Craftsman Lawn Mower, Operator'S Manual

Page 1: ...e engine s exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting applicable local or slate laws if any If a spark arreeter is used it should be maintained in effective working order by the operator In Ihe state of California the above is required by law Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code Other states may have similar laws Federal laws apply on federal lands_ A spark arrester f...

Page 2: ...e area of objects such as rocks toys wire bones sticks etc which could be picked up and thrown by blade Be sure the area is clear of other people before mowing Stop machine if anyone enters the area Do not operate the mower when bare foot or wearing open sandals Always wear substantial foot wear and behind before and while moving backwards Never direct discharged material toward anyOne Avoid disch...

Page 3: ...gas cap and tighten securely V GENERAL SERVICE Never run machine inside a closed area_ Never make adjustments or repairs with the engine molor running Disconnect the spark plug wire and keep the wire away from the plug toprevent accidentalstading Keep nuts and bolts especially blade attachment bolts tight and keep equip ment in good condition Never tamper with safety devices Check their proper ope...

Page 4: ...hased from your nearest authorized dealer Do I have a mulching lawn mower Look for the grass discharge opening on your mower Raise the discharge guard rear door on rear discharge mowers If the opening is closed off by a plate then your lawn mower is mulcher ready To convert to a discharging mower see the Operation section of this manual What is the right and left side of the lawn mower When right ...

Page 5: ...N EZ HANDLES Raise lower handle section to operating position and align hole in handle with one of three height positioning holes_ Insert handle bolt through handle and bracket and secure with knob_ o Repeat for opposite side of handle Handle bracket Knob Bolt 3 POSITION QUICK HANDLES Raise lower handle section to operating position and squeeze lhe bottom ends of lower handle towards each other un...

Page 6: ...this manual Look at the different grass catcher illustra tions that follow Determine which type of grass catcher you have and follow the appropriate instructions Frame handle Frame opening TO ASSEMBLE AND ATTACH GRASS CATCHER Put grass catcher frame into grass bag with rigid part of bag on the bottom Slip vinyl bindings over frame NOTE If vinyl bindings are too stiff hold them inwarm water for a f...

Page 7: ...r normal usage the catcher material is subjec to deterioration and wear and should therefore be checked frequently for replacement Any replacement catcher should be checked to ensure compliance with original manufac turer s specilicalions_ _ CAUTION Do not run lawn mower without the discharge guard rear door approved grass catcher clipping deflector or mulcher plate in place Never attempt to opera...

Page 8: ...nector female Connect your battery charger to charge battery after each use IMPORTANT The engine will not recharge your battery_ At lhe end of the mowing season the battery should be charged for 48 hours to tect the battery during winter storage_ AUTION Always disconnect the engine connector from the battery con nector to prevent accidental starting when transportingor storing your lawn mower afte...

Page 9: ...INES Engine speed was set at the factory for optimum performance Engine speed is not adjustable TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT ALL MODELS Adjust cutting height to su_tyour require mentso Medium position is best for most lawns Raise wheels for low cut and lower wheels for high cut NOTE For shipping purposes the rear wheels on your lawn mower may not be adjusted to the same position as the front wheels Be...

Page 10: ...e both rear wheels are adjusted by a single lever on the lelt rear wheel Pull adjuster lever toward wheel To raise mower move fever forward to desired position To lower mower move the lever toward the rear Be sure to adjust both front and rear wheels to the same height ght fever LEVER BACKWARD TO LOWER MOWER LEVER FORWARD TO RAfSE MOWER LEVER FORWARD TO RAISE MOWER SINGLE POINT ADJUSTMENT o Pull a...

Page 11: ...wise placing the ockbars in the inner holes of the ad justment brackets al ows the front wheels to spin freely freewheeF Lift Iockbar until the frontmost end clears the adjustment bracket then pivot lock bar to desired position IMPORTANT Front wheels must be locked into position when operating on a sloper Mow across the face of slopes never up and down TO CONVERT MOWER Most mowers are shipped read...

Page 12: ... discharge guard Insert tab of mulch plug Into housing opening Alignhooksofmulchplugoverhinge rodofdischarge guard Push mulch plug down until mulch plug is seated in hous _ ing opening CAUTION Do not run your lawn mower without discharge guard approved grass catcher or mulcher plug in place Hinge Discharge MULCHER PLUG TYPE B To convert to bagging or discharging Lift discharge guard and remove mul...

Page 13: ...atcher handle catcher frame hook equipped SIDE DISCHARGING Mulcher plate or plug if equipped must be installed into rear discharge opening of mower Rear door must be clesed_ o Open mulcher door and installdischarge deflector under door as shown o Mower is now ready for discharging operation o To convert to mulching or bagging operation discharge deflector must be removed and mulcher door must be c...

Page 14: ...plate or plug ihplace or approved grass catcher in place Ne _er attempt to operate the lawn mower with the rear door removed oT prop pedopen Mower is now ready for rear bagging bperation Grass catcher TO EMPTY GRASS CATCHER REAR DISCHARGE AND MULTI CUT MODELS If Simply open rear door and lift grass _ _y _ catcher up and away from mower NOTE Do not drag the bag when emptying it will cause unnecessa...

Page 15: ...side dis charge deflector installed or discharge chute and approved grass catcher in place Never attempt to operate the lawn mower with mulcher door removed or propped open TO EMPTY GRASS CATCHER 1 Remove grass catcher with clippings from lawn mower using both front and center of handle as shown 2 Empty clippings from grass catcher 3 Reinstall grass catcher on rear door NOTE Do not drag the bag wh...

Page 16: ...charge chute and grass catcher installed and discharge chute secured to mower housing with knob SIMPLE STEPS TO REMEMBER WHEN CONVERTING YOUR 21 HI VAC FOR MULCHING 1 Grass catcher discharge chule and stde discharge deflector removed 2 Mulcher door secured to mower hous ing with knob FOR REAR BAGGING 1 Side discharge deflector removed 2 Grass catcher and discharge chule installed with discharge ch...

Page 17: ...RD DRIVE CONTROL Self propelling is controlled by holding the operator presence control bar down to the handle and pushing the drive controllever forward until itclicks then re_easing the lever o Forward motion will stop when the op erator presence control bar is released To stop forward motion without stopping engine release the operator presence control bar slightly until the drive control disen...

Page 18: ...ther the operator presence control bar or a drive control lever are released To stop forward motion without stopping engine release the drive control lever s only Hold operator presence control bar down against handle to continue mowing withoutself propelling NOTE If after releasing thedrive control the mowerwili not rollbackwards push the mower forward slightly to disengage drive wheels DRIVE CON...

Page 19: ...o stop forward motion without stopping engine release the drive control bar only Hold operator presence control bar down against handle to continue mowing without self propelling NOTE If alter releasing the drive control the mowerwi l not rollbackwards push the mower forward slightly to disengage drive wheels FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS ONLY To keep drive control engaged when turning corners push dow...

Page 20: ...r products inrue tankor permanent damage may occur TO START ENGINE _CAUTION The mower blade rotates whenever the engine is running_ NOTE Due to protective coatingson the engine a small amount of smoke may be presentduring the initial use of the product and should be considered normal Place engine START STOP switch if equipped in the ON position Move engine speed control to FAST position or to CHOK...

Page 21: ... dry before use FOR MULCHING MOWERS ONLY MULCHING MOWING TIPS IMPORTANT For best performance keep mower housing free of built up grass and trash See CLEANING in the Mainte nance section of this manual The special mulching blade wilt recut the grass clippings many times and reduce them in size so that as Ihey fall onto the lawn they will disperse into the grass and not be noticed Also the mulched g...

Page 22: ...ems that have been subjected to op erator abuse or negligence To receive fu_l value from the warranty operator must main tain mower as instructed in this manual Some adjustments will need to be made periodically to properly maintain your uniL All adjustments in the Service and Adjust ments section of this manual should be checked at least once each season Once a year replace the spark plug clean o...

Page 23: ...lade adapter and check the key inside hub of blade adapter The key must be in good condition to work properly Replace adapter if damaged Belt Ing edge Debris shield Hardened if equfpped washer Blade Blade bolt TO REPLACE BLADE 1 Position the blade adapter on the en gine crankshaft Be sure key in adapter and crankshaft keyway are aligned and that the drive belt is inside the tabs of the belt retain...

Page 24: ...tings etc are in the drive wheel area and must be cleaned to free drive wheels If necessary to clean the drive wheels check both drive wheels If after cleaning the drive wheels do not turn freely contact your nearest autho rized service center 18 45cm HI VAC MODELS ONLY I Remove hubcaps if equipped and locknuts 2 Remove wheels from wheel adjuster axles 3o Remove any trash or grass cuttings from in...

Page 25: ...curs first Service air cleaner more often under dusty conditions See the maintenance section of your engine manual IN LINE FUEL FILTER KOHLER ENGINES ONLY The fuel filter should be replaced once each season If fuel filler becomes clogged obstructing fuel flow to carburetor replacement is required 1 With engine cool remove filter and plug fuel line sections 2 Place new fuel filter in position in tu...

Page 26: ...aks at the fitting If no leaks are present start engine as described in the Operation section of this manual and let engine run until the under side of the lawn mower is clean _ WARNING Do not engage the drive system during the washout process 6 Shut off the engine 7 Shut off water supply and remove hose from fitting CAUTION Do not remove hose from tilting while engine is running Water in engine c...

Page 27: ...placed TO ADJUST HANDLE 2 POSITION HANDLES The handle can be mounted in a high or low position The mounting holes in the bottom of lower handle are off center for raising or towering the handle Remove upper handle and a l parts at tached to lower handle Remove hairpin cotters from lower handle bracket mounting pin Squeeze lower handle in to remove it from mounting pins_ Turn lower handle over to r...

Page 28: ...w belt by reversing above steps NOTE Always use factory approved belt to assure fit and long life PUSH DOWN Drive cover Pull QUICK RELEASE HANDLES The upper handle may be adjusted to three 3 different height positions 1_ Loosen both handle levers enough to allow the upper handle to pivotto the desired adjustment posilion 24 Tighten both handle levers securely_ LEVERS _ DOWN TOADJUST HANDLE levers ...

Page 29: ...Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and place wire where it cannot come in contact with plug Remove screws retaining drive cover not shown and remove drive cover from lawn mower housing Belt a_m Hex nut spring assembly Turn lawn mower on its side See engine manual for proper direction of turning over the engine Use a wood block between blade and mower housing to prevent blade from turning w...

Page 30: ...install belt keeper and spring _i Reinstall drive cover NOTE Always use factory approved belt to assure proper fit and long lifeo Turn lawn mower on its side with air filter and carburetor down Reinstall blade and blade adapter HFVAC MODELS 1 Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and place wire where it cannot come in contact with plug 2 Remove screws retaining drive cover and remove drive co...

Page 31: ...w previously removed Be sure tab of debris shield ts in gap of housing 4 Position blade on the blade adapter aligning the two 2 holes in the blade with the raised tugs on the adapter 5 Be sure the trailing edge of blade op posite sharp edge ts up toward the engine as shown 6 Install the blade boll with the lock washer and hardened washer into blade adapter and crankshaft 7 Use block of wood betwee...

Page 32: ...when making final adjustment to the carburetor See the ADJUSTMENT section of your engine manual for further instructions ENGINE SPEED The engine speed has been factory set Do not attempt to increase engine speed as it may result inpersonal injury If you believe the engine is running too fast or too slow take your lawn mower to an authorized engine service center for repair and adjustment THROTTLE ...

Page 33: ...r chipped paint surfaces sand tightly before painting HANDLE Your handle may be folded for storage as shown Squeeze the bottom ends of lower handle towards each other until handle clears the handle brackets and swing handles forward over mower Loosen upper handle mounting hard ware enough to allow upper handle to be folded back IMPORTANT When folding handles for storage or transportation be sure t...

Page 34: ...tabilizer ENGINE OIL Drain oil with engine warm and replace with clean oil See ENGINE in the Main tenance section of this manual _ FOLD FORWARD FOR STORAGE handle Handle lever handle Height adjuster lever LEVER FORWARD TO RAISE MOWER ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM IMPORTANT it is importantto preventgum CYLINDER Remove spark plug Pour one ounce 29 ml of oil through spark plug hole into cylinder Pull starter ha...

Page 35: ...ace fuse Loss of power 1 Rear of lawn mower housing or cutting blade dragging in heavy grass 2 Cutting too much grass 3 Dirty air filter 4 Buildup of grass leaves and trash under mower 5 Too much oil in engine 6 Walking speed too fast 1_ Raise cutting height 2 Raise cutting height 3 Clean replace air filter 4 Clean underside of mower heusing_ 5 Check oil level 6_ Cut at slower walking speed Poor c...

Page 36: ...eel t height is too low 2_ Rear of lawn mower 2o housing or cutting blade dragging in grass Grass catcher too full 3 Handle height position not 4 right for you Belt wear_ 1 Belt off of pulley 2o Drive cable worn or broken 3 Loose drive control system 4o Raise cutting height Replace blade Crean grass catcher_ Raise cutting height Raise rear of lawn mower housing one 1 setting higher Empty grass cat...