Owner'sManual
CRRFTSMRN
°
REAR
TINETILLER
WITHCOUNTERROTATINGTINES
6.5HP
17
InchTineWidth
ModelNo.
917.296030
•Espahol,p.22
Thisproducthasalowemissionenginewhichoperates[_differently
from
previouslybuiltengines.Beforestarttheouengine,readandunderstandthisOwner'sManual.
IMPORTANT:
ReadandfollowallSafetyRulesandInstructionsbeforeoperatingthisequipment.Sears,RoebuckandCo.,HoffmanEstates,IL60179U.S.A.
VisitourCraftsmanwebsite:www.sears.com/craftsman
SafetyRules..........................................Warranty................................................ProductSpecifications.........................4Assembly/Pre-Operation......................6Operation...............................................Maintenance........................................13ServiceandAdjustments.....................15Storage................................................9Troubleshooting..................................20IllustratedPartsList.............................42SearsService........................BackCoverLIMITEDTWOYEARWARRANTYONCRAFTSMANTILLERFortwo(2)yearsfromdateofpurchase,whenthisCraftsmanTillerismaintained,lubricated,andtunedupaccordingtotheoperatingandmaintenanceinstructionsintheowner'smanual,Searswillrepairfreeofchargeanydefectinmaterialorworkmanship.ThisWarrantydoesnotcover:•Expendableitemswhichbecomewornduringnormaluse,suchastines,sparkplugs,aircleanersandbelts.•Repairsnecessarybecauseofoperatorabuseornegligence,includingbentcrank-shaftsandthefailuretomaintaintheequipmentaccordingtotheinstructionscon-tainedintheowner'smanual.•IfthisCraftsmanTillerisusedforcommercialorrentalpurposes,thisWarrantyappliesforonlythirty(30)daysfromthedateofpurchase.Warrantyserviceisavailablebyreturningthecraftsmanpowermowertothenearestsearsservicecenter/departmentintheunitedstates.Thiswarrantyappliesonlywhilethisproductisinuseintheunitedstates.ThisWarrantygivesyouspecificlegalrights,andyoumayalsohaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstatetostate.SEARS,ROEBUCKANDCO.,D/817WA,HOFFMANESTATES,IL60179U.S.A.IMPORTANT:Thiscuttingmachineiscapableofamputatinghandsandfeetandthrow-ingobjects.Failuretoobservethefollowingsafetyinstructionscouldresultinseriousinjuryordeath.TRAINING•ReadtheOwner'sManualcarefully.Bethoroughlyfamiliarwiththecontrolsandtheproperuseofthe
equipment.
Knowhowtostoptheunitanddisengagethecontrolsquickly.•Neverallowchildrentooperatethe
equipment.
Neverallowadultstoop-
erate
the
equipment
withoutproperinstruction.•Keeptheareaofoperationclearofallpersons,particularlysmallchildren,andpets.
PREPARATION
•Thoroughlyinspecttheareawherethe
equipment
istobeusedandremoveallforeignobjects.
•Disengageallclutchesandshiftintoneutralbeforestartingthe
engine
(mo-tor).•Donotoperatethe
equipment
withoutwearingadequateoutergarments.Wearfootwearthatwillimprovefootingonslipperysurfaces.•Handlefuelwithcare;itishighlyflam-mable.•Useanapprovedfuelcontainer.•Neveraddfueltoarunning
engine
orhot
engine.
•Fillfueltankoutdoorswith
extreme
care.Neverfillfueltankindoors.•Replacegasolinecapsecurelyandcleanupspilledfuelbeforerestarting.
•Use
extension
cordsandreceptaclesasspecifiedbythemanufacturerforallunitswith
electric
drivemotorsor
elec-
tricstartingmotors.•Neverattempttomakeanyadjustmentswhiletheengine(motor)isrunning(ex-ceptwherespecificallyrecommendedbymanufacturer).
OPERATION
•Donotputhandsorfeetnearorunderrotatingparts.•Exercise
extreme
cautionwhenoperat-ingonorcrossinggraveldrives,walks,orroads.Stayalertforhiddenhazardsortraffic.Donotcarrypassengers.•Afterstrikingaforeignobject,stoptheengine(motor),removethewirefromthesparkplug,thoroughlyinspectthetillerforanydamage,andrepairthedamagebeforerestartingandoperatingthetiller.•Exercisecautiontoavoidslippingorfall-ing.•Iftheunitshouldstarttovibrateab-normally,stoptheengine(motor)andcheckimmediatelyforthecause.Vibra-tionisgenerallyawarningoftrouble.•Stoptheengine(motor)whenleavingtheoperatingposition.•Takeallpossibleprecautionswhenleav-ingthemachineunattended.Disengagethetines,shiftintoneutral,andstoptheengine.•Beforecleaning,repairing,orinspecting,shutoffthe
engine
andmakecertainallmovingpartshavestopped.Disconnectthesparkplugwire,andkeepthewireawayfromtheplugtopreventaccidentalstarting.Disconnectthecordon
electric
motors.•Donotrunthe
engine
indoors;
exhaust
fumesaredangerous.•Neveroperatethetillerwithoutproperguards,plates,orothersafetyprotectivedevicesinplace.•Keepchildrenandpetsaway.•Donotoverloadthemachinecapacitybyattemptingtotilltoodeepattoofastarate.•Neveroperatethemachineathighspeedsonslipperysurfaces.Lookbe-hindandusecarewhenbacking.•Neverallowbystandersneartheunit.•Useonlyattachmentsandaccessoriesapprovedbythemanufacturerofthetiller.•Neveroperatethetillerwithoutgoodvis-ibilityorlight.•Becarefulwhentillinginhardground.Thetinesmaycatchinthegroundandpropelthetillerforward.Ifthisoccurs,letgoofthehandlebarsanddonotrestrainthemachine.
MAINTENANCEAND
STORAGE•Keepmachine,attachments,andac-cessoriesinsafeworkingcondition.•Checkshearpins,enginemountingbolts,andotherboltsatfrequentinter-valsforpropertightnesstobesuretheequipmentisinsafeworkingcondition.•Neverstorethemachinewithfuelinthefueltankinsideabuildingwhereignitionsourcesarepresent,suchashotwaterandspaceheaters,clothesdryers,andthelike.Allowtheenginetocoolbeforestoringinanyenclosure.•Alwaysrefertotheoperator'sguideinstructionsforimportantdetailsifthetilleristobestoredforanextendedperiod._Lookforthissymboltopointoutimportantsafetyprecautions.ItmeansCAUTION BECOMEALERT YOURSAFETYISINVOLVED._CAUTION:Alwaysdisconnectsparkplugwireandplacewirewhereitcannotcontactsparkpluginordertopreventacci-dentalstartingwhensettingup,transport-ing,adjustingormakingrepairs._,WARNING:Engineexhaust,someofitsconstituents,andcertainvehiclecompo-nentscontainoremitchemicalsknowntotheStateofCaliforniatocausecancerandbirthdefectsorotherreproductiveharm.
3
PRODUCT
SPECIFICATIONSGasoline4QuartsCapacity:UnleadedRegularOil(API-SG-SL):SAE30(Capacity:19oz.)(Above40°F)SAE5W-30/10W-30SparkPlug:Champion(Gap:.030")RC12YCCONGRATULATIONSonyourpurchaseofaSearsTiller.Ithasbeendesigned,
engineered
andmanufacturedtogiveyouthebestpossibledependabilityandper-formance.Shouldyou
experience
anyproblemsyoucannot
easily
remedy,pleasecontactaSearsorotherqualifiedServiceCenter.Wehavecompetent,well-trainedtechni-ciansandthepropertoolstoserviceorrepairthisunit.Pleasereadandretainthismanual.Theinstructionswill
enable
youtoassembleandmaintainyourtillerproperly.Alwaysobservethe"SAFETYRULES".Yournewtillerhasbeenassembledatthefactorywith
exception
ofthosepartsleftunassembledforshippingpurposes.To
ensure
safeandproperoperationofyourtillerallpartsandhardwareyouassemblemustbetightenedsecurely.Usethecor-recttoolsasnecessarytoinsurepropertightness.CUSTOMERRESPONSIBILITIES•Readandobservethesafetyrules.•Followaregularscheduleinmain-taining,caringforandusingyourtiller.•Followtheinstructionsunderthe"Main-tenance"and"Storage"sectionsofthisOwner'sManual._WARNING:Thisunitis
equipped
withaninternalcombustion
engine
andshouldnotbeusedonornearanyunimprovedforest-covered,brush-coveredorgrasscoveredlandunlesstheengine's
exhaust
systemis
equipped
withasparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalorstatelaws(ifany).Ifasparkarresterisused,itshouldbemaintainedin
effective
workingorderbytheoperator.InthestateofCaliforniatheaboveisrequiredbylaw(Section4442oftheCaliforniaPublicResourcesCode).Otherstatesmayhavesimilarlaws.Federallawsapplyonfederallands.Asparkar-resterforthemufflerisavailablethroughyournearestSearsservicecenter(SeeREPAIRPARTSsectionofthismanual).
REPAIR
PROTECTION
AGREEMENTS
Congratulationsonmakingasmartpur-chase.YournewCraftsman®productisdesignedandmanufacturedforyearsofdependableoperation.Butlikeallproducts,itmayrequirerepairfromtimetotime.That'swhenhavingaRepairProtectionAgreementcansaveyoumoneyandaggravation.
PurchaseaRepairProtectionAgreementnowandprotectyourselffromunexpectedhassleandexpense.
Here'swhat'sincludedintheAgreement:•Expertservicebyour12,000profe-sionalrepairspecialists.
•
Unlimitedserviceandnochargeforpartsandlaboronallcoveredrepairs.•Productreplacementifyourcoveredproductcan'tbefixed.•Discountof10%fromregularpriceofserviceandservice-relatedpartsnotcoveredbytheagreement;also,10%offregularpriceofpreventivemainte-nancecheck.•Fasthelpbyphone-phonesupportfromaSearstechnicianonproductsrequiringin-homerepair,plusconve-nientrepairscheduling.OnceyoupurchasetheAgreement,asimplephonecallisallthatittakesforyoutoscheduleservice.Youcancallanytimedayornight,orscheduleaserviceap-pointmentonline.Searshasover12,000professionalrepairspecialists,whohaveaccesstoover4.5millionqualitypartsandaccessories.That'sthekindofprofessionalismyoucancountontohelpprolongthelifeofyournewpurchaseforyearstocome.PurchaseyourRepairProtectionAgreementtoday Somelimitationsandexclusionsapply.Forpricesandadditionalinformationcall1-800-827-6655.SEARSINSTALLATIONSERVICE
ForSearsprofessionalinstallation
ofhomeappliances,garagedooropeners,waterheaters,andothermajorhomeitems,intheU.S.A.call1-800-4-MY-HOME®