MTD 13AL78SS099 Owner’s Manual

perator's

I:RnFrSMRN°

LAWN TRACTOR

20 HP, Variation Speed

42" Deck

Model No. 247.28904

• Espanol, P. 59

This product has a low emission engine which operates differently

from previously built engines. Before you start the engine, read and

understand this Operator's Manual.

For answers to your questions about

Before using this equipment, read this manual and follow

all safety rules and operating

instructions.

Sears Brands Management Corporation, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 U.S.A.

Visit our website: www.craftsman.com FormNo.769-05572A

this product, Call:

1-800=659=5917

CraftsmanTractorHelpLine

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

(February12,2010)

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

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

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

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

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

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

CRAFTSMAN FULL WARRANTY

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

Theframeandfrontaxlewillbe repairedfreeofchargefor fiveyearsfromthedateofpurchaseif defectiveinmaterialorworkmanship. Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageappliesforonly90 daysfromthedateof purchaseifthis ridingequipmentiseverusedforcommercialor

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

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

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

Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,ortune-ups.

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

Tireor wheelreplacementor repairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,orimproperoperationormaintenance.

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

Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecaused byimproperstorage,failuretousethepropergradeandamountofengineoil, failuretokeepthe deckclearofflammable debris,orfailureto maintaintheridingequipmentaccordingto theinstructionscontainedintheoperator'smanual.

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

Normaldeteriorationandwearoftheexteriorfinishes,or productlabelreplacement.

Thiswarrantyappliesonlywhilethisproductiswithinthe UnitedStates.

Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstatetostate.

Sears BrandsManagementCorporation, HoffmanEstates,IL60179

GrossHP: 20 EngineOil: SAE30

Fuel: UnleadedGasoline SparkPlug: Champion®RC12YC

Engine: Briggs& StrattonIntek®

Model Number: Serial Number:

Dateof Purchase:

Recordthe modelnumber,serialnumber,

anddateof purchaseabove.

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

beforeattemptingtooperatethismachine.Failuretocomplywith

theseinstructionsmayresultin personalinjury.Whenyouseethis

symbol,HEEDITSWARNING!

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

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

EngineExhaust,someof itsconstituents,andcertainvehicle componentscontainoremitchemicalsknowntoStateofCalifornia tocausecancerandbirthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm.

Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainleadand

leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.

GENERAL OPERATION

• Read,understand,andfollowall instructionson themachineand

in themanual(s)beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate. Keepthis manualina safeplaceforfutureand regularreference andfororderingreplacementparts.

• Befamiliarwithall controlsandtheir properoperation.Knowhow tostopthemachineanddisengagethemquickly.

• Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldtooperatethis machine. Children14yearsoldandovershouldreadandunderstandthe operationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanualandshould betrainedandsupervisedbya parent.

• Neverallowadultstooperatethis machinewithoutproper instruction.

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

thearea.

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

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

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

tionsin thismanualandon the machine.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

• Alwayswearsafetyglassesor safetygogglesduringoperation andwhileperformingan adjustmentorrepairto protectyoureyes. Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancauseseriousinjurytothe eyes.

• Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fittingslacksand

shirts.Loosefittingclothesandjewelrycanbe caughtin movable parts.Neveroperatethismachineinbarefeetorsandals.

• Beawareofthemowerandattachmentdischargedirectionand do notpointit at anyone.Donotoperatethemowerwithoutthe dischargecoverorentiregrasscatcherinits properplace.

Donot puthandsorfeetnearrotatingpartsor underthe cutting

deck.Contactwiththe blade(s)canamputatehandsandfeet. A missingordamageddischargecovercancausebladecontact

or thrownobjectinjuries.

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

• Watchfortrafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.This

machineis notintendedforuseonanypublicroadway.

• Donotoperatethemachinewhileundertheinfluenceofalcohol or drugs.

• Mowonly indaylightorgoodartificiallight.

Nevercarrypassengers.

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

back-overaccident.

• Slowdownbeforeturning.Operatethemachinesmoothly.Avoid erraticoperationandexcessivespeed.

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

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

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

Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcan causea burn.Donot touch.

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

Disengageallattachmentclutchesanddepressthebrakepedal completelybeforeattemptingto startengine.

Yourmachineisdesignedto cutnormalresidentialgrassofa heightnomorethan10".Donotattemptto mowthroughunusually tall,drygrass(e.g.,pasture)orpilesof dryleaves.Drygrassor leavesmaycontacttheengineexhaustand/orbuilduponthe mowerdeckpresentinga potentialfirehazard.

Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedforthis machine bythemachinemanufacturer.Read,understandandfollowall instructionsprovidedwiththe approvedaccessoryorattachment. Fora list ofapprovedaccessoriesandattachments,call 1-800-

659-5917. Dataindicatesthatoperators,age60yearsandabove,are

involvedin a largepercentageofridingmower-relatedinjuries. Theseoperatorsshouldevaluatetheirabilityto operatetheriding mowersafelyenoughto protectthemselvesandothersfrom seriousinjury.

If situationsoccurwhicharenot coveredinthismanual,usecare andgoodjudgment.Contact1-800-659-5917for informationand

assistance.

SLOPE OPERATION

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

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

result.

Do:

Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exerciseextremecaution

whenchangingdirectionon slopes.

• Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.

Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles.

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

• Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsforwheelweights or counterweightstoimprovestability.Forrecommendations,call

1-800-659-5917.

• Useextracarewithgrasscatchersor otherattachments.These canchangethestabilityofthe machine.

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

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

DoNot:

• Donotturnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turnslowlyand graduallydownhill,ifpossible.

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

• Donottry to stabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfooton the ground.

• Donotusea grasscatcheronsteepslopes.

• Donotmowon wetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.

• Donotattempttocoastdownhill.Over-speedingmaycausethe operatortolosecontrolofthemachineresultinginseriousinjury

or death.

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

CHILDREN

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

• Keepchildrenoutof themowingareaand inwatchfulcareofa responsibleadultotherthantheoperator.

• Bealert andturnmachineoff ifa childentersthearea.

• Beforeandwhilebacking,lookbehindanddownforsmall children.

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

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

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

shouldnotbe usedwhenchildrenor othersarearound. Keepchildrenawayfromhotor runningengines.Theycansuffer

burnsfroma hotmuffler.

• Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedto preventunauthorized operation.

Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethismachine. Children14andovershouldreadandunderstandtheinstructionsand

safeoperationpracticesinthismanualandon the machineandshould betrainedandsupervisedbyan adult.

TOWING

Towonlywithamachinethathasa hitchdesignedfortowing.Do notattachtowedequipmentexceptatthehitchpoint.

Followthemanufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfor towedequipmentandtowingonslopes.For recommendations,

call1-800-659-5917. Neverallowchildrenor othersinorontowedequipment.

Onslopes,theweightof thetowedequipmentmaycauselossof tractionandlossof control.

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

Travelslowlyandallowextradistanceto stop. Donotcoastdownhill.

SERVICE

SafeHandlingof Gasoline

Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamageuseextremecarein

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

• Useonly anapprovedgasolinecontainer.

Neverfill containersinsidea vehicleorona truckortrailer bed

witha plasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainerson thegroundaway fromyourvehiclebeforefilling.

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

refuelsuchequipmentona trailerwitha portablecontainer,rather

thanfromagasolinedispensernozzle.

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

Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersourcesof

ignition.

• Neverfuelmachineindoors. Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhiletheengineis hotor run-

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

bottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.

• Replacegasolinecap andtightensecurely.

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

engine.

• Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefreeofgrass,leaves,or

otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanup oilorfuelspillageandremoveany fuelsoakeddebris.

• Neverstorethe machineorfuelcontainerinsidewherethereisan

openflame,sparkor pilotlight as ona waterheater,spaceheater, furnace,clothesdryeror othergasappliances.

Allowa machineto coolatleastfiveminutesbeforestoring.

GeneralService

• Neverrunanengineindoorsorinapoorlyventilatedarea.Engine exhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,anodorless,anddeadlygas.

• Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspecting,makecertainthe blade(s)andallmovingpartshavestopped.Disconnectthespark plugwireandgroundagainsttheenginetopreventunintended starting.

• Periodicallychecktomakesurethebladescometocomplete stopwithinapproximately(5)fivesecondsafteroperatingthe bladedisengagementcontrol.Ifthebladesdonotstopwithinthe thistimeframe,yourmachineshouldbeservicedprofessionally byaSearsorotherqualifiedservicedealer.

• Checkbrakeoperationfrequentlyasitissubjectedtowearduring normaloperation.Adjustandserviceasrequired.

• Checktheblade(s)andenginemountingboltsatfrequent intervalsforpropertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade(s) fordamage(e.g.,excessivewear,bent,cracked).Replacethe blade(s)withtheoriginalequipmentmanufacturer's(O.E.M.) blade(s)only,listedinthismanual.Useofpartswhichdonot meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmayleadtoimproper performanceandcompromisesafety!

• Mowerbladesaresharp.Wrapthebladeorweargloves,anduse extracautionwhenservicingthem.

• Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstighttobesuretheequipmentis

insafeworkingcondition.

• Nevertamperwiththe safetyinterlocksystemor othersafety devices.Checktheirproperoperationregularly.

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

• Neverattempttomakeadjustmentsor repairstothe machine whilethe engineis running.

• Grasscatchercomponentsandthe dischargecoverare subject towearanddamagewhichcouldexposemovingpartsor allow objectsto bethrown.Forsafetyprotection,frequentlycheck componentsand replaceimmediatelywithoriginalequipment manufacturer's(O.E.M.)partsonly,listedinthis manual.Useof partswhichdo not meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmay leadtoimproperperformanceandcompromisesafety!

• Donotchangetheenginegovernorsettingsorover-speedthe engine.Thegovernorcontrolsthemaximumsafeoperatingspeed oftheengine.

Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,as necessary.

• Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsforgas,oil,etc.to protecttheenvironment.

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

Failuretodosocanresultinaccidents,injuriesor death.

DO NOT MODIFY ENGINE

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

NOTICE REGARDING EMISSIONS

Engineswhicharecertifiedto complywithCaliforniaandfederal

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

SPARK ARRESTOR

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

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

A sparkarresterforthemufflerisavailablethroughyournearestSears

PartsandRepairServiceCenter.

SAFETY SYMBOLS

Thispagedepictsanddescribessafetysymbolsthatmayappearonthis product.Read,understand,andfollowallinstructionson themachine beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate.

READ THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL(S) Read, understand, and follow all instructions in the manual(s) before attempting to assemble and operate

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES Never carry passengers. Never carry children, even with the blades off.

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES

Always look down and behind before and while backing to avoid a back-over accident.

WARNING-- ROTATING BLADES

Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck. Contact with the blade(s) can amputate hands and feet.

WARNING--THROWN OBJECTS This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.

BYSTANDERS Keep bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in

operation.

WARNING-- SLOPE OPERATION

Do not operate this machine on a slope greater than 15 degrees.

WARNING-- HOT SURFACE

Engine parts, especially the muffler, become extremely hot during operation. Allow engine and muffler to cool before touching.

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES

To reduce the risk of injury, keep hands and feet away. Do not operate unless discharge cover or grass

catcher is in its proper place. If damaged, replace immediately.

SLOPE GUIDE

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ROTATING BLADES CAUSE

SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH

DONOTMOWWHENCHILDRENOROTHERSARE AROUND

NEVERCARRYCHILDRENEVENWITHBLADE(S)OFF. LOOKDOWNANDBEHINDBEFOREANDWHILE BACKING.

MOWINGINREVERSEISNOTRECOMMENDED.

WARNING

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

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

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

Your Responsibility

Restrictthe useof this powermachineto persons who

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

IMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroil in theengine. However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Refertothe Service& Maintenancesectionforinstructionson checkingtheoil

level. Attaching the Battery Cables

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

Batteryposts,terminals,andrelatedaccessoriescontainleadand leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato

causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.

Whenattachingbatterycables,alwaysconnectthePOSITIVE(Red) wireto its terminalfirst,followedby theNEGATIVE(Black)wire.

Forshippingreasons,bothbatterycablesonyourequipmenthave beenleftdisconnectedfromtheterminalsat the factory.Toconnect thebatterycables,proceedasfollows:

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

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

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

Shipping Brace Removal

Makesurethe ridingmower'sengineisoff,removetheignitionkey,

andset the parkingbrakebeforeremovingtheshippingbrace.Refer

ItotheOperationsectionfor instructionsonhowto settheparking lbrake.

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

Figure2

Figure1

3. Positionthe redrubberbootoverthepositivebatteryterminalto helpprotectit fromcorrosion.

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

Placethedecklift leverinthe highestcuttingposition.Referto

SettingtheCuttingHeightin theOperationsectionofthismanual. Whilepushingthedischargechuteddlectortowardsthemachinewith

yourlefthand,removetheshippingbracewithyourrighthandbygrasp- ingitbetweenyourthumbandindexfingerandrotatingitclockwise.

Theshippingbrace,usedfor packagingpurposesonly,mustbe

removedand discardedbeforeoperatingyourridingmower.

Themowingdeck iscapableofthrowingobjects.Failureto operate the ridingmowerwithoutthedischargecoverin theproperoperating

Ipositioncouldresultin seriouspersonalinjuryand/orproperty ldamage.

Attaching The Steering Wheel

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

1. Withthewheelsof thetractorpointingstraightforward,placethe steeringwheeloverthesteeringshaft.

2. Placethewasher(withthe cuppedsidedown)overthe steering wheeland securewiththehex bolt.SeeFig.3.

f.-

Beforeoperatingthis machine,makesurethe seatis engagedina

seatstop,standbehindthemachineandpullbackon seatuntilfully

_engagedntostop.

Figure3

3. Placethe steeringwheelcap overthe centerof the steering wheeland pushdownwarduntilit"clicks"intoplace.

Attaching The Seat NOTE: Ifyourseatwasshippedmountedbackwardsontheseatpivot

bracket,pulloutthe tab foundontheseatstopand holditopenwhile slidingtheseatoff theseatpivotbracket.

1. Lineuptheplasticseatspacerswiththeslotsin seatpivot bracket.

2. Slideseatinuntilfrontseatspacerengagestheseatstop.See Fig.4.

Figure5

Tire Pressure

Maximumtire pressureunderanycircumstancesis 30 psi.Equal

tirepressureshouldbe maintainedatall times.Neverexceedthe

_maxmum nfatonpressureshownonthe sdewa of thet re. Therecommendedoperatingtirepressureis:

Approximately10psi forthe reartires Approximately14psiforthefronttires

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

surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.

Figure4

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

Figure6

A ParkingBrakeLever

B Throttle/ChokeControlLever

C IgnitionSwitchModule

D Auto-drivePedal E DeckLift Lever

NOTE: AnyreferenceinthismanualtotheRIGHTor LEFTsideofthetractorisobservedfromoperator'sseat positionfacingforwardtowardsthefrontof tractor.

Meets ANSi Safety Standards

CraftsmanTractorsconformtothesafetystandardof theAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).

F PTOLever(BladeEngage)

G CupHolder H ShiftLever

I SeatAdjustmentLever

J Clutch-BrakePedal

PARKING BRAKE LEVER

Toset the parkingbrake: Fullydepressthebrakepedal.Movethe parkingbrakeleverintotheparkingbrakeposition.Releasethebrake pedaltoallowtheparkingbraketo engage.

Toreleasethe parkingbrake: Depressthebrakepedalandthepark- ingbrakeleverwill moveoutofthe parkingbrakepositiononitsown. Theparkingbrakewillthenbereleased.Releasethebrakepedal.

NOTE=Theparkingbrakemustbe setiftheoperatorleavestheseat withtheenginerunningor theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff.

THROTTLE/CHOKE CONTROL LEVER

Thethrottle/chokecontrolleveris locatedontherightsideofthetrac-

tor'sdashpanel.Thislevercontrols thespeedoftheengineand when pushedallthewayforward,the

chokecontrolalso.Whensetin a givenposition,thethrottlewill

maintaina uniformenginespeed. IMPORTANT=Whenoperating

thetractorwiththecuttingdeck engaged,thethrottle/chokecontrol levermustalwaysbeintheFAST (rabbit)position.

CHOKE

FAST

l=, m

SLOW

IGNITION SWITCH MODULE

Thekeyswitchmoduleisusedto startand stoptheengine.Itis also

usedto activatetheReverseCaution Mode(bladesoperatewhileriding

in reverse).Insertkeyintothekey switchmoduleandturn clockwiseto

theSTARTposition.Releasethekey intothenormalmowingpositiononce enginehasstarted.Theheadlights willbeactivatedin theNormal(and ReverseCaution)modes.

Tostoptheengine,turnthe ignitionkey counterclockwiseto theSTOPposition.

IMPORTANT:Priortooperatingthe tractor,refertoboththe "Safety InterlockSystem"and"StartingTheEngine"laterinthissectionofthis manualfordetailedinstructionsregardingthe IgnitionSwitchModule andoperatingthetractorinREVERSECAUTIONMODE.

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

AUTO-DRIVE PEDAL

Thedrivepedalislocatedontherightsideof thetractor,alongthe

runningboard.Depressthedrivepedalforwardandthetractorwill moveinthedirectionthattheshiftleverisengagedin.Tocausethe

tractorto travelforward,whileat acompletestop,movethe shiftlever

intotheForwardposition.Graduallysteponthe drivepedalandthe

tractorwill beginto moveforward.Tomovein Reverse,followthesame

procedureonlymovetheshiftleverintothereverseposition.

Thegroundspeediscontrolledwiththedrivepedal.Thefurther forwardthatthepedalispivoted,thefasterthe tractorwilltravel. Thepedalwill returntoits originalpositionwhenit'snotdepressed.

Referto the Operationsectionofthismanualfordetailedinstructions regardingthedrivepedal.

IMPORTANT=Alwayssetthe parkingbrakewhenleavingthetractor unattended.

DECK LIFT LEVER

Foundonyour tractor'srightfender,thedeckliftleverisused

tochangetheheightofthecuttingdeck.Touse,movethe

levertotheleft,thenplaceinthenotchbestsuitedforyour

application.

PTO (BLADE ENGAGE) LEVER

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

cuttingdeck/attachment.

NOTE:ThePTO(bladeengage)levermustbe inthe

disengaged(PTOOFF)positionwhenstartingtheengine.

CUP HOLDER

Thetractor'scupholderis locatedonthefendertotheleft of theseat.

SHIFT LEVER

Theshiftleverislocatedontheleft

sideof thefenderandhasthree positions,FORWARD,NEUTRAL

and REVERSE.Theclutch-brake

pedalmustbedepressedandthe

tractormustnotbe inmotionwhen themovingshiftlever.

IMPORTANT=Neverforcethe shiftlever.Doingsomayresultin

seriousdamagetothetractor's

transmission.

CLUTCH-BRAKE PEDAL

SEAT ADJUSTMENT LEVER

Theseatadjustmentleverislocatedunderthe frontofthe seat.Toadjustthe seat,slidetheseatadjustmentlevertothe leftandslidetheseatforwardor

rearward.Makesureseatislockedintopositionbeforeoperatingthetractor.

Theclutch-brakepedalislocatedontheleft sideofthelawntractor, alongtherunningboard.Depressthe clutch-brakepedaltoengagethe disc brakeandbringthetractortoa completestop.

NOTE=Thepedalmustbe depressedto starttheengine.Referto SafetyInterlockSwitcheslaterin thissectionof thismanual.

GAS AND OIL FILL-UP

0il

IMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroilintheengine. However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Becareful

notto overfill. Forinstructionsonhowto checktheengineoil, referto CheckingThe

EngineOilin the ServiceandMaintenancesectionofthismanual.

Gasoline

Thegasolinetankislocatedunderthehood.Donotoverfill.

Useextremecarewhenhandlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremely flammableandthevaporsareexplosive.Neverfuelmachineindoors

orwhiletheengineishotor running.Extinguishcigarettes,cigars,

_ppes,andothersourcesof gn ton. NOTE : Purchasegasolineinsmallquantities.Donotusegasolineleft

overfromthe previousseason,to minimizegumdepositsinthefuel system.

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

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

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

• Fillfueltankoutdoorsorin well-ventilatedarea.

• Donotoverfillfuel tank. Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow bottomoffillernecktoallowspacefor fuelexpansion.

• Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhiletheengineishotorrun- ning.Allowenginetocoolatleasttwo minutesbeforerefueling.

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

To Add Gasoline

1. Turntheengineoff andlet enginecool atleast2 minutesbefore removingthe fuelcap.Thegasolinetankis underthe rearfender, withthefuelfill caplocatedinthecenterofthe rearfender. Thefuel capistetheredto thetractortopreventitsloss.Donot attempttoremovethecapfromthetractor.

2. Fillthe fueltankwithgasoline.

3. Reinstallthefuelcap.

For California Models: ForCaliforniamodelsequippedwitha tethered,ratchetingfuelcap,

STOPfillingtankoncefuelis seeninsidethefillerneck. Thisensures thata properexpansionvolumeiscreated,otherwisethefuelcanover- flowcreatinga hazardoussituation. DoNOTfilltothetop ofthefiller neck.On Californiamodels,fillthetank inaccordancewith Figure7.

Figure7

Avoid Serious Injury or Death

* Go upanddownslopes,notacross. , Avoidsuddenturns.

, Donot operatetheunitwhereitcouldslipor tip. , Ifmachinestopsgoinguphill,stopbladesand backdownhill

slowly.

, Donot mowwhenchildrenorothersare around. , Nevercarrychildren,evenwithbladesoff.

, Lookdownand behindbeforeandwhilebacking. , Keepsafetydevices(guards,shields,and switches)inplace

andworking.

, Removeobjectsthatcouldbethrownbythe blades. , Knowlocationandfunctionofall controls.

, Besurebladesandenginearestoppedbeforeplacinghandsor

feetnearblades.

, Beforeleavingoperator'sposition,stoptractor,disengage

blades,engageparkingbrake,shutengineoff,and removekey.

Read Operator's Manual

SAFETY INTERLOCK SYSTEM

Thesafetyinterlocksystemis designedforsafeoperationofthetrac- tor.If thissystemshouldevermalfunction,donot operatethetractor, immediatelycontact1-800-4-MY-HOMEto havethesystemserviced.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromstarting unlesstheparkingbrakeisengagedandthe PTO(BladeEngage) leveris inthedisengaged(OFF)position.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill automaticallyshutofftheengineif theoperatorleavestheseatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwill automaticallyshutofftheengine if theoperatorleavesthetractor'sseatwiththePTO(Blade

Engage)leverengaged,regardlessof whetherthe parkingbrake

is engaged.

REVERSE CAUTION MODE

UseextremecautionwhileoperatingthetractorintheREVERSE CAUTIONMODE.Alwayslookdownand behindbeforeandwhile backing.Donotoperatethetractorwhenchildrenorothersare around.Stopthetractorimmediatelyifsomeoneentersthe area.

TheREVERSECAUTIONMODEpositionofthekeyswitchmodule allowsthetractorto beoperatedinreversewiththeblades(PTO) engaged.

iMPORTANT: Mowinginreverseisnotrecommended. Touse theREVERSECAUTIONMODE:

iMPORTANT: The operatorMUSTbeseatedinthe tractorseat.

1. Startengineasinstructedunderthe headingStartingTheEngine laterinthissection.

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

3. DepresstheREVERSEPUSHBUTTON(Orange,Triangular Button)atthetop,rightcornerofthekeyswitchmodule.Thered indicatorlightat the top,leftcornerofthekeyswitchmodulewill beONwhileactivated.SeeFigure8.

f Reverse "_

Push

indicator Light BUTTON=._

Reverse

REVERSE PUSH

Caution - Normal Mode Driving

Position Mode

Stop

position

Button

position

ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE

To engage the parking brake:

1. Fullydepressthe clutch-brakepedaland holditdownwithyour foot.

2. Movethe speedcontrolleverall thewaydownandintothe parkingbrakeposition.

3. Releasetheclutch-brakepedaltoallowtheparkingbraketo

engage.

To release the parking brake:

1. Depresstheclutch-brakepedaland movethe speedcontrollever outofthe parkingbrakepositionandintoadesiredspeed.

SETTING THE CUTTING HEIGHT

1. Selecttheheightpositionofthecuttingdeckby placingthedeck

liftleverinanyofthe sixdifferentcuttingheightnotchesonthe rightsideofthefender.

2. Adjustthedeck wheelssothattheyarebetween1A-inchand Y2-inchabovethegroundwhenthe tractorisona smooth,fiat

surfacesuchas a driveway.

To adjust Deck Wheels:

1. Removetheflangelocknuton the shoulderboltsecuringthe deckwheel.

2. Positionthewheeltothedesiredheightaslistedabove.

3. Securetheshoulderboltwiththe flangelocknut.

Keephandsandfeetawayfromthedischargeopeningofthecutting

deck.

NOTE:Thedeckwheelsareananti-scalpfeatureofthedeckand

are notdesignedtosupporttheweightofthe cuttingdeck.Referto

Levelingin theMaintenance& Servicesectionofthismanualformore

detailedinstructionsregardingvariousdeckadjustments.

'_., j

Figure 8

4. Onceactivated(indicatorlightON),thetractorcan bedrivenin reversewiththecuttingblades(PTO)engaged.

5. Alwayslookdownand behindbeforeandwhilebackingtomake surenochildrenarearound.

6. Afterresumingforwardmotion,returnthekeyto the NORMAL MOWINGposition.

iMPORTANT:TheREVERSECAUTIONMODEwillremainactivated until:

Thekeyisplacedin eithertheNORMALMOWINGposition orSTOPposition.

Theoperatorengagestheparkingbrakebyfullydepressing theclutch-brakepedalandholdingit downwhilemovingthe speedcontrolleverintothe PARKBRAKEposition.

STARTING THE ENGINE DRiViNG THE TRACTOR

Donotoperatethetractoriftheinterlocksystemismalfunctioning. Thissystemwasdesignedforyour safetyandprotection.

NOTE: RefertotheGasolineand Oilfill-upinstructionsearlierinthis section.

1. Insertthe tractorkeyintothe ignitionswitch.

2. Placethe PTO(BladeEngage)leverinthe disengaged(OFF) position.

3. Engagethe tractor'sparkingbrake.

4. Activatethe chokecontrolby movingthethrottle/chokeleverall thewayupintothe chokeposition.

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

DO NOTholdthekeyintheSTARTpositionforlongerthanten secondsata time.Doingsomaycausedamagetoyourengine's

electricstarter.

6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethechokecontrolandplacethe throttlecontrolinthe FASTposition.

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

STOPPING THE ENGINE

Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedandsuddenstops.

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

Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhile backingupto avoida back-overaccident.

1. Depresstheclutch-brakepedalto releasethe parkingbrakeand thenletthe pedalup.

2. Movethethrottleleverintothe FAST(rabbit)position.

3. Placetheshift leverineitherthe FORWARDor REVERSE position.

IMPORTANT: DoNOTusethe shiftleverto changethedirectionof travelwhenthetractorisinmotion.Alwaysusetheclutch-brakepedal to bringthetractortoa completestopbeforeshifting.

4. Graduallybeginto applypressureto thedrivepedal.Thefurther

downthe pedalis pushed,thefasterthe tractorwilltravelinthe desireddirectionbasedon thepositionofthe shiftlever.

5. Thelawntractorisbroughttoa stopby releasingthedrivepedal

andthendepressingthe brakepedal.

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

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

2. TurntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOPposition.

3. Removethe keyfromtheignitionswitchto preventunintended starting.

WARNING!Beforeleavingtheoperator'spositionforany reason, disengagetheblades,placethe shiftleverin neutral,engagethe parkingbrake,shutengineoff and removethekey.

WHEN stoppingthe tractorforany reasonwhileon a grasssurface, always:

1. Placetheshiftleverinneutral,

2. Engagetheparkingbrake,

3. Shutengineoffand removethekey.Doingsowill minimizethe possibilityofhavingyourlawn"browned"byhotexhaustfrom yourtractor'srunningengine.

DRiViNG ON SLOPES

RefertotheSLOPEGAUGEintheSafetyInstructionssectionof the manualto helpdetermineslopeswhereyou mayoperatethistractor safely.

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

MOWING

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

Thefollowinginformationwill be helpfulwhenusingthecuttingdeck withyourtractor:

• Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross. Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirectionon slopes.

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

obstacles. Avoidturnswhendrivingona slope.Ifaturnmustbemade,turn

downthe slope.Turningupa slopegreatlyincreasesthechance ofarollover.

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

ENGAGING THE BLADES

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

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

2. Graspthe PTO(BladeEngage)leverandpivotit all theway forwardintothe engaged(ON)position.

3. KeepthethrottleleverintheFAST(rabbit)positionforthemost efficientuseof thecuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)

attachments.

NOTE:Theenginewill automaticallyshutoff ifthe PTOisengaged withtheshiftleverin positionfor reversetravelwiththeignitionkeyin theNORMALMOWINGposition.

MULCHING

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

a naturalfertilizer. A mulchkit canbe purchasedthroughtheretaillocationinwhichyou

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

USING THE DECK LIFT LEVER

Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethedecklift levertothe left,thenplace itinthenotchbestsuitedforyourapplication.RefertoSettingThe CuttingHeightearlierinthis section.

Planyourmowingpatternto avoiddischargeof materialstoward

roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthe like.Also,avoiddischarging materialagainstawallor obstructionwhichmaycausedischarged materialtoricochetbacktowardtheoperator.

Donot mowat highgroundspeed,especiallyifa mulchkit or

grasscollectorisinstalled.

• Forbestresultsitisrecommendedthatthe first twolaps becut withthedischargethrowntowardsthecenter.Afterthefirsttwo

laps,reversethedirectionto throwthedischargetotheoutside

forthebalanceofcutting.Thiswillgivea betterappearanceto the

lawn.

• Donotcutthegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowth andyellowsquicklyin dry weather.

• Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewiththeengineatfull throttle.

• Underheavierconditionsit maybe necessaryto go backoverthe cut areaa secondtimetogeta cleancut.

• Do NOTattemptto mowheavybrushandweedsandextremely tallgrass.Yourtractorisdesignedtomowlawns,NOTclear

brush.

• Keepthe bladessharpand replacethebladeswhenworn.Refer to CuttingBladesintheServicesectionof thismanualforproper

bladesharpeninginstructions.

HEADLIGHTS

• Thelampsare ONwheneverthetractor'sengineis running.

• ThelampsturnOFFwhenthe ignitionkeyismovedtothe STOP

position.

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Beforeperforminganytypeofmaintenance/service,disengageall controlsandstoptheengine.Waituntilallmovingpartshavecometo acompletestop.Disconnectsparkplugwireandgrounditagainstthe enginetopreventunintendedstarting.Alwayswearsafetyglassesduring operationor whileperforminganyadjustmentsorrepairs.

BeforeEachUse

IntheFirstFiveHours Every10Hours

1. Engineoil level

2. Mufflerareaandcontrols

3. Fingerguard

1. EngineOil

1. Hood/Dashairvents

2. Batteryterminals

3. Deckspindlesand idler

1. Check

2. Clean

3. Clean

1. Change

1. Clean

2. Clean

3. Lubricate

bracket

Every25 hours

1. Air filter'sprecleaner*

2. Air filter*

3. Midsteeringarms,pivot

1. Clean

2. Clean

3. Lubricate

shafts,andaxles

4. Lubricate

5. Lubricate

1. Change/Replace

2. Check

1. Replace

2. Replace

3. Replace

4. Clean

5. Replace

6. Clean

7. Removeandgreaseaxles

1. Clean

2. Clean

3. Lubricate

Every50 hours

Annually

BeforeStorage

4. Frontwheelbearings

5. Frontdeckwheels

1. Engineoil/Oil filter

2. Muffler

1. Air filter

2. Air filter'spre-cleaner

3. Sparkplug

4. Air coolingsystem*

5. Fuelfilter

6. SteeringGears

7. RearWheels

1. Hood/Dashairvents

2. Batteryterminals

3. Midsteeringarms,pivot shafts,andaxles

4. Frontwheelbearings

5. Frontdeckwheels

6. Deckspindlesand idler

4. Lubricate

5. Lubricate

6. Lubricate

bracket

7. Pedalpivotpoints

7. Lubricate

*Servicemorefrequentlyunderdustyconditions.

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

RepairServiceCenteror to scheduleservice,simplycontact

1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

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

and removethekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

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

Exercisecautiontoavoidburns.

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

Checking the Engine Oil Onlyuse highqualitydetergentoilratedwithAPIserviceclassification

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

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

usedabove32°ECheckyourengineoillevelmorefrequentlytoavoid possibleenginedamagefromrunninglowonoil.

f'_older _ 32°F _War me'_r

Oil Viscosity Chart

Tochecktheengineoil,proceedasfollows:

• Ensurethatthetractorisona levelsurface.

• Cleantheoil fillareaofanydebris.

1. Removethedipstickandwipe withacleancloth.

2. Insertandtightendipstick.

3. Removethedipstickandcheckthe oil level.It shouldbeatthe Fullmarkonthedipstick.SeeFigure9.

Dipstick-_

Changing Engine Oil

Theengineoilshouldbechangedinthe first5 hoursand thenevery 50 hoursoroncea season.Tochangetheengineoil, proceedas

follows:

1. WithengineOFFbutstillwarm,disconnectsparkplugwireand keepit awayfromsparkplug.

2. Removetheoilfillcap/dipstickfromtheoil filltube.SeeFigure9.

3. Cliptheoildrainsleeve(packedwiththis manual)ontotheoil drainport. Routetheoppositeendofthesleeveintoanappropri- ateoilcollectioncontainerwitha capacitygreatenoughtocollect

theusedoil.

4. Removetheoildrainplug,Theoilwillbegintodrainoutofthe engine.

5. Aftertheoil hasfinisheddraining,replacethe oil drainplugand tighten.Becarefulnot to overtighten.

6. Removetheoildrainsleeveandstoreforlater use.

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

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

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

recyclingfacilities.

Changing the Oil Filter

1. Draintheoil fromthe engineasdescribedabove.

2. Removetheoilfilteranddisposeofproperly.SeeFigure10.

OilDrain

Valve

Oil Drain Sleeve

Figure9

If low,addoil slowlyintotheengineoilfill. Do notoverfill.After addingoil,waitoneminuteand thenrechecktheoil level.

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

5. Replaceandtightendipstick.

0il Filter

Figure10

3. Beforeyou installthenewoil filter, lightlylubricatetheoil filter gasketwithfresh,cleanoil.

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

5. Addoil as describedabove.

6. Startand runthe engine.Asthe enginewarmsup,checkforoil

leaks.

7. Stoptheengineandchecktheoil level.It shouldbeattheFULL markonthedipstick.

Fuel Filter Air Cleaner

Gasolineand itsvaporsareextremelyflammableandexplosive.Fire orexplosioncancausesevereburnsor death.

• Keepgasolineawayfromsparks,openflames,pilotlights,heat, andotherignitionsources.

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

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltankasperthe instructionsbelow.

• Donotdrainfuelwhentheengineishot.Allowthe engine

adequatetimetocool. Drainfuelintoan approvedcontainer outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

• Drainanylargevolumeof fuelfromthetankbydisconnectingthe fuellinefromthein-linefuelfilterneartheengine.

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

• Replacementpartsmustbethe sameand installedin thesame positionastheoriginalparts.

• Iffuel spills,waituntilitevaporatesbeforestartingengine.

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltank. Otherwisefuel

canleakoutandcausea fireor explosion.

ToDrainthe fuel:

1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichisroutedontheleftsideofthe engine betweenthefueltankandthecarburetor,andmaybeattachedto theenginewitha tiestrap.Cutthetie strap,ifpresent,then pinch thein-lineclamponthefuelfilterwitha pairof pliers,slidethe clampupthefuelline.Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterandplace theopenendof the lineintoanapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.

Tochangethe fuel filter:

1. Useplierstosqueezethe tabsontheotherclamp(theout-line sideof thefuelfilter),thenslidethe clampawayfromthefuel filter. Twistandpullthefuellineoffof thefuelfilter.SeeFigure11.

2. Checkthefuellinesforcracksorleaks.Replaceif necessary.

3. Replacethe fuelfilterwithan originalequipmentreplacement filter.Call1-800-4-MY-HOME®topurchasetheoriginalequip- mentreplacementfilter.

4. Securethefuellineswiththeclamps.

Iffilters,or coversarenotinstalledcorrectlyseriousinjuryordeath

couldresultfrombackfire.Do notattemptto startthe enginewith themremoved.

Donot usepressurizedair or solventstocleantheaircleaner

cartridge.

Theairfiltersystemusesacylindricalcartridge.

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

12.

2. Toremovethefilter(C),lifttheendofthe filterandthen pullthe filteroff the intake(D).

3. Toloosendebris,gentlytapthefilteron a hardsurface.Ifthefilter

Figure12

is excessivelydirty,replacewitha newfilter.

4. installthefilteronthe intake.Pushtheendofthefilterintothe baseas shown.Makesurefilterfits securelyin thebase.

5. installairfiltercoverandsecurewithfasteners.

Tab

Clamp

Fuel Line

Figure11

Spark Plug

1. Cleanareaaroundthesparkplugbase.Donotsandblastspark plug,Sparkplugshouldbecleanedbyscrapingorwire brushing andwashingwitha commercialsolvent

Removeandinspectthesparkplug.Checkgap to makesureitis setat.030".SeeFigure13.

Electrode Porcelain

_.030 (.76 mm) gap

Figure13

3. Replacethesparkplug(Champion®RC12YC)once a season.

Muffler

Temperatureof mufflerandnearbyengineareasmayexceed150°F

(65°0).Avoidcontactwiththeseareas.

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

Clean Engine

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

Keepareaaroundandbehindmufflerfreeof anycombustible debris.

Keepingenginecleanallowsair movementaroundengine.

• Enginepartsshouldbe keptcleanto reducetheriskofoverheat- ingandignitionofaccumulateddebris.

Donotusewatertocleanengineparts.Watercouldcontaminatefuel system.Useabrushordrycloth.

Carburetor Adjustment

• Thecarburetoron thisengineisnot adjustable.

LUBRICATION

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

Pivot Points & Linkage Lubricateallthepivotpointsonthedrivesystem,parkingbrakeandlift

linkageatleastoncea seasonwithlightoil. Rear Wheels

Therearwheelsshouldberemovedfromtheaxlesoncea season.

Lubricatetheaxlesandthe rimswellwithan all-purposegreasebefore re-installingthem.

Front Axles

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

Battery Thebatteryissealedandismaintenance-free.Acidlevelscannotbe

checked.

Alwayskeepthebatterycablesandterminalscleanandfreeof corrosivebuild-up.

Aftercleaningthebatteryandterminals,applya lightcoatof

petroleumjellyorgreasetobothterminals.

Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositionedoverthepositiveterminal to preventshorting.

iMPORTANT:if removingthebatteryforanyreason,disconnectthe

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

POSITIVE(Red)wiretoits terminalfirst,followedbythe NEGATIVE

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

Cleaning Battery

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

Battery Failures

Somecommoncausesfor batteryfailureare:

incorrectinitialactivation Overcharging

Freezing Undercharging

Corrodedconnections

Thesefailuresare NOTcoveredbyyourtractor'swarranty.

CLEANING THE ENGINE AND DECK

Anyfuel oroil spilledonthemachineshouldbewipedoffpromptly.Do NOTallowdebristoaccumulatearoundthe coolingfinsoftheengine oron anyotherpartof themachine.

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

A screwplugcanbefoundon yourtractor'sdecksurfaceas seenin Fig. 14.Thisplugcanbereplacedwithawaterporttobeusedas part ofaseparately-availabledeckwashsystem.

TheDeckWashSystemTM is usedto rinsegrassclippingsfromthe deck'sundersideandpreventthebuildupofcorrosivechemicals.

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

2. Measurethedistancefromthefrontofthebladetipto theground andthe rearofthebladetipto theground.Thefirstmeasure-

menttakenshouldbe between1A"and3A"lessthanthesecond measurement.Determinetheapproximatedistancenecessaryfor

properadjustmentandproceed,ifnecessary,to thenextstep.

3. Locatetheflangelocknut onthe frontsideofthestabilizer bracket.SeeFig.15.

Tightentheflangelocknut toraisethefrontof thedeck; Loosentheflangelocknutto lowerthefrontof thedeck.

Figure14

ADJUSTMENTS

Neverattempttomakeanyadjustmentswhiletheengineis running, exceptwherespecifiedinthe operator'smanual.

Leveling the Deck NOTE: Checkthetractor'stirepressurebeforeperforminganydeck

levelingadjustments.Referto Tiresinthe Servicesectionofthis manualformoreinformationregardingtire pressure.

Front To Rear Thefrontofthe cuttingdeckissupportedby a stabilizerbarthatcan

beadjustedtolevelthe deckfromfronttorear.Thefrontofthedeck shouldbebetween1A-inchand3A-inchlowerthantherearofthedeck.

Adjustif necessaryas follows:

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

Figure15

Side to Side

Ifthecuttingdeckappearstobe mowingunevenly,a sideto side

adjustmentcan beperformed.Adjustifnecessaryas follows:

1. Withthetractorparkedona firm,levelsurface,placethedecklift leverin thesecondfromthetop notch(secondhighestposition) and rotatebothbladessothat theyare perpendicularwiththe

tractor.

2. Measurethedistancefromtheoutsideoftheleft bladetiptothe groundandthedistancefromthe outsideoftherightbladetip to theground.Bothmeasurementstakenshouldbeequal.Ifthey're not, proceedto thenextstep.

3. Loosen,butdoNOTremove,thehexcap screwonthe leftdeck hangerbracket.SeeFig. 16.

4. Balancethedeckby usinga wrenchtoturntheadjustmentgear (foundimmediatelybehindthehexcap screwjust loosened) clockwise/uporcounterclockwise/down.Thedeckis properly balancedwhenbothbladetip measurementstakenearlierare equal.

5. Retightenthehex capscrewon theleft deck hangerbracket whenproperadjustmentisachieved.

He× Cap Screw

'_. ._

Figure16

Seat Adjustment RefertotheAssemblysectionofthismanualforseatadjustment

instructions. Parking Brake Adjustment

Neverattempttoadjustthe brakeswhiletheengineisrunning. AlwaysdisengagePTO,moveshift leverintoneutralposition,stop engineandremovekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

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

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

CUTTING DECK REMOVAL

To remove the cutting deck, proceed as follows:

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

2. Lowerthe deck by movingthe deck lift leverintothe bottom notchon the rightfender.

3. Removetheself-tappingscrew(A) thatsecuresthebelt-keeper rodfromaroundthetractor'sPTOpulley,thenremovethe belt keeperrod(B). SeeFig. 17.

NOTE: Makea mentalnotewhatholetheotherendof the belt-keeper rodisinsertedinforreinstallationpurposes.

4. Removethebelt(C) fromaroundthetractor'sPTOpulley.See Fig.17.

Figure17

Lookingatthecuttingdeckfromtheleftsideof thetractor,locate

thebow-tiepinthat securesthedecksupportrodontherear

Idt sideofthedeck.SeeFig.18.Removethe bow-tiepinthat securesthedecksupportrod,andcarefullyremovethedeck supportfromthedecklift arm.

Figure18

6. Repeattheabovestepsonthetractor'srightside. NOTE:Thebow-tieclipsshouldbe re-installedfromthetopdown.

7. Movethe decklift leverintothetopnotchontherightfenderto

raisethedecklift armsupandoutoftheway.

Avoidpinchinginjuries.Neverplaceyourfingersontheidlerspringor betweenthe beltanda pulleywhileremovingthe belt.

8, Removethe bow-tiecotterpin securingthedeckstabilizerrodto

thedeck. Slidethedecklift rodfromthemountingbracketonthe deckasseenin Fig.19.

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

The recommended operating tire pressure is:

• Approximately10psi for thereartires

• Approximately14psi for thefronttires

IMPORTANT: Refertothetire sidewaNforexacttiremanufacturer's recommendedormaximumpsi.Donot overinflate.Uneventire pres-

surecould causethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.

BATTERY

CaliforniaProposition65 WARNING!Batteryposts,terminals,and

relatedaccessoriescontainleadandleadcompounds,chemicals knowntotheStateofCaliforniatocausecancerandreproductive harm.Washhandsafterhandling.

If removingthe battery,disconnecttheNEGATIVE(Black)wire

fromits terminalfirst,followedbythe POSITIVE(Red)wire.When

relinstallingthe battery,alwaysconnectthePOSITIVE(Red)wire to

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

JUMP STARTING

_... j2

Figure19

CarefullyremovethePTOcablefromtherearofthecuttingdeck byremovingthebow-tiecotterpinwhichsecuresit.Removethe springfromthe deckidlerbracket.SeeFig.20.

PTOCable

Neverjump starta damagedorfrozenbattery.Becertainthevehicles

do nottouch,andignitionsareoff.Do notallowcable clampsto touch.

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

2. Connecttheotherendof thecabletothe positive(+)postofthe jumperbattery.

3. Connectthesecondcablenegative(-) tothenegativepost(-) of thejumperbattery.

4. Connecttheotherendof thenegativecabletotheengineblockof thetractor,awayfromthe battery.Attachtoanunpaintedpartto assurea goodconnection.

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

5. Startthetractor(as instructedearlierin thissectionofthis manual).

6. Setthe tractor'sparkingbrakebeforeremovingthejumpercables, in reverseorderofconnection.

CHARGING

Figure20

10. Gentlyslidethecuttingdeck(fromthe left side)outfrom underneaththetractor.

TIRES

Neverexceedthe maximuminflationpressureshownonthesidewall oftire.

Batteries

giveoffan explosivegaswhilecharging.ChargethebatteryI

ina wellventilatedareaandkeepawayfroman openflameor pilot

ghtasonawaterheater,spaceheater,furnace,cothesdryeror |

othergas appliances.

Whenchargingyourtractor'sbattery,useonlya chargerdesignedfor I

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

land heed ts warnngs. j

If yourtractorhasnotbeenputintouseforanextendedperiodoftime, chargethebatteryas follows:

1. Setyourbatterychargertodelivera maxof 10amperes.

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

FUSE

One20AMPfuseisinstalledin yourtractor'swiringharnesstoprotect thetractor'selectricalsystemfromdamagecausedbyexcessive

amperage. If theelectricalsystemdoesnot function,or yourtractor'senginewill

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

battery.

Alwaysusea fusewiththesameamperagecapacityforreplacement.

CUTTING BLADES

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

Removethehexflangenutthatsecuresthebladetothespindle

assembly.SeeFig.21.

Toproperlysharpenthecuttingblades,removeequalamounts of metalfrombothendsofthebladesalongthe cuttingedges,

parallelto thetrailingedge,ata250.to 300angle.Alwaysgrind

eachcutting bladeedgeequallytomaintainproperbladebalance.

SeeFig.22.

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

Toremovetheblades,proceedasfollows.

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

2. Placea blockofwoodbetweenthecenterdeckhousingbaffle andthecuttingbladeto actas a stabilizer. SeeFig.21.

Figure 22

Ifthecuttingedgeofthe bladehaspreviouslybeensharpened,or if

anymetalseparationis present,replacethebladeswithnewones.

A poorlybalancedbladewillcauseexcessivevibration,maycause damagetothetractorand/or resultin personalinjury.

5. Testthe blade'sbalanceusinga bladebalancer.Grindmetal from theheavysideuntilit balancesevenly.

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

Usea torquewrenchtotightenthebladespindlehexflangenutto

between70Ibs-ftand 90Ibs-ft.

CHANGING THE DECK BELT

Besuretoshuttheengineoff, removeignitionkey,disconnectthe

Isparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheenginetopreventunin- ltendedstartingbeforeremovingthebelt.

All beltsonyourtractoraresubjecttowearandshouldbereplacedif anysignsof wearare present.

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

Tochangeor replacethedeckbelt onyourtractor,proceedasfollows:

1. Removethedeckasinstructedearlierinthis section.

2. Removethe beltcoversfromthespindlepulleysby removingthe hexscrewsthatfastenthecoversto thedeck.SeeFig.23,

3. It mayalsobenecessaryto loosenthehexnuton theleftidler pulleyto getthebeltoffthepulleyandaroundthebeltguard.

4. Carefullyremovethedeckbeltfromaroundthetwospindle pulleysandthetwo deckidlerpulleys,SeeFig,23,

5. Toplacethenewbelt,beginbyroutingthebeltaroundthetwo outerspindlepulleysasshowninFig,23,

6. Thenroutethebeltaroundthe twodeckidlerpulleysasshownin Fig.23,

7. Retightenthebeltkeeperrodloosenedearlier.

8. Remountthebeltguardsremovedearlier,

9. Re-installthedeck,makingsurethebeltremainsroutedaround thepulleysas instructed.Thecompletebeltroutingisshownin Fig,23.

10. Pullthe rightsideofthe belt,and placethenarrowVside of the beltintothe PTOpulley.

11. Whileholdingthe beltandpulleytogether,rotatethepulleytothe left.Continueholdingand rotatingthepulleyandbeltuntilthebelt is fullyrolledintothePTOpulley.

PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTMENT

Neverattempttoadjustthebrakeswhiletheengineis running.Always

disengagePTO(BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutral

position,stopengineandremovekeyto preventunintendedstarting.

Ifthetractordoesnotcometoacompletestopwhentheclutch-brake pedaliscompletelydepressed,or ifthetractor'srearwheelscan roll withtheparkingbrakeapplied,the brakeis inneedofadjustment. Contactthe nearestParts& RepairService Centertohaveyour

brakesserviced.

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

CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION DRIVE

BELT

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

siondrivebeltserviced. Tolocatethe nearestParts& RepairServiceCenteror to schedule

service, contact 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

He× Washer Screws

Belt Guard

_ _oo Deck,d,er Pu,,ey

This portion of the belt routes around

the PTO Pulley

Belt Cover

Figure 23

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

PREPARING THE ENGINE

IMPORTANT:Fuelleftin thefuel tankduringwarmweatherdeterio-

ratesandwillcauseseriousstartingproblems.

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

1. Ifusingafuel stabilizer: a. Readtheproductmanufacturer'sinstructionsandrecom-

mendations.

b. Addtoclean,freshgasolinethecorrectamountofstabilizer

forthecapacityof thefuelsystem.

c. Fillthe fueltankwithtreatedfuelandrunthe enginefor2-3

minutestogetstabilizedfuelintothe carburetor.

2. Ifemptyingthefuel system: a. Donotdrainfuel whentheengineishot.Allowthe engine

adequatetimeto cool.Drainfuelinto anapprovedcontainer outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

b. Drainanylargevolumeof fuelfromthetank bydisconnect-

ing thefuellinefromthein-linefuelfilterneartheengine. SeethecompleteinstructionsforDrainingTheFuellaterin

this section.

DRAiNiNG THE FUEL

1. Locatethe fuelfilter,whichis locatedonthe leftsideof the engine,andmaybe attachedtotheenginewitha tie strap.

2. Cutthetiestrap,if present,thenpinchthein-lineclamponthe fuelfilterwitha pairofpliers,slidetheclampupthe fuelline.

3. Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterandplacetheopenendof the

lineintoanapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.

PREPARING THE LAWN TRACTOR

1. Cleanandlubricatetractorthoroughlyasdescribedinthelubrica- tioninstructions.

2. Donotusea pressurewasheror gardenhosetocleanyourunit.

3. Storemowerina dry,cleanarea.Donotstorenextto corrosive materials,suchas fertilizer.

Gasolineisextremelyflammableandcanbeexplosiveundercertain

conditions.Draingasolinebeforestoringtheequipmentfor extended

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

Storegasolineinan approvedcontainerinsafelocation.

c. Reconnectthefuellineandrunthe engineuntil itstartsto

falter,thenusethechoketo keeptheenginerunninguntilall fuelinthecarburetorhasbeenexhausted.

d. Disconnectthefuellineanddrainany remaininggasoline

fromthesystem.

Gasolineisa toxicsubstance.Disposeofgasolineproperly.Contact

yourlocalauthoritiesforapproveddisposalmethods.

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

Enginefailstostart

1. PTO/BladeEngageleverengaged.

2. Parkingbrakenotengaged.

3. Sparkplugwire(s)disconnected.

4. Throttlecontrollevernotin correctstarting position.

5. Chokenotactivated

6. Fueltankempty,orstalefuel.

7. Blockedfuel line.

8. Faultysparkplug(s).

9. Engineflooded.

Enginerunserratically

1. UnitrunningwithCHOKEactivated.

2. Sparkplugwire(s)loose.

3. Blockedfuel lineor stalefuel.

4. Ventingas cap plugged.

5. Waterordirtin fuelsystem.

6. Dirtyair cleaner.

Engineoverheats 1. Engineoillevellow. 1.

2. Airflowrestricted. 2.

Enginehesitatesat highRPM 1. Sparkpluggaptoo close. 1. Engineidles rough 1. Sparkplugfouled,faultyor gaptoowide. 1.

2. Dirtyair cleaner. 2.

Excessivevibration

1. Cuttingbladelooseor unbalanced.

2. Damagedor bentcuttingblade.

Mowerwill notmulchgrass

1. Enginespeedtoolow.

2. Wetgrass.

3. Excessivelyhighgrass.

4. Dullblade.

Unevencut

1. Decknot leveledproperly.

2. Dullblade.

3. Uneventire pressure.

1. Placeleverindisengaged(OFF)position.

2. Engageparkingbrake.

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

4. Placethrottleleverto FASTposition.

5. PulltheCHOKEcontroloutward.

6. Filltankwithclean,fresh(lessthan30 daysold) gas.

7. Replacethe fuellineandreplacefuelfilter.

8. Clean,adjustgapor replaceplug(s).

9. Crankenginewiththrottlein FASTposition.

1. PushCHOKEcontrolin.

2. Connectsparkplugwire(s).

3. Replacethe fuelline;filltankwithclean,fresh gasolineandreplacefuelfilter.

4. Clearventor replacecapifdamaged.

5. Drainfueltank.Refillwithclean,freshgasoline.

6. Replaceair cleanerpaperelementorcleanfoam pre-cleaner,ifequipped.

Fillcrankcasewithproperamountandweightof oil. Cleangrassclippingsanddebrisfromaroundthe

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

Replaceair cleanerelementand/orcleanpre- cleaner.

1. Tightenbladeandspindle.

2. Replaceblade.

1. Placethrottlein FAST(rabbit)position.

2. Donotmulchwhengrassiswet.

3. Mowonceat a highcuttingheight,then mowagain atdesiredheightor makea narrowercuttingswath.

4. Sharpenor replaceblade.

1. Performside-to-sidedeckadjustment.

2. Sharpenor replaceblade.

3. Checktirepressureinall fourtires.

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