Craftsman 3One 917.373844, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...y oOperation oCustomer Responsibilities oService oAdjustments oRepair Parts Caution Read and Follow all Safety Rules and Instructions Before Operating This Equipment 149044 1o03 95 i IIIIIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIII III II Printed in UoSrA ...

Page 2: ...otating parts Keep clear of the discharge opening at all times Always stop the engine whenever you leave or are not using your mower orbefore crossing driveways walks roads and any gravel covered areas Never direct discharge of material toward bystanders nor allow anyone near the mower wh le you are operating it r O Before cleaning inspecting or repairing your mower stop the engine and make absolu...

Page 3: ...ears store for detai_s CUSTOMER RESPONSIBiUTIES o Read and observe the safety rules o Follow a regular schedule in maintaining caring for and using your lawn mower o Follow the instructions under Customer Responsibilities and Storage sections of this owner s manual Hl ul lu i ul L MITED TWO YEAR WARRANTY ON CRAFTSMAN POWER MOWER For two years from date of purchase when this Craftsman Lawn Mower is...

Page 4: ...ade Care Replacement 14 Drive Wheels 14 Engine 15 Lubrication 13 Spark Plug 15 Cutting Levels 10 E Engine Air Filter 15 Oil Change 15 Oil Level 15 Oil Type 15 Starting 11 Stopping 11 Storage 18 F Fuel Capac_y 3 Stooge 18 Type 11 H Handle Adjustment 17 L Lubrication Engine 15 Lawn Mower 13 M Maintenance Agreement 3 Maintenance Schedule 13 Mowing Tips 12 Oil O Engine 11 Storage 18 Operation Drive Co...

Page 5: ... not apply to your lawn mower ENGINE ii ii i i SPARK PLUG ii i1 11 i i MUFFLER AIR FILTER 0 If lawn mower is an electric start GAS CAN ii iil ll lllllllllll i i lll ll i CHARGER ENGINE OIL i i BATTERY STABILIZER i 11 1 LAWN MOWER PERFORMANCE iJ_Jl p REAR BAG OPTIONAL REPLACEMENT BAG FOR REAR DISCHARGE LAWN MOWERSI FABRIC BAG DUST SHIELD OPTnONAL CATCHER FOR SIDE DISCHARGE LAWN MOWER CLIPPING DEFLE...

Page 6: ...R LAWN MOWER FOR MULCHING Rear mulcher plate installed o Side discharge guard closed and locked securely FOR REAR BAGGING Rear mulcher plate removed o Grass catcher installed Side discharge guard closed and locked securely FOR SIDE DISCHARGING Rear mulcher plate installed_ MOWER TO UNFOLD HANDLE See Fig 1 iMPORTANT UNFOLD HANDLES CAREFULLY SO AS NOT TO PINCH OR DAMAGE CONTROL CABLES_ Raise handles...

Page 7: ...et Slip vinyl bindings over frame NOTE If vinyl bindings are too stiff hold them in warm water for a few minutes If bag gets wet let it dry before using Close the flip lid Flip lid must be closed while operating lawn mower Lift the rear door on the mower housing and place the dgrasscatcher frame onto the formed tabs on the rear oor hinge bracket The grass catcher is secured to the lawn mower housi...

Page 8: ...ur engine has an integral alternator for partial charging Connect your battery charger to charge battery as re quitedo IMPORTANT THE ENGINE ALTERNATOR WILL NOT CHARGE A DISCHARGED BATTERY At the end of the mowing season the battery should be charged for 48 hours to protect the battery during winter storage H nH n uNm I CAUTION Always disconnect the en gine connector from the battery con nector to ...

Page 9: ...ENTS Sears rotary walk behind power lawn mowers conform to the safety standards of the American National Standards Institute and the U S Consumer Product Safety Commission The blade turns when the engine is running OPERATOR PRESENCE CONTROL must be held down to the handle to start the engine Release to stop the enginer PRIMER pumps additional fuel from the carburetor to the cy nder for use when st...

Page 10: ...forward motion without stopping engine release the operator presence con trol bar slightly until the drive control disengages Hold operator presence control bar down to handle to con tinue mowing without self_propelling_ o To keep drive control engaged when turning corners push down on handle and lift front wheels off ground while turning lawn mower TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT See Fig 8 Raise wheels ...

Page 11: ...the fuel system of an engine while in storager To avoid engine problems the fuel system should be emptied before stor age of 30 days or longer Drain the fuel tank start the engine and let it run until fuel Iines and carburetor are empty Use fresh fuel next season See Storage Instruc t tions for additional information Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in fuel tank or permanent damage ...

Page 12: ...SPONSIBILITIES SECTION OF THIS MANUAL The special mulching blade will recut 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 notice 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 ...

Page 13: ...warranty operator must maintain mower as instructed in this manual Some adjustments will need to be made periodically to properly maintain your unit All adjustments in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual should be checked at least once each season Once a year replace the spark plug replace air filter element and check blade for wear A new spark plug and clean new air filter element ...

Page 14: ...he blade balanced An unbalanced blade will cause eventual damage to lawn mower or engine The blade can be sharpened with a file or on a grinding wheel Do not attempt to sharpen while on the mower To check blade balance drive a nail into a beam or wall Leave about one inch of the straight nail exposed Place center hole of blade over the head of the nai If blade is balanced it should remain in a hor...

Page 15: ...ir filter Replace the air filter every year more often if you mow in very dusty dirty conditions Do not wash air filter TO CHANGE AIR FILTER See Fig 14 o Remove the airfilter cover by turning counterclockwise to the stop and pull away from collarr o Remove filter from inside of cover Clean the inside of the cover and the collar to remove any dirt accumulation Insert new filter into cover Put air f...

Page 16: ...wheels of your lawn mower is provided to minimize the possibility that objects wil be thrown out the rear of the lawn mower into the operator s mowing position If the rear deflector becomes damaged it should be replaced TO REMOVE REPLACE DRIVE BELT See Fig 15 Remove drive cover_ Remove belt by pushingdown on gear case pulley o Turn lawn mower on its side with carburetor and fuel cap up_ Remove bla...

Page 17: ...ol bar must pivot freely to permit blade brake engagement when control bar is released Do not over tighten the fas teners holding the controls to the up per handle To change from medium low to high position only the upper handle section will have to be turned over See Fig 17A To change from medium low to low position only the lower handle section will have to be turned over See Fig 17B _ ENGINE EN...

Page 18: ... METHANOL CAN ATTRACT MOISTURE WHICH LEADS TO SEPARATION AND FORMATION OF ACIDS DURING STORAGE ACIDIC GAS CAN DAMAGE THE FUEL SYSTEM OF AN ENGtNE WHILE tN STORAGE Drain the fuel tank Start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and carburetor are empty Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur Use fresh fuel next season NOTE Fuel stabili...

Page 19: ...w Rear of lawn mower housing blade dragging in grass Grass catcher too fult Handle height position not right for you CORRECTION 1 Clean replace air filter 2 Fill fuel tank 3 Drain tank and refill with fresh clean fuel 4 Drain fuel tank and carb_ retorand refilt tank with fresh gasoline 5 Connect wire to plug 6 Replace spark plug 7 Tighten blade bolt or replace blade adapter 8 Depress contro_ bar t...

Page 20: ...ched to the rear of the fawn mower housing The model number for your engine will be found on the blower housing of the engine All parts listed herein may be ordered from any Sears Roebuck and Co Service Center Department and most Retail Stores WHEN ORDERING REPAIR PARTS ALWAYS GIVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION o PRODUCT LAWN MOWER o MODEL NUMBER 917 373844 o ENGINE MODEL NO 143 955506 PART NUMBER PAR...