11
MOWING TIPS
CAUTION:
Do not use de-thatcher
blade attachments on your mower. Such
attachments are hazardous, will damage
your mower and could void your warranty.
• 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 over load ing the en gine
and leaving clumps of grass clippings.
It may also be necessary to reduce
ground speed and/or run the lawn
mower over the area a second time.
• For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the
width of cut by overlapping pre vi ous ly
cut path and mow slowly.
• For side discharge lawn mowers, cutting
in a counter-clockwise di rec tion, start-
ing at the outside of the area to be cut,
spreads grass clip pings more evenly
and puts less load on the engine. To
keep clip pings off of walkways, fl ower
beds, etc., make the fi rst cuts in a clock-
wise direction.
• Keep top of engine around starter clear
and clean of grass clippings and chaff.
This will help engine air fl ow and extend
engine life.
CAUTION
: Alcohol blended fuels (called
gasohol or using ethanol or methanol) can
attract moisture which leads to separation
and for ma tion 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
stor age of 30 days or longer. Empty 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 In struc tions
for additional information. Never use engine
or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel tank
or permanent damage may occur.
TO STOP ENGINE
• To stop engine, release operator pres-
ence con trol bar.
TO START ENGINE
NOTE:
Due to protective coatings on the
engine, a small amount of smoke may be
present during the initial use of the prod-
uct and should be considered normal.
1. To start a cold engine, push primer
three (3) times before trying to start.
Use a fi rm push. This step is not usually
necessary when starting an engine
which has already run for a few minutes.
2. Hold operator presence control bar down to
the han dle and pull starter handle quickly.
Do not allow starter rope to snap back.
NOTE
: In cooler weather it may be necessary
to repeat priming steps. In warmer weather
over priming may cause fl ooding and engine
will not start. If you do fl ood engine, wait a
few minutes before attempting to start and
do not repeat priming steps.
