Craftsman 917.372480 - Manual (Page 11)

OPERATION
MOWING TIPS
• Under certain conditions, such as very tall grass, it
may be necessary to raise the height of cut to reduce
pushing effort and to keep from overloading the en­
gine and leaving clumps of grass clippings.
• For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the width of cut
and raise the rear of the lawn mower housing one (1 )
wheel adjuster setting higher than the front for better
discharge of grass.
• For better grass bagging and most cutting conditions,
the engine speed should be set in the "'HIGH" {*^)
(FAST) position,
« When using a rear discharge lawn mower in moist,
heavy grass, clumps of cut grass may not enter the
grass catcher. Reduce ground speed (pushing speed)
and/or run the lawn mower over the area a second
time.
• If a trail of grass clippings is left on the right side of a
rear discharge lawn mower, mow in a clockwise
direction with a small overlap to collect the clippings
on the next pass.
• Keep top of engine around starter clear and clean of
grass clippings and chaff. This will help engine air
flow and extend engine life.
. Pores in cloth grass catchers can become filled with
dirt and dust with use and catchers will collect less
grass. To prevent this, regularly hose catchers off
with water and let dry before using.
MULCHING MOWING TIPS
IMPORTANT: FOR BEST PERFORMANCE, KEEP
MOWER HOUSING FREE OF BUILT-UP GRASS AND
TRASH. CLEAN AFTER EACH USE. SEE "CLEANING"
IN CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES SECTION OF THIS
MANUAL. .
• The special mulching blade will reçut the grass clip­
pings many times and reduce them in size so that as
they fall onto the lawn they will disperse into the grass
and not be noticed. Also, the mulched grass will
biodegrade quickly to provide nutrients for the lawn.
Always mulch with your highest engine (blade) speed
as this will provide the best recutting action of the
blades.
FIG. 12
Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet. W et grass
tends to form clum ps and interferes with the m ulching
action. The best time to m ow your lawn is the early
afternoon. At this time the grass has dried and the
newly cut area will not be exposed to the direct sun.
For best results, adjust the lawn m ower cutting height
so that the lawn m ower cuts off only the top one-third
of the grass blades (See Fig. 12). If the lawn is
overgrown it will be necessary to raise the height of cut
to reduce pushing effort and to keep from overloading
the engine and leaving clum ps of m ulched grass. For
extrem ely heavy m ulching, reduce your width of cut,
m ow slowly and raise the rear of the lawn m ower one
wheel adjuster setting higher than the front.
Certain types of grass and grass conditions m ay
require that an area be mulched a second time to
com pletely hide the clippings. W hen doing a second
cut, m ow across or perpendicular to the first cut path.
Change your cutting pattern from week to week. Mow
north to south one week then change to east to west
the next week. This will help prevent m atting and
graining of the lawn.
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