This mower replaced a very similar 1996 model Craftsman. After 13 years of use, the old mower was donated to Goodwill. The new mower has similar issues as the older one: The front propelled belt came loose in the first 10 minutes. Ignoring the instructions to remove the blade, I removed the top cover and retainer and repaired the belt. No problems with the belt once I got a feel for the action --squeeze the bar. The rear guard cover was destroyed by the blade as I pulled the mower back -- same thing happened on the old mower. If the purpose of the guard is to prevent objects from...
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