Craftsman 247.25000 Operator's Manual page 17

Deck Lift Lever
Found on your tractor's right fender, the deck lift lever is used to
change the height of the cutting deck. To use, move the lever to the
left, then place in the notch best suited for your application.
PTO (Blade Engage) Lever
Found on the tractor's right fender, the PTO (blade engage) lever is
used to engage power to the cutting deck. To operate, move the lever
all the way forward. Moving the lever all the way rearward into the PTO
OFF position disengages power to the cutting deck.
NOTE: The PTO (blade engage) lever must be in the disengaged
(PTO OFF) position when starting the engine.
Fuel Fill Cap
The Fuel Fill Cap is located below the seat. Refer to the Assembly
section in this manual for instructions on fueling this tractor.
Oil Fill Cap
The Oil Fill Cap is located below the seat. Refer to the Assembly
section in this manual for instructions on checking and adding oil to
this tractor.
GAS AND OIL FILL-UP
Oil
IMPORTANT: Your tractor is shipped with motor oil in the engine.
However, you MUST check the oil level before operating. Be careful
not to overfill.
For instructions on how to check the engine oil, refer to Checking The
Engine Oil in the Assembly section of this manual.
Figure 17
OPERATION
Gasoline
The gasoline tank is located under the seat. Do not overfill.
Use extreme care when handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremely
flammable and the vapors are explosive. Never fuel machine indoors
or while the engine is hot or running. Extinguish cigarettes, cigars,
pipes, and other sources of ignition.
NOTE : Purchase gasoline in small quantities. Do not use gasoline left
over from the previous season, to minimize gum deposits in the fuel
system.
• This engine is certified to operate on unleaded gasoline. For best
results, fill the fuel tank with only clean, fresh, unleaded gasoline
with a pump sticker octane rating of 87 or higher.
• Gasohol (up to 10% ethyl alcohol, 90% unleaded gasoline by
volume) is an approved fuel. Other gasoline/alcohol blends, such
as E85, are not approved.
• Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) and unleaded gasoline blends
(up to a maximum of 15% MTBE by volume) are approved fuels.
Other gasoline/ether blends are not approved.
• Fill fuel tank outdoors or in well-ventilated area.
• Do not overfill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than 1/2 inch below
bottom of filler neck to allow space for fuel expansion.
• Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is hot or run-
ning. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes before refueling.
• If gasoline is spilled, wipe it off the engine and equipment. Move
machine to another area. Wait 5 minutes before starting the
engine.
To Add Gasoline
1. Turn the engine off and let engine cool at least 2 minutes before
removing the fuel cap. The gasoline tank is under the rear fender,
with the fuel fill cap located in the center of the rear fender The
fuel cap is tethered to the tractor to prevent its loss. Do not
attempt to remove the cap from the tractor.
2. Fill the fuel tank with gasoline.
3. Reinstall the fuel cap.
NOTE: The tractor is fitted with a tethered, ratcheting fuel cap. STOP
filling the tank once the fuel is seen inside the filler neck. See Fig. 18.
This ensures that a proper expansion volume is created, otherwise
the fuel can overflow creating a hazardous situation. Do NOT top off
the fuel tank.
17
WARNING
Figure 18