5
Do:
1. Mow across the fa ce of slopes; never up and down.
Exercise extreme caution when changing direc tion on
slopes.
2. Watch for holes, rut s, rocks, hidden objects, or bumps whi ch
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 imme diately, and
the blade will stop rotating within 3 seconds.
Do Not:
1. Do not mow near drop -offs, ditches or embankments , you
could lose your footing or balance.
2. Do not mow slopes g reater than 15 degrees as shown on
the slope gauge.
3. Do not mow on wet grass. U nstable footing could cause
slipping.
Children
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to t he
presence of children. Children are often attrac ted to the mower
and the mowing activity. They do not understand the da ngers.
Never assume that children will remain where you last saw
them.
1. Keep children ou t of the mowing area and under the watch-
ful care of a responsible adult other than the operato r.
2. Be alert and t urn mower off if a child enters the area.
3. Before and while m oving backwards, look behind and down
for small children.
4. Use extreme care w hen approaching blind corners,
doorways, shrubs, trees, or other objects that may obs cure
your vision of a child who may run into the mower.
5. Keep children away from hot o r running engines. They can
suffer burns from a hot muffler.
6. Never allow childre n under 14 years old to operate a power
mower. Children 14 years old and over should read and
understand the operation instruction s and safety rules in
this manual and should be trained and supervi sed by a
parent.
Service
Safe Handling Of Gasoline:
1. To avoid personal injury or pro perty damage use extreme
care in handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremel y flammable
and the vapors are explosive. Serious personal injur y can
occur when gasoline is spilled on yourself or your c lothes
which can ignite.
2. Wash your skin and cha nge clothes immediately.
3. Use only an approved g asoline container.
4. Never fill containe rs inside a vehicle or on a truck or trailer
bed with a plastic liner. Always place containers on the
ground away from your vehicle before filling.
5. Remove gas-powere d equipment from the truck or trailer
and refuel it on the ground. If this is not possible, the n refuel
such equipment on a trailer with a portable c ontainer, rather
than from a gasoline dispenser nozzle.
6. Keep the nozzle in co ntact with the rim of the fuel tank or
container opening at all times until fueling is co mplete. Do
not use a nozzle lock-open device.
7. Extingu ish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes an d other sources of
ignition.
8. Never fuel machine in doors because flammable vapors
will accumulate in the area.
9. Never remove gas cap or add f uel while the engine is
hot or running. Allow engine to cool at least two minute s
before refueling.
10. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch
below bottom of filler neck to provide for fuel expansio n.
11. Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.
12. If gasoline is spilled, wipe it off the engine and equ ipment.
Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes before starting
the engine.
13. Never store the machine or fuel container near an open
flame, spark or pilot light as on a water heater, space
heater, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas appliances.
14. To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass, leaves,
or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel spill age and
remove any fuel soaked debris.
15. Allow a mower to cool at least 5 minutes before storing.
General Service:
1. Never run an engine in doors or in a poorly ventilated area.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an odorl ess
and deadly gas.
2. Before cleanin g, repairing, or inspecting, make cer tain the
blade and all moving parts have stopped. Disconne ct the
spark plug wire and ground against the engine to prevent
unintended starting.
3. Check the blad e and engine mounting bolts at frequent
intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually ins pect blade
for damage (e.g., bent, cracked, worn) Replace blade wit h
the original equipment manufacture’s (O.E.M.) blade o nly,
listed in this manual. “Use of parts which do not m eet the
original equipment specifications may lead to i mproper
performance and compromise safety !”
4. Mower blades are shar p and can cut. Wrap the blade or
wear gloves, and use extra caution when servicing t hem.
5. Keep all nuts, bolt s, and screws tight to be sure the
equipment is in safe working condition.
6. Never tamper with safet y devices. Check their proper
operation regularly.
7. After striki ng a foreign object, stop the engine, dis con-
nect the spark plug wire and ground against the engi ne.
Thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage. Repair the
damage before starting and operating the mower.
8. Never attempt to make a whe el or cutting height adjust-
ment while the engine is running.
9. Grass catcher c omponents, discharge cover, and trail
shield are subject to wear and damage which could
expose moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For
safety protection, frequently check compo nents and re-
place immediately with original equipment ma nufacturer’s
(O.E.M.) parts only, listed in this manual. “Use of par ts
which do not meet the original equipment speci fications
may lead to improper performance and compromis e
safety!”
10. Do not change the engine governor setting or overspeed
the engine. The governor controls the maximum safe
operating speed of the engine.
11. Maintain or replace safety labels, as necessary.
12. Observe proper disposal laws and regulations. Impro per
disposal of fluids and materials can harm the enviro nment.
2
Safe Operation PracticesWARNING