Craftsman 536.270320 Operation Manual - Page 21

OPERATION

OPERATING

TIPS

2.

3.

4.

Check

the

attachment

clutch

for

correct

adjustment.

For

the

blade(s)

to

disengage

correctly,

the

adjustment

must

be

cor-

rect.

Before

you

use

the

unit,

check

the

oil in the

engine

and

add

oil

if necessary.

If the engine will not start, first make sure the wire is attached

to the spark plug.

Make

sure

all the

belts

are inside

all the

belt guides.

See

the

in-

structions

on

how

to

remove

and

install

the

motion

drive

and

mower

drive

belts.

5.

Before

you

make

an

inspection,

adjustment

(except

for the

car-

buretor)

or repair,

make

sure

the

wire

from the

spark

plug

is dis-

connected.

6.

Make

sure

the

seat

switch

wire

is connected.

If the

wire

is not

connected,

the

engine

will

not

start.

7.

For

longer

life

of

the

battery,

charge

the

battery

every

three

months.

8.

Use

the

shift

lever

to change

the

ground

speed,

not

the throttle

control.

9.

Belt

noise

can

occur

when

the

blade

or clutch

is engaged.

This

noise

is normal

and

does

not affect

the

operation

of the

unit.

10.

To move

forward,

always

release

the

clutch/brake

pedal

slowly.

MOWING

AND

BAGGING

TIPS

1.

For a lawn

to look

better,

check

the

cutting

level

of the

mower

housing.

See

"How

To Level

The

Mower

Housing"

in the

Ser-

vice

And

Adjustment

section.

2.

For the

mower

housing

to cut

level,

make

sure

the

tires

have

the

correct

amount

of air

pressure

(PSI)

and

use

slow

ground

speeds

when

turning.

3.

Every

time you

use the unit,

check

the

blade.

If the

blade

is bent

or damaged,

immediately

replace

the

blade.

Also,

make

sure

the

nut for the

blade

is tight.

4.

Keep

the

blade(s)

sharpened.

A worn

blade(s)

will

cause

the

ends

of the

grass

to turn

brown.

5.

Do

not cut or bag grass

that

is wet.

Wet

grass

will

not discharge

correctly.

Let the

grass

dry

before

cutting.

6.

Use

the

left side

of the

mower

housing

to trim

near

an object.

7.

Discharge

the

cut grass

onto

the

mowed

area.

The

result

is a

more

even

discharge

of cut

grass.

8.

When

you

mow

large

areas,

start

by turning

to the

right

so that

the

cut

grass

will

discharge

away

from

shrubs,

fences,

drive-

ways,

etc.

After

one

or two

rounds,

mow

in the

opposite

direc-

tion

making

left turns

until

finished

(Figure

18).

9.

Use

a mowing

pattern

that

eliminates

reverse

travel

as much

as possible.

10.

If the

grass

is very

high,

cut two

times

to decrease

the

load

on

the

engine.

First cut with

the mower

housing

in the highest

posi-

tion

and

then

lower

the

mower

housing

for the

second

cut.

11.

For

better

engine

performance

and

an

even

discharge

of the

cut grass,

always

operate

the

engine

with

the

throttle

in FAST

position.

12.

When

you

use a bagger,

operate

the

engine

with

the

throttle

in

FAST

position

and

the

speed

control

lever

in a slow

forward

speed.

13.

For

better

cutting

performance

and

a quality

cut,

mow

in a slow

forward

speed.

14.

After

each

use,

clean

the

bottom

and

top

of the

mower

housing

for better

performance.

Also,

a clean

mower

housing

wil! help

prevent

a fire.

(

1

•

J

Figure

18

MULCHING

TIPS

When

you

use a mulcher

attachment,

the grass

is cut into very

small

4.

pieces.

These

small

pieces

will

quickly

break

down.

Because

the

nutrients

are returned

to the soil, the

lawn will

need

less fertilizer.

Too

correctly

mulch

the

grass,

follow

the

steps

below.

1.

Set the

throttle

in the

FAST

position.

Operate

the

mower

at a

slower

ground

speed.

If ground

speed

is too fast,

the

grass

will

5.

not

have

an even

cut.

2.

Keep

a sharp

edge

on the

blade.

A blade

that

is not

sharp

will

cause

the

ends

of the

grass

to

become

brown.

6.

3.

Make

sure

the

grass

is dry. Wet

grass

is difficult

to

cut.

7.

MS-3620MA

21

Set

the

height

of the

mower

housing

so that

only

the

top

third

of the grass

is cut.

If the

grass

is too

high,

set the

height

of the

mower

housing

to the

maximum

height.

Then,

lower

the

mower

housing

for the

second

cut. Also,

instead

of using

the

full

width

of the

mower

housing,

mulch

at half

the

width.

Clean

the

bottom

of the

mower

housing.

Grass

and

other

debris

can

keep

the

mower

from

working

correctly.

If the

grass

grows

fast,

mulch

more

often.

If an

area

needs

improvement,

mulch

a second

time.

Craftsman 536.270320 Operation Manual - Page 21

Operating, Mowing, Bagging, Mulching

Page 21 highlights