Craftsman 247.370480 manual Service, Slope Operation, Do Not

•The motor/bladecontrol handleis a safetydevice.Neverattemptto bypassits operation.Doingso makesthesafety deviceinoperativeand mayresultin personalinjurythroughcontactwiththe rotatingblade.The motor/bladecontrol handlemustoperateeasilyin bothdirectionsand automaticallyreturnto the disengagedpositionwhenreleased.

•Do notchargethe mower in rain,or inwet conditions.

•Neveroperatethe mowerin rainor wetgrass. Alwaysbe sureof your footing. A slip andfall can causeserious personalinjury. Ifyou feel you are losingyourfooting,releasethe motor/bladecontrolhandle immediatelyandthe bladewill stoprotatingwithinthreeseconds.

•Mow only indaylightor goodartificial light.Walk, never run.

•Stopthe bladewhencrossinggraveldrives,walks or roads.

•If theequipmentshould startto vibrateabnormally,stopthe motorand

check immediatelyfor the cause.Vibrationis generallya warningof trouble.

•Shutthe motoroff and waituntil the bladecomesto a completestop

beforeremovingthe grass catcheror uncloggingthe chute.The cutting bladecontinuesto rotatefora few secondsafter the motoris shutoff.

Neverplaceany part of the bodyinthe bladearea untilyou are surethe bladehas stoppedrotating.

•Neveroperatemowerwithoutpropertrailingshield,dischargecover, grasscatcher,motor/bladecontrolhandle or othersafetyprotective devicesinplaceand working.Neveroperatemowerwithdamaged safetydevices.Failureto do so, can resultin personalinjury.

•Only use partsand accessoriesmadefor this machineby manufacturer. Failureto do so can result in personalinjury.

•If situationsoccurwhich are notcoveredinthis manual,use careand goodjudgment. ContactyourSears ServiceCenterfor assistance.

Slope Operation:

Slopesare a major factorrelatedto slip andfall accidentswhichcan resultin severeinjury.Operationon slopesrequiresextracaution.Ifyou feel uneasyon

aslope,do notmow it. For yoursafety,usethe slopegaugeincludedas part of this manualto measureslopesbeforeoperatingthis unit on a slopedor hilly area.If theslopeis greaterthan 15 degrees,do notmowit.

Do:

•Mow acrossthefaceof slopes; never up anddown. Exerciseextreme cautionwhenchangingdirectionon slopes.

•Watchfor holes,ruts,rocks, hiddenobjects,or bumpswhich can cause youto slip or trip.Tall grasscan hideobstacles.

•Alwaysbe sureof your footing.A slip andfall can causeseriouspersonal injury.If you feel you are losingyour balance,releasethe motor/blade control handleimmediately,andthe bladewill stoprotatingwithinthree

(3) seconds.

Do Not:

•Do notmow neardrop-offs, ditchesorembankments,youcould lose yourfooting or balance.

•Do notmow slopesgreaterthan 15degrees asshownon the slope gauge.

•Do notmow on wetgrass. Unstablefooting couldcauseslipping.

Service

•Ifthe mower'sbuilt-inoverloadprotectionswitchfrequentlytrips, contact your nearestSearsService Centerfor repair.

•Removekeyand store idlelawn mowerindoorswhennotin use. Allow motorto cool beforestoringin any inclosure.Lawnmowershould be storedindoorsin a dry,high,or locked-upplace,outof reachof children.

•When servicinguse only identicalreplacementparts listed inthis manual."Useof parts whichdo notmeet theoriginal equipmentspecifi- cationsmayleadto improperperformanceandcompromisesafety!"

•Beforecleaning, repairing,or inspecting,makecertainthe blade and all movingparts havestopped.Removethe keyto preventaccidental starting.

•Removekey beforeservicing, cleaning,or removingmaterialfrom the lawn mower.

•Followinstructionsfor lubricatingand changingaccessories.

•Keep handlesdry,cleanand free from oil and grease.

•To reducea fire hazard,keepthe motorcoverfree of grass, leavesand debris build-up.

•Checkthe bladeand motormountingbolts at frequentintervals for propertightness.Also,visually inspectbladefordamage (e.g., bent, cracked,and worn). Replacebladewiththe originalequipment manufacturer's(OEM)bladeonly, listed inthis manual.

•Maintainyourmowerwith care-- Keepmower bladesharp andcleanfor best andsafestperformance.Mowerbladesare sharpand can cut, wrap the bladeor wearglovesand use extra cautionwhenservicingthem.

•Keep all nuts, bolts,and screwstightto be surethe equipmentis in safe workingcondition.

•Nevertamperwith safetydevices.Checktheir properoperationregularly.

•Neverattemptto makewheel or cuttingheight adjustmentswhilethe motor is running.

•After strikinga foreignobject, stopthe motor,removethe key,and thoroughlyinspectthe mowerfor any damage.Repairthedamage beforeoperatingthe mower.

•Grasscatchercomponents,dischargecover,andtrailingshield are subjectto wearanddamagewhich couldexpose movingparts orallow objectsto be thrown.Forsafety protection,frequentlycheckcomponents and replaceimmediatelywith originalequipmentmanufacturer's(OEM) parts only, listedin this manual.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!

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