We have a 7-year old Sears Craftsman Rotary Lawnmower, that the drive (front) wheels are not turning with drive control engaged. The owners manual states to "adjust or replace drive control cable" in the troubleshooting section, but it does not describe how to make the adjustment to the drive control cable. So that is my question--How do you adjust the drive control cable to see if this solves the problem.

Check the spark plug and clean the carburetor.

Craftsman 917289472 front-engine lawn tractor manual

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Download the manual for model Craftsman 917289472 front-engine lawn tractor. Sears Parts Direct has parts, manuals & part diagrams for all types of repair ...

Official Craftsman 917289472 front-engine lawn tractor parts

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Here are the diagrams and repair parts for Craftsman 917289472 tractor, as well as links to manuals and error code tables, if available. Continue reading.

Download Craftsman 917289472 Manual

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Download your Craftsman 917289472 manual (Lawn Tractor). All user manuals can be downloaded in PDF format. Downloaded PDF files can be read using Adobe Acrobat ...

917289472 Craftsman Lawn Tractor - Overview

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A complete guide to your 917289472 Craftsman Lawn Tractor at PartSelect. We have model diagrams, OEM parts, symptom-based repair help, instructional videos, ...

Craftsman 917289472 Lawn Tractor Parts

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Fix your 917289472 Lawn Tractor today! We offer OEM parts, detailed model diagrams, symptom-based repair help, and video tutorials to make repairs easy.

Several 572 manuals free online at Sears, but not that model number. (Searching with only the item of 572 gives a number of rotary drill manuals or parts.) You may want to call or chat online with Sears to see if the company can locate a manual for that particular drill.

Examples:

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/user-manuals/572610950-craftsman-parts-manual

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/user-manuals/572610530-craftsman-parts-manual

Chat from years ago when manual was not available:
https://www.searspartsdirect.com/model-number/57225147/0247/0741520.html

Craftsman Lawn Mower Manuals - Lawn and Garden Manuals

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Products 1 - 50 of 473 - Craftsman Zero Turn Riding Mower Operator's Manual. Pages: 0 .... Craftsman Hi Wheel Self-Propelled Rotary Mower Owners Manual.‎User Manuals - ‎Lawn and Garden Craftsman

engine numbers would be helpful buttttt.... the perimeter of the recoil assy should be 3-5 small screws. remove them and it should come off, the is as long as you have a eagerbeaver engine ( tecumseh ohv )

Thjere are 4 possibilities:

One, the wheels have plastic hubs with gearing on the inside shell, they may be stripped and not engaging.

Two the transmission is shot; you can check this by removing the belt from the blade pulley and engage the drive control handle; then manually turn the pulley on the transmission by hand, if the wheels engage the tranny is ok.

If the wheels and the tranny are ok then it could be the cable or belt.

Hi Robert,
I'm not usually a Lawn Mower Expert, but I think I may have an answer for you. Assuming your craftsman rotary lawn mower is similar to this self propelled craftsman mower (they should have the same basic parts), this video should help!

Self-Propelled Craftsman Lawnmower Drive Cable Repair

I had the same problem with my 15 year old Craftsman lawn tractor. I tried to adjust the steering travel but it gave me marginal relief for a year until the steering failed with my steering wheel spinning freely and the wheels free to go left and right. The left bias for steering indicates that the steering shaft pinion weld was shearing prior to failure.

I took the steering apart and found that the drive pinion gear was sheared off the end of the steering shaft at the weld. I replaced the shaft and sector gear to fix this issue.

This fix requires good amount of mechanical disassembly to get the replacement parts in place so you might need to go to a shop to get a mechanic to fix this if you aren't set up for this kind of fix by disconnecting the mower deck and jacking up the front end to access the steering gear assembly and steering arm links.

On your model I beleive these wheels are driven with small gears inside the inside diameter of the wheels. If the shaft is turning, then you probably have a gear problem. Remove a wheel and inspect both the wheel, and the small gear. They are prone to wear.I'd suggest replacing all four parts if worn.

Make sure the belt has not slipped off of the pulley on the engine output shaft just above the cutting blade. It is common with those type of drives for debris to make the belt hop off.

It is quite possible that one or the other of your pinions (item 55 in parts manual) has gone bad in addition to the wheels. Start the mower, engage the drive and lift the back end just enough to clear the ground and see if both wheels turn. If only one wheel turns, attempt to stop it from turning by setting it on the ground at an angle, if the opposite wheel does not turn, you will need to inspect the pinions.