SECTION 1: IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS!

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 attempting to oper- ate this machine. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in personal injury. When you see this symbol—

HEED ITS WARNING.

DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As with any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury. This machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to observe the following safety instructions could result in serious injury or death.

When using electric lawnmowers, basic safety precautions should always be followed to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and personal injury. These basic precautions include the following:

GENERAL OPERATION

1.Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the machine and in the manual before attempting to assemble and operate. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and regular reference and for ordering replacement parts.

2.Be familiar with all controls and their proper operation. Know how to stop the machine and disengage them quickly.

3.Never allow children under 14 years old to operate this machine. Children 14 years old and over should read and understand the operation instructions and safety rules in this manual and should be trained and supervised by a parent.

4.Never allow adults to operate this machine without proper instruction.

5.To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, stay in the operator zone behind the handles and keep children and bystanders at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in operation. Stop motor if anyone enters the area.

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 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 discharging material against a wall or obstruction, which may cause discharged material to ricochet back toward the operator.

8.Always wear proper eye protection while operating or performing an adjustment or repair to protect your eyes. Thrown objects which ricochet can cause serious injury to the eyes.

9.Always use a face or dust mask if operating in a dusty environment.

10.Dress Properly – Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. They can be caught in moving parts. Use of rubber gloves and footwear is recommended when working outdoors.

11.Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection should be provided on the circuit(s) or outlet(s) to be used for the lawn mower. Receptacles are available having built-in GFCI protection and may be used for this measure of safety.

12.To prevent electric shock use only with a CUL listed extension cord set suitable for outdoor use, such as Type SW-A, SOW-A, STW-A, STOW-A, SJW-A, SJOW-A, SJTW-A, or SJTOW-A.

13.Extension Cord - Make sure your extension cord set is in good condition, is heavy enough to carry the current your mower will draw, and is polarized (one blade of plug is wider than the other). A 100’ length of 14 AWG should be used. A 50’ length of 16 AWG or a 150’ length of 12 AWG cord is an acceptable alternative. A longer length or undersized cord will cause a drop in line voltage resulting in a loss of power and overheating.

14.To reduce the likelihood of disconnection of the lawn mower from the extension cord set, be sure to use the cord restraint provided as shown in the illustration below:

Cord Restraint

Extension Cord

15.To reduce the risk of electric shock, this lawn mower has a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other) and will require the use of a polarized extension cord. The mower plug will only fit into the polarized extension cord one way. If the plug does not fit fully into the extension cord, reverse the plug. If the plug still does not fit, obtain a correct polarized extension cord. A polarized extension cord will require the use of a polarized wall outlet. This plug will fit into the polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully into the wall outlet, reverse the plug. If the plug still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician to install the proper wall outlet. Do not change the equipment plug, extension cord receptacle, or extension cord plug in any way.

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MTD 769-01445 manual Important Safe Operation Practices, General Operation