Craftsman 917.295651, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...Rules and Bnstructions Before Operating This Equipment 5 0 P 17 INCH TmNEWnDTH Tn LLER WITH COUNTER ROTATING TINES oAssembly oOperation oCustomer Responsibilities oService and Adjustments oRepair Parts Sears Roebuck and Co Hoffman Estates IL 60179 U S A i H ...

Page 2: ...possible precautions when leaving the ma chine unattended Disengage the tines shift into neutral and stop the engine o Before cleaning repairing or inspecting shut off the engine and make certain attmoving parts have stopped Disconnect the spark plug wire and keep the wire away from the plug to prevent accidental starting Disconnect the cord on electric motors Do not run the engine indoors exhaust...

Page 3: ...REST COVERED BRUSH COVERED OR GRASS COVERED LAND UNLESS THE ENGINE S EXHAUST SYSTEM IS EQUIPPED WITH A SPARK ARRESTER MEETING APPLICABLE LOCAL OR STATE LAWS IF ANY IF A SPARK ARRESTER iS USED tT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED IN EFFECTIVE WORKING ORDER BY THE OPERATOR IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THE ABOVE IS REQUIRED BY LAW SECTION 4442 OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE OTHER STATES MAY HAVE SIMILAR LA...

Page 4: ... 11 Engine cont d Lubrication 14 Oil Level 11 Oil Type 11 14 Spark Plug 15 Starting 12 Stopping 10 Storage 19 Winter Operation 14 F Fuel Filling Tank 11 Storage 19 Type 11 Finish Maintenance 15 H Handle Height Adjustment 15 Repair Parts 21 L Lubrication Lubrication Chart 13 Engine 14 M Muffler Maintenance 15 Spark Arrester 3 O Oil Level 11 Type 11 14 Operation Cultivatin 12 Fill Fuel Tank 11 Start...

Page 5: ...o available at most Sears Retail outlets and Service Centers Most Sears Stores can order repair parts for you when you provide the model number of your tiller ENGINE SPARK PLUG _ MUFFLER H III AIR FILTER STABILIZER GAS CAN ENGINE OIL TILLER PERFORMANCE FURROW OPENER TILLER MAINTENANCE BELT TINES SHEAR PIN O C HAIRPIN CLIP ...

Page 6: ...set will make assembly easier Standard wrench sizes are listed_ 1 Utility knife 1 Wire cutter 1 Screwdriver 1 Tire pressure gauge 1 Pair of pliers 1 9 16 wrench OPERATOR S POSITION See Fig 1 When right or left hand is mentioned in this manual it means when you are in the operating position standing behind tiller handles FRONT LEFT RIGHT OPERATOR S POSITION FIG 1 CONTENTS OF HARDWARE PACK 2 Handle ...

Page 7: ...INSTALL HANDLE See Figs 3 4 and 5 Insert one handle lock with teeth facing outward in gearcase notch Apply grease on smooth side of handle lock to aid in keeping lock in place until handle assembly is lowered into position i VIEW FROM R H SIDE OF TILLER HANDLE ASSEMBLY o Rotate handle assembly down Insert rear carriage bolt first with bolt head on LH side of tiller See Fig 5 Insert front carriage ...

Page 8: ... lever indicator is in N neutral posi tion See Fig 6 Tilt tiller forward by lifting handle Separate cardboard cover from leveling shield Rotate tiller handle to the right and pull tiller out of carton INSERT CABLE CLIP See Fig 7 o Insert plastic cable ciip into hole on the back of handle column Push cables into clip HANDLE COLUMN CABLES CLIP FIG 7 CHECK TIRE PRESSURE The tires on your unit were ov...

Page 9: ... CHOKE CONTROL Used when starting a cold engine DEPTH STAKE Controls depth at which titler will dig DEPTH STAKE Controls forward speed and the depth at which the tiller will dig DEPTH STAKE PIVOT _Controls pivoting action of depth stake DRIVE CONTROL BAR Used to engage tines FORWARD TINE CONTROL Engages tines in forward direction1 REVERSE TINE CONTROL Engages tines in reverse direction_ CULTIVATIN...

Page 10: ... bar and move shift lever indicator to F forward position Engage drive control bar and tiller will move forward REVERSE WHEELS ONLY TINES STOPPED DO NOT STAND DIRECTLY BEHIND TILLER Release the drive control bar o Move throttle control to SLOW position o Move shift lever indicator to R reverse position Hold drive control bar against the handle to start tiller movement DEPTH STAKE See Fig 10 The de...

Page 11: ...ld the drive control bar against the handle to start tiller movement Tines will not turn Move throttle control to desired speed AROUND TOWN Disconnect spark plug wire Drain fuel tank Transport in upright position to prevent oil Ieakage BEFORE STARTING ENGINE IMPORTANT BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW DIRT TO ENTER THE ENGINE WHEN CHECKING OR ADDING OIL OR FUEL USE CLEAN OIL AND FUEL AND STORE tN APPRO...

Page 12: ...e advisable to till the soil at the end of the growing season to further condition the soil For easier handling of your tiller leave about 8 inches of untilled soil between the first and second tilling passes The third pass will be between the first and second See Fig 14 RATION H INI II HI N l Soil conditions are important for proper tilling Tines will not readily penetrate dry hard soil which may...

Page 13: ...fult value from the warranty the operator must maintain tiller as instructed in this manual Some adjustments will need to be made periodically to properly maintain your tillero All adjustments in the Service and Adjustments section of this manual should be checked at least once each season Once a year you should replace the spark plug clean or replace air filter and check tines and belts for wear ...

Page 14: ...ip tiller forward to drain oil After oil has drained completely replace oil drain plug and tighten securely _ o Remove oil filler plug Be careful not to allow dirt to enter the engine_ Refill engine with oil See CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL in the Operation section of this manual OIL DRAIN PLUG_ OIL LEVEL PLUG FIG 17 AIR FILTER See Fig 18 Your engine will not run properly using a dirty air filteL Clean ...

Page 15: ...n HIGH and LOW positions Retighten handle lock lever securely after adjusting CLEANING Clean engine wheels finish etc of all foreign matter Keep finished surfaces and wheels free of allgasoline oil etc Protect painted surfaces with automotive type wax We do not recommend using a garden hose to clean your unit unless the muffler air filter and carburetor are covered to keep water out Water in engin...

Page 16: ...u Remove old belt by slipping from engine pulley first Place new belt in groove of transmission pulley and into engine pulley BELT MUST BE IN GROOVE ON TOP OF IDLER PULLEY NOTE POSITION OF BELT TO GUIDES Tighten belt guides A and B and nuts C and D Check belt adjustment as described below Replace belt guard Reposition wheeI and replace clevis pin and hairpin clip Replace inner and outer side shiel...

Page 17: ...ced To maintain the superb tilling performance of this machine the tines should be checked for sharpness wear and bending particularly the tines which are next to the transmission If the gap between the tines exceeds 3 1 2 inches they should be replaced or straightened as necessary New tines should be assembled as shown in Fig 26 Sharpened tine edges will rotate rearward from above NEW TINE WORN T...

Page 18: ...edle valve in clockwise closing it finger tight and then turn valve out counter clockwise 1 1 2 turns_ FINAL SETTING Start engine and allow to warm for five minutes_ Make final adjustments with engine running at idle and drive control bar in DISENGAGED position With throttle control lever in SLOW position turn idle needle valve in clockwise until engine begins to die then turn out counterclockwise...

Page 19: ...rain the fuel tank_ o Start the engine and let it run until the fuel lines and carburetor are empty o Never use engine or carbu retor cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur Use fresh fuel next season NOTE Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable alternative in minimizing the formation of fuel gum deposits during stor age Add stabilizer to gasoline in fuel tank or storage container...

Page 20: ...bounce difficult handling i Hm Soil balls up or clumps nmmm nHm Engine runs but tiller won t move Engine runs but labors when tilling n Hm Tines will not rotate 12 Carburetor out of adjustment 13 Poor compression 1 Low oil level dirty oil 2_ Dirty engine air screen 3 Dirty engine 4 Partially plugged muffler 5 lmpropercarburetor adjustment Ground too dr and hard n muu H n n 1 Ground too wet t Drive...