BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
OIL
Yourlawn mower is shippedwithout oil inthe
engine,
• Besure mower is leveland area around 011
flit is clean
• Remove engine oil cap w/dipstickand fill to
the rut{lineon the dipstick
• Use 20 ozs of oil For typeand grade of oil
to use, see"ENGINE' in Customer
Responsibilitiessecfionof thismanual
• Pouroil slowly Do not over filL
• Check oil level before each use Add oil if
needed Fillto full line on dipstJc!c
• To read proper level,tighten engine oilcap
each time.
• Reinstall engine oil cap and tighten
• Change the oft after every25 hours of
operation or each season° You may need
to changethe oil moreoften underdust:/,
dirty"conditions°
GAS
• Fill fuel tank
Use fresh, clean, regular
unleaded gasoline with a minimum of 87
octane
(Use of leaded gasoline will
increase carbon and lead oxide deposits
and reduce valve life) Do not mix oil
with gasoline Purchase fuel in quanti
ties that can be used within 30 days to
assure fuel freshness
IMPORTANT: WHEN OPERATING IN
TEMPERATURES BELOW 32°F(0°C), use
fresh, clean winter grade gasoline to help
insure good cold weather starting°
WARNING: Experience indicates that
alcohol blended fuels (called gasohol or
using ethanol or methanol) can attract
moisture which leads to separation and
formation of acids during storage Acidic
gas can damage the fuel system of an
engine while in storage To avoid engine
problems, the fuel system should be
emptied before storage of 30 days or
longer Drain the gas tank, start the
engine and let it run until the fuel lines and
carburetor are empty Use fresh fuel next
season
See Storage Instructions for
additional information
Never use engine
or carburetor c{e_ner products in the fuel
tank or permanent damage may occur
CAUTION: FIlE to bottom of gas tank filler
neck Do not overfill. Wipe off any spilled
oil or fuel Do not store, spill or use
gasoline near an open flame
TO START ENGINE
• To start a coldengine,push primer five (5)
times before tryingto start Use a firmpush
This step is not usually necessary when
startingan 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, releaseoperatorpresence
control bar
NOTE: In cooler weatheritmay be necessary
to repeat priming steps°In warmer weather
over primingmay cause flooding and engine
will not start If you do flood engine,wait a few
minutes before attemptingto start and do not
repeat primingsteps
MOWING TIPS
• Under certain conditions such as very tail
grass, it may be necessary to raisethe
height of cut to reduce pushing effortand to
keep from overloadingthe engine and
leaving clumps of grass clippings
• For extremely heavy cutting, r educe the
widthof cut and raisethe rearof the lawn
mower housing one (1) wheel adjuster
se_ng higherthan the front for better
discharge of grass
• When using a reardischarge lawnmower in
moist, heavy grass, clumpsof cut grass
may not enter the grass catcher Reduce
ground speed (pushingspeed) and/or run
the lawn mower over the area a second
time.
• if a traii of grass clippings is left on the right
side of a rear discharge lawn mower, mow
in a c_ockwise direction with a small overlap
to collect the clippings on the next pass
° Keep top of engine around starterclearand
clean of grass clippings and chaff. This will
help engine air flow and extend engine life
• Pores in cloth grass catchers can become
filled with dirt and dust with use and
catcherswill coUectlessgrass To prevent
this, regularlyhose catchers off with water
and let dry before using