Craftsman 987.889000 - Manual (Page 21)

OPERATION
MOWING TIPS AND HINTS
WARNING
To avoid injury or property damage:
• Before mowing, thoroughly inspect area where mower is to be used
and remove all stones, slicks, wires, bones, nails and other foreign
objects.
• Disengage mower blades before crossing gravel drives, roads, or side­
walks to prevent blades from throwing stones or other hazardous
objects.
Mow When
Lawn Is Dry
For best results, avoid cutting
grass when it is wet. Wet grass
tends to form clumps which inter­
fere with the cutting action. The
best time to mow is in the late af­
ternoon or early evening when the
grass is usually dry.
Cut Top 1/3 of
Grass Blades
_
1
Cutting more than 1/3 of grass
length may cause the grass to be­
come excessively dry. In tall
grass, it may be necessary to mow
at a higher setting and then mow
again at the desired height.
NOTE: The cutting height is criti­
cal to achieving a well-groomed
lawn. You should experiment with
various settings to find that “just
right” cutting height.
Vary Cutting Pattern
Vary the cutting pattern from
week to week to help prevent mat­
ting of the grass. One week, mow
from north to south, the next week
mow from east to west.: Overlap
several inches when mowing to
obtain an even appearance.
Mowing on Slopes
Do not mow excessively steep
slopes (see WARNING statement
below). Slow down and exercise
extreme caution when changing di­
rection on slopes. Before mowing
on slopes, check the engine oil lev­
el and make sure that the level is at
the FULL mark. Maintaining a
FULL oil level is particularly im­
portant when operating on slopes
as oil can be drained away from vi­
tal engine parts.
WARNING
To avoid injury or property
damage:
• Maximum safe operating
angle is 15°.
• Exceeding maximum safe
operating angle may cause
tipping or loss of footing.
• Do not mow wet slopes.
• Mow across slopes, not up
and down.
• Exercise extreme caution
when changing direction on
slopes.
Mulching Leaves
• The mower can also be used to
mow leaves in the fall. The leaf
particles filter down into the lawn
and provide added fertilizer.
• The leaves must be dry in order
to be mulched.
• Use a slower ground speed if the
leaves are not mulched into fine
particles.
• If you mulch oak leaves (which
add acid to the soil), add lime to
the lawn in the spring to reduce the
acidity of the soil.
Keep Mower Blades Sharp
For best mower performance,
keep the blades sharp. A dull blade
will tear, bruise and split the ends
of grass.
Clean Mower Frequently
Clean the underside of the mower
deck frequently to remove grass
build-up.
Precision Trimming
For precision trimming, use the
slowest gear and inch the mower
along by “feathering” the Wheel
Drive Control lever. Or, disengage
the wheel drive by releasing the
Wheel Drive Control so that you
can manually maneuver the mower
(if needed, put the Gear Select
Lever in neutral so that the wheels
turn freely).
Mowing Ditches
If you have to mow ditches, stop
the engine and adjust the cutting
height to its highest setting. Mow
in the direction of the ditch. Mow
both sides of the ditch first, and
then mow the bottom. When
mowing ditches, watch out for
cans, bottles, or other debris.
21