MTD 28904 User manual

perator's

I:RnFrSMRN°

LAWN TRACTOR

20 HP, Variation Speed

42" Deck

Model No. 247.28904

• Espanol, P. 59

This product has a low emission engine which operates differently

from previously built engines. Before you start the engine, read and

understand this Operator's Manual.

Before using this equipment,

read this manual and follow

all safety rules and operating

instructions.

For answers to your questions about

this product, Call:

1-800=659=5917

CraftsmanTractorHelpLine

7 am =7 pm CT, Mort. =Sun.

Sears Brands Management Corporation, Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 U.S.A.

Visit our website: www.craftsman.com FormNo.769-05572A

(February12,2010)

Off-Season Storage ........................................................ 27

Trou bleshooting .............................................................. 28

Labels ............................................................................. 29

Parts List ......................................................................... 30

Espafiol ............................................................................ 59

Service Numbers ............................................. Back Cover

CRAFTSMAN FULL WARRANTY

Whenoperatedand maintainedaccordingtoallsuppliedinstructions,ifanynon-expendablepartof thisridingequipmentfailsduetoa defectin

materialorworkmanshipwithintwo yearsfromthedateorpurchase,call1-800-659-5917toarrangeforfreein-homerepair.

Theframeandfrontaxlewillberepairedfreeofchargeforfiveyearsfromthedateofpurchaseifdefectiveinmaterialor workmanship.

Alloftheabovewarrantycoverageappliesforonly90 daysfromthedateof purchaseifthis ridingequipmentiseverusedforcommercialor

rentalpurposes.

Inallcases,ifrepairprovesimpossible,theridingequipmentwillbe replacedfreeofchargewiththesameoran equivalentmodel.

Thebatterywillbe replacedfreeofchargefor90 daysfromthedateofpurchaseifdefectiveinmaterialorworkmanship(ourtestingprovesthat it

willnotholda charge).

Thiswarranty coversONLYdefects in material andworkmanship. Searswill NOTpayfor:

o

Expendableitemsthatbecomewornduringnormaluse,includingbutnotlimitedtoblades,sparkplugs,aircleaners,belts,

andoilfilters.

Standardmaintenanceservicing,oilchanges,or tune-ups.

Tirereplacementor repaircausedbypuncturesfromoutsideobjects,suchasnails,thorns,stumps,or glass.

Tireor wheelreplacementor repairresultingfromnormalwear,accident,orimproperoperationor maintenance.

Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatorabuse,includingbutnotlimitedtodamagecausedbytowingobjectsbeyondthe

capabilityoftheridingequipment,impactingobjectsthatbendtheframeorcrankshaft,or over-speedingtheengine.

Repairsnecessarybecauseof operatornegligence,includingbutnotlimitedto,electricalandmechanicaldamagecaused

byimproperstorage,failuretousethepropergradeandamountofengineoil,failuretokeepthedeckclearofflammable

debris,orfailureto maintaintheridingequipmentaccordingtotheinstructionscontainedintheoperator'smanual.

Engine(fuelsystem)cleaningor repairscausedbyfueldeterminedto becontaminatedoroxidized(stale).Ingeneral,fuel

shouldbeusedwithin30daysofitspurchasedate.

Normaldeteriorationandwearoftheexteriorfinishes,or productlabelreplacement.

Thiswarrantyappliesonlywhilethisproductiswithinthe UnitedStates.

Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstatetostate.

Sears BrandsManagementCorporation, HoffmanEstates,IL60179

GrossHP: 20

EngineOil: SAE30

Fuel: UnleadedGasoline

SparkPlug: Champion®RC12YC

Engine: Briggs& StrattonIntek®

Model Number:

Serial Number:

Dateof Purchase:

Recordthemodelnumber,serialnumber,

anddateof purchaseabove.

Thissymbolpointsoutimportantsafetyinstructionswhich,if not

followed,couldendangerthepersonalsafetyand/orpropertyof

yourselfandothers.Readandfollowall instructionsin thismanual

beforeattemptingtooperatethismachine.Failuretocomplywith

theseinstructionsmayresultin personalinjury.Whenyouseethis

symbol,HEEDITSWARNING!

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

EngineExhaust,someof itsconstituents,andcertainvehicle

componentscontainoremitchemicalsknowntoStateofCalifornia

tocausecancerandbirthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm.

Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainleadand

leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato

causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.

Thismachinewasbuilttobeoperatedaccordingtothesafeopera-

tionpracticesinthis manual.Aswithanytypeof powerequipment,

carelessnessorerroron thepartoftheoperatorcanresultin serious

injury.Thismachineiscapableofamputatingfingers,hands,toes

andfeetandthrowingdebris.Failuretoobservethefollowingsafety

instructionscouldresultin seriousinjuryor death.

Your Responsibility--Restrict theuseofthis powermachineto

personswhoread,understandandfollowthewarningsand instruc-

tionsin thismanualandon themachine.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

GENERAL OPERATION

• Read,understand,andfollowall instructionson themachineand

in themanual(s)beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate.

Keepthis manualina safeplaceforfutureand regularreference

andfororderingreplacementparts.

• Befamiliarwithall controlsandtheirproperoperation.Knowhow

tostopthemachineanddisengagethemquickly.

• Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsoldtooperatethis machine.

Children14yearsoldandovershouldreadandunderstandthe

operationinstructionsandsafetyrulesinthismanualandshould

betrainedandsupervisedbya parent.

• Neverallowadultstooperatethis machinewithoutproper

instruction.

• Tohelpavoidbladecontactor a thrownobjectinjury,keep

bystanders,helpers,childrenandpetsatleast75feetfromthe

machinewhileitisin operation.Stopmachineifanyoneenters

thearea.

• Thoroughlyinspecttheareawheretheequipmentistobe used.

Removeallstones,sticks,wire,bones,toys,andotherforeign

objectswhichcouldbe pickedupandthrownbytheblade(s).

Thrownobjectscancauseseriouspersonalinjury.

• Planyourmowingpatterntoavoiddischargeofmaterialtoward

roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthelike.Also,avoiddischarg-

ingmaterialagainstawallorobstructionwhichmaycause

dischargedmaterialto ricochetbacktowardtheoperator.

• Alwayswearsafetyglassesor safetygogglesduringoperation

andwhileperformingan adjustmentor repairto protectyoureyes.

Thrownobjectswhichricochetcancauseseriousinjurytothe

eyes.

• Wearsturdy,rough-soledworkshoesandclose-fittingslacksand

shirts.Loosefittingclothesandjewelrycanbe caughtin movable

parts.Neveroperatethismachineinbarefeetorsandals.

• Beawareofthemowerandattachmentdischargedirectionand

do notpointitatanyone.Donotoperatethemowerwithoutthe

dischargecoverorentiregrasscatcherin its properplace.

Donotputhandsor feetnearrotatingpartsor underthecutting

deck.Contactwiththeblade(s)canamputatehandsandfeet.

A missingor damageddischargecovercancausebladecontact

or thrownobjectinjuries.

• Stoptheblade(s)whencrossinggraveldrives,walks,or roads

andwhilenotcuttinggrass.

• Watchfortrafficwhenoperatingnearorcrossingroadways.This

machineisnotintendedforuseonanypublicroadway.

• Donotoperatethemachinewhileundertheinfluenceofalcohol

or drugs.

• Mowonlyindaylightorgoodartificiallight.

Nevercarrypassengers.

• Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftingintoreverse.Backup slowly.

Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackingtoavoida

back-overaccident.

3

• Slowdownbeforeturning.Operatethemachinesmoothly.Avoid

erraticoperationandexcessivespeed.

Disengageblade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengineandwaituntil

theblade(s)cometoa completestopbeforeremovinggrass

catcher,emptyinggrass,uncloggingchute,removinganygrassor

debris,or makinganyadjustments.

Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.Alwaysturnoff

blade(s),setparkingbrake,stopengineandremovekeybefore

dismounting.

Useextracarewhenloadingorunloadingthemachineintoa

trailerortruck.Thismachineshouldnotbedrivenupor down

ramp(s),becausethemachinecouldtipover,causingserious

personalinjury.Themachinemustbe pushedmanuallyon

ramp(s)to loador unloadproperly.

Mufflerandenginebecomehotandcancausea burn.Donot

touch.

Checkoverheadclearancescarefullybeforedrivingunderlow

hangingtreebranches,wires,dooropeningsetc.,wherethe

operatormaybestruckorpulledfromthemachine,whichcould

resultinseriousinjury.

Disengageallattachmentclutchesanddepressthebrakepedal

completelybeforeattemptingtostartengine.

Yourmachineisdesignedto cutnormalresidentialgrassofa

heightnomorethan10".Donotattemptto mowthroughunusually

tall,drygrass(e.g.,pasture)orpilesofdryleaves.Drygrassor

leavesmaycontacttheengineexhaustand/orbuilduponthe

mowerdeckpresentinga potentialfirehazard.

Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedforthis machine

bythemachinemanufacturer.Read,understandandfollowall

instructionsprovidedwiththeapprovedaccessoryor attachment.

Fora list ofapprovedaccessoriesandattachments,call 1-800-

659-5917.

Dataindicatesthatoperators,age60yearsandabove,are

involvedin a largepercentageofridingmower-relatedinjuries.

Theseoperatorsshouldevaluatetheirabilitytooperatetheriding

mowersafelyenoughto protectthemselvesandothersfrom

seriousinjury.

If situationsoccurwhicharenotcoveredinthismanual,usecare

andgoodjudgment.Contact1-800-659-5917forinformationand

assistance.

SLOPE OPERATION

Slopesarea majorfactorrelatedtolossofcontrolandtip-over

accidentswhichcanresultinsevereinjuryor death.Allslopesrequire

extracaution.Ifyoucannotbackuptheslopeor ifyoufeeluneasyon

it, do notmowit.

Foryoursafety,usetheSlopeGuideincludedaspartofthis manual

to measureslopesbeforeoperatingthis machineona slopedor hilly

area.Iftheslopeisgreaterthan15degreesasshownonthe Slope

Guide,do notoperatethis machineonthatareaor seriousinjurycould

result.

Do:

o

Mowupanddownslopes,notacross.Exerciseextremecaution

whenchangingdirectionon slopes.

• Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.

Uneventerraincouldoverturnthemachine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles.

Useslowspeed.Choosealowenoughspeedsettingsothat

youwillnothavetostopor shiftwhileon theslope.Tiresmay

losetractionon slopeseventhoughthe brakesarefunctioning

properly.Alwayskeepmachinein gearwhengoingdownslopes

totakeadvantageofenginebrakingaction.

• Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsforwheelweights

or counterweightstoimprovestability.Forrecommendations,call

1-800-659-5917.

• Useextracarewithgrasscatchersor otherattachments.These

canchangethestabilityofthe machine.

Keepallmovementontheslopesslowandgradual.Donotmake

suddenchangesinspeedor direction.Rapidengagementor

brakingcouldcausethefrontofthemachinetolift andrapidlyflip

overbackwardswhichcouldcauseseriousinjury.

• Avoidstartingorstoppingona slope.Iftireslosetraction,disen-

gagetheblade(s)andproceedslowlystraightdowntheslope.

DoNot:

• Donotturnon slopesunlessnecessary;then,turnslowlyand

graduallydownhill,ifpossible.

• Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditchesor embankments.Themower

couldsuddenlyturnoverifa wheelisovertheedgeofa cliff,

ditch,or ifan edgecavesin.

• Donottry tostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfooton the

ground.

• Donotusea grasscatcheron steepslopes.

• Donotmowon wetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.

• Donotattempttocoastdownhill.Over-speedingmaycausethe

operatortolosecontrolofthemachineresultingin seriousinjury

or death.

• Donottowheavypull behindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart,

lawnroller,etc.)on slopesgreaterthan5 degrees.Whengoing

downhill,theextraweighttendstopushthetractorandmay

causeyoutoloosecontrol(e.g.tractormayspeedup,brakingand

steeringabilityarereduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcause

tractortooverturn).

4

CHILDREN

Tragicaccidentscanoccuriftheoperatorisnotalerttothepresence

ofchildren.Childrenareoftenattractedtothemachineandthemowing

activity.Theydo notunderstandthedangers.Neverassumethat

childrenwillremainwhereyoulastsawthem.

• Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaand inwatchfulcareofa

responsibleadultotherthantheoperator.

• Bealertandturnmachineoff ifa childentersthearea.

• Beforeandwhilebacking,lookbehindanddownforsmall

children.

Nevercarrychildren,evenwiththeblade(s)shutoff.Theymay

falloffandbe seriouslyinjuredorinterferewithsafemachine

operation.

• Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,doorways,

shrubs,treesorotherobjectsthatmayblockyourvisionofa child

whomayrunintothe machine.

Toavoidback-overaccidents,alwaysdisengagethecutting

blade(s)beforeshiftingintoReverse.Ifequipped,the"Reverse

CautionMode"(bladesoperatewhilemachineridesinreverse)

shouldnotbe usedwhenchildrenor othersarearound.

Keepchildrenawayfromhotorrunningengines.Theycansuffer

burnsfroma hotmuffler.

• Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedtopreventunauthorized

operation.

Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethis machine.

Children14andovershouldreadandunderstandtheinstructionsand

safeoperationpracticesinthismanualandonthemachineandshould

betrainedandsupervisedbyan adult.

TOWING

Towonlywithamachinethathasa hitchdesignedfortowing.Do

notattachtowedequipmentexceptatthehitchpoint.

Followthemanufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfor

towedequipmentandtowingonslopes.Forrecommendations,

call1-800-659-5917.

Neverallowchildrenor othersinorontowedequipment.

Onslopes,theweightof thetowedequipmentmaycauselossof

tractionandlossofcontrol.

Alwaysuseextracautionwhentowingwitha machinecapableof

makingtightturns(e.g."zero-turn"ride-onmower). Makewide

turnstoavoidjack-knifing.

Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop.

Donotcoastdownhill.

SERVICE

SafeHandlingof Gasoline

Toavoidpersonalinjuryorpropertydamageuseextremecarein

handlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremelyflammableandthevaporsare

explosive.Seriouspersonalinjurycanoccurwhengasolineisspilled

on yourselforyourclotheswhichcanignite.Washyourskinand

changeclothesimmediately.

• Useonlyanapprovedgasolinecontainer.

Neverfillcontainersinsidea vehicleoron a truckortrailerbed

withaplasticliner.Alwaysplacecontainerson thegroundaway

fromyourvehiclebeforefilling.

Whenpractical,removegas-poweredequipmentfromthetruck

or trailerandrefuelitontheground.Ifthis isnotpossible,then

refuelsuchequipmentona trailerwitha portablecontainer,rather

thanfroma gasolinedispensernozzle.

Keepthenozzleincontactwiththerimofthefueltankor

containeropeningatall timesuntilfuelingiscomplete.Donotuse

a nozzlelock-opendevice.

Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipesandothersourcesof

ignition.

• Neverfuelmachineindoors.

Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhiletheengineishotor run-

ning.Allowengineto coolatleasttwominutesbeforerefueling.

Neveroverfillfueltank.Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow

bottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.

• Replacegasolinecapandtightensecurely.

• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeitoff theengineandequipment.Move

machinetoanotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe

engine.

• Toreducefirehazards,keepmachinefreeofgrass,leaves,or

otherdebrisbuild-up.Cleanup oilor fuelspillageandremoveany

fuelsoakeddebris.

• Neverstorethemachineor fuelcontainerinsidewherethereisan

openflame,sparkor pilotlightasona waterheater,spaceheater,

furnace,clothesdryeror othergasappliances.

Allowa machineto coolatleastfiveminutesbeforestoring.

GeneralService

• Neverrunanengineindoorsorinapoorlyventilatedarea.Engine

exhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,anodorless,anddeadlygas.

• Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspecting,makecertainthe

blade(s)andallmovingpartshavestopped.Disconnectthespark

plugwireandgroundagainsttheenginetopreventunintended

starting.

• Periodicallychecktomakesurethebladescometocomplete

stopwithinapproximately(5)fivesecondsafteroperatingthe

bladedisengagementcontrol.Ifthebladesdonotstopwithinthe

thistimeframe,yourmachineshouldbeservicedprofessionally

byaSearsorotherqualifiedservicedealer.

• Checkbrakeoperationfrequentlyasitissubjectedtowearduring

normaloperation.Adjustandserviceasrequired.

• Checktheblade(s)andenginemountingboltsatfrequent

intervalsforpropertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade(s)

fordamage(e.g.,excessivewear,bent,cracked).Replacethe

blade(s)withtheoriginalequipmentmanufacturer's(O.E.M.)

blade(s)only,listedinthismanual.Useofpartswhichdonot

meettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmayleadtoimproper

performanceandcompromisesafety!

• Mowerbladesaresharp.Wrapthebladeorweargloves,anduse

extracautionwhenservicingthem.

• Keepallnuts,bolts,andscrewstighttobesuretheequipmentis

insafeworkingcondition.

• Nevertamperwiththesafetyinterlocksystemor othersafety

devices.Checktheirproperoperationregularly.

• Afterstrikinga foreignobject,stoptheengine,disconnectthe

sparkplugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughly

inspectthemachineforanydamage.Repairthedamagebefore

startingandoperating.

• Neverattempttomakeadjustmentsor repairstothemachine

whiletheengineis running.

• Grasscatchercomponentsandthedischargecoverare subject

towearanddamagewhichcouldexposemovingpartsor allow

objectsto bethrown.Forsafetyprotection,frequentlycheck

componentsand replaceimmediatelywithoriginalequipment

manufacturer's(O.E.M.)partsonly,listedinthis manual.Useof

partswhichdo notmeettheoriginalequipmentspecificationsmay

leadtoimproperperformanceandcompromisesafety!

• Donotchangetheenginegovernorsettingsorover-speedthe

engine.Thegovernorcontrolsthemaximumsafeoperatingspeed

oftheengine.

Maintainor replacesafetyandinstructionlabels,asnecessary.

• Observeproperdisposallawsandregulationsforgas,oil,etc.to

protecttheenvironment.

• Accordingtothe ConsumerProductsSafetyCommission(CPSC)

andthe U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),this product

hasanAverageUsefulLifeofseven(7)years,or 270hours

ofoperation.AttheendoftheAverageUsefulLife,buyanew

machineor havethemachineinspectedannuallybya Searsor

otherqualifiedservicedealerto ensurethatall mechanicaland

safetysystemsareworkingproperlyandnotwornexcessively.

Failuretodosocanresultinaccidents,injuriesor death.

DO NOT MODIFY ENGINE

Toavoidseriousinjuryor death,do notmodifyengineinanyway.

Tamperingwiththegovernorsettingcanleadtoa runawayengineand

causeittooperateat unsafespeeds.Nevertamperwithfactorysetting

ofenginegovernor.

NOTICE REGARDING EMISSIONS

Engineswhicharecertifiedto complywithCaliforniaandfederal

EPAemissionregulationsforSORE(SmallOffRoadEquipment)are

certifiedtooperateon regularunleadedgasoline,andmayinclude

thefollowingemissioncontrolsystems:EngineModification(EM)and

ThreeWayCatalyst(TWO)if soequipped.

SPARK ARRESTOR

Thismachineisequippedwithan internalcombustionengineand

shouldnotbe usedonor nearanyunimprovedforest-covered,

brushcoveredorgrass-coveredlandunlesstheengine'sexhaust

systemisequippedwitha sparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalor

statelaws(ifany).

Ifasparkarresteris used,itshouldbe maintainedin effectiveworking

orderbytheoperator.IntheStateof Californiatheaboveisrequired

bylaw(Section4442of theCaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Other

statesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.

A sparkarresterforthemufflerisavailablethroughyournearestSears

PartsandRepairServiceCenter.

6

SAFETY SYMBOLS

Thispagedepictsanddescribessafetysymbolsthatmayappearonthis product.Read,understand,andfollowallinstructionson themachine

beforeattemptingtoassembleandoperate.

0

A

READ THE OPERATOR'S MANUAL(S)

Read, understand, and follow all instructions in the manual(s) before attempting to assemble and

operate

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES

Never carry passengers. Never carry children, even with the blades off.

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES

Always look down and behind before and while backing to avoid a back-over accident.

WARNING-- ROTATING BLADES

Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck. Contact with the blade(s)

can amputate hands and feet.

WARNING--THROWN OBJECTS

This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.

WARNING--THROWN OBJECTS

This machine may pick up and throw and objects which can cause serious personal injury.

BYSTANDERS

Keep bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in

operation.

WARNING-- SLOPE OPERATION

Do not operate this machine on a slope greater than 15 degrees.

WARNING-- HOT SURFACE

Engine parts, especially the muffler, become extremely hot during operation. Allow engine and

muffler to cool before touching.

DANGER-- ROTATING BLADES

To reduce the risk of injury, keep hands and feet away. Do not operate unless discharge cover or grass

catcher is in its proper place. If damaged, replace immediately.

7

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ROTATING BLADES CAUSE

SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH

DONOTMOWWHENCHILDRENOROTHERSARE

AROUND

NEVERCARRYCHILDRENEVENWITHBLADE(S)OFF.

LOOKDOWNANDBEHINDBEFOREANDWHILE

BACKING.

MOWINGINREVERSEISNOTRECOMMENDED.

WARNING

Thissymbol points outimportant safety instructions

which, if notfollowed,could endangerthe personal

safety and/or property of yourselfand others. Readand

follow allinstructions inthis manualbeforeattempting

to operatethis machine.Failuretocomply withthese

instructions may resultin personalinjury.When yousee

this symbol HEED ITS WARNING!

Your Responsibility

Restrictthe useof this powermachineto persons who

read, understand,and follow the warnings and instruc-

tions in this manual and onthe machine.

9

IMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroil in theengine.

However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Refertothe

Service& Maintenancesectionforinstructionson checkingtheoil

level.

Attaching the Battery Cables

CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65

Batteryposts,terminals,andrelatedaccessoriescontainleadand

leadcompounds,chemicalsknowntotheStateof Californiato

causecancerandreproductiveharm.Washhandsafterhandling.

Whenattachingbatterycables,alwaysconnectthePOSITIVE(Red)

wiretoits terminalfirst,followedbytheNEGATIVE(Black)wire.

Forshippingreasons,bothbatterycablesonyourequipmenthave

beenleftdisconnectedfromtheterminalsatthefactory.Toconnect

thebatterycables,proceedasfollows:

NOTE:ThepositivebatteryterminalismarkedPos.(+).Thenegative

batteryterminalis markedNeg.(-).

1. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthe positivebattery

terminaland attachthe redcableto thepositivebatteryterminal

(+)withtheboltandhexnut.See Figure1.

2. Removethe plasticcover,if present,fromthe negativebattery

terminaland attachtheblackcabletothenegativebattery

terminal(-) withtheboltandhexnut.SeeFigure1.

f

J

Figure1

3. Positionthe redrubberbootoverthepositivebatteryterminalto

helpprotectit fromcorrosion.

NOTE:If thebatteryisputintoserviceafterthedateshownon topof

battery,chargethebatteryas instructedintheService& Maintenance

sectionofthis manualpriortooperatingthetractor.

Shipping Brace Removal

Makesuretheridingmower'sengineisoff,removetheignitionkey,

andset theparkingbrakebeforeremovingtheshippingbrace.Refer

ItotheOperationsectionforinstructionsonhowto settheparking

lbrake.

• Locatetheshippingbrace,ifpresent,andaccompanyingwarning

tagfoundonthe rightsideofthemower,betweenthedischarge

chutedeflectorandthecuttingdeck.SeeFig.2.

//

Figure2

Placethedecklift leverinthehighestcuttingposition.Referto

SettingtheCuttingHeightin theOperationsectionofthismanual.

Whilepushingthedischargechuteddlectortowardsthemachinewith

yourlefthand,removetheshippingbracewithyourrighthandbygrasp-

ingitbetweenyourthumbandindexfingerandrotatingitclockwise.

Theshippingbrace,usedforpackagingpurposesonly,mustbe

removedand discardedbeforeoperatingyourridingmower.

Themowingdeck iscapableofthrowingobjects.Failureto operate

the ridingmowerwithoutthedischargecoverin theproperoperating

Ipositioncouldresultin seriouspersonalinjuryand/orproperty

ldamage.

Attaching The Steering Wheel

Ifthesteeringwheelforyourtractordid notcomeattached,the

hardwareforattachingithasbeenpackedwithinthesteeringwheel,

beneaththesteeringwheelcap.Carefullypryoff thesteeringwheel

capandremovethe hardware.

1. Withthewheelsofthetractorpointingstraightforward,placethe

steeringwheeloverthesteeringshaft.

2. Placethewasher(withthecuppedsidedown)overthesteering

wheeland securewiththehexbolt.SeeFig.3.

10

f.-

\

Figure3

3. Placethe steeringwheelcap overthecenterofthe steering

wheeland pushdownwarduntilit"clicks"intoplace.

Attaching The Seat

NOTE: Ifyourseatwasshippedmountedbackwardsontheseatpivot

bracket,pulloutthetabfoundontheseatstopandholditopenwhile

slidingtheseatoff theseatpivotbracket.

1. Lineuptheplasticseatspacerswiththeslotsin seatpivot

bracket.

2. Slideseatinuntilfrontseatspacerengagestheseatstop.See

Fig.4.

Beforeoperatingthis machine,makesuretheseatisengagedin a

seatstop,standbehindthemachineandpullbackon seatuntilfully

_engagedntostop.

\

Figure5

Tire Pressure

Maximumtire pressureunderanycircumstancesis30 psi.Equal

tirepressureshouldbe maintainedatall times.Neverexceedthe

_maxmum nfatonpressureshownonthesdewa of thet re.

Therecommendedoperatingtirepressureis:

Approximately10psiforthe reartires

Approximately14psiforthefronttires

iMPORTANT:Refertothetiresidewallforexacttiremanufacturer's

recommendedormaximumpsi.Donotoverinfiate.Uneventirepres-

surecouldcausethecuttingdeckto mowunevenly.

.

Figure4

Toadjustthepositionoftheseatonmodelsequippedwitha seat

adjustmentlever,movetheseatadjustmentlever(locatedunder

theseat)totheleftand slidetheseatforwardor rearwarduntilit

securelyengagesintoa seatstop.SeeFig.5. Makesureseatis

lockedintopositionbeforeoperatingthetractor.

11

B

J

A

C

D

E

G

Figure6

F

J

A ParkingBrakeLever

B Throttle/ChokeControlLever

C IgnitionSwitchModule

D Auto-drivePedal

E DeckLift Lever

F PTOLever(BladeEngage)

G CupHolder

H ShiftLever

I SeatAdjustmentLever

J Clutch-BrakePedal

NOTE: Anyreferencein thismanualtotheRIGHTor LEFTsideofthetractorisobservedfromoperator'sseat

positionfacingforwardtowardsthefrontof tractor.

Meets ANSi Safety Standards

CraftsmanTractorsconformtothesafetystandardoftheAmericanNationalStandardsInstitute(ANSI).

12

PARKING BRAKE LEVER

Toset the parkingbrake: Fullydepressthebrakepedal.Movethe

parkingbrakeleverintotheparkingbrakeposition.Releasethebrake

pedaltoallowtheparkingbraketo engage.

Toreleasetheparkingbrake: Depressthebrakepedalandthepark-

ingbrakeleverwillmoveoutofthe parkingbrakepositionon itsown.

Theparkingbrakewillthenbereleased.Releasethebrakepedal.

NOTE=Theparkingbrakemustbe setiftheoperatorleavestheseat

withtheenginerunningor theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff.

THROTTLE/CHOKE CONTROL LEVER

Thethrottle/chokecontrolleveris

locatedontherightsideofthetrac-

tor'sdashpanel.This levercontrols

thespeedoftheengineand when

pushedall thewayforward,the

chokecontrolalso.Whensetin

a givenposition,thethrottlewill

maintaina uniformenginespeed.

IMPORTANT=Whenoperating

thetractorwiththecuttingdeck

engaged,thethrottle/chokecontrol

levermustalwaysbe intheFAST

(rabbit)position.

IGNITION SWITCH MODULE

Thekeyswitchmoduleisusedto

startand stoptheengine.Itis also

usedtoactivatetheReverseCaution

Mode(bladesoperatewhileriding

in reverse).Insertkeyintothekey

switchmoduleandturnclockwiseto

theSTARTposition.Releasethekey

intothenormalmowingpositiononce

enginehasstarted.Theheadlights

willbeactivatedin theNormal(and

ReverseCaution)modes.

Tostoptheengine,turntheignitionkey

counterclockwiseto theSTOPposition.

CHOKE

FAST

SLOW

l=, m

@

IMPORTANT:Priortooperatingthetractor,refertoboththe"Safety

InterlockSystem"and"StartingTheEngine"laterinthissectionofthis

manualfordetailedinstructionsregardingtheIgnitionSwitchModule

andoperatingthetractorinREVERSECAUTIONMODE.

Neverleavea runningmachineunattended.AlwaysdisengagePTO

(BladeEngageLever),moveshiftleverintoneutralposition,setpark-

ingbrake,stopengineandremovekeyto preventunintendedstarting.

SEAT ADJUSTMENT LEVER

Theseatadjustmentleverislocatedunderthefrontofthe seat.Toadjustthe

seat,slidetheseatadjustmentlevertothe leftandslidetheseatforwardor

rearward.Makesureseatislockedintopositionbeforeoperatingthetractor.

AUTO-DRIVE PEDAL

Thedrivepedalislocatedontherightsideofthetractor,alongthe

runningboard.Depressthedrivepedalforwardandthetractorwill

moveinthedirectionthattheshiftleverisengagedin.Tocausethe

tractortotravelforward,whileat acompletestop,movetheshiftlever

intotheForwardposition.Graduallysteponthedrivepedalandthe

tractorwillbeginto moveforward.Tomovein Reverse,followthesame

procedureonlymovetheshiftleverintothereverseposition.

Thegroundspeediscontrolledwiththedrivepedal.Thefurther

forwardthatthepedalispivoted,thefasterthetractorwilltravel.

Thepedalwill returntoits originalpositionwhenit'snotdepressed.

Referto theOperationsectionofthismanualfordetailedinstructions

regardingthedrivepedal.

IMPORTANT=Alwayssettheparkingbrakewhenleavingthetractor

unattended.

DECK LIFT LEVER

Foundonyourtractor'srightfender,thedeckliftleverisused

tochangetheheightofthecuttingdeck.Touse,movethe

levertotheleft,thenplaceinthenotchbestsuitedforyour

application.

PTO (BLADE ENGAGE) LEVER

Foundonthetractor'srightfender,the PTO(bladeengage)

leverisusedtoengagepowertothecuttingdeckorother

(separatelyavailable)attachments.Tooperate,movethe

leverall thewayforward.Movingtheleveralltheway

rearwardintothePTOOFFpositiondisengagespowertothe

cuttingdeck/attachment.

NOTE:ThePTO(bladeengage)levermustbe inthe

disengaged(PTOOFF)positionwhenstartingtheengine.

CUP HOLDER

Thetractor'scupholderis locatedon thefendertotheleft of

theseat.

SHIFT LEVER

Theshiftleverislocatedontheleft

sideofthefenderand hasthree

positions,FORWARD,NEUTRAL

and REVERSE.Theclutch-brake

pedalmustbedepressedandthe

tractormustnotbe inmotionwhen

themovingshiftlever.

IMPORTANT=Neverforcethe

shiftlever.Doingsomayresultin

seriousdamagetothetractor's

transmission.

_J

CLUTCH-BRAKE PEDAL

Theclutch-brakepedalislocatedontheleft sideofthelawntractor,

alongtherunningboard.Depresstheclutch-brakepedaltoengagethe

disc brakeandbringthetractortoa completestop.

NOTE=Thepedalmustbe depressedto starttheengine.Referto

SafetyInterlockSwitcheslaterin thissectionof thismanual.

13

GAS AND OIL FILL-UP

0il

IMPORTANT:Yourtractorisshippedwithmotoroil intheengine.

However,youMUSTchecktheoil levelbeforeoperating.Becareful

notto overfill.

Forinstructionsonhowtochecktheengineoil, referto CheckingThe

EngineOilin theServiceandMaintenancesectionofthis manual.

Gasoline

Thegasolinetankislocatedunderthehood.Donotoverfill.

Useextremecarewhenhandlinggasoline.Gasolineisextremely

flammableandthevaporsareexplosive.Neverfuelmachineindoors

orwhiletheengineishotor running.Extinguishcigarettes,cigars,

_ppes,andothersourcesof gn ton.

NOTE : Purchasegasolineinsmallquantities.Donotusegasolineleft

overfromthe previousseason,tominimizegumdepositsin thefuel

system.

• Thisengineiscertifiedtooperateon unleadedgasoline.Forbest

results,fillthefueltankwithonlyclean,fresh,unleadedgasoline

withapumpstickeroctaneratingof87orhigher.

• Gasohol(upto 10%ethylalcohol,90%unleadedgasolineby

volume)isanapprovedfuel.Othergasoline/alcoholblends,such

asE85,arenotapproved.

• MethylTertiaryButylEther(MTBE)andunleadedgasolineblends

(uptoa maximumof 15%MTBEbyvolume)are approvedfuels.

Othergasoline/etherblendsare notapproved.

• Fillfueltankoutdoorsorin well-ventilatedarea.

• Donotoverfillfueltank.Filltanktono morethan1/2inchbelow

bottomoffillernecktoallowspaceforfuelexpansion.

• Neverremovegascapor addfuelwhiletheengineishotor run-

ning.Allowenginetocoolatleasttwo minutesbeforerefueling.

• Ifgasolineisspilled,wipeitoff theengineandequipment.Move

machinetoanotherarea.Wait5 minutesbeforestartingthe

engine.

To Add Gasoline

1. Turntheengineoff andletenginecoolatleast2 minutesbefore

removingthefuelcap.Thegasolinetankisunderthe rearfender,

withthefuelfillcaplocatedinthecenterofthe rearfender.

Thefuelcapistetheredtothetractortopreventitsloss.Donot

attempttoremovethecapfromthetractor.

2. Fillthefueltankwithgasoline.

3. Reinstallthefuelcap.

For California Models:

ForCaliforniamodelsequippedwitha tethered,ratchetingfuelcap,

STOPfillingtankoncefuelis seeninsidethefillerneck. Thisensures

thata properexpansionvolumeiscreated,otherwisethefuelcanover-

flowcreatinga hazardoussituation. DoNOTfilltothetopofthefiller

neck.On Californiamodels,fillthetank inaccordancewith Figure7.

Figure7

Avoid Serious Injury or Death

* Go upanddownslopes,notacross.

, Avoidsuddenturns.

, Donotoperatetheunitwhereitcouldslipor tip.

, Ifmachinestopsgoinguphill,stopbladesand backdownhill

slowly.

, Donotmowwhenchildrenorothersare around.

, Nevercarrychildren,evenwith bladesoff.

, Lookdownand behindbeforeandwhilebacking.

, Keepsafetydevices(guards,shields,and switches)inplace

andworking.

, Removeobjectsthat couldbethrownbytheblades.

, Knowlocationandfunctionofall controls.

, Besurebladesandenginearestoppedbeforeplacinghandsor

feetnearblades.

, Beforeleavingoperator'sposition,stoptractor,disengage

blades,engageparkingbrake,shutengineoff,and removekey.

Read Operator's Manual

SAFETY INTERLOCK SYSTEM

Thesafetyinterlocksystemisdesignedforsafeoperationofthetrac-

tor.Ifthissystemshouldevermalfunction,donotoperatethetractor,

immediatelycontact1-800-4-MY-HOMEto havethesystemserviced.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystempreventstheenginefromstarting

unlesstheparkingbrakeisengagedandthe PTO(BladeEngage)

leveris inthedisengaged(OFF)position.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillautomaticallyshutofftheengineif

theoperatorleavestheseatbeforeengagingtheparkingbrake.

• Thesafetyinterlocksystemwillautomaticallyshutofftheengine

if theoperatorleavesthetractor'sseatwiththePTO(Blade

Engage)leverengaged,regardlessof whethertheparkingbrake

is engaged.

14

REVERSE CAUTION MODE

UseextremecautionwhileoperatingthetractorintheREVERSE

CAUTIONMODE.Alwayslookdownand behindbeforeandwhile

backing.Donotoperatethetractorwhenchildrenor othersare

around.Stopthetractorimmediatelyifsomeoneentersthearea.

TheREVERSECAUTIONMODEpositionofthekeyswitchmodule

allowsthetractorto beoperatedinreversewiththeblades(PTO)

engaged.

iMPORTANT: Mowinginreverseisnotrecommended.

TousetheREVERSECAUTIONMODE:

iMPORTANT: TheoperatorMUSTbeseatedinthetractorseat.

1. Startengineasinstructedunderthe headingStartingTheEngine

laterinthissection.

2. TurnthekeyfromtheNORMALMO%NG (Green)positiontothe

REVERSECAUTIONMODE(Yellow)positionofthekeyswitch

module.SeeFigure8.

3. DepresstheREVERSEPUSHBUTTON(Orange,Triangular

Button)atthetop,rightcornerofthekeyswitchmodule.Thered

indicatorlightatthetop,leftcornerofthekeyswitchmodulewill

beONwhileactivated.SeeFigure8.

f Reverse "_

Push

Button

indicator

REVERSE PUSH

Light BUTTON=._

Reverse

Caution - Normal

Mode Driving

Position Mode

Stop

position

ENGAGING THE PARKING BRAKE

To engage the parking brake:

1. Fullydepresstheclutch-brakepedaland holditdownwithyour

foot.

2. Movethe speedcontrolleverall thewaydownandintothe

parkingbrakeposition.

3. Releasetheclutch-brakepedaltoallowtheparkingbraketo

engage.

To release the parking brake:

1. Depresstheclutch-brakepedaland movethespeedcontrollever

outoftheparkingbrakepositionandintoadesiredspeed.

SETTING THE CUTTING HEIGHT

1. Selecttheheightpositionofthecuttingdeckbyplacingthedeck

liftleverinanyofthesixdifferentcuttingheightnotchesonthe

rightsideofthefender.

2. Adjustthedeck wheelssothattheyarebetween1A-inchand

Y2-inchabovethegroundwhenthetractorisona smooth,fiat

surfacesuchasa driveway.

To adjust Deck Wheels:

1. Removetheflangelocknuton theshoulderboltsecuringthe

deckwheel.

2. Positionthewheelto thedesiredheightaslistedabove.

3. Securetheshoulderboltwiththeflangelocknut.

Keephandsandfeetawayfromthedischargeopeningofthecutting

deck.

NOTE:Thedeckwheelsarean anti-scalpfeatureofthedeckand

are notdesignedtosupporttheweightofthecuttingdeck.Referto

Levelingin theMaintenance& Servicesectionofthismanualformore

detailedinstructionsregardingvariousdeckadjustments.

'_., j

Figure 8

4. Onceactivated(indicatorlightON),thetractorcanbedrivenin

reversewiththecuttingblades(PTO)engaged.

5. Alwayslookdownand behindbeforeandwhilebackingtomake

surenochildrenarearound.

6. Afterresumingforwardmotion,returnthekeytothe NORMAL

MOWINGposition.

iMPORTANT:TheREVERSECAUTIONMODEwillremainactivated

until:

a.

Thekeyisplacedin eithertheNORMALMOWINGposition

orSTOPposition.

Theoperatorengagestheparkingbrakebyfullydepressing

theclutch-brakepedalandholdingitdownwhilemovingthe

speedcontrolleverintothePARKBRAKEposition.

15

STARTING THE ENGINE DRiViNG THE TRACTOR

Donotoperatethetractoriftheinterlocksystemismalfunctioning.

Thissystemwasdesignedforyoursafetyandprotection.

NOTE: RefertotheGasolineandOilfill-upinstructionsearlierinthis

section.

1. Insertthetractorkeyintotheignitionswitch.

2. PlacethePTO(BladeEngage)leverinthedisengaged(OFF)

position.

3. Engagethetractor'sparkingbrake.

4. Activatethechokecontrolbymovingthethrottle/chokeleverall

thewayupintothechokeposition.

5. TurntheignitionkeyclockwisetotheSTARTposition.Afterthe

enginestarts,releasethekey.It willreturntotheON(orNormal

Mowing)position.

DO NOTholdthekeyintheSTARTpositionforlongerthanten

secondsata time.Doingsomaycausedamagetoyourengine's

electricstarter.

6. Aftertheenginestarts,deactivatethechokecontroland placethe

throttlecontrolinthe FASTposition.

NOTE: DoNOTleavethechokecontrolonwhileoperatingthetractor.

Doingsowillresultina "rich"fuelmixtureandcausetheengineto run

poorly.

STOPPING THE ENGINE

If youstrikea foreignobject,stoptheengine,disconnectthespark

plugwire(s)andgroundagainsttheengine.Thoroughlyinspectthe

machineforanydamage.Repairthedamagebeforerestartingand

operating

1. Ifthe bladesareengaged,placethePTO(BladeEngage)leverin

thedisengaged(OFF)position.

2. TurntheignitionkeycounterclockwisetotheSTOPposition.

3. Removethe keyfromtheignitionswitchto preventunintended

starting.

Avoidsuddenstarts,excessivespeedand suddenstops.

DonotleavetheseatofthetractorwithoutfirstplacingthePTO

(BladeEngage)leverin thedisengaged(OFF)position,depressing

thebrakepedalandengagingtheparkingbrake.If leavingthetractor

unattended,alsoturntheignitionkeyoff andremovethe key.

Alwayslookdownandbehindbeforeandwhilebackinguptoavoida

back-overaccident.

1. Depresstheclutch-brakepedalto releasethe parkingbrakeand

thenletthe pedalup.

2. Movethethrottleleverintothe FAST(rabbit)position.

3. PlacetheshiftleverineithertheFORWARDor REVERSE

position.

IMPORTANT: DoNOTusetheshiftlevertochangethedirectionof

travelwhenthetractorisin motion.Alwaysusetheclutch-brakepedal

to bringthetractortoa completestopbeforeshifting.

4. Graduallybeginto applypressuretothedrivepedal.Thefurther

downthepedalispushed,thefasterthetractorwilltravelinthe

desireddirectionbasedon thepositionoftheshiftlever.

5. Thelawntractorisbroughttoa stopbyreleasingthedrivepedal

andthendepressingthe brakepedal.

WARNING!Beforeleavingtheoperator'spositionforany reason,

disengagetheblades,placethe shiftleverin neutral,engagethe

parkingbrake,shutengineoff and removethekey.

WHEN stoppingthetractorforanyreasonwhileon a grasssurface,

always:

1. Placetheshiftleverinneutral,

2. Engagetheparkingbrake,

3. Shutengineoffand removethekey.Doingsowillminimizethe

possibilityofhavingyourlawn"browned"byhotexhaustfrom

yourtractor'srunningengine.

16

DRiViNG ON SLOPES

RefertotheSLOPEGAUGEintheSafetyInstructionssectionof the

manualto helpdetermineslopeswhereyoumayoperatethis tractor

safely.

Donotmowon inclineswitha slopein excessof15degrees(a rise

ofapproximately2-1/2feetevery10feet).Thetractorcouldoverturn

andcauseseriousinjury.

• Mowupanddownslopes,NEVERacross.

Exerciseextremecautionwhenchangingdirectionon slopes.

Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,or otherhiddenobjects.

Uneventerraincouldoverturnthemachine.Tallgrasscanhide

obstacles.

Avoidturnswhendrivingonaslope.Ifa turnmustbemade,turn

downtheslope.Turningupa slopegreatlyincreasesthechance

ofa rollover.

Avoidstoppingwhendrivingupa slope.Ifit isnecessaryto stop

whiledrivingupaslope,startup smoothlyandcarefullytoreduce

thepossibilityofflippingthetractoroverbackward.

ENGAGING THE BLADES

EngagingthePTO(BladeEngage)transferspowertothecuttingdeck

orother(separatelyavailable)attachments.Toengagetheblades,

proceedasfollows:

1. Movethethrottle/chokecontrolleverto theFAST(rabbit)position.

2. GraspthePTO(BladeEngage)leverandpivotitall theway

forwardintotheengaged(ON)position.

3. KeepthethrottleleverintheFAST(rabbit)positionforthemost

efficientuseof thecuttingdeckor other(separatelyavailable)

attachments.

NOTE:Theenginewillautomaticallyshutoff ifthePTOisengaged

withtheshiftleverin positionforreversetravelwiththeignitionkeyin

theNORMALMOWINGposition.

MULCHING

A mulchkit isavailableasan attachment.Mulchingisa processof

recirculatinggrassclippingsrepeatedlybeneaththecuttingdeck.The

ultra-fineclippingsarethenforcedbackintothelawnwheretheyact as

a naturalfertilizer.

A mulchkit canbe purchasedthroughtheretaillocationinwhichyou

purchasedthistractor.Formore information, simply contact Sears

at 1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

USING THE DECK LIFT LEVER

Toraisethecuttingdeck,movethedecklift levertothe left,thenplace

itin thenotchbestsuitedforyourapplication.RefertoSettingThe

CuttingHeightearlierinthis section.

MOWING

Tohelpavoidbladecontactora thrownobjectinjury,keepbystand-

ers,helpers,childrenandpetsat least75feetfromthemachine

whileitisin operation.Stopmachineifanyoneentersthearea.

Thefollowinginformationwillbe helpfulwhenusingthecuttingdeck

withyourtractor:

Planyourmowingpatterntoavoiddischargeofmaterialstoward

roads,sidewalks,bystandersandthelike.Also,avoiddischarging

materialagainstawallor obstructionwhichmaycausedischarged

materialtoricochetbacktowardtheoperator.

Donotmowat highgroundspeed,especiallyifa mulchkit or

grasscollectorisinstalled.

• Forbestresultsitisrecommendedthatthefirsttwolapsbecut

withthedischargethrowntowardsthecenter.Afterthefirsttwo

laps,reversethedirectiontothrowthedischargetotheoutside

forthebalanceofcutting.Thiswillgivea betterappearancetothe

lawn.

• Donotcutthegrasstooshort.Shortgrassinvitesweedgrowth

andyellowsquicklyin dryweather.

• Mowingshouldalwaysbedonewiththeengineatfullthrottle.

• Underheavierconditionsit maybe necessarytogo backoverthe

cut areaa secondtimetogeta cleancut.

• DoNOTattemptto mowheavybrushandweedsandextremely

tallgrass.Yourtractorisdesignedtomowlawns,NOTclear

brush.

• Keepthebladessharpand replacethebladeswhenworn.Refer

to CuttingBladesintheServicesectionofthismanualforproper

bladesharpeninginstructions.

HEADLIGHTS

• Thelampsare ONwheneverthetractor'sengineis running.

• ThelampsturnOFFwhentheignitionkeyismovedtotheSTOP

position.

17

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE

Beforeperforminganytypeofmaintenance/service,disengageall

controlsandstoptheengine.Waituntilallmovingpartshavecometo

acompletestop.Disconnectsparkplugwireandgrounditagainstthe

enginetopreventunintendedstarting.Alwayswearsafetyglassesduring

operationor whileperforminganyadjustmentsor repairs.

Followthemaintenanceschedulegivenbelow.Thischartdescribes

serviceguidelinesonly.UsetheServiceLogcolumntokeeptrack

ofcompletedmaintenancetasks.Tolocate the nearest Parts&

RepairService Centeror to scheduleservice,simplycontact

1-800-4-MY-HOME®.

BeforeEachUse

IntheFirstFiveHours

Every10Hours

Every25 hours

Every50 hours

Annually

BeforeStorage

1. Engineoil level

2. Mufflerareaandcontrols

3. Fingerguard

1. EngineOil

1. Hood/Dashairvents

2. Batteryterminals

3. Deckspindlesand idler

bracket

1. Air filter'sprecleaner*

2. Air filter*

3. Midsteeringarms,pivot

shafts,andaxles

4. Frontwheelbearings

5. Frontdeckwheels

1. Engineoil/Oil filter

2. Muffler

1. Air filter

2. Air filter'spre-cleaner

3. Sparkplug

4. Air coolingsystem*

5. Fuelfilter

6. SteeringGears

7. RearWheels

1. Hood/Dashairvents

2. Batteryterminals

3. Midsteeringarms,pivot

shafts,andaxles

4. Frontwheelbearings

5. Frontdeckwheels

6. Deckspindlesand idler

bracket

7. Pedalpivotpoints

1. Check

2. Clean

3. Clean

1. Change

1. Clean

2. Clean

3. Lubricate

1. Clean

2. Clean

3. Lubricate

4. Lubricate

5. Lubricate

1. Change/Replace

2. Check

1. Replace

2. Replace

3. Replace

4. Clean

5. Replace

6. Clean

7. Removeandgreaseaxles

1. Clean

2. Clean

3. Lubricate

4. Lubricate

5. Lubricate

6. Lubricate

7. Lubricate

*Servicemorefrequentlyunderdustyconditions.

Beforeperforminganymaintenanceor repairs,disengagethePTO

(BladeEngageLever),engagetheparkingbrake,stoptheengine

and removethekeytopreventunintendedstarting.

Iftheenginehasbeen recentlyrun,theengine,mufflerandsur-

roundingmetalsurfaceswillbehotand cancauseburnsto theskin.

Exercisecautiontoavoidburns.

18

ENGINE MAINTENANCE

Checking the Engine Oil

Onlyusehighqualitydetergentoil ratedwithAPIserviceclassification

SF,SG,SH,or SJ, Selecttheoil's SAEviscositygradeaccordingto

theexpectedoperatingtemperature.Followthechartbelow.

Althoughmulti-viscosityoils(5W20,10W30,etc.)improvestarting

in coldweather,theywillresultinincreasedoil consumptionwhen

usedabove32°ECheckyourengineoillevelmorefrequentlytoavoid

possibleenginedamagefromrunninglowonoil.

f'_older _ 32°F _War me'_r

Oil Viscosity Chart

Tochecktheengineoil,proceedasfollows:

• Ensurethatthetractorisona levelsurface.

• Cleantheoil fillareaofanydebris.

1. Removethedipstickandwipewithacleancloth.

2. Insertandtightendipstick.

3. Removethedipstickandchecktheoil level.It shouldbeatthe

Fullmarkonthedipstick.SeeFigure9.

f

Dipstick-_

OilDrain

Valve

Oil Drain

Sleeve

J

Figure9

If low,addoil slowlyintotheengineoilfill. Donotoverfill.After

addingoil,waitoneminuteand thenrechecktheoil level.

Donotoverfill.Overfillingwithoil maycausetheenginetonotstart,

hardstarting,orenginesmoking.If overtheFULLmarkonthe

dipstick,drainoil toreduceoil leveltoFULLmarkondipstick.

5. Replaceandtightendipstick.

Changing Engine Oil

Theengineoil shouldbechangedinthefirst5 hoursand thenevery

50 hoursoroncea season.Tochangetheengineoil,proceedas

follows:

1. WithengineOFFbutstillwarm,disconnectsparkplugwireand

keepit awayfromsparkplug.

2. Removetheoilfillcap/dipstickfromtheoil filltube.SeeFigure9.

3. Cliptheoildrainsleeve(packedwiththis manual)ontotheoil

drainport. Routetheoppositeendofthesleeveintoanappropri-

ateoilcollectioncontainerwitha capacitygreatenoughtocollect

theusedoil.

4. Removetheoildrainplug,Theoilwillbegintodrainoutofthe

engine.

5. Aftertheoil hasfinisheddraining,replacetheoil drainplugand

tighten.Becarefulnottoovertighten.

6. Removetheoildrainsleeveandstoreforlateruse.

7. Refilltheenginewithnewmotoroil untiltheoil levelonthe

dipstickreadsFULL.Replacetheoil fillcap/dipstick.

Usedoil isa hazardouswasteproduct.Disposeofusedoil properly.

Donotdiscardwithhouseholdwaste.Checkwithyourlocalauthori-

ties ororcontact1-800-4-MY-HOMEforalistofsafedisposal/

recyclingfacilities.

Changing the Oil Filter

1. Draintheoil fromtheengineasdescribedabove.

2. Removetheoilfilteranddisposeofproperly.See Figure10.

0il Filter

Figure10

3. Beforeyou installthenewoil filter,lightlylubricatetheoil filter

gasketwithfresh,cleanoil.

4. Installtheoil filterbyhanduntilthegasketcontactstheoil filter

adapter,thentightentheoilfilter 1/2to3/4 turns.

5. Addoil asdescribedabove.

6. Startandruntheengine.Astheenginewarmsup,checkforoil

leaks.

7. Stoptheengineandchecktheoil level.It shouldbeattheFULL

markonthedipstick.

19

Fuel Filter Air Cleaner

Gasolineand itsvaporsareextremelyflammableandexplosive.Fire

orexplosioncancausesevereburnsor death.

• Keepgasolineawayfromsparks,openflames,pilotlights,heat,

andotherignitionsources.

• Checkfuellines,tank,cap,andfittingsfrequentlyforcracksor

leaks.Replaceif necessary.

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltankasperthe

instructionsbelow.

• Donotdrainfuelwhentheengineishot.Allowtheengine

adequatetimetocool. Drainfuelintoan approvedcontainer

outdoors,awayfromopenflame.

• Drainanylargevolumeoffuelfromthetankbydisconnectingthe

fuellinefromthein-linefuelfilterneartheengine.

• RemovethefuellinefromtheIn-lineside(sidetowardsthefuel

tank)of thefuelfilter.

• Replacementpartsmustbethesameand installedin thesame

positionastheoriginalparts.

• Iffuelspills,waituntilitevaporatesbeforestartingengine.

• Beforereplacingthefuelfilter,drainthefueltank.Otherwisefuel

canleakoutandcausea fireor explosion.

ToDrainthe fuel:

1. Locatethefuelfilter,whichisroutedontheleftsideoftheengine

betweenthefueltankandthecarburetor,andmaybeattachedto

theenginewitha tiestrap.Cutthetiestrap,ifpresent,thenpinch

thein-lineclamponthefuelfilterwitha pairofpliers,slidethe

clampupthefuelline.Pullthefuellinefreefromthefilterandplace

theopenendofthelineintoanapprovedcontainertodrainthefuel.

Tochangethe fuel filter:

1. Useplierstosqueezethetabsontheotherclamp(theout-line

sideofthefuelfilter),thenslidetheclampawayfromthefuelfilter.

Twistandpullthefuellineoff ofthefuelfilter.SeeFigure11.

2. Checkthefuellinesforcracksor leaks.Replaceifnecessary.

3. Replacethefuelfilterwithan originalequipmentreplacement

filter.Call1-800-4-MY-HOME®topurchasetheoriginalequip-

mentreplacementfilter.

4. Securethefuellineswiththeclamps.

Iffilters,or coversare notinstalledcorrectlyseriousinjuryordeath

couldresultfrombackfire.Donotattemptto starttheenginewith

themremoved.

Donotusepressurizedair or solventstocleantheaircleaner

cartridge.

Theairfiltersystemusesacylindricalcartridge.

1. Removethefasteners(A)andtheairfiltercover(B).SeeFigure

12.

2. Toremovethefilter(C),lifttheendofthefilterandthenpullthe

filterofftheintake(D).

3. Toloosendebris,gentlytapthefilteron a hardsurface.If thefilter

A

B

Figure12

is excessivelydirty,replacewitha newfilter.

4. installthefilterontheintake.Pushtheendofthefilterintothe

baseas shown.Makesurefilterfitssecurelyin thebase.

5. installairfiltercoverandsecurewithfasteners.

J

Tab

Clamp

Fuel

Line

J

Figure11

2O

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MTD 28904 User manual

MTD 28904 User manual

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