Operation Practices
WARNING
This symbol points out important safety instructions which, if not followed, could endanger the personal safety and/or property of yourself and others. Read and follow all instructions in this manual before at- tempting to operate this machine. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury. When you see this symbol.
HEED ITS WARNING!
Your Responsibility Restrict the use
of this power machine to persons who read, understand
and follow the warnings and instructions
in this manual
and on the machine.
General Operation
1.Read this operator’s manual carefully in its entirety before attempting to assemble this machine. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the machine and in the manual(s) before operation. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and regular reference and for ordering replacement parts.
2.Be completely familiar with the controls and the proper use of this machine before operating it.
3.This machine is a precision piece of power equipment, not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme caution at all times. Your unit has been designed to perform one job: to mow grass. Do not use it for any other purpose.
4.Never allow children under 14 years old to operate this machine. Children 14 years old and over should read and understand the instructions in this manual and should be trained and supervised by a adult.
5.Only responsible individuals who are familiar with these rules of safe operation should be allowed to use this machine.
6.Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is to be used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones, toys and other foreign objects which could be tripped over or picked up and thrown by the blade. Thrown objects can cause serious personal injury.
7.Plan your mowing pattern to avoid discharge of material toward roads, sidewalks, bystanders and the like. Also, avoid discharg- ing material against a wall or obstruction which may cause discharged material to ricochet back toward the operator.
8.To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, stay in the operator zone behind the handles and keep children, bystanders, helpers and pets at least 75 feet from the mower while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone enters the area.
9.Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles during operation and while performing an adjustment or repair to protect your eyes. Thrown objects which ricochet can cause serious injury to the eyes.
10.Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-fitting slacks and shirts. Shirts and pants that cover the arms and legs and steel-toed shoes are recommended. Never operate this machine in bare feet, sandals, slippery or light weight (e.g. canvas) shoes.
11.Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the cutting deck. Contact with the blade can amputate hands and feet.
12.A missing or damaged discharge cover can cause blade contact or thrown object injuries.
13.Many injuries occur as a result of the mower being pulled over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or tripping. Do not hold on to the mower if you are falling; release the handle immedi- ately.
14.Never pull the mower back toward you while you are walking. If you must back the mower away from a wall or obstruction first look down and behind to avoid tripping and then follow these steps:
a.Step back from the mower to fully extend your arms.
b.Be sure you are well balanced with sure footing.
c.Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way toward you.
d.Repeat these steps as needed.
15. Do not operate the mower while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
16.Do not engage the self-propelled mechanism on units so equipped while starting engine.
17.The blade control handle is a safety device. Never attempt to bypass its operation. Doing so makes the safety device inoperative and may result in personal injury through contact with the rotating blade. The blade control handle must operate easily in both directions and automatically return to the disengaged position when released.
18.Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are losing your footing, release the blade control handle immediately and the blade will stop rotating within three seconds.
19.Mow only in daylight or in good artificial light. Walk, never run.
20.Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or roads.
21.If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the engine and check immediately for the cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.
22.Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to a complete stop before removing the grass catcher or unclogging the chute. The cutting blade continues to rotate for a few seconds after the engine is shut off. Never place any part of the body in the blade area until you are sure the blade has stopped rotating.
23.Never operate mower without proper trail shield, discharge cover, grass catcher, blade control handle or other safety protective devices in place and working. Never operate mower with damaged safety devices. Failure to do so, can result in personal injury.
24.Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do not touch.
25.Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height adjustment while the engine is running.
26.Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by the manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal injury.
27.When starting engine, pull cord slowly until resistance is felt, then pull rapidly. Rapid retraction of starter cord (kickback) will pull hand and arm toward engine faster than you can let go. Broken bones, fractures, bruises or sprains could result.
28.If situations occur which are not covered in this manual, use care and good judgment. Call customer assistance for the name of your nearest servicing dealer.
Slope Operation
Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents which can result in severe injury. Operation on slopes requires extra caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it. For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this manual to measure slopes before operating this unit on a sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees, do not mow it.
Do:
1.Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down. Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on slopes.
2.Watch for holes, ruts, rocks, hidden objects, or bumps which can cause you to slip or trip. Tall grass can hide obstacles.
3.Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are losing your balance, release the blade control handle immediately, and the blade will stop rotating within 3 seconds.
