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Owner’s Manual
ROTARY LAWN MOWER
6.5 Horsepower
Power-Propelled
21" Multi-Cut
Model No.
917.37707
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..................................... 13-16 Safety Rules ......................................... 2-4 Service and Adjustments.................. 16-17 Product Spec i fi ca tions ........................... 4 Storage............................................. 17-19 Assembly/Pre-Operation ...................... 6-7 Troubleshooting ................................ 19-20 Operation...........................
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I. GENERAL OPERATION Always wear safety goggles or safe ty glasses with side shields when op er - Read, understand, and follow all at ing 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 Do not put hands or feet near or under injury. 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 lar ly. 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 2. Insert handle bolt through handle and its entirety before you attempt to assemble bracket and secure with knob. or operate your new lawn mower. 3. Repeat for opposite side of handle. IMPORTANT: This lawn mower is shipped 4. Remove protective padding, raise up- per handle section into place on lower WITHOUT OIL OR GASOLINE in the handle and tighten both handle knobs. engine. 5. Remove any packing material from Your ne
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TO ASSEMBLE GRASS CATCH ER TO PREPARE BATTERY 1. Put grass catcher frame into grass bag with NOTE: Your battery must be charged rigid part of bag on the bottom. Make sure before you can start your lawn mower. the frame handle is outside of the bag top. 1. Con nect battery charger con nec tor 2. Slip vinyl bindings over frame. (male) to harness con nec tor (fe male). NOTE: If vinyl bindings are too stiff, hold 2. Plug battery charger into 110 volt A.C. outlet. them in warm water for a
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OPERATION KNOW YOUR LAWN MOWER READ THIS OWNER'S MANUAL AND ALL SAFETY RULES BEFORE OPERATING 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. Drive control Operator presence control bar lever Handle knob Key start switch Engine oil fi
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4. If condition fails to improve after the The operation of any lawn above steps (forward speed remains mower can result in foreign the same), your drive belt is worn and objects thrown into the should be re placed. eyes, which can result in severe eye damage. Always Operator presence control bar wear safety glasses or eye shields while operating your lawn mower or performing any ad just ments or repairs. We recom- mend standard safety glasses or a wide vision safety mask worn over s
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TO EMPTY GRASS CATCH ER To convert to mulching or bagging operation, dis charge defl ector must be 1. Lift up on grass catcher using the removed and mulcher door closed. frame han dle. 2. Remove grass catcher with clip pings from under lawn mower han dle. 3. Empty clippings from bag. NOTE: Do not drag the bag when emp- ty ing; it will cause unnecessary wear. Grass catcher frame handle Open mulcher door Install discharge defl ector TO CONVERT MOWER Your lawn mower was shipped read
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BEFORE STARTING ENGINE DANGER: Cartridge fl uid is HARMFUL OR FATAL IF SWALLOWED. Avoid contact ADD OIL to eyes, skin, or clothing. Do not take Your lawnmower is shipped without oil in internally. Do not inhale fl uid vapor. Keep the engine. For type and grade of oil to out of reach of children. If swallowed, call use, see “EN GINE” in the Maintenance a physician immediately. section of this manual. CAUTION: DO NOT overfi ll engine with oil, or it will smoke heavily from the muffl er AD
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MOWING TIPS MULCHING MOWING TIPS CA UTION: 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 the tall grass, it may be nec es sary to raise grass clip pings many times and reduc
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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 5. Use block of wood between blade and lawn mower housing and tighten the Always observe safety rules when per- blade bolt, turning clockwise. form ing any main te nance. The recommended tightening torque is TIRES 35-40 ft. lbs. / 47-54 N-m. Keep tires free of gasoline, oil, or insect IMPORTANT: Blade bolt is heat treated. control chemi cals which can harm rubber. If bolt needs replacing, replace only with Avoid stumps, stones, deep ruts, sharp approved bolt shown i
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If lubricant is required, use only Texaco 5. Slowly pour oil down the oil fi ll spout, Starplex Pre mi um 1 Grease, Part No. stopping every few ounces to check 750369. Do not substitute. the oil level with the dipstick. 6. Stop adding oil when you reach the ENGINE FULL mark on the dipstick. Wait a LUBRICATION minute to allow oil to settle. Use only high quality detergent oil rated 7. Continue adding small amounts of oil, with API service classifi cation SG–SL. rechecking the dipstick
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CLEANING Keep fi nished surfaces and wheels free of all gasoline, oil, etc. IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep We do not recommend using a garden mower housing free of built-up grass and hose to clean lawn mower unless the trash. Clean the underside of your mower electrical system, muffl er, air fi lter and after each use. carburetor are covered to keep water CA UTION: Disconnect spark plug wire out. Water in engine can result in short- from spark plug and place wire where it en
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3. Return mower to upright position. 3. Align opposite side of handle with 4. Install new drive belt into idler arm same positioning hole and secure with assembly, then around the drive pulley. bolt and knob. Be sure belt is inside of belt keepers. 5. Reattach idler arm assembly with hex High Bolt nut previously removed. Med. Low 6. Turn lawn mower on its side. Make sure air fi lter and carburetor are up. 7. Reattach debris shield to housing with tab of debris shield in housing hole.
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HANDLE ENGINE You can fold your mower han dle for storage. FUEL SYS TEM 1. Loosen the two (2) handle knobs on IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent sides of the upper handle and allow gum deposits from forming in essential handle to fold down to the rear. fuel system parts such as carburetor, fuel 2. Remove the two (2) handle knobs and fi lter, fuel hose or tank during storage. carriage bolts on sides of the lower handle Alcohol blended fuels (called gasohol or and pivot entire handle
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OTHER IMPORTANT: Never cover mower while en gine and exhaust areas are still warm. Do not store gasoline from one season to another. CA UTION: Never store the lawn mower Replace your gasoline can if your can with gaso line in the tank inside a build ing starts to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your where fumes may reach an open fl ame gasoline will cause problems. or spark. Allow the engine to cool before If possible, store your unit indoors and storing in any en clo sure. cover it
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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
