WARNING:Experience i ndicates t hatalcohol
blended fuels(called gasohol o r usingethanol
or methanol) canattract m oisture whichleads
to separation a ndformation ofacidsduring
storage,Acidic gascandamage thefuel
systemofanengine whileinstorage_ Toavoid
engineproblems, thefuelsystem shouldbe
emptied before storage of30 daysorlonger.
Drain the fueltank,startthe engine andlet it
rununtil f uellinesandcarburetor a reempty..
Usefreshfuelnextseason_ SeeStorage
Instructions foradditional infonnation. N ever
use
engine or carburetor cleaner products in
fuel tank or permanent damage may occur.
....I-_--------_
Gasoline
filler
Engine oil
....q __\-\
cap
capwidipstiok
",._._--
_.;_
TO START
ENGINE
o To start a cold engine,
push primer
five
(5) times before trying to start.
Use a
firm push°
This step is not usually
necessary
when starting
an engine
which has already
run for a few minutes.
° Hold operator
presence
control bar
down to the handle and pull starter
handle quickly.
Do not allow starter
rope to snap back..
,, "To stop engine,
release
operator
presence
control bar.
NOTE:
In cooler weather
it may be
necessary
to repeat priming
step&
In
warmer
weather
over priming
may cause
flooding
and engine will not start.
If you do
flood engine,
wait a few minutes
before
attempting
to start and do not repeat
priming
steps.
MOWING
TIPS
,
Under certain conditions, such as very tall
grass, it may be necessary to raise the
height of cut to reduce pushing effort and to
keep from overloading the engine and
leaving clumps of grass clippings.
•
For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the
width of cut by overlapping
previously cut
path and mow slowly..
o For side discharge lawn mowers, cutting in
a counf6r-cloc#¢ise
direction, starting at the
outside of the area to be cut, spreads grass
clippings more even!y and puts less load on
the engine. fo keep clippings off of
walt{ways, flower beds, etc., make the first
cuts in a clocl_ise
direction.
7
.
Pores in cloth grass catchers can become
filled with dirt and dust with use and
catchers will collect less grass,. To prevent
[his, regularly hose catcher off with water
and let dry before using_
o Keep top of engine around starter clear and
clean of grass clippings and chaff. This will
help engine air flow and extend engine life.
MULCHING
MOWING TIPS
IMPORTANT:
For best performance,
keep
mower housing free of buibup grass and
trash. Clean underside of mower housing after
each use. See "CLEANING"
in CUSTOMER
RESPONSIBILITIES
section of this manual,
° The special mulching blade will recut the
grass clippings many times and reduce
them in size so that as they fall onto the
lawn they will disperse into the grass and
not be noticed.
Also, the mulched grass will
biodegrade quickly to provide nutnents for
the lawn.. AfwaYs mulch with your_highest
engine (blade) speed as this will provide the
best recutting action of the blades,.
o Avoid cutting your lawn when it is wet. Wet
grass tends to form clumps and interferes
with the mulching action
The best time to
mow your lawn is the early aftemoon,. At
this time the grass has dried and the newly
cut area will not be exposed to the direct
sun,
For best results, adjust the lawn mower
cutting height so that the lawn mower cuts
off only the top one4hird of the grass blades,
if the lawn is overgrown
it wil! be necessary
to raise the height Of cut to reduce pushing
effort and to keep from overloading the
engine and leaving clumps of mulched
grass. For extremely heavy mulching,
reduce your Width of cut, mow slowly and
raise the rear of the lawn mower one wheel
adjuster setting higher than the front
o Certain types of grass and grass conditions
may require that an area be mulched a
second time to completely hide the
clippings.
When doing a second cut, mow
across or perpendicular
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.
Max 1/3