engine and check immediately for the cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.

• Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to a complete stop before removing the grass catcher or unclogging the chute. The cutting blade

continues to rotate for a few seconds after the

engine is shut off. Never place any part of the body

in the blade area until you an_ sure the blade has stopped rotating.

• Never operate mower without proper guards, grass catcher, plates or other safety protective devices in place.

• Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a

bum. Do not touch.

• Only use accessories approved for this machine by

the manufacturer. Read, understand, and follow all instructions provided with the approved accessory.

• If situations occur which are not covered in this manual,usecare andgoodjudgment. Contactyour

dealerfor assistance.

2. SLOPE OPERATION

For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this manual to measure slopes before operating this unit

on a sloped or hilly area, If the slope is greater than !5 degrees as shown on the slope gauge, do not operate this unit on that area or serious injury could result.

DO:

• Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down. Exercise extreme caution when changing direction

on slopes.

• Always be sure of your footing. A slip end fall can cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are

losing your balance release the blade control handle immediately and the blade will stop in less than 3 seconds.

• Watch for holes, ruts, hidden objects, or bumps.

Tall grass can hide obstacles.

DO NOT:

• DO not mow near drep-offs, ditches or embankments. The operator could lose footing or

balance.

• Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on the slope gauge.

• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced footingcould

causeslipping.

3. CHILDREN

Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the

presence of children. Children are often attracted to the mower and the mowing activity. Never assume that

children will remain where you last saw them,

• Keep childrenout of the mowingarea and under the watchfulcare ofa responsibleadultotherthan

theoperator.

• Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the

area.

• Before and while moving backwards, look behind and down for small children or other objects.

• Never allow childrenunder age 14 to operate the

mower. Children 14 years of age and above

should read and understand the operation instructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanual.

• Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,

shrubs, trees, or other objects that may obscure your vision of a child or hazard.

4. SERVICE

• Use extreme care in handling gasoline and other fuels. They are extremely flammable and the

vapors are explosive.

• Use onlyan approvedgasolinecontainer.

• Never removegascapor add fuel whilethe engine is running. Allow engine to cool at least two

minutes before refueling.

• Replace gasoline cap securely and wipe off any

spilled gasoline before starting the engine as it may cause a fire or explosion.

• Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources of ignition.

• Never refuel machine indoors because flammable

vapors will accumulate in the area.

• Never store the machine or fuel container inside where there is an open flame or spark such as a

gas water heater, space heater, or furnace.

• Never run an engine inside a closed area.

• To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass, leaves, or other debds build-up, Clean up oil or fuel

spillage. Allow mower to cool at least 5 minutes

before storing.

• Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make

certain the blade and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect the spark plug wire, and keep the wire away from the spark plug to prevent accidental starling.

• Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect blade for damage (e.g., bent, cracked or worn). Replace with blade which meets

original equipment specifications listed in this manual.

• Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment is in safe working condition.

• Never tamper with safety devices. Check their

properoperationregularly.

• After strikinga foreign object, stop the engine,

remove the wire from the spark plug, and

read,understandand foUowthe warningsand instructions inthismanual and onthe machine.

WARNING - YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: Restrictthe use of this power machineto personswho

thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage.

Repair the damage before starting and operating the mower.

Never attempt to make a wheel or cuttingheight adjustmentwhilethe engineis running.

Grass catcher components are subject to wear, damage and deterioration, which could expose

moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For

safety protection, frequently check components and

replace with manufacturer's recommended parts, when necessary.

Mower blades are sharp and can cut. Wrap the blade(s) or wear gloves, and use extra caution

when servicing them.

Do not change the engine governor setting or

overspeed the engine. Excessive engine speeds are dangerous.

DANGER

.,|

15o

WARNING

Do not mow on inclines with a slope in excess of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). A riding mower

could overturn and cause serious injury. If operating a walk-behind mower on such a slope, it is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip, resulting in serious injury.

Operate RIDING mowers up and down slopes, never across the face of slopes.

SECTION 5: UNPACKING

Removing Unit From Carton

• Remove staples, break glue on top flaps, or cuttape at carton end and peel along top flap to open

carton.

• Remove loose parts if included with unit (i.e., owner's manual, etc.).

• Cut along dotted lines and lay carton down flat. Remove packing material.

• Roll or slide unit out of carton. Check carton thoroughly for loose parts.

NOTE: Make sure not to crimp the cables while removing the loose parts or the entire unit from the carton. NOTE: Reference to rightor left hand side of the mower and/or front orbehind the mower is observed from

the operating position.

SECTION 6: SETTING UP MOWER

Tools Required

• Pair of Pliers

• Funnel

• Set of adjustable wrenches

Disconnecting Spark Plug

• Before setting up your lawn mower, disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug, and ground

it against the engine. See Figure 1.

• Attach the spark plug wire to a bolt on the engine to ground it. Spark Plug _[ I /

Wire

sperkP,o0

II!1/1 1111!//

FIGURE 1

Assembling Handle

• Remove grass bag from the unit and set it out of the way. See Figure 2 (step 1),

2. Lift lower handle

1. Move bag away

3. Lift upper handle

FIGURE 2

• Raise the lower handle in the direction shown in Figure 2 (step 2) till it snaps into place.

• Raise the upper handle in the direction shown in Figure 2 (step 3). Tighten the wing nuts which are already on the handle. See Figure 3A.

Note: Make sure to route the cables inside the lower handle. Also do not crimp the cables while lifting the handle up.

• For shipping purposes, the hairpin clip is placed in the outer hole of the weld pin on the lower

handle. Remove the hairpin clip from the outer hole of the weld pin.

• Using a pair of pliers, insert the hairpin clip into the inner hole in the weld pin. Repeat on other side.

See Figure 3B,

• Attach the cables to the lower handle with the two cable ties already on the lower handle. Pull tight the cable ties and cut off the extra. See Figure 3C below.

Ipper Handle

Lower Handle

Tighten wing nut

Move hairpin clip to this hole

Lower Handle

FIGURE 3

Cable Tie

Attaching Starter Rope

The rope guide is already attached tothe right side of the upper handle of your mower. See Figure 4.

• With the spark plug wire disconnected and grounded, hold the blade control handle against the

upper handle, and pull the starter rope out of the engine.

• Slip the rope through the rope guide as shown below. Tighten the wing nut holdingthe rope guide

to the upper handle.

Recoil Wing Nut

Starte_

UpperHandle

Rope_'uide

Lower Handle

FIGURE 4

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