Self-Propelled Lawn Mower - Water Connection?

Forums: Lawn Mower, Self-Propelled, Water Connection
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Last year I purchased a Craftsman self-propelled lawn mower from Sears. Unfortunately, since it had been used and returned, it didn't come with a users manual. The lawn mower itself has been fine, along with the price I paid for it, but I've always kinda wondered about a feature/fitting on the lawn mower that I've never been able to ascertain the function or purpose. This fitting looks remarkably like a threaded hose coupling, and sits on top of the mower deck chassis. While I'm pretty sure it's not a water inlet, but what exactly is it? Here's a picture, which I apologize for being so large, but I can't seem to input any size parameters using this limited editor (I'll take suggestions on the "sizing" of images on this board also . . .). Thanks.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z319/CGDobyns/img_2068-1.jpg

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Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 13,967 • Replies: 9

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@CDobyns,

Your photo is not too large. Trust me on this.

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@roger,

The photograph is massively too large to fit on a smart phone ... of an ant.

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Anyhow, it kind of looks like a flushing attachment spliced into the heater hose of an automobile. Is there any chance the riding mower has anything that could be flushed out with a garden hose?

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@CDobyns,

It is pretty easy to find user manuals for these things online. If you provide the specific model number or name, I can probably give you a link to download a copy of the user manual so you'll have it for future reference.

In the meantime, here is a site that has free manuals for Craftsman lawn mowers. If you want to cut out a step and locate it yourself rather than posting the model number and waiting for a response, take a look at these to match up your model number with what is available:

http://lawnandgarden.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/craftsman/craftsman_lawn_mower_product_list.html

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@Butrflynet,

Well, this all seems "unnecessarily awkward" - especially that part about the too large image thing . . . As god is my witness, when I originally posted that hosted image, that picture was the entire width of the text box. I must have spilled some water on my laptop, and the image shrank? Well, I can't explain it.

Since I know the model number is on the lawn mower (and it's self-propelled, but not a riding mower), I'll try to cross-reference that and check the online manuals. I read some "hose coupling" speculation posted here, but that seems incredibly unlikely. Since I saw this basic same fitting on virtually every lawn mower Sears had in stock, I just assumed that someone would recognize the fitting and have already noodled the functionality. More to follow.

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@CDobyns,

Okay, I checked that described part for my model of self-propelled lawn mower and apparently that speculation about the "hose coupling" was not quite as unreasonable a guess as I would have imagined. That coupling is described as a washout coupling and attaches to a washout assembly. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the appropriate use of this feature anywhere in the maintenance section of the owner's manual. So, this is some feature that somehow replaces the need to tilt up the chassis after mowing the grass, and dislodging all the clumped up grass with a hose sprayer? Not sure how that's supposed to work, but it sound like a neat idea. Now I just need to wait for warmer weather so I can give a try . . .

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@CDobyns,

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100526145110AA2fjxY

Quote:

It's a hose coupler on top of the mowing deck that's used for removing the wet clippings that have stuck to the underside of the deck. Hook up the hose, turn on the water, start the engine, engage the blade and it will throw the water and clean the grass out from under the deck. I find that it is just as easy to slightly tip the mower to one side and hand spray it with the hose myself, that way I can make sure that it all gets cleaned.

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@CDobyns,

different brand/same feature

http://hubpages.com/hub/Independent-Review-of-The-Best-Self-Propelled-Lawnmower-for-homeowners-Discover-the-Toro-Recycler

Quote:

Wash out port, ok I hear what you are thinking, and the first time I looked at the thing, I thought it was a joke as well. The truth of the matter, it really is a convenient feature. Not convinced, let me ask you. How many times have you turned a lawnmower on its side to clean all the rotting nasty smelling grass out from under it, and managed to spill all the gas all over the driveway.

Have you ever turned a mower on its side and soaked the air filter with oil from the crankcase, come on now you know who you are, I cannot be the only guy in the country that has.

Well with the clean out port and your garden hose, you do not need to worry about that happening again; ok I do not worry about that happening to me again. I just hook up my hose, start the mower, turn the hose on, and engage the blade. Let the mower run until the water cleans the underneath side of the Recycler deck and shut it off and let it dry put it away and call it a day.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

My dad just bought a mower with this feature, has no idea what it is for or where he put the manual. This was not only a timely answer but funny as hell. thx

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Self-Propelled Lawn Mower - Water Connection?

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