MTD 13A277SS299 Owner’s Manual
perator's
I:RnFrSMRN°
LAWN TRACTOR
7 Speed, Shift-on=the=Go
42" Deck
Model No. 247.288870
• Espanol, P. 61
This product has a low emission engine which operates differently
from previously built engines. Before you start the engine, read and
understand this Operator's Manual.
For answers to your questions about
Before using this equipment,
read this manual and follow
all safety rules and operating
instructions.
Sears Brands Management Corporation, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 U.S.A.
Visit our website: www.craftsman.com FormNo.769-08537
this product, call:
1-800=659=5917
CraftsmanTractorHelpLine
7 am =7 pm CT, Mort. =Sun.
(November26,2012)
Warranty Statement .......................................................... 2
Safety Instructions ............................................................ 3
Slope Gauge ..................................................................... 8
Assembly ........................................................................... 9
Operation ........................................................................ 11
Service and Maintenance .............................................. 17
Off-Season Storage ........................................................ 27
Trou bleshooting .............................................................. 28
Labels ............................................................................. 29
Parts List ......................................................................... 30
Espafiol ............................................................................ 61
Service Numbers ............................................. Back Cover
CRAFTSMAN FULL WARRANTY
FORTWOYEARSfromthedateofpurchase,all non-expendablepartsofthis ridingequipmentarewarrantedagainstanydefectsin materialor
workmanship.Adefectivenon-expendablepartwill receivefreein-homerepairorreplacementif repairisunavailable.
BATTERYLIMITEDWARRANTY
FOR90 DAYSfromthe dateofpurchase,thebattery(an expendablepart)ofthis ridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialor
workmanship.Anewbatterywillbesuppliedfreeof charge.Youareresponsibleforthelaborcostof batteryinstallation.
ADDITIONALLIMITEDWARRANTIES
Inthe followingadditionalwarranties,youare responsibleforthe laborcostof partinstallationafterthe secondyearfromthedateof purchase.
FORFIVEYEARSfromthedateof purchase,theframeof this ridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialorworkmanship.A
newframewill be suppliedfreeof charge.
FORTENYEARSfromthe dateofpurchase,thefrontaxleof thisridingequipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsin materialorworkmanship.
A newfrontaxlewill be suppliedfreeofcharge.
FORASLONGASIT ISUSEDbytheoriginalownerafterthetenthyearfromthedateofpurchase,thecastironfrontaxle(ifequipped)ofthisriding
equipmentiswarrantedagainstanydefectsinmaterialorworkmanship.Withproofofpurchase,a newcastironfrontaxlewillbesuppliedfreeofcharge.
WARRANTYSERVICE
Forwarrantycoveragedetailsto obtainfreerepairor replacement,call 1-800-659-5917orvisitthewebsite: www.craftsman.com
Inallcasesabove,if part repairor replacementis impossible,theridingequipmentwillbe replacedfree ofchargewiththesameor anequivalent
model.
Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageisvoidif thisridingequipmentis everusedwhileprovidingcommercialservicesorif rentedtoanotherperson.
ThiswarrantycoversONLYdefectsin materialandworkmanship.WarrantycoveragedoesNOTinclude:
• Expendableparts(exceptbattery)thatcanwearoutfromnormalusewithinthe warrantyperiod,includingbutnotlimitedto blades,spark
plugs,air cleaners,belts,andoil filters.
Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,ortune-ups.
Tirereplacementor repaircausedbypuncturesfromoutsideobjects,suchasnails,thorns,stumps,orglass.
• Tireor wheelreplacementor repairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,orimproperoperationor maintenance.
Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatorabuse,includingbutnot limitedtodamagecausedbytowingobjectsbeyondthecapabilityofthe
ridingequipment,impactingobjectsthatbendtheframe,axleassemblyorcrankshaft,or over-speedingtheengine.
• Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecausedbyimproper
storage,failureto usethepropergradeandamountofengineoil, failuretokeepthedeckclearofflammabledebris,orfailureto maintainthe
ridingequipmentaccordingto theinstructionscontainedintheoperator'smanual.
• Engine(fuelsystem)cleaningorrepairscausedbyfueldeterminedto becontaminatedoroxidized(stale).Ingeneral,fuelshouldbeused
within30 daysof itspurchasedate.
• Normaldeteriorationandwearoftheexteriorfinishes,orproductlabelreplacement.
Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalso haveotherrightswhichvaryfromstateto state.
Sears BrandsManagement Corporation, Hoffman Estates,IL 60179
Model Number:
EngineOil: SAE30 Serial Number:
Fuel: UnleadedGasoline Dateof Purchase:
SparkPlug: F6RTC(951-10292) Recordthe modelnumber,serialnumber,
anddateof purchaseabove.
© SearsBrands,LLC 2
Thissymbolpointsout importantsafetyinstructionswhich,if not
followed,couldendangerthepersonalsafetyand/orpropertyof
yourselfandothers. Readandfollowallinstructionsin thismanual
beforeattemptingtooperatethismachine.Failuretocomplywith
theseinstructionsmayresultin personalinjury.Whenyou seethis
symbol,HEEDITSWARNING!
Thismachinewasbuilttobeoperatedaccordingtothe safeopera-
tionpracticesinthis manual.Aswithanytypeof powerequipment,
carelessnessorerroron the partofthe operatorcanresultin serious
injury.Thismachineiscapableofamputatingfingers,hands,toes
andfeetandthrowingdebris.Failuretoobservethefollowingsafety
instructionscouldresultin seriousinjuryor death.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65
EngineExhaust,someof itsconstituents,andcertainvehicle
componentscontainoremitchemicalsknowntoStateof California
tocausecancerandbirthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm.
Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainleadand
leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato
causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.
GENERAL OPERATION
• Read,understand,andfollowall instructionson themachineand
in themanual(s)beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate.
Keepthis manualina safeplaceforfutureand regularreference
andfororderingreplacementparts.
• Befamiliarwithall controlsandtheirproperoperation.Knowhow
tostopthemachineanddisengagethemquickly.
• Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldtooperatethismachine.
Children14yearsoldandovershouldreadandunderstandthe
operationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanualandshould
betrainedandsupervisedbyaparent.
• Neverallowadultsto operatethismachinewithoutproper
instruction.
• Tohelpavoidbladecontactor athrownobjectinjury,keep
bystanders,helpers,childrenandpetsatleast75feetfromthe
machinewhile itisin operation.Stopmachineifanyoneenters
thearea.
• Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentisto be used.
Removeallstones,sticks,wire,bones,toys,andotherforeign
objectswhichcouldbe pickedupandthrownby the blade(s).
Thrownobjectscancauseseriouspersonalinjury.
• Planyourmowingpatternto avoiddischargeofmaterialtoward
roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthelike.Also,avoiddischarg-
ingmaterialagainstawallorobstructionwhichmaycause
dischargedmaterialto ricochetbacktowardthe operator.
Your Responsibility--Restricttheuse of thispowermachineto
personswhoread,understandandfollowthewarningsandinstruc-
tionsin thismanualandon the machine.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
• Alwayswearsafetyglassesorsafetygogglesduringoperation
andwhileperformingan adjustmentorrepairto protectyoureyes.
Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancauseseriousinjurytothe
eyes.
• Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fittingslacksand
shirts.Loosefittingclothesandjewelrycanbe caughtinmovable
parts.Neveroperatethismachineinbarefeetorsandals.
• Beawareofthemowerandattachmentdischargedirectionand
do notpointit at anyone.Donotoperatethemowerwithoutthe
dischargecoverorentiregrasscatcherin its properplace.
Donot puthandsorfeetnearrotatingpartsor underthe cutting
deck.Contactwiththe blade(s)canamputatehandsandfeet.
A missingordamageddischargecovercancausebladecontact
or thrownobjectinjuries.
• Stoptheblade(s)whencrossinggraveldrives,walks,orroads
andwhilenotcuttinggrass.
• Watchfor trafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.This
machineis notintendedforuseonanypublic roadway.
• Donot operatethemachinewhileundertheinfluenceofalcohol
or drugs.
• Mowonlyindaylightorgoodartificiallight.
Nevercarrypassengers.
• Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftingintoreverse.Backup slowly.
Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackingtoavoida
back-overaccident.
3
• Slowdownbeforeturning.Operatethemachinesmoothly.Avoid
erraticoperationandexcessivespeed.
Disengageblade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengineandwaituntil
theblade(s)cometoa completestopbeforeremovinggrass
catcher,emptyinggrass,uncloggingchute,removinganygrassor
debris,or makinganyadjustments.
Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.Alwaysturnoff
blade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengineandremovekeybefore
dismounting.
Useextracarewhenloadingorunloadingthemachineintoa
trailerortruck.Thismachineshouldnotbedrivenupor down
ramp(s),becausethemachinecouldtip over,causingserious
personalinjury.Themachinemustbe pushedmanuallyon
ramp(s)to loador unloadproperly.
Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcancausea burn.Donot
touch.
Checkoverheadclearancescarefullybeforedrivingunderlow
hangingtree branches,wires,dooropeningsetc.,wherethe
operatormaybestruckor pulledfromthemachine,whichcould
resultinseriousinjury.
Disengageallattachmentclutchesanddepressthebrakepedal
completelybeforeattemptingto startengine.
Yourmachineisdesignedto cutnormalresidentialgrassofa
heightnomorethan10".Donot attemptto mowthroughunusually
tall,drygrass(e.g.,pasture)orpiles ofdryleaves.Drygrassor
leavesmaycontacttheengineexhaustand/orbuilduponthe
mowerdeckpresentinga potentialfirehazard.
Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedfor this machine
bythe machinemanufacturer.Read,understandandfollowall
instructionsprovidedwiththe approvedaccessoryorattachment.
Fora list ofapprovedaccessoriesandattachments,call 1-800-
659-5917.
Dataindicatesthatoperators,age60yearsandabove,are
involvedin a largepercentageofridingmower-relatedinjuries.
Theseoperatorsshouldevaluatetheirabilityto operatetheriding
mowersafelyenoughto protectthemselvesandothersfrom
seriousinjury.
If situationsoccurwhicharenotcoveredinthismanual,usecare
andgoodjudgment.
SLOPE OPERATION
Slopesarea majorfactorrelatedtolossof controlandtip-over
accidentswhichcanresultinsevereinjuryor death.Allslopesrequire
extracaution.Ifyoucannotbackuptheslopeor if youfeeluneasyon
it, do notmowit.
Foryoursafety,usetheSlopeGuideincludedaspartofthis manual
to measureslopesbeforeoperatingthismachineona slopedor hilly
area.Iftheslopeisgreaterthan15degreesasshownonthe Slope
Guide,do notoperatethis machineonthatareaor seriousinjurycould
result.
Do:
o
Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exerciseextremecaution
whenchangingdirectionon slopes.
• Watchfor holes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orother hiddenobjects.
Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide
obstacles.
Useslowspeed.Choosea lowenoughspeedsettingsothat
youwill nothaveto stopor shiftwhileon the slope.Tiresmay
losetractionon slopeseventhoughthe brakesarefunctioning
properly.Alwayskeepmachineingearwhengoingdownslopes
totakeadvantageof enginebrakingaction.
• Followthe manufacturer'srecommendationsforwheelweightsor
counterweightsto improvestability.
Useextracarewithgrasscatchersor otherattachments.These
canchangethestabilityofthe machine.
Keepallmovementontheslopesslowandgradual.Donotmake
suddenchangesinspeedor direction.Rapidengagementor
brakingcouldcausethefrontofthe machinetolift andrapidlyflip
overbackwardswhichcouldcauseseriousinjury.
• Avoidstartingorstoppingona slope.Iftireslosetraction,disen-
gagetheblade(s)andproceedslowlystraightdownthe slope.
DoNot:
• Donot turnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turnslowlyand
graduallydownhill,ifpossible.
• Donot mowneardrop-offs,ditchesor embankments.Themower
couldsuddenlyturnoverifa wheelis overtheedgeof a cliff,
ditch,or ifan edgecavesin.
• Donot try tostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfooton the
ground.
• Donot usea grasscatcheronsteepslopes.
• Donot mowon wetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.
• Donot attempttocoastdownhill.Over-speedingmaycausethe
operatortolosecontrolofthe machineresultinginseriousinjury
or death.
• Donot towheavypull behindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart,
lawnroller,etc.)on slopesgreaterthan5 degrees.Whengoing
downhill,theextraweighttendstopushthe tractorandmay
causeyouto loosecontrol(e.g.tractormayspeedup,brakingand
steeringabilityarereduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcause
tractorto overturn).
4
CHILDREN
Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheoperatorisnotalerttothe presence
ofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedtothemachineandthe mowing
activity.Theydo notunderstandthedangers.Neverassumethat
childrenwillremainwhereyoulastsawthem.
• Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaand inwatchfulcare of a
responsibleadultotherthantheoperator.
• Bealertandturnmachineoff ifa childentersthe area.
• Beforeandwhilebacking,lookbehindanddownforsmall
children.
Nevercarrychildren,evenwiththeblade(s)shutoff.Theymay
falloffandbe seriouslyinjuredorinterferewithsafemachine
operation.
• Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,doorways,
shrubs,treesorotherobjectsthatmayblockyourvisionof a child
whomayrunintothe machine.
Toavoidback-overaccidents,alwaysdisengagethe cutting
blade(s)beforeshiftingintoReverse.Ifequipped,the"Reverse
CautionMode"(bladesoperatewhilemachineridesinreverse)
shouldnotbe usedwhenchildrenor othersarearound.
Keepchildrenawayfromhotor runningengines.Theycansuffer
burnsfroma hotmuffler.
• Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedtopreventunauthorized
operation.
Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethismachine.
Children14andovershouldreadandunderstandthe instructionsand
safeoperationpracticesinthismanualandon the machineandshould
betrainedandsupervisedbyanadult.
TOWING
Towonlywitha machinethathasahitchdesignedfortowing.Do
notattachtowedequipmentexceptatthehitchpoint.
Followthemanufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfor
towedequipmentandtowingonslopes.
Neverallowchildrenor othersinoron towedequipment.
Onslopes,theweightof thetowedequipmentmaycauselossof
tractionandlossof control.
Alwaysuseextracautionwhentowingwithamachinecapableof
makingtightturns(e.g."zero-turn"ride-onmower). Makewide
turnstoavoidjack-knifing.
Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop.
Donotcoastdownhill.
SERVICE
SafeHandlingof Gasoline
Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamageuseextremecarein
handlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremelyflammableandthevaporsare
explosive.Seriouspersonalinjurycanoccurwhengasolineisspilled
on yourselforyourclotheswhichcanignite.Washyourskinand
changeclothesimmediately.
• Useonlyanapprovedgasolinecontainer.
Neverfill containersinsidea vehicleoron a truckortrailerbed
witha plasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainerson thegroundaway
fromyourvehiclebeforefilling.
Whenpractical,removegas-poweredequipmentfromthe truck
or trailerandrefueliton theground.Ifthis isnotpossible,then
refuelsuchequipmentona trailerwitha portablecontainer,rather
thanfroma gasolinedispensernozzle.
Keepthenozzleincontactwiththerim ofthefueltankor
containeropeningat all timesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Donot use
a nozzlelock-opendevice.
Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersourcesof
ignition.
• Neverfuel machineindoors.
Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhilethe engineis hotorrun-
ning.Allowengineto coolat leasttwominutesbeforerefueling.
Neveroverfillfueltank. Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow
bottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.
• Replacegasolinecapandtightensecurely.
• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeitoff theengineandequipment.Move
machineto anotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe
engine.
• Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefree ofgrass,leaves,or
otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanup oilor fuelspillageandremoveany
fuelsoakeddebris.
• Neverstorethemachineorfuelcontainerinsidewherethereisan
openflame,sparkor pilotlight as ona waterheater,spaceheater,
furnace,clothesdryeror othergasappliances.
Allowa machineto coolatleastfiveminutesbeforestoring.
GeneralService
• Neverrunanengineindoorsorinapoorlyventilatedarea.Engine
exhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,anodorless,anddeadlygas.
• Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspecting,makecertainthe
blade(s)andallmovingpartshavestopped.Disconnectthespark
plugwireandgroundagainsttheenginetopreventunintended
starting.
• Periodicallychecktomakesurethebladescometocomplete
stopwithinapproximately(5)fivesecondsafteroperatingthe
bladedisengagementcontrol.Ifthebladesdonotstopwithinthe
thistimeframe,yourmachineshouldbeservicedprofessionally
byaSearsorotherqualifiedservicedealer.
• Checkbrakeoperationfrequentlyasitissubjectedtowearduring
normaloperation.Adjustandserviceasrequired.
• Checktheblade(s)andenginemountingboltsatfrequent
intervalsforpropertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade(s)
fordamage(e.g.,excessivewear,bent,cracked).Replacethe
blade(s)withtheoriginalequipmentmanufacturer's(O.E.M.)
blade(s)only,listedinthismanual.Useofpartswhichdonot
meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmayleadtoimproper
performanceandcompromisesafety!
• Mowerbladesaresharp.Wrapthebladeorweargloves,anduse
extracautionwhenservicingthem.
• Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstighttobesuretheequipmentis
insafeworkingcondition.
• Nevertamperwiththesafetyinterlocksystemor othersafety
devices.Checktheirproperoperationregularly.
• Afterstrikingaforeignobject,stoptheengine,disconnectthe
sparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughly
inspectthemachineforanydamage.Repairthedamagebefore
startingandoperating.
• Neverattempttomakeadjustmentsor repairstothemachine
whilethe engineis running.
• Grasscatchercomponentsandthedischargecoverare subject
towearanddamagewhichcouldexposemovingpartsor allow
objectsto bethrown.Forsafetyprotection,frequentlycheck
componentsand replaceimmediatelywithoriginalequipment
manufacturer's(O.E.M.)partsonly,listedinthis manual.Useof
partswhichdo not meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmay
leadtoimproperperformanceandcompromisesafety!
• Donot changetheenginegovernorsettingsorover-speedthe
engine.Thegovernorcontrolsthe maximumsafeoperatingspeed
ofthe engine.
Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as necessary.
• Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsfor gas,oil, etc.to
protecttheenvironment.
• Accordingto the ConsumerProductsSafetyCommission(CPSC)
andthe U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),thisproduct
hasanAverageUsefulLifeofseven(7)years,or 270hours
ofoperation.AttheendoftheAverageUsefulLife,buy anew
machineor havethemachineinspectedannuallybya Searsor
otherqualifiedservicedealerto ensurethatall mechanicaland
safetysystemsareworkingproperlyandnot wornexcessively.
Failuretodosocanresultinaccidents,injuriesor death.
DO NOT MODIFY ENGINE
Toavoid seriousinjuryor death,do notmodifyengineinanyway.
Tamperingwiththe governorsettingcanleadtoa runawayengineand
causeittooperateat unsafespeeds.Nevertamperwithfactorysetting
ofenginegovernor.
NOTICE REGARDING EMISSIONS
Engineswhicharecertifiedto complywithCaliforniaandfederal
EPAemissionregulationsfor SORE(SmallOffRoadEquipment)are
certifiedto operateonregularunleadedgasoline,andmayinclude
thefollowingemissioncontrolsystems:EngineModification(EM)and
ThreeWayCatalyst(TWO)if so equipped.
SPARK ARRESTOR
Thismachineisequippedwithan internalcombustionengineand
shouldnot beusedonor nearanyunimprovedforest-covered,
brushcoveredor grass-coveredlandunlesstheengine'sexhaust
systemisequippedwitha sparkarrestormeetingapplicablelocalor
statelaws(if any).
Ifa sparkarrestoris used,it shouldbemaintainedin effectiveworking
orderbytheoperator.IntheStateof Californiatheaboveis required
bylaw (Section4442of the CaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Other
statesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.
A sparkarrestorforthemuffleris availablethroughyournearestSears
PartsandRepairServiceCenter.
6
SAFETY SYMBOLS
Thispagedepictsanddescribessafetysymbolsthatmayappearonthis product.Read,understand,andfollowallinstructionson the machine
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.
O
DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES
Always look down and behind before and while backing to avoid a back-over accident.
WARNING-- ROTATING BLADES
Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck. Contact with the blade(s) can
amputate hands and feet.
A
WARNING--THROWN OBJECTS
This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.
WARNING--THROWN OBJECTS
This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.
BYSTANDERS
Keep bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in operation.
WARNING-- SLOPE OPERATION
Do not operate this machine on a slope greater than 15 degrees.
WARNING-- HOT SURFACE
Engine parts, especially the muffler, become extremely hot during operation. Allow engine and
muffler to cool before touching.
DANGER- ROTATING BLADES
To reduce the risk of injury, keep hands and feet away. Do not operate unless discharge cover or grass
catcher is in its proper place. If damaged, replace immediately.
7
15° Slope
15° Slope
X
(OK)
'_. _ Figure1
(TOO STEEP)
Figure2
15°
dashedline
USETHISSLOPEGAUGETODETERMINE
IFA SLOPEISTOOSTEEPFORSAFEOPERATION!
Tochecktheslope,proceedasfollows:
1. Removethis pageandfold alongthe dashedline.
2. Locatea verticalobject onor behindthe slope (e.g.a pole,building,fence, tree,etc.)
3. Align eithersideof theslopegaugewith theobject(SeeFigure1and Figure2 ).
4. Adjust gaugeupor downuntil the left cornertouchestheslope (SeeFigure1and Figure2).
5.
If thereisagap belowthegauge,theslopeis too steepfor safeoperation(SeeFigure2 above).
Slopesare a majorfactor relatedto tip-over androll-over accidents whichcan resultin severe injuryor death.Do not operatemachine on slopes
in excess of 15degrees.All slopesrequire extra caution. Ifyou cannotback up theslope orif you feeluneasyon it, do not mow it.
Always mowup and down theface ofslopes, never mowacrossthe faceof slopes.
IM PORTANT: Yourtractorisshippedwith motoroil intheengine.However,
youMUSTchecktheoillevelbeforeoperating.Referto theService& Maintenance
sectionforinstructionsoncheckingtheoillevel.
Attaching the Battery Cables
Shipping BraceRemoval
Makesurethe ridingmower'sengineisoff, removethe ignition key,and
settheparkingbrakebefore removingtheshippingbrace.Referto the
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65
Batteryposts,terminals, andrelatedaccessoriescontainleadandlead
compounds,chemicalsknown to the Stateof Californiato causecancerand
reproductiveharm.Washhandsafter handling.
Whenattachingbatterycables,alwaysconnectthe POSITIVE(Red)wire to its
terminalfirst, followed bythe NEGATIVE(Black)wire.
Forshippingreasons,bothbatterycablesonyourequipmentmayhavebeenleft
disconnectedfromtheterminalsat thefactory.Toconnectthe batterycables,
proceedasfollows:
NOTE:ThepositivebatteryterminalismarkedPos.(+).Thenegativebattery
terminalismarkedNeg.(-).
I. Removetheplasticcover,ifpresent,fromthepositivebatteryterminaland
attachtheredcabletothepositivebatteryterminal(+) with theboltand
hexnut.SeeFigureI.
2. Removetheplasticcover,ifpresent,fromthenegativebatteryterminaland
attachtheblackcabletothenegativebatteryterminal(-) withtheboltand
hexnut.SeeFigure1.
f
Operatonsectonfor nstructonson howto setthe parkng brake.
Locatetheshippingbrace,if present,andaccompanyingwarningtagfound
ontherightsideofthemower,betweenthedischargechutedeflectorand
thecuttingdeck.SeeFigure2.
Figure2
Placethedecklift leverinthehighestcutting position.Referto Settingthe
CuttingHeightintheOperationsectionofthismanual.
Whilepushingthedischargechutedeflectortowardsthemachinewithyourleft
hand,removetheshippingbracewithyourrighthandbygraspingitbetweenyour
thumbandindexfingerandrotatingitclockwise.
/
7"
/"
J
/
Figure1
3. Positionthe redrubberbootoverthepositivebatteryterminalto help
protectitfromcorrosion.
NOTE:Ifthe batteryisput intoserviceafterthedateshownontopof battery,
chargethe batteryasinstructedin theService&MaintenancesectionoftNs
manualpriortooperatingthetractor.
Theshippingbrace,usedforpackagingpurposesonly,must beremovedand
discardedbeforeoperatingyourriding mower.
Themowingdeckiscapableof throwing objects.Failuretooperatethe
ridingmowerwithout the dischargecoverinthe properoperatingposition
coud resut n setous persona njuryand/or property damage.
Attaching TheSteeringWheel
J
Ifthesteeringwheelforyourtractordidnotcomeattached,thehardwarefor
attachingithasbeenpackedwithinthesteeringwheel,beneaththesteeringwheel
cap.Carefullypryoffthe steeringwheelcapandremovethehardware.
I. Withthewheelsofthetractorpointingstraightforward,placethesteering
wheeloverthesteeringshaft.
2. Placethewasher(withthecuppedsidedown)overthesteeringwheeland
securewith thehexbolt.SeeFigure3.
9
F
\
Figure3
3.
Placethesteeringwheelcapoverthecenterofthesteeringwheeland
pushdownwarduntilit"clicks"intoplace.
Attaching TheSeat
Iftheseatforyourtractorwasnotattachedat thefactory,refertothefollowing
steps.
NOTE:Forshippingreasons,seatsareeitherfastenedtothetractorseat'spivot
bracketwith a plastictie,ormountedbackwardtothepivotbracket.Ineithercase,
freetheseatfromitsshippingpositionandremovetheadjustmentknobfromthe
bottomofseatbeforeproceedingwith theinstructionsbelow.
1. Asalreadyinstructed,removetheseatadjustmentknobinstalledbythe
factoryin thebottomoftheseat.See"a"inFigure4.
Slidetheseatrearwardin theseatpivotbracket(c),liningupthecenter
rearslotinthepivotbracketwith theremainingholeintheseat'sbase.See
FigureS.
Note:Becertainthetwo seattabsengaugethepivotbracketasshownin
thebottominsetof Figure5.
Figure5
4. Selectdesiredpositionfortheseat,andsecurewith theadjustmentknob
removedearlier(dinFigure5).
5. Toadjustthepositionof theseat,removetheadjustmentknobonthe
bottomof theseat.Slidetheseatforwardor backwardasdesired.Reinstall
theadjustmentknob.SeeFigure5.
TirePressure
®
Figure4
2.
Aligntheseatovertheseatpivotbracketasshownin Figure4andfit the
seatontothepivotbracketinsertingthetwotabsontheseatbottominto
theslotsonthepivotbracket.
Maximumtire pressureunderanycircumstancesis30psi.Equaltire pressure
shouldbe maintainedatall times.Neverexceedthemaximum inflation
)ressureshownonthe sidewallof the tire.
Therecommendedoperatingtirepressureis:
Approximately10psiforthereartires
Approximately14psiforthefronttires
IMPORTANT: Refertothetire sidewallforexacttire manufacturer's
recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinflate.Uneventire
pressurecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.
10
H
A
c)
D
(3
F
Figure6
A SpeedControlLever/ ParkingBrakeLever
B Throttle/chokecontrollever
C IgnitionSwitch
D DeckLiftLever
E PTOLever(BladeEngage)
F CupHolder
G ShiftLever
H Clutch-BrakePedal
NOTE:AnyreferenceinthismanualtotheRIGHTorLEFTsideofthetractorisobservedfromoperator'sseatpositionfacingforward
towardsthefrontof tractor.
MeetsANSISafety Standards
CraftsmanTractorsconformtothesafetystandardoftheAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).
11
E
SpeedControlLever
Thespeedcontrollever,locatedontheleftsideofthetractor's
dashconsole,allowsyoutoregulatethegroundspeedof thelawn
tractor.Touse,depressthedutch-brakepedalandmovethelever
outofthe parkingbrakenotchandforwardtoincreasethetractor's
groundspeed.Whenadesiredspeedhasbeenreached,releasethe
leverintoanappropriatenotchtomaintainthatspeed.
Toslowthetractor'sgroundspeed,depressthedutch-brakepedal
andmovethespeedcontrolleverrearwardandreleaseit intoa
notch.
Parking Brake
Tosettheparkingbrake,fully depresstheclutch-brakepedal.Move
thespeedcontrolleverallthewaydownandintothe parkingbrake
position.Releasetheclutch-brakepedaltoallowtheparkingbrake
toengage.
Toreleasetheparkingbrake,depressthedutch-brakepedalandmovethespeed
controlleveroutofthenotchesto thedesiredposition.Releasethespeedcontrol
leverandthedutch-brakepedal.
NOTE:Theparkingbrakemustbesetif theoperatorleavestheseatwith theengine
runningortheenginewill automaticallyshutoff.
0
7_
2-
1=
((D)
PARK
BRAKE
Throttle/Choke ControlLever
Thethrottle/chokecontrolleverislocatedon therightsideofthe
tractor'sdashpanel.This[evercontrolsthespeedoftheengine
andwhenpushedallthewayforward,thechokecontrolalso.
Whensetinagivenposition,thethrottlewill maintainauniform
enginespeed.
IMPORTANT:Whenoperatingthetractorwiththecuttingdeck
engaged,thethrottle/chokecontrollevermustalwaysbeinthe
FAST(rabbit)position.
Ignition Switch
Thekeyswitch
moduleisusedto
startandstopthe
engine.Insertkey
intothekeyswitch
moduleandturnclockwiseto the
STARTposition.Releasethekeyinto
thenormalmowingpositiononce
enginehasstarted.Theheadlightswill
beactivatedautomatically.
Tostoptheengine,turntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOPposition.
IMPORTANT:Priortooperatingthetractor,refertoboththe"SafetyInterlock
System"and"StartingTheEngine"laterinthissectionof thismanualfordetailed
instructionsregardingthe IgnitionSwitchModule.
Shift Lever
Theshiftleverislocatedontheleftside
ofthefenderandhasthreepositions,
FORWARD,NEUTRALandREVERSE.The
clutch-brakepedalmustbedepressed
andthetractormustnotbeinmotion
whenthemovingshift lever.
IMPORTANT:Neverforcetheshiftlever.
Doingsomayresultin
seriousdamageto thetractor's
transmission.
DeckLift Lever
Foundonyourtractor'srightfender,thedecklift leverisusedto changetheheight
ofthecuttingdeck.Touse,movethelevertotheleft, thenplaceinthe notchbest
suitedforyourapplication.
PTO(Blade Engage)Lever
Foundonthetractor'srightfender,thePTO(bladeengage)lever
isusedto engagepowertothecuttingdeckorother(separately
available)attachments.Tooperate,movetheleveralltheway
forward.Movingthe leverallthewayrearwardintothe PTOOFF
positiondisengagespowertothecuttingdeck/attachment.
NOTE:ThePTO(bladeengage)levermustbein thedisengaged(PTO
OFF)positionwhenstartingtheengine.
CupHolder
Thetractor'scupholderislocatedonthefendertotheleftof the
seat.
SeatAdjustment Knob
Theseatadjustmentknobislocatedonthebottomsideoftheseat.
Usethisknobtoadjusttheseatforwardorrearwardto acomfortable
operatingpositionbylooseningtheknob,positioningtheseatto the
desiredpreference,thenretighteningtheknob.
Clutch-BrakePedal
Theclutch-brakepedalislocatedontheleftsideofthelawntractor,alongthe
runningboard.Depresstheclutch-brakepedalpartwaydownwhenslowingthe
tractorbychangingspeeds(Referto SpeedControlLever).Depressthe pedalallthe
waydowntoengagethediscbrakeandbringthetractortoacompletestop.
NOTE:Thepedalmustbedepressedtostart theengine.Referto SafetyInterlock
Switcheslaterin thissectionofthismanual.
Neverleavearunningmachineunattended.AlwaysdisengagePTO(Blade
EngageLever),moveshift leverinto neutral position,set parking brake,
stopengineandremovekeyto prevent unintendedstarting.
12
Gasand OilFill-up
Oil
IMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwith motoroilintheengine.However,you
MUSTchecktheoillevelbeforeoperating.Becarefulnottooverfill.
Forinstructionsonhowtochecktheengineoil,refertoCheckingTheEngineOilin
theServiceandMaintenancesectionofthismanual.
Gasoline
Thegasolinetankislocatedunderthehood.Donotoverfill.
Useextremecarewhenhandling gasoline.Gasoline[sextremelyflammable
andthe vaporsareexplosive°Neverfuel machineindoorsorwhile the
engineishotor running. Extinguishcigarettes,cigars,pipes,andother
sourcesof gnt on.
NOTE:Purchasegasolineinsmallquantities.Donotusegasolineleftoverfromthe
previousseason,to minimizegumdepositsinthefuelsystem.
Thisengineiscertifiedtooperateonunleadedgasoline.Forbestresults,fill
thefueltankwith onlyclean,fresh,unleadedgasolinewith apumpsticker
octaneratingof 87orhigher.
Gasohol(upto 10%ethylalcohol,90%unleadedgasolinebyvolume)isan
approvedfuel.Othergasoline/alcoholblends,suchasE85,arenotapproved.
MethylTertiaryButylEther(MTBE)andunleadedgasolineblends(upto a
maximumof 15%MTBEbyvolume)areapprovedfuels.Othergasoline/ether
blendsarenotapproved.
Fillfueltankoutdoorsorinwell-ventilatedarea.
Donotoverfillfueltank.Filltankto nomorethan1/2inchbelowbottomof
fillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.
Neverremovegascaporaddfuelwhiletheengineishotor running.Allow
engineto coolatleasttwo minutesbeforerefueling.
Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeit off theengineandequipment.Movemachineto
anotherarea.Wait5minutesbeforestartingtheengine.
ToAddGasoline
1. Turntheengineoffandletenginecoolatleast2minutesbeforeremoving
thefuelcap.Thegasolinetankisundertherearfender,withthefuelfill cap
locatedin thecenteroftherearfender.Thefuelcapistetheredtothetractor
topreventitsloss.Donotattempttoremovethecapfromthetractor.
2. Fillthefueltankwithgasoline.
3. Reinstallthefuelcap.
Note:Thetractorisfitted with atethered,ratchetingfuelcap.STOPfilling thetank
oncethefuelisseeninsidethefillerneck.Thisensuresthataproperexpansion
volumeiscreated,otherwisethefuelcanoverflowcreatingahazardoussituation.
DoNOTtopoffthefueltank.SeeFigure7.
Figure7
Avoid Serious Injury or Death
Goupanddownslopes,notacross.
Avoidsuddenturns.
Donotoperatetheunitwhereit couldsliportip.
Ifmachinestopsgoinguphill,stopbladesandbackdownhillslowly.
Donotmowwhenchildrenorothersarearound.
Nevercarrychildren,evenwith bladesoff.
Lookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebacking.
Keepsafetydevices(guards,shields,andswitches)inplaceandworking.
Removeobjectsthat couldbethrownbytheblades.
Knowlocationandfunctionofallcontrols.
Besurebladesandenginearestoppedbeforeplacinghandsorfeet near
blades.
Beforeleavingoperator'sposition,stoptractor,disengageblades,engage
parkingbrake,shutengineoff,andremovekey.
Read Operator's Manual
SafetyInterlock System
Thesafetyinterlocksystemisdesignedfor safeoperationofthetractor.Ifthis
systemshouldevermalfunction,donotoperatethetractor.Immediatelycontact
1-800-659-5917to havethesystemserviced.
Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromstartingunless
theparkingbrakeisengagedandthePTO(BladeEngage)leverisinthe
disengaged(OFF)position.
Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill automaticallyshutofftheengineifthe
operatorleavestheseatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.
Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill automaticallyshutofftheengineifthe
operatorleavesthetractor'sseatwiththe PTO(BladeEngage)leverengaged,
regardlessofwhethertheparkingbrakeisengaged.
13
Theenginewill automaticallyshutoffif thePTO(BladeEngage)leveris
movedintotheengaged(ON)positionwith theshift leverinReverse.
Ignition Switch
Theignitionswitchisactivatedto starttheengine.Insertkeyintotheignition
switchandturnclockwiseto theSTARTposition.ReleasethekeyintotheON
positiononceenginehasfired.SeeFigure8.
Tostoptheengine,turntheignitionkeycounterclockwiseto theOFFposition.See
Figure8.
Setting the CuttingHeight
1. Selecttheheightpositionofthecuttingdeckbyplacingthedecklift leverin
anyofthesixdifferentcuttingheightnotchesonthe rightsideofthefender.
Keephandsand feet away from the dischargeopening of the cutting
deck.
Starting the Engine
Neverleavea running machine unattended. Always disengage PTO,
move shift lever intoneutral position, set parking brake, stop engine
land remove key to prevent un ntended start ng.
IMPORTANT:Priortooperatingthetractor,refertobothSafetyInterlockSwitches
andStartingTheEngineintheOperationsectionof thismanualforfurtherdetailed
instructions.
On
Start
Off
J
Figure8
Donotoperatethe tractor if the interlock systemismalfunctioning. This
systemwasdesignedforyoursafetyand protection.
NOTE:RefertotheGasolineandOilfill-up instructionsearlierinthissection.
1. Insertthetractorkeyintotheignitionswitch.
2. PlacethePTO(BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF)position.
3. Engagethetractor'sparkingbrake.
4. Activatethechokecontrolbymovingthethrottle/chokeleverallthewayup
intothechokeposition.
5. TurntheignitionkeyclockwisetotheSTARTposition.Aftertheenginestarts,
releasethekey.Itwill returntotheON(orNormalMowing)position.
DoNOTholdthekeyintheSTARTpositionforlongerthanten
secondsat atime. Doingsomaycausedamagetoyourengine's
electricstarter.
6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethechokecontrolandplacethethrottle
controlinthe FASTposition.
NOTE:DoNOTleavethechokecontrolonwhileoperatingthetractor.Doingsowill
resultina"rich"fuelmixtureandcausetheengineto run poorly.
Engaging the Parking Brake
Toengagethe parking brake:
I. Fullydepresstheclutch-brakepedalandholditdownwithyourfoot.
2. Movethespeedcontrolleverallthewaydownandintotheparkingbrake
position.
3. Releasethedutch-brakepedalto allowtheparkingbraketoengage.
Toreleasethe parking brake:
I. Depresstheclutch-brakepedalandmovethespeedcontrolleveroutofthe
parkingbrakepositionandintoadesiredspeed.
14
Stoppingthe Engine
Ifyoustrikeaforeignobject,stop theengine,disconnectthe sparkplug
wire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughlyinspectthe machinefor
anydamage.Repairthe damagebefore restarting andoperating
1. If thebladesareengaged,placethe PTO(BladeEngage)leverinthe
disengaged(OFF)position.
2. TurntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOPposition.
3. Removethekeyfromtheignitionswitchto preventunintendedstarting.
DrivingTheTractor
Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedandsuddenstops.
Donotleavethe seatofthe tractorwithout first placingthePTO(Blade
Engage)leverinthe disengaged(OFF)position,depressingthe brakepedal
andengagingthe parking brake.Ifleavingthe tractorunattended, also
turn the ignition keyoff andremovethe key.
Alwayslookdownand behindbeforeandwhile backingup to avoidaback-
overaccident.
1. Depresstheclutch-brakepedaltoreleasetheparkingbrakeandthenletthe
pedalup.
2. Movethethrottle leverintothe FAST(rabbit)position.
3. Placetheshift leverineithertheFORWARDorREVERSEposition.
IMPORTANT: DoNOTusetheshift levertochangethedirectionof travelwhen
thetractorisinmotion.Alwaysusetheclutch-brakepedalto bringthetractortoa
completestopbeforeshifting.
4. Releasetheparkingbrakebydepressingtheclutch-brakepedaland
positioningthespeedcontrolleverinthedesiredposition.
IMPORTANT: First-timeoperatorsshouldusespeedpositions1or2. Become
completelyfamiliarwith thetractor'soperationandcontrolsbeforeoperatingthe
tractorinhigherspeedpositions.
5. Releaseclutch-brakepedalslowlytoputunitintomotion.
6. Thelawntractorisbroughttoastopbydepressingtheclutch-brakepedal.
flOTE:Whenoperating the unit initially, therewill be little difference
between the highest two speeds until after the belts have seated
themselves into the pulleys during the break-in period.
Before leaving the operator's position for any reason, disengage the
blades, place the shift lever in neutral, engage the parking brake,
shut engine off and remove the key.
2. Engagetheparkingbrake.
3. Shutengineoffandremovethekey.Doingsowill minimizethepossibility
ofhavingyourlawn"browned"byhotexhaustfromyourtractor'srunning
engine.
Ifunitstallswithspeedcontrolinhighspeed,orif unitwill notoperatewith speed
controlleverinalowspeedposition,proceedasfollows:
1. Placeshift leverinNEUTRAL
2. Restartengine.
3. Placespeedcontrolleverinhighestspeedposition.
4. Releaseclutch-brakepedalfully.
5. Depressclutch-brakepedal.
6. Placespeedcontrolleverindesiredposition.
7. Placeshift leverineitherFORWARDorREVERSE,andfollownormaloperating
procedures.
Driving OnSlopes
Referto theSLOPEGAUGEin theSafetyInstructionssectionofthemanualtohelp
determineslopeswhereyoumayoperatethistractorsafely.
Donotmowoninclineswith aslopeinexcessof ISdegrees(ariseof
approximately2412feet every10feet). Thetractor couldoverturn and
causeseriousinjury.
Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross.
Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirectiononslopes.
Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.Uneventerrain
couldoverturnthemachine.Tallgrasscanhideobstacles.
Avoidturnswhendrivingonaslope.Ifaturnmustbemade,turndownthe
slope.Turningupaslopegreatlyincreasesthechanceof a rollover.
Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.If itisnecessarytostopwhile
drivingupa slope,start upsmoothlyandcarefullyto reducethepossibility
offlippingthetractoroverbackward.
Engagingthe Blades
Engagingthe PTO(BladeEngage)transferspowertothecuttingdeckorother
(separatelyavailable)attachments.Toengagetheblades,proceedasfollows:
1. Movethethrottle/chokecontrollevertotheFAST(rabbit)position.
2. Graspthe PTO(BladeEngage)leverandpivotitallthewayforwardintothe
engaged(ON)position.
3. Keepthethrottle leverintheFAST(rabbit)positionforthemostefficientuse
ofthecuttingdeckorother(separatelyavailable)attachments.
flOTE_Theenginewill automaticallyshutoff ifthe PTO(BladeEngage)leveris
movedintotheengaged(ON)positionwiththeshiftleverinReverse.
IMPORTANT: Whenstoppingthetractorforanyreasonwhileonagrass
surface,always:
1. Placetheshift leverinneutral.
15
Mulching
Amulchkitisavailableasanattachment.Mulchingisaprocessof redrculating
grassclippingsrepeatedlybeneaththecuttingdeck.Theultra-fineclippingsare
thenforcedbackintothe lawnwheretheyactasanaturalfertilizer.
Amulchkitcanbepurchased.Seethe ReplacementParts&Attachmentssectionof
thismanualformoreinformation.
Using the Deck Lift Lever
Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethedecklift leverto the left,then placeit inthe
notchbestsuitedfor yourapplication.RefertoSettingTheCuttingHeightearlierin
thisOperationsection.
MOWING
Tohelpavoidbladecontactora thrown object injury,keepbystanders,
[ helpers,childrenand petsat least75feet from the machinewhile itisin
[operation. Stopmachineifanyoneentersthe area.
Thefollowinginformationwill behelpfulwhenusingthecuttingdeckwithyour
tractor:
Planyourmowing pattern toavoiddischargeofmaterialstoward roads,
sidewalks,bystandersandthe like.Also,avoiddischargingmaterialagainst
awall orobstruction which maycausedischargedmaterial to ricochetback
towardthe operator.
Headlights
ThelampsareONwheneverthetractor'sengineisrunning.
Thelampsturn OFFwhentheignitionkeyismovedto theSTOPposition.
Donotmowathighgroundspeed,especiallyif amulchkit orgrasscollector
isinstalled.
Forbestresultsitisrecommendedthat thefirsttwo lapsbecutwith the
dischargethrowntowardsthecenter.Afterthefirsttwo laps,reversethe
directiontothrowthedischargetotheoutsideforthe balanceofcutting.
Thiswill giveabetterappearanceto thelawn.
Donotcutthegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowthandyellows
quicklyindryweather.
Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewiththeengineatfull throttle.
Underheavierconditionsitmaybenecessaryto gobackoverthecutareaa
secondtimetogetacleancut.
DoNOTattempttomowheavybrushandweedsandextremelytallgrass.
Yourtractorisdesignedto mowlawns,NOTclearbrush.
Keepthebladessharpandreplacethebladeswhenworn.RefertoCutting
BladesintheServicesectionofthismanualfor properbladesharpening
instructions.
16
MAINTENANCESCHEDULE
Beforeperforminganytypeofmaintenance/service,disengageallcontrols
andstoptheengine.Waituntilallmovingpartshavecometoacomplete
stop.Disconnectsparkplugwireandgrounditagainsttheengineto prevent
unintendedstarting.Alwayswearsafetyglassesduringoperationorwhile
performinganyadjustmentsorrepairs.
BeforeEachUse 1. Engineoil level 1.
2. Mufflerareaandcontrols 2.
3. Fingerguard 3.
Inthe FirstFiveHours 1. EngineOil 1.
Every10Hours I. Hood/Dashairvents I.
2. Batteryterminals 2.
3. Deckspindlesandidlerbracket 3.
Every25hours 1. Airfilter'sprecleaner* 1.
2. Airfilter* 2.
3. Midsteeringarms,pivotshafts, 3.
andaxles
4. Frontwheelbearings 4.
5. Frontdeckwheels 5.
Every50hours 1. Engineoil/Oil filter 1.
2. Muffler 2.
Annually 1. Airfilter 1.
2. Airfilter'spre-cleaner 2.
3. Sparkplug 3.
4. Aircoolingsystem* 4.
5. Fuelfilter 5.
6. SteeringGears 6.
7. RearWheels 7.
BeforeStorage 1. Hood/Dashairvents 1.
2. Batteryterminals 2.
3. Midsteeringarms,pivotshafts, 3.
andaxles
4. Frontwheelbearings
5. Frontdeckwheels
6. Deckspindlesandidlerbracket
7. Pedalpivotpoints
*Servicemorefrequentlyunderdustyconditions.
Followthe maintenanceschedulegivenbelow.Thischartdescribesservice
guidelinesonly.UsetheServiceLogcolumnto keeptrackofcompleted
maintenancetasks.Tolocatethe nearest Parts& RepairServiceCenteror to
scheduleservice,simply contact1-800-659-5917.
Check
Clean
Clean
Change
Clean
Clean
Lubricate
Clean
Clean
Lubricate
Lubricate
Lubricate
Change/Replace
Check
Replace
Replace
Replace
Clean
Replace
Clean
Removeandgreaseaxles
Clean
Clean
Lubricate
4. Lubricate
5. Lubricate
6. Lubricate
7. Lubricate
Beforeperforminganymaintenanceorrepairs,disengagethePTO(Blade
EngageLever),engagethe parkingbrake,stopthe engineandremovethe
keyto preventunintendedstarting.
Ifthe enginehasbeenrecentlyrun,the engine,muffler and surrounding
metalsurfaceswill behot andcancauseburnsto the skin. Exercisecaution
to avoidburns.
17
EngineMaintenance
Checkingthe Engine Oil
OnlyusehighqualitydetergentoilratedwithAPIserviceclassificationSF,SG,
SH,or SJ.Selecttheoil'sSAEviscositygradeaccordingtotheexpectedoperating
temperature.Followthechartbelow.Althoughmulti-viscosityoils(5W20,10W30,
etc.)improvestartingin coldweather,theywill resultinincreasedoilconsumption
whenusedabove32°1:.Checkyourengineoillevelmorefrequentlytoavoidpossible
enginedamagefromrunninglowonoil.
E
Colder _ 32°F _Warmer
Changingthe EngineOiland Filter
Ifthe enginehasbeenrecentlyrun, the engine,muffler andsurrounding
metalsurfaceswill behot andcancauseburnsto theskin. Exercisecaution
toavoidburns.
g!OTE:Theoilfilter shouldbechangedat everyoilchangeinterval.
Theengineoilshouldbechangedin thefirst5hoursandthenevery50 hoursor
onceaseason.Tochangetheengineoil,proceedasfollows:
1. Runtheengineforafew minutestoallowtheoilinthecrankcaseto warm
up.Warmoilwill flow morefreelyandcarryawaymoreoftheengine
sedimentwhichmayhavesettledatthe bottomofthecrankcase.Usecareto
avoidburnsfromhotoil.
Oil Viscosity Chart
Tochecktheengineoil,proceedasfollows:
Ensurethat thetractorisonalevelsurface.
Cleantheoilfill areaofanydebris.
1.
Removethedipstick,seeFigure9,andwipewith acleancloth.
2.
Reinsertdipstickandpresscompletelydown.
3.
Removethedipstickandchecktheoillevel.ItshouldbeattheFullmarkon
thedipstick.
F
Dipstick
2. Openthetractor'shoodandlocatetheoildrainportontherightsideof the
J
engine.SeeFigure9.
3. Disconnectsparkplugwireandkeepitawayfromsparkplug.
4. Removetheoilfill cap/dipstkkfromtheoilfill tube.SeeFigure9.
5. Turnthesteeringwheelallthewaytothe righttobetterexposethedrain
plug.
6. Cliptheoildrainsleeve(packedwith thismanual)ontotheoil drainportas
showninFigure10.Routetheoppositeendofthesleeveintoanappropriate
oilcollectioncontainerwith acapacitygreatenoughto collectthe usedoil.
OilDrain
.. j
Figure9
4. If low,addoii slowlyintotheengineoiifill. Donotoverfill.Afteraddingoii,
waitoneminuteandthenrechecktheoillevel.
Donotoverfill. Overfilling with oii maycausethe engineto notstart, hard
starting, orenginesmoking.If overthe FULLmarkonthe dipstick,drain oil
to reduceoiilevelto FULLmarkondipstick.
5. Replacedipstick,andtighten.
Figure10
Removedrainpluganddrainoilintoasuitablecontainerwith a capacityof
nolessthan64oz.
8. Refilltheenginewithnewmotoroiluntiltheoil levelonthedipstickreads
FULL.Replacetheoilfill cap/dipstick.
9. Replacetheoilfilter,seeFigure11,byremovingand disposingofit properly.
10. Partiallyfilltheoil filterapproximately3/4ofthewayfull with clean,fresh
oil. Beforeyouinstallthenewoil filter, lightlylubricatetheoil filter gasket
with someoftheoilbysimplydippingyourfingerintheoilandrunningit
aroundthegasket.
18
f
Oil Filter
Figure11
11. Installtheoil filter byhanduntilthegasketcontactstheoilfilter adapter,
thentightentheoilfilter 1/2to3/4turns.
12. Refilltheenginewithnewmotoroiluntil theoillevelonthedipstickreads
FULL.Replacetheoilfill cap/dipstkk.
Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltank.Otherwise,fuelcanleak
outandcauseafire orexplosion.
ToDrainthe fuel:
Locatethefuelfilter,seeFigure12,whichisroutedontheleft sideofthe
enginebetweenthefueltankandthecarburetor,andmaybeattachedto the
enginewithatiestrap.Cutthetiestrap,if present,thenpinchthetabsonthe
in-lineclamponthefuelfilterwithapairofpliers,slidetheclampupthefuel
line.Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterandplacetheopenendofthelineinto
anapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.
Tochangethe fuel filter:
1. Usepliersto squeezethetabsontheotherclamp(theout-linesideofthe
fuelfilter),thenslidetheclampawayfromthefuelfilter.Twistandpullthe
fuellineoffof thefuelfilter.SeeFigure12.
Fuel Line
Usedoilisahazardouswasteproduct.Disposeofusedoil properly.Donot
discardwith householdwaste.Checkwitbyour localauthoritiesor orcontact
1-800-659-5917for alistof safedisposal/recyclingfacilities.
13. Startandruntheengine.Astheenginewarmsup,checkforoilleaks.
14. Stoptheengineandchecktheoil level.ItshouldbeattheFULLmarkonthe
dipstick.
FuelFilter
Gasolineanditsvaporsareextremely flammableandexplosive.Fireor
explosioncancausesevereburnsordeath.
Keepgasolineawayfromsparks,openflames,pilotlights,heat,andother
ignitionsources.
Checkfuellines,tank,cap,andfittingsfrequentlyforcracksor leaks.Replace
if necessary.
Beforereplacingthefuelfilter, drainthefueltankaspertheinstructions
below.
Donotdrainfuelwhentheengineishot.Allowtheengineadequatetimeto
cool.Drainfuelintoanapprovedcontaineroutdoors,awayfromopenflame.
Drainanylargevolumeoffuelfromthetankbydisconnectingthefuel line
fromthe in-linefuelfilter neartheengine.
Removethefuellinefromthe In-lineside(sidetowardsthefueltank)ofthe
fuelfilter.
Replacementpartsmustbethesameandinstalledinthesamepositionas
theoriginalparts.
Iffuelspills,wait untilit evaporatesbeforestartingengine.
Clamp
j/
Figure12
2. Checkthe fuellinesforcracksorleaks.Replaceifnecessary.
3. Replacethefuelfilter withanoriginalequipmentreplacementfilter.Call
1-800-659-5917to purchasetheoriginalequipmentreplacementfilter.
4. Securethefuellineswith theclamps.
Iffilters, orcoversarenot installedcorrectlyseriousinjuryordeathcould
resultfrom backfire.Donot attempt to startthe enginewith them removed.
Donotusepressurizedair orsolventsto cleanthe aircleanercartridge.
19
Air Cleaner
Paperfitterscannotbecleanedandshouldbereplacedevery100operatinghours;
moreoftenif usedin extremelydustyconditions.
Neverusegasolineor lowflash pointsolventsfor cleaningtheair filter
element.A fire orexplosioncouldresult.
IMPORTANT:Neverruntheenginewithout theairfilter. Rapidenginewearwill
result.
1. Unscrewthethumbscrewsandremovetheairfilter cover.SeeFigure13.
Thumb
Screw
Air Filter
Removethefoampre-fi[terfromaroundthepaperairfitter. SeeFigure
15.Replacepaperelementwhendirtyordamaged.Cleanfoamelementor
replacewhendamaged.
Air Filter
2.
Removetheairfilter. SeeFigure14.
Figure13
//
Figure15
4. Tocleanfoamelement,washinamildliquiddetergentandwater.Squeeze
orpressthefoamelementtorinseout dirtandwater.Donottwist;this
coulddamageortearthefoamelement.Allowtodrythoroughlybefore
using.DONOToil thefoamelement.
5. Attachthenewairfilterwith foamelement,aligningtheholeintheairfilter
with theintakemanifold.SeeFigure16.
Manifold
Figure14
Figure16
2O
6.
Attachtheairfilter cover,makingsuretoalignplasticribfeaturesonthe
shroudtotheplasticfeaturesontheairfilter cover.SeeFigure17.Turn
thumbscrewsclockwiseuntilsnug.Checkfor anymisalignment.
Air Filter
Cover
Plastic
Feature
Shroud
Measurethepluggapwithafeelergauge.Correctasnecessarybybending
sideelectrode.SeeFigure19.Thegapshouldbesetto0.024-0.031in.
Electrode
J
Figure19
4. Checkthatthesparkplugwasherisingoodconditionandthreadthespark
pluginbyhandtopreventcross-threading.
5. Afterthesparkplugisseated,tightenwith asparkplugwrenchtocompress
thewasher.
k_ Feature
Figure17
SparkPlugService
Toensureproperengineoperation,thesparkplugmustbeproperlygappedand
freeofdeposits.
1. Removethesparkplugbootanduseasparkplugwrenchtoremovethe
plug.SeeFigure18.
F
Spark Plug
NOTE:Wheninstallinga newsparkplug,tighten1/2turnafterthespark
plugseatstocompressthewasher.Whenreinstallinga usedsparkplug,
tighten1/8-1/4turnafterthesparkplugseatsto compressthewasher.
IMPORTANT:Thesparkplugmustbesecurelytightened.Animproperly
tightenedsparkplugcanbecomeveryhotandmaydamagetheengine.
Muffler
Temperatureofmuffler andnearbyengineareasmayexceed150° F(65°C).
Avoidcontactwith theseareas.
Inspectmufflerperiodically,andreplaceifnecessary.Replacementparts
forthe mufflermustbethesameandinstalledinthesamepositionasthe
originalparts.
CleanEngine
Dailyorbeforeeveryuse,cleangrass,chafforaccumulateddebrisfrom
engine.Keeplinkage,spring,andcontrolsclean.
Keepareaaroundandbehindmufflerfreeofanycombustibledebris.
Keepingenginecleanallowsairmovementaroundengine.
Enginepartsshouldbekeptcleantoreducetheriskofoverheatingand
ignitionofaccumulateddebris.
k_ Spark Plug Boot
J
Figure18
Ifthe enginehasbeenrunning,themuffler will beveryhot.Becarefulnot
to touchthe muffler.
2.
Visuallyinspectthesparkplug.Discardthesparkplugifthereisapparent
wear,oriftheinsulatoriscrackedorchipped.Cleanthesparkplugwitha
wirebrushifitistobereused.
Donotusewater to cleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel
system.Usea brushordrycloth.
CarburetorAdjustment
Thecarburetoronthisengineisnotadjustable.
21
Lubrication
IMPORTANT: Theuseofa pressurewashertocleanyourtractorisNOT
recommended.It maycausedamageto electricalcomponents,spindles,pulleys,
bearingsortheengine.
Beforelubricating,repairing,orinspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO(Blade I
EngageLever),moveshift leverintoneutral position,setparkingbrake,stopI
engneandremovekeytopreventun ntendedstart ng. I
l
Pivot Points& Linkage
Lubricateallthepivotpointsonthedrivesystem,parkingbrakeandlift linkageat
leastonceaseasonwith lightoil.
RearWheels
Therearwheelsshouldberemovedfromtheaxlesonceaseason.Lubricatethe
axlesandtherimswellwith anall-purposegreasebeforere-installingthem.
Front Axles
Eachendofthetractor'sfrontpivotbarmaybeequippedwith agreasefitting.
Lubricatewith agreasegunafterevery25hoursoftractoroperation.
Battery
Thebatteryissealedandismaintenance-free.Acidlevelscannotbechecked.
Alwayskeepthebatterycablesandterminalscleanandfreeofcorrosive
build-up.
Aftercleaningthe batteryandterminals,applyalightcoatofpetroleumjelly
orgreaseto bothterminals.
Alwayskeeptherubberbootpositionedoverthepositiveterminaltoprevent
shorting.
IM PORTANT: Ifremovingthebatteryforanyreason,disconnecttheNEGATIVE
(Black)wirefromitsterminalfirst,followedbythePOSITIVE(Red)wire.When
re-installingthebattery,alwaysconnectthe POSITIVE(Red)wireto itsterminal
first,followedbytheNEGATIVE(Black)wire.Becertainthatthewiresareconnected
tothecorrectterminals;reversingthemcouldchangethepolarityandresultin
damageto yourengine'salternatingsystem.
Adjustments
Neverattempt to makeanyadjustmentswhile the engineisrunning,except
wherespecifiedinthe operator'smanual.
Levelingthe Deck
NOTE:Checkthetractor'stirepressurebeforeperforminganydeckleveling
adjustments.RefertoTiresintheServicesectionofthismanualformore
informationregardingtirepressure.
FrontToRear
Thefrontofthecuttingdeckissupportedbyastabilizerbarthatcanbeadjustedto
levelthedeckfromfrontto rear.Thefrontof thedeckshouldbebetween1g-inch
and_8-inchlowerthantherearofthedeck.Adjustif necessaryasfollows:
1. Withthetractorparkedonafirm, levelsurface,placetheleverforliftingthe
platformon thesecondtothetopnotch(secondhighestposition)androtate
the bladeascloseaspossibleto thedischargechannelthatisparalleltothe
tractor.
2. Measurethedistancefromthefrontofthebladetipto thegroundandthe
rearofthebladetiptotheground.Thefirst measurementtakenshould
bebetweenlg"and_8"lessthanthesecondmeasurement.Determine
theapproximatedistancenecessaryforproperadjustmentandproceed,if
necessary,tothenextstep.
3. Locatetheflangelocknutonthefrontsideofthestabilizerbracket.See
Figure20.
Tightentheflangelocknutto raisethefrontof thedeck;
Loosentheflangelocknutto lowerthefrontofthedeck.
f
CleaningBattery
Cleanthebatterybyremovingit fromthetractorandwashingwith a bakingsoda
andwatersolution.Ifnecessary,scrapethebatteryterminalswitha wirebrushto
removedeposits.Coatterminalsandexposedwiringwith greaseorpetroleumjelly
topreventcorrosion.
Battery Failures
Somecommoncausesforbatteryfailureare:
Incorrectinitialactivation
Overcharging
Freezing
Undercharging
Corrodedconnections
ThesefailuresareNOTcoveredbyyourtractor'swarranty.
Cleaningthe EngineAndDeck
Anyfueloroilspilledonthemachineshouldbewipedoff promptly.DoNOTallow
debristo accumulatearoundthecoolingfinsoftheengineoronanyotherpartof
themachine.
J
22
Sideto Side
Ifthecuttingdeckappearsto bemowingunevenly,asidetosideadjustmentcanbe
performed.Adjustifnecessaryasfollows:
1. Withthetractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placethedecklift leverin
thesecondfromthetop notch(secondhighestposition)androtateboth
bladessothattheyareperpendicularwith thetractor.
2. Measurethedistancefromtheoutsideof theleft bladetiptotheground
andthedistancefromtheoutsideoftherightbladetipto theground.Both
measurementstakenshouldbeequal.Ifthey'renot,proceedtothenext
step.
3. Loosen,butdoNOTremove,thehexcapscrewontheleftdeckhanger
bracket.SeeFigure21.
4. Balancethedeckbyusingawrenchtoturntheadjustmentgear(found
immediatelybehindthehexcapscrewjust loosened)clockwise/upor
counterclockwise/down.Thedeckisproperlybalancedwhenbothbladetip
measurementstakenearlierareequal.
5. Retightenthehexcapscrewontheleft deckhangerbracketwhenproper
adjustmentisachieved.
Cutting Deck Removal
Toremovethe cutting deck, proceedasfollows:
1. PlacethePTO(BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF)positionand
engagetheparkingbrake.
2. Lowerthedeckbymovingthedecklift leverintothebottom notchonthe
rightfender.
3. Removetheself-tappingscrewCA)that securesthebelt-keeperrodfrom
aroundthetractor'sPTOpulley,thenremovethebeltkeeperrod(B).See
Figure22.
Note:Makeamentalnotewhatholetheotherendofthe belt-keeperrodisinserted
inforreinstallationpurposes.
4. Removethebelt(C)fromaroundthetractor'sPTOpulley.SeeFigure22.
Avoidpinchinginjuries.Neverplaceyourfingersonthe idler springor
between the beltand apulleywhile removingthe belt.
f
HexCapScrew
Figure21
SeatAdjustment
RefertotheAssemblysectionofthis manualforseatadjustmentinstructions.
Parking BrakeAdjustment
Neverattempt to adjustthe brakeswhile theengineisrunning.Always
disengagePTO(bladeengage)lever,moveshift leverintoneutralposition,
stopengineandremovekeyto preventunintendedstarting.
Ifthetractordoesnotcometoacompletestopwhenthe brakepedaliscompletely
depressed,orif thetractor'srearwheelscanrollwith theparkingbrakeapplied,
thebrakeisinneedofadjustment.ContactthenearestSearsServiceCenterto have
yourbrakesproperlyadjusted.
Tolocatethe nearestParts&RepairService(enter ortoscheduleservice,
contact1-800-659-5917.
J
Figure22
Movethedeckliftleverintothetopnotchontherightfendertoraisethe
decklift armsupandoutoftheway.
23
/_
//
/
/
/
PTOCable
Figure23
6.
Removethebow-tiecotterpinsecuringthedeckstabilizerrodtothedeck.
Slidethedecklift rodfromthe mountingbracketonthedeckasshownin
Figure24.
f
,,__ /,__ ,........................
,.. j
Figure24
7. CarefullyremovethePTOcablefromtherearofthecuttingdeckby
removingthebow-tiecotterpinwhichsecuresit.Removethespringfrom
thedeckidlerbracket.SeeFigure25.
8. Gentlyslidethecuttingdeck(fromtheleft side)outfromunderneaththe
tractor.
Figure25
Tires
Neverexceedthemaximum inflation pressureshownonthe sidewalloftire.
Therecommended operating tire pressureis:
Approximately10psiforthereartires
Approximately14psiforthefronttires
IMPORTANT: Refertothetire sidewallforexacttire manufacturer's
recommendedormaximumpsi.Donotoverinflate.Uneventirepressurecould
causethecuttingdecktomowunevenly.
Battery
CaliforniaProposition65WARNING!Batteryposts,terminals,andrelated
accessoriescontainleadandleadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof
Californiato causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.
Ifremovingthe battery, disconnectthe NEGATIVE(Black)wire from its
terminal first, followed bythe POSITIVE(Red)wire.Whenre-installing
the battery,alwaysconnectthe POSITIVE(Red)wireto itsterminal first,
followed bythe NEGATIVE(Black)wire.
JumpStarting
Neverjumpstart adamagedor frozenbattery. Becertainthevehiclesdonot
touch,and ignitionsareoff. Donotallowcableclampstotouch.
1. Connectpositive(+)cabletopositivepost(+)of yourtractor'sdischarged
battery.
2. Connecttheotherendofthecabletothe(positive+)postofthejumper
battery.
24
3. Connectthesecondcable(negative-) to theotherpostofthejumper
battery.
4. Connecttheotherendofthenegativecableto theengineblockofthe
tractor,awayfromthebattery.Attachtoan unpaintedparttoassureagood
connection.
1. Removethedeckfrombeneaththetractor,(refertoCuttingDeckRemoval
earlierinthissection)thengentlyflipthedeckovertoexposeitsunderside.
2. Placeablockofwoodbetweenthecenterdeckhousingbaffleandthe
cuttingbladeto actasastabilizer.SeeFigure26.
3. Removethehexflangenutthatsecuresthebladetothespindleassembly.
Ifthejumper battery isinstalled onavehicle(i.e.car,truck),do NOTstart
thevehicle'senginewhenjumpstarting yourtractor.
5. Startthetractor(asinstructedearlierin thissectionofthismanual).
6. Setthetractor'sparkingbrakebeforeremovingthejumpercables,inreverse
orderofconnection.
Charging
Batteriesgive off anexplosivegaswhile charging.Chargethe battery ina
wellventilated areaandkeepawayfrom anopenflame or pilot light asona
waterheater,spaceheater,furnace,clothesdryerorother gasappliances.
Whenchargingyourtractor'sbattery,useonlyachargerdesignedfor 12Vlead-
acidbatteries.Readyourbatterycharger'sOwner'sManualpriortocharging [
yourtractor'sbattery.Alwaysfollow its instructionsandheeditswarnings, l
Ifyourtractorhasnotbeenputintouseforanextendedperiodof time,chargethe
batteryasfollows:
1. Setyourbatterychargerto deliveramaxof10amperes.
2. If yourbatterychargerisautomatic,chargethebatteryuntilthecharger
indicatesthatchargingiscomplete.Ifthechargerisnotautomatic,charge
forno fewerthaneighthours.
Fuse
One20AMPfuseisinstalledin yourtractor'swiringharnessto protectthetractor's
electricalsystemfromdamagecausedbyexcessiveamperage.
Iftheelectricalsystemdoesnotfunction,oryourtractor'senginewillnotcrank,
firstcheckto becertainthatthefusehasnotblown.Itcanbefoundatthe rearof
theunit,underneaththefenderlocatedbythebattery.
HexFlangeNut
Figure26
Toproperlysharpenthecuttingblades,removeequalamountsofmetal
frombothendsofthebladesalongthecuttingedges,parallelto thetrailing
edge,at a25°-to30°angle.Alwaysgrindeachcuttingbladeedgeequallyto
maintainproperbladebalance.SeeFigure27.
\4
Alwaysuseafusewith the sameamperagecapacityfor replacement.
Cutting Blades
Shutthe engineoff andremoveignition keybeforeremovingthe cutting
blade(s)for sharpeningor replacement.Protectyour handsbyusingheavy
gloveswhengraspingthe blade.
Periodicallyinspectthebladeandlor spindlefor cracksordamage,
especiallyafter you'vestruckaforeign object. Donot operatethe machine
until damagedcomponentsarereplaced.
Toremovetheblades,proceedasfollows:
Figure27
Ifthe cutting edgeofthe bladehaspreviouslybeensharpened,or if any
metal separationispresent,replacethebladeswith newones.
Apoorlybalancedbladewillcauseexcessivevibration, maycausedamageto
the tractor and/orresult in personalinjury.
Testtheblade'sbalanceusingabladebalancer.Grindmetalfromthe
heavysideuntil it balancesevenly.
25
NOTE:Whenreplacingtheblade,besureto installthebladewiththesideofthe
blademarked"Bottom"(orwith a partnumberstampedin it)facingtheground
whenthemowerisintheoperatingposition.
Usea torquewrenchto tighten the bladespindlehe×flangenutto between
70[bs-ft and90[bs-ft.
Changingthe DeckBelt
Besureto shut theengineoff, removeignitionkey,disconnectthe spark
plugwire(s)andgroundagainstthe engineto preventunintendedstarting
[before removngthebe t.
5. Thenroutethe beltaroundthetwodeckidlerpulleysasshownin Figure28.
6. Retightenthe beltkeeperrodloosenedearlier.
7. Remountthe beltguardsremovedearlier.
8. Re-installthedeck,makingsurethebeltremainsroutedaroundthepulleys
asinstructed.Thecompletebeltroutingisshownin Figure28.
9. Pulltherightsideofthebelt,andplacethenarrowVsideofthebeltintothe
PTOpulley.
10. Whileholdingthebeltandpulleytogether,rotatethe pulleytotheleft.
Continueholdingandrotatingthepulleyandbeltuntilthebeltisfullyrolled
intothePTOpulley.
ParkingBrakeAdjustment
Ai[belts onyourtractoraresubjectto wearand shouldbereplacedifany
signsof weararepresent.
IM PORTANT: TheV-beltfoundonyourtractorisspeciallydesignedtoengage
anddisengagesafely.Asubstitute(non-OEM)V-beltcanbedangerousbynot
disengagingcompletely.Foraproperworkingmachine,useidenticalequipment
beltsaslistedinthepartspagesofthisOperator'sManual.
Tochangeor replacethedeckbeltonyourtractor,proceedasfollows:
Removethedeckasinstructedearlierinthissection.
1. Removethebelt coversfromthespindlepulleysbyremovingthehexscrews
thatfastenthecoverstothedeck.SeeFigure28.
2. It mayalsobenecessaryto loosenthehexnutontheleft deckidlerpulleyto
getthebeltoffthe pulleyandaroundthebeltguard.
3. Carefullyremovethedeckbeltfromaroundthetwospindlepulleysandthe
twodeckidlerpulleys.SeeFigure28.
4.
Toplacethenewbelt,beginbyroutingthebeltaroundthetwo outerspindle
pulleysasshowninFigure28.
f
Neverattempt to adjustthe brakeswhilethe engineisrunning.Always
[disengagePTO(BladeEngageLever),moveshift leverintoneutralposition,
[stopengineand removekeyto prevent unintendedstarting.
Ifthetractordoesnotcometoacompletestopwhentheclutch-brakepedalis
completelydepressed,orif thetractor'srearwheelscanrollwith theparkingbrake
applied,thebrakeisinneedofadjustment.ContactthenearestParts&Repair
ServiceCenterto haveyourbrakesserviced.
TolocatethenearestParts& RepairServiceCenterortoscheduleservice,
contact1-800-659-5917.
Changingthe TransmissionDrive Belt
NOTE"Several components must be removedand special tools (i.e. air/
impactwrench) inorder to change the tractor's drive belt, Contact the
nearest Parts & Repair Service Center to have your transmission
drive belt serviced.
Tolocatethe nearestParts& RepairServiceCenteror to scheduleservice,
contact1-800-659-5917.
J
Neverstorelawn tractor with fuel intank indoorsor in poorlyventilated
areaswhere fuelfumesmayreachanopenflame, spark,or pilot light ason
afurnace,water heater,clothesdryer,or gasappliance.
PreparingTheEngine
IMPORTANT: Fuelleft inthefueltankduringwarmweatherdeterioratesand
will causeseriousstartingproblems.
Topreventgumdepositsfromforminginsidetheengine'scarburetorandcausing
possiblemalfunctionoftheengine,thefuelsystemmustbeeithercompletely
emptied,orthegasolinemustbetreatedwithastabilizerto preventdeterioration.
I. Ifusinga fuelstabilizer:
a. Readtheproductmanufacturer'sinstructionsandrecommendations.
b. Addtoclean,freshgasolinethecorrectamountofstabilizerforthe
capacityofthefuelsystem.
c. Fillthefueltankwith treatedfuelandruntheenginefor 2-3minutesto
getstabilizedfuelintothecarburetor.
2. Ifemptylngthefuelsystem:
a. Donotdrainfuelwhentheengineishot.Allowtheengineadequate
timetocool.Drainfuelintoanapprovedcontaineroutdoors,awayfrom
openflame.
b. Drainanylargevolumeof fuelfromthetankbydisconnectingthe
fuellinefromthein-linefuelfilter neartheengine.Seethecomplete
instructionsforDrainingTheFuellaterin thissection.
Gasolineisextremelyflammableand canbeexplosiveundercertain
conditions. Draingasolinebeforestoring theequipmentforextended
periods.Drainfuel onlyinto anapprovedcontaineroutdoors,awayfrom
anopenflame. Allowengineto cool.Extinguishcigarettes,cigars,pipes,
andother sourcesof ignitionprior to drainingfuel.Storegasolineinan
approvedcontainerinsafelocation.
DrainingTheFuel
1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichislocatedonthe left sideoftheengine,andmay
beattachedtotheenginewitha tiestrap.
2. Cutthetiestrap,ifpresent,thenpinchthein-lineclamponthefuelfilter
with apairofpliers,slidetheclampupthefuelline.
3. Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterandplacetheopenendofthe lineinto
anapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.
PreparingThelawn tractor
Cleanandlubricatetractorthoroughlyasdescribedinthelubrication
instructions.
2. Donotuseapressurewasherorgardenhosetocleanyourunit.
3. Storemowerin adry,cleanarea.Donotstorenextto corrosivematerials,
suchasfertilizer.
c. Reconnectthefuellineandruntheengineuntilit startstofalter,then
usethechoketokeeptheenginerunninguntilallfuelin thecarburetor
hasbeenexhausted.
d. Disconnectthefuellineanddrainanyremaininggasolinefromthe
system.
Gasolineisa toxicsubstance.Disposeof gasolineproperly.Contactyour
localauthoritiesforapproveddisposalmethods.
3. Removethesparkplugandpourone(1)ounceofengineoilthroughthespark
plugholeintothecylinder.Cranktheengineseveraltimestodistributethe
oil. Replacethesparkplug.
27
Enginefailsto start
1. PTO/BladeEngageleverengaged.
2. Parkingbrakenotengaged.
3. Sparkplugwire(s)disconnected.
4. Throttle/Chokecontrollevernotincorrect
2. Engageparkingbrake.
3. Connectwire(s)to sparkplug(s).
4. PlaceThrottle/Chokeleverintothe FASTposition.
startingposition.
5. Chokenotactivated
6. Fueltankempty,or stalefuel.
7. BIockedfuelline.
8. Faultysparkplug(s).
9. Engineflooded.
5. MovetheThrottle/ChokeleverintotheChoke
6. Filltankwithclean,fresh(lessthan30 daysold) gas.
7. Replacethefuellineandreplacefuelfilter.
8. Clean,adjustgapor replaceplug(s).
9. Crankenginewiththrottlein FASTposition.
10. BlownFuse(s)
Enginerunserratically
1. UnitrunningwithCHOKEactivated.
2. Sparkplugwire(s)loose.
3. Blockedfuellineor stalefuel.
4. Ventingascapplugged.
5. Waterordirtinfuel system.
6. Dirtyaircleaner.
2. Connectsparkplugwire(s).
3. Replacethefuelline;fill tankwithclean,fresh
4. Clearventor replacecapif damaged.
5. Drainfueltank. Refillwithclean,freshgasoline.
6. Replaceaircleanerpaperelementor cleanfoam
Engineoverheats 1. Engineoillevellow. 1.
2. Airflowrestricted. 2.
Enginehesitatesat highRPM 1. Sparkpluggaptoo close. 1.
Engineidles rough 1. Sparkplugfouled,faultyor gaptoowide. 1.
2. Dirtyaircleaner. 2.
Excessivevibration
Mowerwill notmulchgrass
Unevencut
1. Cuttingbladelooseor unbalanced.
2. Damagedorbentcuttingblade.
1. Enginespeedtoolow.
2. Wetgrass.
3. Excessivelyhighgrass.
4. Dullblade.
1. Decknotleveledproperly.
2. Dullblade.
3. Uneventirepressure.
2. Replaceblade.
2. Do notmulchwhengrassis wet.
3. Mowonce ata highcuttingheight,thenmowagain
4. Sharpenorreplaceblade.
2. Sharpenorreplaceblade.
3. Checktire pressureinallfourtires.
1. Placeleverindisengaged(OFF)position.
position.
10. ReplaceFuse(s)See"Fuse"inServiceand
Maintenancesection.
1. DeactivatetheCHOKE.
gasolineandreplacefuelfilter.
pre-cleaner,ifequipped.
Fillcrankcasewithproperamountandweightof oil.
Cleangrassclippingsanddebrisfromaroundthe
engine'scoolingfinsandhousing.
Removesparkplugandresetthe gap.
Replacesparkplug.Set pluggap.
Replaceair cleanerelementand/orcleanpre-
cleaner.
1. Tightenbladeandspindle.
1. Placethrottlein FAST(rabbit)position.
at desiredheightor makea narrowercuttingswath.
1. Performside-to-sidedeckadjustment.
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28
777122454
777S34008
777D17044
777D17045
777X43688
DONOT
USEE85OR FUEL
CONTAININGMORE
THANIO%ETHANOLII
777D15624 (Side Hood - qty. 2)
777D17061 (Rear Fender)
777123364
777125063 777123754
777D18490
777D18491
777X46377
rDescription
OilFilter
Air Filter 951-12260
SparkPlug 951-10292
FeelFilter 751-3013
Blades 33022 942-04308
UpperDriveBelt 954-0241A
LowerDriveBelt 33079 954-04249
OeckSpindleBelt 33074 954-04060B
Engineto DeckBelt N/A
DeckSpindle 918-04822A
IgnitionKeys 24698 025-04124
FuelCap 951-12179A
PartsavailableatmostSeatsRetailStoresandService
Ce.tersor call1-800-36G-PART(7279)ifye.wantthepart
sentdirectlytoyo.rholue. X46377
Specific tractor attachmentsfor your Craftsman
tractoravailableatSearsStoresandServiceCeflters.
Seebelowforotheruniversalattachmentsalsoavailable.
Description Stock No.
MulchKit 33748
Bagger 24019
BumperKit 24611
WeightKit 24641
Weight }
777S33896
777D17038
777S33183
*KEE_HA..S_lnFEETAWAyFROMReT_TI.apAR_ "J
29
ASSEMBLE CHUTE
DEFLECTOR TO THIS UNIT/-
BEFORE OPERATING.
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