Craftsman 917376720 lawn mower Parts

Common problems we see on the Craftsman 917376720 walk-behind mower include loss of power, uneven cutting, excessive vibration, a starter rope that’s hard to pull, poor bagging, hard pushing, and loss of self-propelled drive. Many of these trace back to blade condition, deck buildup, and drive-belt or wheel-drive wear.

Most common symptoms (and what usually causes them)

• Loss of power: dirty air filter, grass buildup under the deck, cutting too much grass at once, oil level issues
• Poor cut (uneven): worn or bent blade, uneven wheel height settings, debris packed under the mower
• Excessive vibration: loose or damaged blade, bent crankshaft, damaged blade adapter
• Starter rope hard to pull: blade dragging in grass, brake engaged, blade adapter issues
• Grass catcher not filling: cutting height too low, worn blade lift, restricted airflow at the bag
• Loss of drive or slowing drive speed: worn belt, worn wheel-drive parts, cable out of adjustment

Quick checks we recommend first

1. Shut the engine off and disconnect the spark plug wire.
2. Tip the mower safely (keep the air filter and carburetor side up) and clean packed grass from under the deck.
3. Inspect the blade for bends, cracks, or heavy rounding.
4. Confirm all four wheels are set to the same cutting height.
5. If it is self-propelled and won’t move, inspect the belt and wheel-drive components.

Parts that commonly solve these issues

Symptom	Common fix	Example part for model 917376720
Uneven cut or vibration	Replace a worn/bent blade	Lawn mower mulching blade 532406707
Loss of drive or slow drive	Replace worn ground drive belt	Poulan lawn mower ground drive belt, 3/8 x 33-3/16-in 532196857
Drive slips or clicks	Replace worn wheel-drive pawl	Drive pawl 532404845
Hard to push or wheel wobble	Replace worn wheel/tire	Lawn mower wheel and tire, 8 x 1.75-in 583719501

Why it matters

These problems are more than “annoyances.” A damaged blade or heavy deck buildup can overload the engine, reduce cut quality, and increase vibration. Drive issues often start small (slipping or slowing) and quickly turn into a no-move condition if the belt or wheel-drive parts keep wearing.

Helpful how-to guidance

• For safe blade service steps and torque guidance, follow the procedures in the owner's manual.
• If you’re servicing the blade, our how to sharpen a lawn mower blade guide helps you decide whether sharpening is enough or replacement is the better fix.

Last updated: February 2026

The model number for this Craftsman walk-behind mower is 917.376720 (often written without the dot as 917376720). You can confirm it on the model tag and in the owner's manual.

Where to find the model number on the mower

We recommend checking these common locations on Craftsman walk-behind mowers:

• On the rear of the deck near the discharge opening
• On the top of the deck near the engine mounting area
• On the handle support or rear housing area
• In the paperwork that came with the mower (manual and parts list)

Why the dot sometimes appears (917.376720 vs 917376720)

Both formats refer to the same mower model. The owner’s manual and parts diagrams often show the model with a dot, while parts listings and searches may show it without punctuation.

Format you may see	What it means	Use it for
917.376720	Same model number with punctuation	Reading the manual and model tag
917376720	Same model number without punctuation	Searching parts and ordering

Why it matters

Using the exact model number ensures you get the correct Craftsman parts for your mower’s deck, drive system, and handle controls. Even small model-number differences can change the blade, belt, wheel, or cable fit.

Last updated: February 2026

Craftsman model 917376720 is identified by its model number, not by a built-in “year” field. For this mower, the most reliable way to confirm the manufacturing date is to use the engine date code and product identification details shown in the owner's manual.

How to find the year (fast, accurate methods)

Use these checks in order; they work for most Craftsman walk-behind mowers like model 917376720:

• Check the engine ID plate (Briggs & Stratton 650 Series): record the engine model, type, and code; the code is commonly used to determine the build date.
• Look for a product label on the mower deck or rear housing: it may list a date, serial, or manufacturing code.
• Match parts diagrams to your configuration: the parts list in the manual helps confirm you have the correct model and variant.
• Use the manual’s model identification: the cover and parts pages confirm the exact model number formatting (917.376720).

Where to look on the mower

Most owners find the needed information in these spots:

• Engine shroud or valve cover area (engine code label)
• Rear of the deck near the discharge opening
• Under the handle mounting area
• Near the wheel height adjuster brackets

What “model number” vs “date code” means

Item	What it tells you	Where it’s found
Model number (917376720)	Which mower you have	Manual cover, product label
Engine code	When the engine was built (often used as the mower’s age reference)	Engine ID plate
Serial/manufacturing code	When the mower assembly was produced (if present)	Deck or rear housing label

Why it matters

The year matters most when you are choosing compatible replacement parts (blade, drive belt, wheels) and following the correct maintenance schedule. Using the correct identification prevents ordering the wrong components for your Craftsman walk-behind mower.

Last updated: February 2026

On a Craftsman mower like model 917376720, the model number does not contain the year. The year is typically identified from the engine or mower serial/ID label by matching its date-code format to the chart in the owner's manual.

Where to find the date information

Look for a sticker or stamped tag in these common spots:

• On the mower deck near the rear wheels
• On the handle support or rear housing
• Near the engine shroud or recoil starter housing
• On the engine itself (Briggs & Stratton engines often have their own ID/date coding)
• Under the grass bag area or rear door

How to decode it (what to look for)

Serial and date codes vary by production run, but most labels use one of these patterns:

• MMDDYY (month, day, year)
• YYMMDD (year, month, day)
• Julian date (year plus day-of-year)
• Engine date code that differs from the mower deck label

Quick check table

Use this to sanity-check what you are seeing before you commit to a year:

What you see on the label	Most common meaning	Example result
6 digits like 072811	Often MMDDYY	July 28, 2011
6 digits like 110728	Often YYMMDD	July 28, 2011
4 digits like 1123	Often week/year or day/year	Needs the manual chart

Why it matters

Getting the correct year helps us match the right parts and diagrams for your Craftsman walk-behind mower, especially for wear items like the lawn mower mulching blade 532406707 or the ground drive belt 532196857.

Last updated: February 2026