Sears 917.25200 User manual

Sears
MODEL NO.
917.25200
CAUTION:
Read Rules for
Safe Operation
and Instructions
Carefully
• Assembly
• Operating
• Maintenance
• Repair Parts
owners manual
15 H.P.
SUBURBAN TRACTOR
SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. U.S.A.
SIMPSONS - SEARS LIMITED, CANADA
PrWM Ill USA.

~~tor is guo~onteed lor ~ ne ~ ! ~~ ~ !. ~ tlect in material or workmonship
~ should appear during th is time, simply contact ol.ll n t~otest Sears store or :servi ce center
P-:5 t hroughout the United Stat es or Canada. We will make all necessary repai rs , includin g
I ports· and labor,
at no charge 1o you. Tractors equipped with batteries: If batte ry proves g
defective and wil l not hold o charge, in exchange for the battery, we wilt: During the C:::><
first 90 doys-reploce battery at no charge. After 90-.dnys-replace hattery, cha r ging cus- ~
~ tomer 1! 12th of the pri_ ce of the new battery for each full month from dote of sole . §a
~ If the trac tor is used for commercial or rental purposes, this guarantee oppl ic s for thirty ~
;g days. Guarantee continued on the inside of the bock page. ~
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IMPORTANT
rules for safe operation
1. Do not allow children to o_;~erat e TRACTOR . Do
nor allow adults ro operate It without p roper
I nstruction.
?. Operato r should become fully fomilar with all
the different 5ections of thi5 Own ers Manual
before attempting to opera.te the TRACTOR .
Know
the controls and how to stop quic k ly. Try
your TRACTOR in IJ Iorge flol open $pace . Learn
to start, stop and reverse. Do not 5tort or op·
erate TRACTOR when not in driver's seat.
3. Never ollow your h~nds, any other port of your
body, or your clothing n-ear any movin g porte or
mower d ischarge dute , wh i le eng in e is rvnnlpg.
Make sure you ore wear i ng work shoes while
operating th~ TRACTOR.
4. Do not corry po.ssengers .
5. Whe-n using any attoehm cnts, the TRACTOR
should never be operated in the vicin i ty of
children, pets or other pe.rs.on s. When using the
mowl!r, never direct discharge of material toward
by stonders , building s, fence'>, P.tc .
6. Clear work area of objects which might be pic k-
ed up ond thrown.
]. Disengag-e power to attachment clutches, shif r
into neutral and disengage clutch before at·
tempting to start eng in e.
8. Disengage power ro ott •::Jchments, stop engine ,
remove ignition key o.nd set parking broke be-
fore l~oving operator position.
9. Disengage power to ottachnenrs, Slop anginc ,
remove ignition key and ser pork ing broke before
mok ing ony i nspect ion, repa i rs or ad ju stments.
10. Disengage power to attachment when tron~port ·
ing or not in use.
11 . oke all possible precovtions when leaving
veh ic le unattended; 'ueh O!i lowering ottoeh-
me nts, sh ihing into nevtrol, ~ctting park i ng
2059R- 17. 1. 72
• 1•
bl-oke, stopping engme and removing lc~. Keep
k ey in sofo place out of reach of ch lld rcn .
12. Do not stop or start sudde nl y when going up-
hill
cr downhill. Opera te TRAC lOR up and
down
the face of ~lopes ; never across the
face. Never operat e TRACTOR on slopes
with more thon a 15 degree slope.
13. Keep foot broke und purking bruke loc..k i11 giXId
adjustment.
14 . Do not operate the TRACTOR in high gear
going downhill, end do not turn sharp corners
wh ile going downhill.
15. Do not shift gears whi le go ing t; p steep hill:..
Choose a low enough gear o c limb hill withou1
stopping and shif-ing gears .
16. o~ not shift ge ors while TRACTOR is moving.
17.
Sideways upsets c<ln happen eo ~ily ospo~ially
in ditches . Be al ert for holes In tena ln and
other hidden hazar ds. Don't dr i ve too closet o
creeks, ditches and pubIic highw ays.
18. Use core when pulling load$ or us i ng heovy
equ ip ment.
A. Use only op::~roved drowbar hitch points .
B. L imi t loads to those you can safely control.
C. Do not turn sharply. Use care when backing.
D. Use counterwe i ght or whe.el weight(s)
when suggested •n the aHochment Owner!.
Monual.
19. TRACTOR is nor to be operated on ~ public
rood, street
1 highway, sicewollc
or alley. Watch
out for tr:Jhc when croHing or ne~r roadways .
20. Handle go sol i ne with core- it i~ hlgltly flomm·
able:.
A. Use opproved go.soline contoln cr.
B. Never remove cop ar odd .go5olt ne to a run·
ning or hot eng i ne or fill h.«el tonk indoors.
W1 pe up spilled gasol i ne b~fote s tart ing
engin~ -
C. Never start or rvn t he TRACTOR Indoor)
os the exhaus t from the . eng i ne con ta ins
C<!rbon mon ixide which is a tasteless , odor·
l~t5 s, deadly poison.

rules for safe op&ration
(cont .)
21. Keep TRACTOR and cmachments in good op-
erati ng cond it i on, and keop saf.,y devices In
pl ace. Use gua r ds os i nstruc t ed in thf s Owne~ .
Manual.
22. K@ep all nuts , bolts a nd 'crews tight to be su re
equ i p~nt is in safe working condition.
23. Never
store equ i p~r~ent with gasoline In the
tonk 1nside o building wh ere fume& may reach
on open fl crme or s~ork. For lonQ peri ods of
St OC'age , the gasol i ne tonk should be drained
and the gaso line disc:orded in o safe place.
Allow engine to cool before stor in g in ony
enclosure .
24. To reduce fi re hazard keep engine free of
gran , lea ves or exce ss i ve grease .
25 . Do n~ t change eng i ne governor s .. tl ngs or
overspeed engi ne. Excessive speed is danger-
ous and s ho rte rn eng ine li fe.
26. When using TRACTOR with mowers:
A. Mow only in doyl ight or in goQd arti flcol
li ght .
8 . Never make o cutting he l 9ht adjustment
wh il e engine Is run ning if operator must
dismaunt to do so.
C. If mower chute should beeome clo9ged,
shut -engi ne off, dlsengo!Je mower ond di s-
connect sparlc plug before undoggi ng chute .
0. Check blode mounting bolu for proper
tightness at frequent intervals.
E. Boord TRACTOR from left hand si de only,
away from dIschc.-ge chute .
27. TRACTOR and attachments should be stopped
Clld I nspected for damage after strik i ng a For -
eign object and the dQn age should be repaired
before restarting and operat ing the equipment.
reference drawing
and instructions
for assembly
2059R-17.1.72
HANGER WELDMENT -
L.H . FRONT
( FOR MOWER }
FIG . 1
- 2 -
FUEL TANK CAP
AND GAUGE
FRONT
CHANNEL
COVER

reference drawing for assembly
and instructions (cont.)
2059R-17. 1. 72
MAlNTENANCE
RI:M I NDER
(UNDERSIDE
OF COWLING
TOP ASSEMBLY )
OIL FILL
CAP AND
DIPSTICK
FI G. 2
. 3.
CABLE AND COVER
(TO PLUS TERMINAL)
r
GROUND CABLE
( TO NEGATIVE
L)
1
TRACTOR MODEL
NUMBER PLATE

introduc t ion
Th is Product has been designed, en; lt~ e&red and mcnufac:tur ecf to give you the best poulble dependability and per•
form once.
Should you experience any problem y ou cannot easi ly remedy , please contact your nearest Sears , Roeb lJ ck or Simp-
sons - Sea rs, Lt d. Store . They hove well qualified, compe tent trained -t e chnicians lind the Pfoper tools to service or
repair th is un it.
lt is impo rtant that the operator ALWAYS OBSERVES TH E "RULES FOR SAFE OP E RA T ION " as well as other
instructions conto i Md in this Manual.
We hove provided this Manual to help you operate your Tractor with utmo st efficiency. We urge you to study this Man•
ual !a you will understand your new Tr actor thor oughly before ope r ating it. We suggest that you take core of your
Manuel so that it will be available for future reference should you need it .
table of contents
GUARANTEE
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
OPERATING INSTRUC T IONS
MAINTENANCE INSTR U CT I ONS
REPAIR PARTS
assembly
1
4-6
6- 11
11 -19
21-34
A letter in po~ttth~es in the following ins tructions refers to on arrow in the adjo ining Figure (illus trotion ), except
when oth•rwise stated. When R.H. (Right ~land) or LH. ( Left Hand) iJJ u sed , It should be understocxl to mean as if
on e ~re seoted on th e troctor sea t facing forward.
l. Rernove carto t1 from around Trac to r and remove battery . Cut band ing holdin g Tractor to bottom of crate.
2. Your 7roctor hC5 bHn completely ossemb l e<l at the factory except, to fill, charge crnd install t he batte r y. The
battery was. s hipped dry. Ins truct ion• ore given on pages Sand 6 for fillin9, ch arging and installation.
3. Your Tractor wo~ lub ricated at the factory however, we suggest you follow the Lube Chart on page 13, befo re
operotion.
4. Tires were over-inf lated for shipping pu rpo s es . Reduce air pressure to 10 to 12 lbs . in front ti rP. s ond 8 lbs. in
rear T ires . Th•~ wtll impr ove traction and give you the comfo rtable rid e you will wont.
5.
A. plast ic bag of parts was shipp&d with your STUDY
Trac to r and should be opened at this t~me . It
will 1 c~" 'a !:;,.~ c~~~~w i n
9
items: OWNER 'S t1ANUAL ,_
2 • Wing Nut s
2 • Battery Bolts
2 • Flat Washers
(These I tems hold b attery in posit i on
on
Tr act or . They are u~cd in st eps
2 and 4, pages 5 and 6 ).
2 - He ll Nvu
( They secu re ground cable and pos i-
tive cable ond cover to battery. They
ore us ed In step!. 5 and 6, page 6).
2 • Igni tion Keys
( We !; uggo st one key be removed from
2
the wi re ri ng and kept in o s afe pla ce .
Position the second key in the Trac-
tor ignition).
1st
20S9R·17. 1.72 - 4 •

assembly (cont.)
fill ancl charge battery
CAUTION: DO HOT As-SEMBLE BATTER Y TO
TRACTOR UHTJL BATTER Y HAS BEEN
FILLED AND CHARGED.
1. FIll bartary with olec1rolyfe and charge battery
o~ out I med m 1nstructtons i11 battery conto1ner.
NOTE: Af
te r fi ll in g cells , let battery stand fo r
thi rt y mi nvtes. Th en charge ba tt ery ot o rote nol
exe eed ing three (J) · ampere-s far abo ut 2 ~'2- hovrs.
FILL BATTERY AS SHOWN
- DO NOT OVERFILL··
C ORRECT LEVEL IS
BOTTOM OF TUBES IN CELLS ••
CUT - AWA Y VIEW
OF BATTERY
· ~:*--BATTER Y
lUBE
~ ---.... --- ....... -- ~..-.. ................... ......
~~-................___~-= ....._.__,~ ..... ~
,..,~....., ...... ..-.. - .......... ~......_.. ........
-:=-::-~=..:z. ::-~--~~
......... ~ ............. -
.......... ~ ....... ...., ..-..... ........ .......-..~""" ....
- ELECTROLYTE~~~
BATTERY
CELL
READ CAREFULLY ALL SETTING-UP,
OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUC-
TIONS IN THIS MANUAL YOU W ILL FINO
MANY HELPFUL POINTERS WHICH WILL
NOT ONL Y SAVE YOU TIME BUT WILL HELP
OPERA TE THE TRACTOR MOST EFFICIENT-
LY .
battery installation
F IG. 3
1. To lift cowling top ossembly { A), grosp eoch
si de of cowl1ng 01 rear and pul I cwtword ond up-
wa. r d. Lift cowling to Its e xtr eme forwar d po10 i tio n.
F IG. 4
2. Assemble clomp (B), to one of ,..,_,o bat eryholts
IC). FICJt wo sner ond wing nv1 above clomp OS
shown. Hook the bolt m tn rec r of bat t ery SLlppnrt
ID }, turn cI omp to the side as !ihown te o11ow
p oslrioning of bottcry. Battery lus1 o:~l l crtion t;Ou·
tinued on page 6.
?059R·l7 1. 72
- 5 -

assembly {cont.)
battery
(cont.)
installation
F
3. Slide battery Into position as shown, with r erm ·
inols to t:~nter of T ro c tor.
4. Hook the batter')' bo lt (C), i uto th~ (ron1 of tile
battery support (D ). Assemble clamp (B), to bolt
(C ), with the r&maining washer and wing nut .
Tig h ten both wing nuts securely .
5. Connect coble and co v er (E, rea cover ), to plu s
(+) terminal. Ti ghte n nut securely. Preu c;able
co v-e~ (bl oc: k} down ove r terminal.
" 6. Ccmect grou nd cabl e (F , block cu • te r), lo neg-
at i ve (-) fe rmin a l. Trghten nut securely .
seat position
F IG. 6
1. The ~eat (A), may be moved tow ar ds the front or
rea r !o gi ve the mo1t comfortable and sa fe op·
ercti ng po5i tion. To mo~e the sea t, loosen tho
nut (B), b&neath the !!.eat and seat stmng and
sl i de the !ea t to the posit i on des i red . T ight en
the nLit , mok lng sure that the seat pl ate has nat
twi sted ou• of o li gn-n enl wi th the se ct spr i ng.
2059 R-l 7. l.n -
6-
instructions before
operating
STUDY RULE S FOR
SAF E OPERATION •. •
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE, bKome tho ·
roughly fami I iof with the Rules for Safe ()peraJion,
liste-d on pages 1 and 2, ond with th e opero1ing
controls before s tart ing the eng ine. K NOW THE
CONTROLS AND HOW TO STOP QU ICKLY.
controls
.
,Y, I. ,UJ,U J ~ ,.,_ I _ __.
The following controls are used to op , erote the
Tr actor:
1. Clutch ond brak ~ foot p•dol i ~ loc: a ted on the
left 5 i de foot rest . Th• foot pe~al oper~tes a
t;ombi nat ion brake and drive c:lutd1. There arc
thr ee positions of operation on the foot pedal.
a. The clutch is in DRIVE posi t ion when the
pedal is all the way out (i . e. when th• foot is
remov&d from the pedal).
b. The c lutc:h is in t ho DECLUTCHED position
wh en the pedal i5 depressed half way or
more .
c. The BRAKE Is on when the pedal is pr essed
all the way forward.

instructions before
operating (cont.)
controls {cont . )
FIG . 8
2. The tronsoxle (transmission) gear shift levo r
{A), is located at front , center of seat.
3. The high-low range (B) is loc at ed on R.H.
frame
side just forward of R.H. rear fender. The
high-low rongl'! lever has 3 positions, up far high-
range , center for neutral , ond down for lowrc:nge.
Thera ure two n~::vtral po:.ition~ in l r on~missiou,
one on the geor sh ift lev er , O f'd one on the high ·
l
ow r ange lever. Both
1
eve rs rru5t be engaged fo r
Troc:tor to operate . NOTE· A safety feature has
b~n i ncorporated on the geor shift lever. This
l ever must be in neutral ( directly inline with the
arrow on t he dec:ol located on left, lop side oF
chess 1s assembly), before T roc r or wi rJ start.
Place high-low range l~v&r in neutral for eas ier
pushing of Tractor or when Tractor is be ing
rowed.
4. To el"lgoge park brake (C), push foot pedal oil
rl.e way duw11, pull backwa rd 011 park broke lever
ond release fo ot pedal. Push lever forward to
rel ease broke.
ALWAYS COM£ TO AF ULL STOP
BEFORE SHIFTING
GEARS __ _
2059R- 17. 1.72
fuel and lubricant
FUEL
TANK
OIL FIL LE
AND DIPSTICK
• 7 •
u
FI G. 9
5. To l ift cowlin g top assembly , grasp each side of
cow li ng ot roar a'ld pull ovtword ond upward. L 1ft
c ow ling to its extreme position. .
6. Engi ne crankcase is shipped with oil reody for
use . However, remove oil filler cap and dips t ick
and check oil level before ~tort in g. If nece ssa ry,
add
oil to bring oil leve l up to the full merle on
: he dipstick. When checking oil level, push dip-
stick assembly firmly but slowly unti I cop bottoms
on tube. Do not overf i ll. Tractor should be level .
Use All stote MS SAE 30 de t erg~nt oiI or e~ivo
l ent for summ•r use. For winter use, below (320),
usc All s tato mult i -grade detergent oil MS SAE
lOW-30, lOW -40 or equivolrmr. Nothing should be
added to the recommended oiI. Make su re the oil
used is a hi gh ~a I ity deterg e nt oil douified
"for service MS " . For elC~reme cold , { below 0°
F), use MS SAE SW-20. Di pstick ouembly must
be pushed fully into rube at all H mes when en-
gine is operat in g. •
]. Fill fuel r ank with a good grace of fr esh , CL EAN,
regular gasol i ne. Wi pe off all spill ed fuel ond oi l.
Do not mi )( oil with gaso l ine.
DO NOT FI LL GASOLINE TANK W HILE EN ·
GI NE IS R UN NING. AVO ID SPILLING GASO ·
LI NE ON A HOT ENGINE--THIS M AY CAUSE
AN EXPLOSIO N AND SERIOUS INJURY . DO
N OT MI X OIL WITH GASOL I NE . USE CLEAN ,
FRESH ., REGU L AR " GRADE GASOLINE .
FI LL TA NK CO MPL ETEL Y.

operating instructions
how to start and stop
FIG. 10
1. Open fuel tonk shut-off valve (A). Close shu1-off
valve after eac h days us9.
2. CAUTION: Before starting the engine, check to
be !>u •c t hot c o,trol s ore as f olluw$;
o. TronsJxle ( transmission ) gear shift lever
(A, Fig. 8), is in NEUTRAL. 1\0TE: A
;cf.- ty fea tu re has been i ncorporated on the
gear ih ift lev er . This l ever must be in neutral
(d ir e ct!) inlin c: wi th the arrow on the decal
located on left , top s 1 de of chass is os·
sembly), b~ f ore T rocto r wiII start.
b. A seco nd !'iafety feature of your Troc1or is
thot the mower b lode clutch handle asse mbly
( 8, F i g. 11), m ust be in the u out" pos ition
before Trl)ctor will star•.
NOTE: If blode clutch h and le assembly (8 , Fig. lll,
interfer es with ottac hmenr to be use<l, remove han·
d lc: CAUT I ON: Fl r!>t move han dle ro "o uf " pol>i·
tion, then remove nut and handle. Sa ve for u se with
mower.
FI G. 11
2059R -17.1 .72 • 8.
FIG. 12
3. Depress clutch-broke pedal to declutched posi-
tion, refer to Fig. 7.
-1 . Pull out ch oke control {C ), to full choke position
to s :ort in c old weather or if T rector has not
been operated for some t im e.
5. Advance throttle lever {D), to about ~ throttle.
6. Turn ignition key (E), c! ockwise to .. start"
position. After engine starts, release ke y. Push
in cho ke cont rol { C), os eng i ne worm s up. Let
e ngine wonn up b efore oppl ing lood .
CAUTION : Do not run st arter co ntin uously for more
than 30 sec('nds at o time . If after several att-empts,
engine does no t start, move throttle contro l lever
(D ), to r AST pos ition. Wait for two minut e' ond try
ogo i n,
]. Ammeter (F ), ioaicotes r o~e of battery charge
or d i scha rge when ignition is on.
8. To stop engine, turn key (E), in o counter-
clockwir;e direction to "off" position. K•y
'hov ld be removed so chil dren con not start
tractor .
STORE YOUR TRACTOR IN A DRY AND PRO -
TECTED PLACE. LEAVI
NG YOUR TRACTOR
OUTDOORS , EX POSED TO THE ELEMENTS .
W
ILL RESULT IN M ATER IALLY SHORTENING
ITS LIFE.
FI
LL T HE FUEL TANK WITH CLEAN , FRESH ,
REGU LA R GR ADE GASOLINE , PREFERA3LY
AT THE END OF EACH DAY'S USE . THIS
WIL L FORCE OUT ANY MOISTURE LADEN
A IR AND PREVENT CONDENSATION IN THE
FUEL
TANK . DO NOT MIX ,I L WITH THE
GASOLINE .

operating
(cont.)
instructions
safe operating
REMOVE T HE I GNITION KEY -
K
EE.P OUT OF RE.ACH
OF CHILDRE.N !
1. Try your Tractor in o Iorge, op en space. l earn
ro stcn, stop end reverse.
2. Start the eng in e and put the throttle lever at
about 11
throttle. P; sh down on fool pedal, move
gear shih lever and range shift lev er to . speed
desired. Release foot podol slow ly, or.d Tractor
will start to TIOVC. AfTer fool pt:dul b fully re•
lcosod (clutch engaged ), move throttle leve r to
fast po s il ion. If ground travel is too fost , d~.
press foot pedal, stop Tractor , then shift to a
slower ground trave l speed. Alwayi select a
ground travel speed lhor w: II svl t attachment
be ing u::.cd uno not overloYt.: t he t: n gine.
3. Do not sh ft gear!; while Trado r is moving.
4. To stop Tractor, push fo ot pedal a ll the way
do wn, move gear shift lever to neutral , set park·
ing broke lock and r elease foot pedal. Always
check to 'I'IOko !:ure broke li)ck will held Tractor
s ecure. Disengage powe r to attachment . Shut·
off and remove key fron switch. Th 1s wi ll pre -
vent unauthor i zed operation. (eeo key in a safe
place ou t of reach of c:1i ldr en. Neve· l eovo en·
gine runn ng with Tractor vnot-end e d.
5. D~ no t o:>erate the T roc tor in high gea going
down h II, end do 1101 turn sharp ::omers while
go1ng down h II I. If t is necessary to srop T rocror
W'li le g:> i ng down h ill, do so <;uickly to prevent
Tractor from pi ck ing up ipeed durinQ the de -
c l utching to broke p:>s itio n.
NOT[ : The en yi11e produces co r sid erc blo brak-
ing actio n wh en rhroti le bock to idl in9 :>peed
with
out declutching, and ttus pr ocedure is re·
cornTiended before apply ing broke.
2059R-17.1.72 - 9 .
K£EP MOWING AREA Cl EAR - ADUL TS-
PETS-
CHILDREN ..
6. Do not shift gears wh i e going up steep hills.
Choo~o a low enough gear to climb hill witho Yt
s topp ing ond shifting gear~. If it is necesscry
to stop while going up hill, do so quick ly to
prevent Tractor roll ing boc:(word. Before star t-
i
ng Tractor in motion go ing uphill, us e one of
tho lowest gears , redvce engine speed and en-
~ogo clutch grodua Iy to prevent T re ctor from
'r ecri ng up" .
DO NOT OPERATE TRACT OR AC ROS S SLO PE S.
DO NOT OPERATE TRACTOR UP OR DOWN
SLOPES WI TH MORE THAN 1\ 15 DEGRE E SLOPE.
7. Upsets can happen eos i ly in ditches. Stcy alert
for holes or o the r ya rd hazards .
B. If tr actor becomes mi red in o hole, try to back ou t
rather than drivlng forward.

operating instructions
(cont.)
safe operating (cont.)
ON ROU GHG RO U ND - TAKE IT
SL OW I
~
CLEAR THE AR E/\ OF RUBBISH
BEFORE
MOWING/
{b~IJ\(
BEFORE
EA C KIN G --._:' ~ ..
towin g tractor
1. Plac e gea r shift lever and range sh i ft lttver in
neutral position . Tractor c on then be towed at
o re
asona b le s afe s pe-ed r10t faster than 6 mi les
p&r h ou r.
engine pulley grooves
to use for your various
attachments
l
f
ENCI NE
ENGINE
PU LL EY
l
MAIH DR IVE BELT
COMPOST MIL L
ROTARY SWEEPER
POWER SPRAYER
CLEAR WOR K AREA OF OBJECTS WH I CH
MIGHT BE P1CKED UP AN D THROWN .
2059R- 17 . l . 72
TO TRANSMISSION
- 10 -
SICKL.e 8 AR MOWER
ROTARY MOWE.K---1
ROTARY SNOW
AL T ERH ATO R-__,
FI G. l3

weights
(optional equipment)
t-lG. 14
FIG. 15
FIG . 16
2059R-l7. l.72 - 11 .
Rc:ur w~et:l w~ i ght s (Fi g. l l), ur-t: vt: ry es::.ent icl for
odd-ec;l traction. Th1s is e. specia l ly tr ue for ct1ac h-
men1s such . cs tl'te plow, di sc hor~ow, leve l er b l ade,
rotary snow:J l ow, bulldozer, etc. Front or r ea r end
weight (F i9 ' s 15 ond 16), will oct os a counter -
weighi for hea vy fr-ont or rear lo ad s: or attachments.
E~pec o il y fl elpful with ro1cry snowplow.
main ten an ce
.
starter atr sceens
lmQITJJlil1] 8 ~
The starter fixed oir screen and the stare r rotat ing
screen ( loeoted or. eng i ne d i rect ly beh i nd the stoner
air screer ), ore designed to k eep gross, ch crff and
Iorge leo\'OS from entering tfte cooling syitem and
m us t be cleane-d periodically. The cleaning oi he
sc r eens wi ll ve ry wi th the cond i tion$ in wh " ch t he
trac t or is JSco. They ~ov i d not be allowed to
become plugged or dirty which would int erfere with
the coo li ng of the eng i ne. Remove the fixed air
screen, cl ean il and th e rotat ing :.creen re~ulor l y .
TH IS TRACTOR HAS AN AIR COOLED EN-
GINE . AIR MUST BE ABLE TOC IRCULA TE
FREELY AROUND THE ENGINE, THROUGH
THE ST ARTER SCRE EN AND AIR CLEANER ,
AND OVER THE F INS OF THE CYLINDER
BLOCK . KEE P THESE AREAS F REE OF AC -
CUMULATED DIRT AND T RASH OR THE E N-
GI NE WI LL OVERHEAT AND RE SU LT IN
DAMAGE TO MOVING PARTS .

maintenance (cont.)
air cleaner
Your e ngin~ is equippod with a du al type air cleaner
A dry type inn er filter cmd a fu a m~ lee,;,e pre-cl~ anef
The foam s lee ve should be periodically re'moved and
cl eaned ( ot least every25 hours of operat ion and more
frequentl y unde r extr em~ ly du. sty condi ti o ns ), to main-
t ain maximum eng i ne pertormon ce.
DRY TYPE
. ~ .. , ---fll TER
FI G. 18
1. Remove foam sle eve p re- cleane r ( no disass embly
noc•u<ITy), and
wash in wat~r and detergent.
2. Remove e xc: e u water by sq u eez ing as o spo nge
and ~JIIow pre-cleonl!r to dry thor oug hly .
3. Coat pre-cle<lner wi th one ·OIJnce (about three
tablespoons) of SAE 30 engine oil. Knead into
pre-cleaner to spread. Wr in g excess oi I from pre-
deanc r.
.S. Re-i n stcll focm slee· 1c prc-c le onet.
Under euremely dirty co n ditions or if eng ine ru ns
er rat ic 1lf:ter comple ting the abov e proce d ure, the dry j
ty~ inn~r Hlter must he replaced. It is recom mended
mot inne r filt er be replaced ye arly .
1. Remove wing nut ond p late .
l . Separa te dry type io ner pop.er fiI ter from tft~ foam
sleeve pre-cleonet".
3. Rep lace dry type in ner paper fi Iter.
4. Re·assemb le ports as. shown. Be sure to ti ghten
wing nut securely .
NEVER RUN YO UR ENGINE WITHOUT AIR
CLEANER CO .M PLETEL Y ASSEMBLED .
clean system
19
1. Gro;s 0 ( chaE ncy c:log coo li ng S)'Stem after p ro·
longed $ervi ce in cutti ug dry 9ra~~es or hoy,
Continued op ~!rot ion w ith a clogg ed cooling syst em
causes s~vere ov erheoHng and possible eng i ne
damage. Remove blower housing and c lean re·
g ul cr l y.
2059 R-1 7.1. 72
- 12 -
~.
~O~LFILLPL
~ "'J .
FIG . 20
1. Ch an ge oil in engine eranlcco ~c after first 5 hour ~
of ope rat ion. Engine 5hould be warm when oil is
changed.
2. To dra in oil , unscrew oil drain plug at lower L . H•
sid e of en gine , Catch oil in suitable container .
3. Ref il l eng i ne cran kcase with oil as · i nsttvcted
und er ,. Fu el and Lubl- lc ant", page 7. Ccrpo ci ty .4
pints . Check oil lovol after ecit;h S houn of Qpe ro-
t i on and add oil, if n ecessary, to bring to correct
l ovs l on dipstick. ..
4. After fl rst oil change , oiI sh ould be changed after
each 25 hours of operation .
transaxle (transmission)
lubrication
~ , ?7
pFILLER
,.
1
PLUG
Q
:rtl
R ear wh eel is removed for illus t ratin" .
1. Check oi l in tr ansoxl e ( transmiss i on) , ev er y SO
hours of op eril'ti on . To c:heck oiI level, re move
fill
er plug fr om IroniOllle (tr Qnsmiss ion ). Oil
leve l should be even wi th this plug.
2. Change oil in trons axle ( transm issi on ), after 50 0
hou
rs of operation. To drain , r emove dra in plug
and catch in suitable containe r.
3. To fill tronsa xle ( transmiss i on ), use S quarts of
AI I state SAE 30 m ot or oiI for s~rvi ce MM or MS or
equ ival&nt. F iII through filler piiJg as s hown.

maintenance
(cont.)
Iuhric ~ t r·on cha r t
B B
F F
IG. 23
There ore only 6 grease fittings on your Tracto r. Gi ve each grease fi tt ing 2 shots ofgre:u:e eve ry 5 hours of operation .
Use Sears All -purpo se Lith ium gun grease or eqvivalerrt.
A - Front Wheels (2 fitting5, both s i des )
B - Front Spi ndlu (2 fittings, both :.ides )
C -
Steerin ,g Bell Cronk
0 -Stcerin11 Gear Sec:tor and Arm
E -
Chec k oil in eng ine crankcase at leo5t eve ry 5 hours of normal op •r at ion. BE SURE OI L LEVEL IS MAINTAINED.
Change oil ~fter t irst 5 houn of normal operat ion. Thereafter change oiI e very 25 hours of normal ope r ot ie n. In
extremely dirty or dusty condition5 change o il every \5 or 20 hours of ope ra tion.
F -
Ch~d oil in transoxle ( trans missi on) every 50 hours of operat ion. Change oil In transoxle (tronsmiS&ion) every
500 hou rs of operation .
Apply several drops of oil to all pi vot poi nH every 5 hours of operation.
2059R~ 17 .1. 72
~ 13 -

ma int en a nce (c cf n t. )
KEEP FOOT AND PAR~~ B RAKES
IN GO OD
car b u r.e tor ad ius t men t s
Minor carburetor arllvstment may be require~ To com·
penscte for differences irr fuel, t~mperature , alt itu de
and load.
FI G. 26
In iti al Ad ju stment
Turn needl e valve clockwise vnt il i1 ju :.t cl o~c::.. 
CAUTION: Valve moy be dama ge d by turning it in
too for.
Now op~n net!dle vol ve 1-1/ 2 t urns coun t erclockw ise .
Close ldI !CO valve in snm~ mnnn Ar nnrl opP.n it 1/2 to
3/ 4 tu rn~. This init iol odju stment wi II permit the
e, ginc . tc be started ono wormed up pr ior to final
adjus t ment.
2· ;> 59R- 17. 1.72
• 15 •
F in al A d ~ us · fment
Turn n ~dle valVe ln untH e ng in e misse-s (lea nntix -
ture), then turn it out pasi smooth operating po int un·
tll •ng i nv run$ -\ mo v enly (ri eh rlf t-'t ture ). Now tum
need l ~ r. valve to the ml d>ps:tint botw~n rich and leon
so · the engl oe r uns ~mo orbly. H'tJid tbrottl~ at i dle
pos i t l ~n. set r dle s pe<ft! a~;vs l i rn} screw until f as t
i
dle is obtained (1 200 RO)A). -1c;~ld throtttl! in i dle
pos i ti on ond t um idle v o rv~ in ( leon ) ono ouJ (r ich)
until eng ine i dle~ .smoo- thly. T n~ n reset id le so~ed
so that en g ine idl es at 1 200 RPM. Relco~othro tt l c 
c:mg l ne should oc cel erote without hes r tofion or sput-
tering . If engi ne does. not acc;eleroto prope.rly, re-
odju$1 needle val ve to o sli gh tly ri cher ' mi xt ure.
spark plug
Cl ean and Set S park Pl uo
FIG. 27
C~on ond reset gop at .030 " ever y 100 hours of
operat i on .
CAUTION: 8 Iast.
cl ean i ng , of spo:rk plugs in machines
then u~o obra ~i'l' c g:r ft i$ not r_eeomm end,.d. $podt
p· ]ugs sho1Jld be clean ed by scropin~ or wire bi'\Jshi ng
and wo:.hing w if h o co~~;i al so Lv ent or gas<~lin c,
ignition po i nt gap
The igniti on po inf gop s ett i ng is .02 0'' .
MAJOR REPAIRS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPT-
ED UN L ESS YOU HAVE THE PRO P ER T OO LS
AN D A THORO UGH KNOWLEDGE OF T HI S
MAC HI NE .

main ten an ce
(cont.)
FIG. 2B .
motor-generator
adiustment
be It
1. Remove dt e- 3 screws (A),' holding be lt guard
(C ), to en~ioe and Tractor.
2. Loo s ~ n bolt (B), in generator odju 5ting strop and
g~nerat «. ~ve motor 9encrota r bock to li ghten
~It and tlt.n ti ghten bolt (B ), s~curely. Belt
s~ould bo tlv ht enough to prevent belt sl ippa ge
when stort lng Troctor .
NOTE: Be h can be tightened at bolt (8), without
remov1ng belt guard. However , helt t~ns i on will be
eas i er to check w ith gu ard removed .
tires
Keep tire& I nflated to 10 to 12 lbs. of air in front;
8 lbs . in r ear .
To repa ir o pi.Jnctvr ed FRONT t i re:
1. Us~ " Se 111 s Tractor Jcck or bl oc k wl , eel up on a
so l id ob ject high enough f or the t" re to cl ear floor.
2. Remove hex bo lt (A), ond dust cop (8 ;.
FIG. 29
20 ~ 9R- 1 7 . 1.72
- 16 -
FI G. 30
3. Remove gnpco nut {C), wear was~er (D). pin
{E), and washer (F ), from spindl~ shaft •assembl y
(G). Refe~<- to ·Fig•s. 30 ond 31 . '
FIG. 31
4. Reverst1 procedure for reassembly, ref-er to F i g.
above.
To repa ir a pu nct urc:J REAR ·i re:
5. R"move rear wheel by unscrewing five hub bol1s
from wheel and hub.
NOTE: Ti1e cal' be rltp('lired at your local Sears
automot i ve center or service s ta tion . They are re-
pa ired in !;Omc m onnc1 as un :Jutomob le tire .

•
ma antena n ce
{cont.)
trouble
. shooti . ng
WILL NOT START
POSSIBLE CAUSE
Oepd battery . .. . ............ . ..... • n .... . ._. - ................. .
Mower b lode clutch hand le ou~mbly engage~ .. ..... .
Ge<tr s;hHt lever in gpor . ... ...... .. .......... . .. ... .. .... ..
POSSIB LE REM E DY
R_.tharge or replace bot'tety,
lo _ . II It 't'
MOV.:e to out po _ !>f ton.
" ~i[t into neutrol p<isitlon. Lever must ~e directly
ihline with the arrow on the dec~! locat ed on leh,
· JQ ·p' ' sid .e ~f ~hass[s assembly _!
HARD TO - ~ · TAAT
Water · 1n -vos ,ollno or old fuel ........ ,.. ........ . ...... . ... ..
,O;Qked im.p~erly. f lo. oded eng i ne . ..... .......... . ..... .
Dirty c:wbur eto r air fllter - .~ ................ .. ............. .
Spark plu.q d ~\1 Y ~ !mp r oper gop ~ .... . .. . ..... .,..; ... .. .... ... .
Def - ec-t l ve b. attory ............. . ...................... . ... ...... .
DefectiVe ignlttc;m or lool!ie wiring ....... . ................ .
.fi : ll th~"k!r..'k _ with go_so Hne; open hiel shot-off va l ve.
Che-ek · fu.e'l li ne and c;arbure-tor.
"
Dro[n:. fue1 t~k and- carbureror. Ustt new fuel end dry
spark plug.
Pu&h in cho.ke- , open thran t ~ cont rol and crank engine
several ti mes to deer out t he gas.
Remove and . cJecn , refeT to poge 12.
C'l eon, adiust the gaj. ot replac-e.
SeTvic:e
Of rep loc;e.
Che~k th~ wiring . QIIO · ~~ piUfi! ·
EN GINE MISSES OR LACKS PO W ER
Dirty s-to rt er olr ~c;reen
Partially pi ugged air cleaner .................... .... ..
Low oil leve l . or diny oil .................. ........... .... .
Improper ~JRelo1' adjustmen1
Spark plug dirty, wrong gop or wrong type ...... ... .
Engine overloaded ..... .. ................................ ..
Faulty ignition ......... .. ...... . .............. .......... . . . ..
Bel15 :sl ivs ....... .. .......... .. .... , ............... .. .... ..... .
Oil in gasoline . ... ...... . ....... . .. .. .. .... .. . ...... . ..... .
Poor compress lon
Clcon screen over stQTtwrt s' - pcall,e · ll . Eh Cgre fin5
on cylinder head ond around cylinder oro cl ean.
Remove and clean , refet to eng f n~ m.onuol.
Check or change oil, see JNJ 91! 12.
Refer to page 15 .
Clean, reset the gap or re-place.
Shift to a lower gear or r~uce lood.
C~ck spark plug and fo r loose wires. If !rouble
cannot be corrected, contact Sea r s.
T i ght en belt.
Dram and refil f gasoline tonk ond carburetor . Oil
reduces the eff ie iency of t he engine.
Contact Sears .
ENG I NE OVERHEATS
Di rty 'StlJPti8,. air screen
low 6i I level or dirty oi I
Part i ally plugged muffler
Poo r fu el or too leon a mixture ....... .. . ................ ..
~ Port ioily plugged oir cleaner .............. .. ............. .
Di rt y eng ine
20s9R -1 7. 1.72
Cleo-n screen ove-r starte r, r>~Ml page 11 .
Check or chon · ge oi l, see page 12.
Rernove muffI er from eng i ne and clean.
Refer to oage 15.
Remove and c leon.
Clean f ins ~n cylinder head end around cylinde r.
. 17 .

maintenance
how to start if
is low
(cont .)
battery
1. Connect quick-! tort b ellery c: able~ or "jum pers "
1rom
yt)Ur Oulomobile 12 volt hot tlt'ry to the Trac-
tor boilary. CAUT I ON: C:mncct p ositive (+)
termi nal io posit i v" (+) tormin. ol. Th is method of
st a rt illg it only o means of emergency starting.
Ho"c Tro.ct o• bu ttory rechar ged or re;>loc~d im·
ncdi01ely.
2. Meth od o u~b~ two w'll NOT charge !lottery,
but is S'"r t C" y eJl'ergency st arting onl y.
o. Remo11e r~ thre~ 5Ct t'¥ts (A, Fig. 28 ). Th is
will o li o" r•moval or b•lt guard assembly
(C, f i g. 28.
b. Loose'Q n~• (8 ), and paa'lh mot.ot Q.•I'erotor
forward . 'Pu s wi ll toke tons lo(i r ~ V-belt.
Remov• be l•.
c. Soi:oUTc o pi ece of rope ond tie o knot in one
end. Place hi s knot into notch ( D} , in eng i ne
pu ll ey.
d. Wrap rope around eng i ne pulley u"' i. ng Q!Oovc:•
prcJ\1 i dod -
e. Pull ro~e sharp ly to s1art engme.
DO NOT REPLACE V-BELT 0~ "GUARD Wlil~
ENG I NE IS RUNN NG . The abo"e method of start 1ng
i ~ only o meon!i to get un it to n eor~s t sourco of
battery ch org ing. DO NOT operote T rector any long er
th un nece~scry w1 th V- be l ond guard removed. Stop
en:~ i 1e and replcce as s oon O$ ;:~ossibll'! _ 3e sure to
hove proper tens i on 01 be lt, retight en nul : B, F ' 9·
32 ).
im por t'a n t battery
care
Prop<::r attent ion to rhe battery s of U"lmost impor-
once.
2059 R- 17.1. 72 • 18 •
Your battery is of ·he some hi gh standard os i~
use:f In cutomobi l u. Unfonunately it ooes n~l hove
odvontoges of a\ltomatic ottent ion by th~ s:erv icc
station ot1endent os the ore in your cor.
The following point5 ore recorded to help remm:l
you lu p rov i de attenTion to the ba tte ry ond gain fu II
advantage of the uscblo life built in to t he hott~ry
cr1d ovoid cost ly replacement.
1. Check solution level in battery at least once
ench wo.k. Add di~tillcdwoter when req ulfed.
Correct level is bottom of ubos in cells, refer
to poge 5. Aher adding water , run the engine so
that the generator charge will mix the solulion .
DO NOT OVER FIL L.
2. Keep the battery clean. Remove any collect 10n
of gr e ase Ocr ot her subs t once from tho top of the
battery.
3. Keep top of battery cleon and dry ct oil t imes.
4. KeepboHery snug in its cradle or holder.
5. Keep vent cops t i g ~ t and small vent holes In
cop open.
6. If battery should become discharged or fall be~
law a spec-ific gravity cf 1.225 rc mo .. e bat t ery
ond hove it rechar ged.
7. When r echarging, request ser •1ic e station Ia
SL OW CHARGt: toe battery at o rote of 3 amperes.
FAST CHARGING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
winter care--battery
1: If unit is nat usee regularly during winter months
it ;;hould be re-n oved unc ~tort!d in 0 coo l, dry
place.
2. If unit rs used only infroquAntly during winter
'llOn t hs, check ot least once each rh l rty day s to
be sure o full cha r ge i5> ma in tained.
3. A battery not fully charged con fr~ze, result ing
in the necessity to replace.
4. A safe rule is to charge the battery monthly o·
leasl t est ond rochorge if below 1. 225 soec ific
grav ity
Please remember 1he neces sity of proper winter
co re for the battery. Bottaries not in use for s everal
mo nths and na t kept fully cho rg l!d, produced a J:ul-
photion of the olcte5 wh i ch cannot be rc:moved by
rochorg i ng.
Ycur guoron · ee is •n tended to prov i de you odeq..,otc
prott!ction. t docs not, however , covet re c horgtng
or damage resulting from lock of core, free:ing or
i nability 10 perform nfter winter or lorg stu r ogc
per i cds wi thout proper attention .

maintenance {cont.)
storage instructions
lr ·he event y · :~ur Tractor i~ to be i noperative for
periods ln excess of 30 d:~ys - prepare fo r sto rage as
ou tl ined below .
l. Drain fuo l to nk complet el y and r: l ean fuel fiI te r.
2. Operate engine v nt il gasol ine In carburetor is
co m ~let e ly cons umed.
3. Whde eng. ne Is st ill worn , drain oil from crank -
ec se . Ref ill wi th fre ~h oil.
4. Removo spa rk plug , pour one ounce (2 or 3 ta b le -
spoons) of SAE - 30 oi I into cy I in der end c ran '<
slow ly c:li strih Jte oi I. Rep I ace spor~ plug.
5. C leon aho ergine ond T rector of all fore i gn metter .
6. Do not save or store gosol i re o.;~ winte r.
STOR E YOUR TRACT OR IN A DRY AND P RO -
T ECTED P LACE . LEAVING YOUR TRACTOR
OUTDOORS , EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS ,
WI LL RESU LT IN MATERIALLY SHORTENING
ITS LIF E.
NEVER REMO VE TRACTOR
FUE L TA NK CAP OR ADD
GASOLIN E TO A R UNNING
OR HOT E NG IN E. NEVE.~
FILL FUEL TANK INDOORS .
WI PE UP SPIL LED GASO-
LINE BEFO RE STAR TING
ENG I NE. KEEP GASOLLNE
IN AN AP P ROV ED CLOSE D
CONTAINER .
2059R-17. 1.72 • l9 -
general
1. Jus t as your automob ile n ee ds pro fess io na l
mcchcm ic:~;: d mo i nteno n ee fr om t in 1e to timG1 so
doc s your air coo l ed ~ngine . Cleaning and od~
1 us hnen1 of rhe c;orburetor and p eriod lc re pIace-
me n! oi the spa rk plu g and ign 11 ion po i nts is
ma de necessary by NO RMA L use.
2. P ·oicssionol air cooled eng in e se rvi·=e is os
do~e 05 your nearest Seor ~ Sto r e.
3. A year ly ch e ck -up or !Une- up by Soars is o good
id eo 10 ovoid breakdowns or delays. Do it each
loll, t hen yoL ' re reody for spring . We even pre -
pore i1 for !>lore19t: for you .
SAFETY
Pays Dff
:..-> ---- ~ ~ -
--- - / ~
- ~ - - ~ - - - -. , ~
-- ~--· ·
Se ars, Roebvc< ar d Co. or Si mo sons - Scors L td. 1n
(Qlcdo r~serves the right to make any cha nge s m
de sign or impr ove me nt !'. withou· i mposing ony ob -
li gatio, to instal the sonQ u pon it~ '!ems h eretofore
m on~ · foctu re d.
BECOM E FULLY F AMILIAR WI TH THE
RULE S FOR SA F ETY AN D I NSTRU CT IO NS
IN TH IS M AN UAL. YO UR SE ARS TRACTOR
AND ATTACH MEN TS W ILL PROVIDE M AN Y
LE
IS URE H OURS .

repair parts
15 H.P. SUBURBAN TRACTOR
~ MODEL NO . 917 . 25200
"7 •1
6 ~--~
~ I ~ ~ -
~ J
-=-91
c:o92
38
A B C D E F G H J K l M ~
95
0 P Q R
V
79
lfso~~~ tss iss Y 9of93196lf96 f
9
7fi9smlo a_ 94!~ 1f 1oo V 1o1Y1o2
- s4 -s6 -s1 B -94 ~ a1 -a1
81 --91
a:n 9s
91
-91 I
-81 = 87 co:J89 ~ 67 1Dl95 t:eo 89 ::a9 -===-67 :;92 ti:D92 - 57
-91 CJ92 £l.J58
£r.:J 92
2059R- 17 . 1. 72
-2 1-
3.5