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Owner’s Manual
ROTARY LAWN MOWER
6.5 Horsepower
21" Rear Discharge
Model No.
917.38885
CAUTION:
Read and follow all
Safety Rules and In struc tions
before operating this equipment
Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 U.S.A.
Visit our Craftsman website: www.sears.com/craftsman
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Warranty ...................................................2 Maintenance......................................11-13 Safe ty Rules ..........................................2-4 Service and Ad just ments........................14 Prod uct Spec i fi ca tions..............................4 Stor age..............................................15-16 Assembly / Pre-Operation ........................6 Trou ble shoot ing .................................16-17 Op era tion............
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I. GENERAL OPERATION Always wear safety goggles or safe ty glasses with side shields when op erat ing Read, understand, and follow all mower. in struc tions on the machine and in the manual(s) before starting. Be thor ough ly II. SLOPE OPERATION familiar with the controls and the proper Slopes are a major factor related to slip & use of the machine before starting. fall accidents which can result in severe in- Do not put hands or feet near or under jury. All slopes require extra c
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Never fi ll containers inside a vehicle, on Keep nuts and bolts, especially blade a truck or trailer bed with a plastic liner. attachment bolts, tight and keep equip- Always place containers on the ground ment in good condition. away from your vehicle before fi lling. Never tamper with safety devices. Check Remove gas-powered equipment from their proper operation reg u larly . the truck or trailer and refuel it on the Keep machine free of grass, leaves, or ground. If this is not p
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Repair Protection Agreements Congratulations on making a smart pur- Fast help by phone – phone support chase. Your new Craftsman® product is from a Sears technician on products designed and manufactured for years of requiring in-home repair, plus conve- dependable operation. But like all prod- nient repair scheduling. ucts, it may require repair from time to Once you purchase the Agreement, a time. That’s when having a Repair Protec- simple phone call is all that it takes for you tion Ag
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ASSEMBLY / PRE-OPERATION Read these instructions and this manual in Operator MOWING its entirety before you attempt to assemble presence POSITION control bar or operate your new lawn mower. LIFT IMPORTANT: This lawn mower is shipped UP WITHOUT OIL OR GASOLINE in the engine. Your new lawn mower has been as- sem bled at the factory with the excep- LIFT Upper tion of those parts left unassembled for UP handle shipping purpos es. To ensure safe and proper op era tion of your lawn mower,
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OPERATION KNOW YOUR LAWN MOWER READ THIS OWNER'S MANUAL AND ALL SAFETY RULES BEFORE OP ER AT ING YOUR LAWN MOWER. Compare the illustrations with your lawn mower to familiarize yourself with the location of various controls and adjustments. Save this manual for future reference. These symbols may appear on your lawn mower or in literature supplied with the product. Learn and understand their meaning. Operator presence control bar Handle knob Starter handle Engine oil cap with dipstick Spa
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TO CONVERT MOWER The operation of any lawn Your lawn mower was shipped ready to be mower can result in foreign used as a mulcher. To convert to bagging: objects thrown into the Lift rear door of the lawn mower and eyes, which can result in place the grass catcher frame hooks severe eye damage. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields while onto the door pivot pins. operating your lawn mower or performing To convert to mulching operation, re- any ad just ments or repairs. We recom-
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BEFORE STARTING ENGINE CAUTION: Wipe off any spilled oil or fuel. Do not store, spill or use gasoline ADD OIL near an open fl ame. Your lawnmower is shipped without oil in CAUTION: Alcohol blended fuels the engine. For type and grade of oil to (called gasohol or using ethanol or metha- use, see “EN GINE” in the Maintenance nol) can attract moisture which leads to section of this manual. separation and for ma tion of acids during CA UTION: DO NOT overfi ll engine with storage. Aci
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MOWING TIPS MULCHING MOWING TIPS CAUTION: Do not use de-thatcher IMPORTANT: For best performance, blade attachments on your mower. Such keep mower housing free of built-up attachments are hazardous, will damage grass and trash. See “CLEANING” in the your mower and could void your warranty. Maintenance section of this manual. Under certain conditions, such as very The special mulching blade will recut tall grass, it may be nec es sary to raise the grass clip pings many times and the
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MAINTENANCE BEFORE AFTER EVERY EVERY EVERY BEFORE EACH EACH 10 25HOURS 100 STORAGE USE USE HOURS ORSEASON HOURS Check for Loose Fasteners Clean / Inspect Grass Catcher * CheckTires Check DriveWheels *** Clean Lawn Mower **** Clean under Drive Cover *** Check Drive Belt / Pulleys *** Check / Sharpen / Replace Blade Lubrication Clean and Recharge Battery ** Check Engine Oil level Change Engine Oil Clean Air Filter Inspect Muffler Replace Spark Plug Replace Air Filter Paper Cartridge Empty fuel sys
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LAWN MOWER IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated. If bolt needs replacing, replace only with Always observe safety rules when per- approved bolt shown in the Repair Parts fo rming an y main te nance. section of this manual. TIRES TO SHARPEN BLADE Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect NOTE: We do not recommend sharp en ing control chemi cals which can harm rubber. the blade - but if you do, be sure the blade Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp is balanced. objects and othe
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TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL CA UTION: Petro leum solvents, such NOTE: Before tipping lawn mower to drain as ker o sene, are not to be used to clean oil, empty fuel tank by running engine until car tridge. They may cause de te rio ra tion fuel tank is empty. of the cartridge. Do not oil cartr idge. Do not use pres sur ized air to clean or dry 1. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and place wire where it cannot cartr idge. come in contact with plug. 4. Install cartridge, then replace
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SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENTS WARNING: To avoid serious injury, Mowing Mowing position position before performing any service and adjustments: 1. Release control bar and stop engine. 2. Make sure the blade and all moving parts have completely stopped. 3. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark Hairpin plug and place wire where it cannot Handle cotter come in contact with plug. bracket Mounting pin LOW POSITION HIGH POSITION LAWN MOWER TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT See “TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT
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STORAGE Immediately prepare your lawn mower for Operator MOWING storage at the end of the season or if the presence POSITION control bar unit will not be used for 30 days or more. LAWN MOWER When lawn mower is to be stored for a FOLD period of time, clean it thor oughly, remove FORWARD Upper all dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store in a FOR handle clean, dry area. STORAGE 1. Clean entire lawn mower (See “CLEANING” in the Maintenance sec- Handle tion of this manual). knob 2. Lubricate as s
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ENGINE OIL Replace your gasoline can if your can starts to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace gasoline will cause problems. with clean engine oil. (See “ENGINE” in If possible, store your unit indoors and the Maintenance section of this man ual). cover it to protect it from dust and dirt. Cover your unit with a suitable pro tec - CYLINDER tive cover that does not retain mois ture. 1. Remove spark plug. Do not use plastic. Plastic cannot 2.
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TROUBLESHOOTING - See appropriate section in manual unless directed to a Sears Parts & Repair Center. PROBLEM CAUSE CORRECTION Loss of power 1. Rear of lawn mower 1. Raise cutting height. housing or cutting blade dragging in heavy grass. 2. Cutting too much grass. 2. Raise cutt
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Getitfixed,atyourhomeorours! Your Home For repair –in yourhome–of all major brand appliances, lawn and garden equipment, or heating and cooling systems, nomatterwhomadeit,nomatterwhosoldit! 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-HOME Anytime, day or night (1-800-469-4663) (U.S.A. and Canada) www.sears.com www.sears.ca OurHo
