Craftsman 247.38824 User Manual

Owner’s Manual

19” Mulching/Rear Discharge

PUSH LAWN MOWER

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Model No.

247.388240

CAUTION: Before using this product,

read this manual and follow all Safety
Rules and Operating Instructions.

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Sears, Roebuck & Co., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179, U.S.A.

Printed in U.S.A. 770-10185A

(1/99)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Content Page

Warranty Information ................................... 2

Safe Operation Practices.............................3

Slope Gauge...................... ........... ......... ......6

Assembly ..................................................... 7

Operation..................................................... 9

Maintenance..................................................12

Content Page

Service & Adjustment..................................... 15

Storage..........................................................17

Trouble-Shooting...........................................19

Parts List........................................................20

Espanól.......................................................... 26

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Two-Year Warranty on Craftsman Lawn Mower

For two years from the date of purchase, when this Craftsman lawn mower is maintained, lubricated , and tuned
up according to the instructions in the owner’s manual, Sears will repair, free of charge, any defect s in material or
workmanship. If this lawn mower is used for commercial or rental purposes, this warranty applies for only 90 days
from the date of purchase.

This warranty does not cover:

1. Expendable items which become worn during normal use, such as rotary mower blades, blade adapters,
belts, air cleaners and spark plug.

2. Repairs necessary because of operator abuse or negligence, including bent crankshafts and the failure t o
maintain equipment according to the instructions contained in the owner’s manual.

WARRANTY SERVICE IS AVAILABLE BY RETURNING THE CRAFTSMAN LAWN MOWER TO THE
NEAREST SEARS SERVICE CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS WARRANTY APPLIES ONLY WHILE
THIS PRODUCT IS IN USE IN THE UNITED STATES.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state t o state.

Sears, Roebuck And Co., D/817WA, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

ACCESSORIES

These accessorie s were
available when the lawn
mower was purchased. They
are also availab le at most
Sears retail outl ets, an d
service centers. Most Sears
stores can order repair parts
for you when you pr ovide the
model number of your l awn
mower.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Horsepower: 4.0
Engine Oil 21 oz. SAE 30 oil
Fuel Capacity: 1.5 quarts
Spark Plug J19LM

Spark Plug

Engine Oil

Stabilizer

Gap .030 inches

Muffler

Gas Can

Safety
Glasses

Please record model number, serial number, and
date of purchase here for future reference. You will
find this information on the model plate located on
the cutting deck of your mower.

Model Number .........................................................

Serial Number...........................................................

Date of Purchase ......................................................

Wheels

Blade

Grass Catcher

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SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES

This symbol points out important safety instructions which, if not followed, could endanger the per-

sonal 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.

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

DANGER:

This unit is equi pped with a n internal combusti on engine a nd shoul d not be used o n or near an y unimpr oved
forest-cove red, bru sh-cov ered or gr ass-co vered l and unle ss the eng ine’s exha ust syst em is equi pped wit h a
spark arreste r meetin g applica ble lo cal or sta te law s (if any) . If a sp ark arre ster i s used, it should be
maintained in ef fective w orking ord er by the operator .

In the State of Ca liforni a the ab ove is requ ired by la w (Sectio n 4442 of t he Calif ornia Publ ic Reso urces
Code). Other stat es may have s imilar laws. Federa l laws ap ply on fede ral lands . A spark arrester f or the
muffler is available through your nearest Sears Authorized Service Center (See the REPAIR PARTS section
of this manual. )

WARNING: The engine exhaust fr om this pro duct con tains ch emicals known to the State of C alifor nia to

cause cancer, bi rth defect s or oth er reprod uctive ha rm.

manual. As with any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator
can result in se rious injury. If you violate any of these rules, you ma y ca use seri ous injury t o

yourself or others.

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GENERAL OPERATION

• Read this owner’s guide carefully in its entirety
before attemptin g to asse mble this machine .
Read, understan d, and fo llow all instru ctions o n
the machine and in t he manual(s ) before
operation. Be completely familiar with the controls
and the proper use o f this machi ne befor e
operating it. K eep this ma nual in a sa fe plac e for
future and regul ar refer ence, and fo r orderi ng
replacement par ts.

• Your rotary mower is a precisi on piece of power
equipment, not a playthi ng. There fore, exer cise
extreme caution at all ti mes. Your un it has bee n
designed to perform on e job: to mow gras s. Do not
use it for any othe r purpose.

• Never allow chi ldren u nder 14 yea rs ol d to operat e
a power mower. Child ren 14 year s old and ov er
should only opera te mower u nder close parental
supervision. O nly resp onsibl e indivi duals wh o 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 ch ildren an d pets. St op engin e
when they are in the vicini ty of your mower to h elp
prevent blade cont act or thr own obje ct injury .
Although the area of operat ion shoul d be
completely cl eared of f oreign obj ects, an object
may have been overlo oked and coul d be
accidentally thrown by the mower in any direction
and cause serio us personal injury to the ope rator
or any others al lowed in t he area.

• Thoroughly inspect the area w here the e quipment
is to be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire,
bones, toys and ot her forei gn obje cts which could
be picked up and thr own by th e mower in any
direction and ca use serio us perso nal inju ry to th e
operator or any ot hers allow ed in the ar ea. Plan
your mowing patt ern to avoid di scharge o f materi al
toward roads, side walks, b ystanders and the li ke.
To help avoid a thrown object’s injury, keep
children, byst anders and helpers at least 75 feet
from the mower while it is in operation.

• Always wear safe ty glas ses or sa fety go ggles
during operati on or while performing a n adjustment
or repair, to pr otect eye s from fo reign ob jects th at
may be thrown from the machine i n any direc tion.

• Wear sturdy, rough -soled wo rk shoes and close ­fitting slac ks and shirt s. Shirts and pants that cover
the arms and legs and steel-t oed shoes are
recommended. Do no t wear loos e fitti ng clo thes or
jewelry. They ca n be caught in moving pa rts. Never
operate a unit in bar e feet, sandals , slippery or li ght
weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.

• Do not put hands or fee t near or under rotat ing
parts. Keep cle ar of disc harge open ing at all times
as the rotatin g blade can cause inj ury.

• Many injuries occu r as a res ult of the mower being
pulled over the f oot during a fall. D o not hang on to
the mower if you are falling; release t he handl e
immediately.

• Never pull the mower toward you while you are
walking. If you mu st back the mower away from a

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wall or obstr uction fir st look down and behind, and
then follow these s teps:
a. Step back from the mower to fully extend your

arms.

b. Be sure you are wel l balanc ed with su re

footing.

c. Pull the mower back slowly, n o more than half

way toward yo u.

d. Repeat these step s as neede d.

• Do not operate the mo wer while un der the
influence of a lcohol o r drugs.

• Do not engage the se lf-pro pelled mec hanism on
units so equipped while st arting en gine.

• The blade control handle is a safety devi ce. Never
attempt to bypas s its ope ration . Doing so makes
the safety devic e inope rative and may result in
personal injury through contac t with th e rotatin g
blade. The blade con trol handl e must oper ate
easily in both dir ections and automati cally re turn
to the disengaged po siti on when rel eased.

• Never operate t he mower in w et grass. Al ways be
sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause
serious person al injur y. Keep a f irm hold on the
handle and walk, n ever run. I f you feel you are
losing your foot ing, RELEASE THE BLADE
CONTROL HANDLE IMMEDIATLE Y and the
blade will stop rotating within three seconds.

• Mow only in dayli ght or good ar tific ial li ght.

• Stop the blade when crossing gravel dri ves, walks

or roads.

• If the equipme nt should s tart to vibrate
abnormally, sto p the engine and chec k
immediately fo r the cause. Vibration is generally a
warning of troubl e.

• Shut the engine of f and wait until t he blade comes
to a complete stop b efore remo ving t he grass
catcher or unclog ging the chute. The cutti ng
blade continues to rotate for a few seconds after
the engine is shut off. Nev er place any part of the
body in the blade ar ea until you are sure the blade
has stopped rota ting.

• Never operate mowe r without pr oper guard s,
grass catcher, pl ates or other safe ty prot ective
devices in pl ace.

• Muffler and eng ine become h ot and can cau se a
burn. Do not touch.

• Do not adjust the throttle control with the engine
running.

• Only use access ories app roved fo r this machine
by the manufactu rer. Rea d, underst and, and
follow all instructions provided with the approved
accessory.

• If situations occur which are not covered in this
manual, use care and g ood judg ment. Cont act
your dealer for assistance.

Slope Operation

For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of
this manual to measure slopes before operating this unit on
a slope or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees

as shown on the slope gauge (page 6), do not operate this
unit on that area or serious injury could result.

DO:

• Mow across the face of slopes ; never u p and
down. Exercise ex treme ca ution when changi ng
direction on slop es.

• Watch for holes, ruts, hi dden object s, or bu mps.
Tall grass can hide obstacle s.

• Always be sure of yo ur footi ng. A sl ip and fal l can
cause serious per sonal in jury. If you feel you are
losing your balanc e relea se the blad e contro l
handle immediately and the blade will stop in less
than 3 seconds.

• ON MODELS WITH CASTER WHEELS: Lock
both front wheel s so they do not pi vot whil e
mowing on the face of slopes. To turn t he mower,
depress the handle and raise t he front wheels
slightly.

DO NOT:

• Do not mow near drop-of fs, dit ches or
embankments. The oper ator cou ld lose foot ing or
balance.

• Do not mow slopes gr eater th an 15 degre es as
shown on the slope g auge.

• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced foo ting coul d
cause slipping.

• ON MOWERS WITH CASTER WHEELS: Do Not
mow on slopes with c asters unlo cked sinc e the
mower has a tendency to drift down hill.

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 children out of the mowing area and und er
the watchful care of a responsible adult ot her than
the operator.

• Be alert and turn mow er off if a child en ters th e
area.

• Before and while mov ing back wards, l ook behind
and down for small children or other objects.

• Never allow childr en under ag e 14 to oper ate the
mower. Children 14 years of ag e and abov e
should read and under stand t he operat ion
instructions and safety rules in this manual.

• Use extreme care when ap proachi ng blind
corners, shrub s, tree s, or ot her object s that ma y
obscure your vis ion of a child or h azard.

Service

• Use extreme care in han dling gas oline and other
fuels. They are ex tremely f lammabl e and the
vapors are explosi ve.

• Use only an approve d gasolin e contain er.

• Never remove gas cap or add fuel while t he

engine is runnin g. Allow e ngine to cool at l east
two minutes befor e refueli ng.

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• Replace gasoline cap secure ly and wi pe off any
spilled gasoline before starting the engine as it
may cause a fire or explos ion.

• Extinguish all c igaret tes, cigar s, pip es and other
sources of ignit ion.

• Never refuel machine indoors because flammabl e
vapors will accumulate in the area.

• Never store the mac hine or fue l cont ainer ins ide
where there is an open fla me or sp ark such as a
gas water heater, space he ater, or furnace.

• Never run an engine inside a c losed area .

• To reduce fire ha zard, k eep mower fre e of gras s,

leaves, or othe r debris bui ld-up. Clean up oi l or
fuel spillage. Allow mower to cool at least 5
minutes before s toring.

• Before cleaning, repair ing, or in spectin g, make
certain the bl ade and all moving pa rts have
stopped. Disconn ect the spark plug wire, and
keep the wire away fr om the spark plug to prevent
accidental st arting.

• Check the blade an d engine moun ting bolt s at
frequent int ervals f or proper tightn ess. Al so,
visually ins pect blad e for damag e (e.g., bent,
cracked or worn). Replace with bl ade which
meets original equipme nt specif icati ons liste d in
this manual.

• Keep all nuts, bolts, an d screws t ight to be sure
the equipment is in safe working condition.

• Never tamper with safety devices. Check their
proper operation regularly.

• After striking a foreig n object, stop th e engine,
remove the wire fr om the spar k plug, an d
thoroughly insp ect the mower for any damage.
Repair the damage bef ore sta rting and o perati ng
the mower.

• Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height
adjustment while the engi ne is runni ng.

• Grass catcher comp onents ar e subje ct to wear ,
damage and deteriora tion, which coul d expose
moving parts or al low object s to be thro wn. For
safety protec tion, fr equen tly chec k compone nts
and replace with manufactur er’s reco mmended
parts, when necessary.

• Mower blades are shar p and can c ut. Wrap t he
blade(s) or wear gloves, and use extr a caution
when servicing th em.

• Do not change the en gine gover nor sett ing or
overspeed the eng ine. Exc essive engine spee ds
are dangerous.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Restrict the use of this power machine to
persons who read , understand and follow the
warnings and instructions in this manual and
on the machine.

Following are representations of the safety labels on your lawn mower. Maintain safety wh ile operating the mower.
Please have the part number ready when re-ordering safety labels.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

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SLOPE GUAGE

USE THIS PAGE AS A GUIDE TO DETERMINE SLOPES WHERE YOU MAY NOT
OPERATE SAFELY:

Operate R

Operate WALK-BEHIND

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

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

is extremely difficult to maintain your footing and you could slip, resulting in serious in

jury.

Do not mow on i nclines with a s lope in e xcess of 15 deg

A riding mower could ov erturn and cause serious injury. If operating a

rees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet e very 10 feet).

walk-behind mow er on such a slope, it

WARNING

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A CORNER OF A BUILDING

SIGHT AND HOLD THIS LEVEL WITH A VERTICAL TREE

A POWER POLE

15°

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OR A FENCE POST

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ASSEMBLY

Removing Unit From Carton

• Remove staples, break glue on top flaps, or cut
tape 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 unit out of

carton. Check carton thoroughly for loose parts.

Note: Make sure not to crimp the cable while
removing loose parts or the unit from the carton.

IMPORTANT: This unit is shipped without gasoline
or oil in the engine. Be certain to service engine with

gasoline and oil before operating your mower.

NOTE: Reference to right or left hand side of the
mower and/or front or behind the mower is observed
from the operating position.

Loose Parts

a. Owner’s Manual
b. A Bottle of Engine Oil
c. Parts for Grass Bag: Frame, Bag
d. Discharge Chute

Tools Required

a. Pair of Pliers
b. Funnel

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 rubber boot to a bolt on the engine to
ground as shown below.

Spark Plug
Wire

Rubber Boot

Spark Plug

B

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. See Figure 3.

Hairpin
Clip

Weld Pin

• Using a pair of pliers, insert the hairpin clip into
the inner hole in the weld pin. See Figure 3.
Repeat on other side.

• Raise the upper handle in the direction B shown
in Figure 2. Tighten the wing nuts which are
already on the handle.

• Attach control cable to the lower handle with the
cable tie already on the lower handle. Pull tight
the cable tie and cut off extra. See Figure 4.

Upper Handle

A

Lower Handle

Figure 2

Lower
Handle

Outer Hole on

Weld Pin

Figure 3

Cable Tie

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Figure 1

Assembling Handle

• Raise lower handle in direction A shown in
Figure 2. It should snap into place.

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

Figure 4

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Attaching Starter Rope

The rope guide is already attached to the right si de of
the upper handle of your mower. See Figure 5.

• With the spark plug wire disconnected and

grounded, hold the blade control handle against the
upper handle, and pull starter rope out of the engine.

• Slip the rope through the rope guide as shown in

Figure 5. Tighten the wing nut holding the rope
guide to the upper handle.

Recoil
Starter

Rope
Guide

Wing Nut

• Place bag over frame (black plastic side is the
bottom of bag). Slip the openings in the side of
the plastic channel on bag over the hooks on the
grass catcher frame.

• Secure bag to frame by working the plastic
channels on bag over frame as shown in Figure

7. All of the plastic channels except center top of
bag attach from the outside of bag. Center top of
bag attaches from the inside of bag.

Hook

Figure 5

Attaching Discharge Chute

• There is a groove 2” from the left end of the r od.
Bend and snap off approximately 2” of the rod
with a pair of vise grips. See Figure 6.

• Insert push cap, provided with the chute ro d,
onto the end of the rod which you just snapped
off. Tap on with a hammer. See Figure 6.

Groove

Rear Discharge
Door

Chute
Rod

Push
Cap

Discharge
Chute

Figure 6

• To attach discharge chute: Lift the discharge
door and place the ends of the chute rod into
the slot on each handle bracket assembly.
Release the rear discharge door.

• To remove discharge chute: Lift the rear
discharge door of the mower. Lift the discharge
chute up and outwards and pull it out of the
slots on the handle b racket assemblies.
Release the rear discharge door.

Assembling Grass Catcher

NOTE: Make certain bag is turned right side out

before assembling (warning label will be on the
outside).

Frame

Grass

Bag

Channels

Figure 7

Attaching Grass Catcher to Mower

• Lift the chute door on the mower. Remove the
mulching plug or the discharge chute. See

Figure 8.

Mulching
Plug

Figure 8

• Holding the grass bag firmly, place the bag on
the mower as shown in Figure 9.

Hook

Grass Catcher

Slot

Figure 9

• Place hooks, located on two sides of the grass
catcher frame, in the slots on the handle
brackets. See Figure 9. Release the chute
door.

Warning: Never operate the mower unless
the grass catcher frame is firmly seated on
the chute door pivot rod, and the rear
discharge door rests firmly on top of the
grass catcher.

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Plastic