Craftsman 917.38883, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...llow all Safety Rules and Instructions before operating this equipment Owner s Manual ROTARY LAWN MOWER 4 5 Horsepower 21 Rear Discharge Sears Roebuck and Co Hoffman Estates IL 60179 U S A Visit our Craftsman website www sears com craftsman ...

Page 2: ... in the United States This warranty applies only while this product is used in the United States This Warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state Sears Roebuck And Co D 817 WA Hoffman Estates Illinois 60179 IMPORTANT This cutting machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throw ing objects Failure to observe the following safe...

Page 3: ...ch anism or drive clutch on mowers so equipped before starting the engine If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally stop the engine motor and check immediately for the cause Vibra tion is generally a warning of trouble Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields when operating mower II SLOPE OPERATION Slopes are a major factor related to slip fall accidents which can r...

Page 4: ...ep equip ment in good condition Never tamper with safety devices Check their proper operation regularly Keep machine free of grass leaves or other debris build up Clean oil or fuel spillage Allow machine to cool before storing Stop and inspect the equipment if you strike an object Repair if necessary before restarting Never attempt to make wheel height adjustments while the engine is running Grass...

Page 5: ...be fixed Discount of 10 from regular price of service and service related parts not covered by the agreement also 10 off regular price of preventive mainte nance check Fast help by phone phone support from a Sears technician on products requiring in home repair plus conve nient repair scheduling Once you purchase the Agreement a simple phone call is all that it takes for you to schedule service Yo...

Page 6: ...for additional loose parts HOW TO SET UP YOUR LAWN MOWER TO UNFOLD HANDLE IMPORTANT Unfold handle carefully so as not to pinch or damage control cables 1 Raise handles until lower handle sec tion locks into place in mowing position 2 Remove protective padding raise up per handle section into place on lower handle and tighten both handle knobs 3 Remove handle padding holding operator presence contr...

Page 7: ...ilter Wheel adjuster on each wheel MEETS CPSC SAFETY REQUIREMENTS 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 Com mission The blade turns when the engine is running Operator presence control bar must be held down to the handle to start the engine Release to stop the engine Starter handle...

Page 8: ...uirements Medium position is best for most lawns To change cutting height squeeze ad juster lever toward wheel Move wheel up or down to suit your requirements Be sure all wheels are in the same set ting NOTE Adjuster is properly positioned when plate tab inserts into hole in lever Also 9 position adjusters if so equipped allow lever to be positioned between the plate tabs TO CONVERT MOWER Your law...

Page 9: ...TE Initial oil fill requires only 18 oz due to residual oil in engine from the manufacturers 100 quality testing When changing oil you may need 20 oz 4 Insert and tighten dipstick IMPORTANT Check oil level before each use Add oil if needed Fill to full line on dipstick Change the oil after every 25 hours of operation or each season You may need to change the oil more often under dusty dirty condit...

Page 10: ...cular 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 matting and graining of the lawn MOWING TIPS CAUTION Do not use de thatcher blade attachments on your mower Such attachments are hazardous will damage your mower and could void your warranty Under certain conditions such as very tall...

Page 11: ...COMMENDATIONS The warranty on this lawn mower does not cover items that have been subjected to operator abuse or negligence To receive full value from the warranty operator must maintain unit as instructed in this manual Some adjustments will need to be made periodically to properly maintain your unit At least once a season check to see if you should make any of the adjustments described in the Se...

Page 12: ...PEN BLADE NOTE We do not recommend sharpening the blade but if you do be sure the blade is balanced Care should be taken to keep the 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 in...

Page 13: ...e it cannot come in contact with plug 2 Be sure lawn mower is on level surface NOTE Oil will drain more freely when warm Catch oil in a suitable container 3 Remove bottom oil drain plug 4 After oil has drained completely replace oil drain plug and tighten se curely 5 Fill engine with oil See ADD OIL in the Operation section of this manual 6 Reconnect spark plug wire to spark plug AIR FILTER Your e...

Page 14: ...ns 4 Turn lower handle over to raise or lower handle 5 Squeeze lower handle in and position holes onto mounting pins on handle bracket 6 Reassemble upper handle and all parts removed from lower handle Lower handle Handle bracket Hairpin cotter SQUEEZE TO ADJUST Mounting pin Mowing position Mowing position HIGH POSITION LOW POSITION Handle bracket Hairpin cotter Mounting pin Lower handle ROTATE ENG...

Page 15: ...tomatically lock into the mowing position Lower handle SQUEEZE TO FOLD ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM IMPORTANT It is important to prevent gum deposits from forming in essential fuel system parts such as carburetor fuel filter fuel hose or tank during storage Alcohol blended fuels called gasohol or using ethanol or methanol can attract moisture which leads to separation and formation of acids during storage A...

Page 16: ...g where fumes may reach an open flame or spark Allow the engine to cool before storing in any enclosure Does not start 1 Dirty air filter 1 Clean replace air filter 2 Out of fuel 2 Fill fuel tank 3 Stale fuel 3 Empty fuel tank and refill tank with fresh clean gasoline 4 Water in fuel 4 Empty fuel tank and refill tank with fresh clean gasoline 5 Spark plug wire is 5 Connect wire to plug disconnecte...

Page 17: ...r rope 1 Engine flywheel brake is on 1 Depress control bar to hard to pull when control bar is released upper handle before pulling starter rope 2 Bent engine crankshaft 2 Contact a Sears or other qualified service center 3 Blade adapter broken 3 Replace blade adapter 4 Blade dragging in grass 4 Move lawn mower to cut grass or to hard surface Grass catcher 1 Cutting height too low 1 Raise cutting ...

Page 18: ...U S A only www sears com Your Home For repair in your home of all major brand appliances lawn and garden equipment or heating and cooling systems no matter who made it no matter who sold it For the replacement parts accessories and owner s manuals that you need to do it yourself For Sears professional installation of home appliances and items like garage door openers and water heaters 1 800 4 MY H...