5
The cutting blade continues to rotate fo r a few seconds after
the engine is shut off. Never place any part of the b ody in
the blade area until you are sure the blade has stop ped
rotating.
20. Never operate mower without proper trailshield, dis charge
cover, grass catcher, blade control handle, or other safety
protective devices in place and working. N ever operate
mower with damaged safety devices. Failure to do s o can
result in personal injury.
21. Muffler and engine become hot and can caus e a burn. Do
not touch.
22. Only use parts and accessories made for th is machine by
manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal inju ry.
23. If situations occur which are not covered in this ma nual,
use care and good judgment. Contact yo ur dealer for
assistance. Telephone 1-800-80 0-7310 for the name of your
nearest 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 acr oss the face of slopes; never up and down.
Exercise extreme caution when chang ing direction on
slopes.
2. Watch for ho les, ruts, rocks, hidden objects , or bumps which
can cause you to slip or trip. Tall grass can hide obstacl es.
3. Always be sur e of your footing. A slip and fall can cause
serious personal injury. If you feel you are losing your
balance, release the blade control han dle immediately, and
the blade will stop rotating within 3 sec onds.
Do Not:
1. Do not m ow near drop-offs, ditches or emba nkments, where
you could lose your footing or balance.
2. Do not m ow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on
the slope gauge.
3. Do not m ow on wet grass. Unstable footing could caus e
slipping.
Service
Safe Handling Of Gasoline:
1. To avoid personal injur y or property damage use extre me
care in handling gasoline. Gasoline is ex tremely flammable
and the vapors are explosive. Serious person al injury can
occur when gasoline is spilled on your self or your clothes
which can ignite.
2. Wash your sk in and change clothes immediately.
3. Use onl y an approved gasoline container.
4. Never fill c ontainers inside a vehicle or on a truc k or trailer
bed with a plastic liner. Always place containers o n the
ground away from your vehicle before filling.
5. Remove ga s-powered equipment from the truck or tr ailer
and refuel it on the ground. If this is not poss ible, then refuel
such equipment on a trailer with a por table container, rather
than from a gasoline dispenser nozzle.
6. Keep the n ozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel tan k or
container opening at all times until fuel ing is complete. Do
not use a nozzle lock-open device.
7. Ex tinguish all cigarettes, cigars , pipes and other sources
of ignition.
8. Never fuel m achine indoors because flammable va pors will
accumulate in the area.
9. Never remove ga s cap or add fuel while engine is hot or
running. Allow engine to cool at least t wo minutes before
refueling.
10. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch
below bottom of filler neck to provide for fue l expansion.
11. Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.
12. If gasoline is spilled, wipe it off the eng ine and equipment.
Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes before start ing
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 fu el spillage 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 indoors or in a poorly ventilated area.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an odorless and
deadly gas.
2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain the
blade and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect the
spark plug wire and ground against the engine to prevent
unintended starting.
3. Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at frequent
intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect blade for
damage (e.g., bent, cracked, worn) Replace blade with the
original equipment manufacture’s (O.E.M.) blade only, listed
in this manual. “Use of parts which do not meet the original
equipment specifications may lead to improper performance
and compromise safety!”
4. Mower blades are sharp and can cut. Wrap the blade or wear
gloves, and use extra caution when servicing them.
5. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equip-
ment is in safe working condition.
6. Never tamper with safety devices. Check their proper opera-
tion regularly.
7. After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, discon-
nect the spark plug wire and ground against the engine.
Thoroughly inspect the mower for any damage. Repair the
damage before starting and operating the mower.
8. Never atte mpt to make a wheel or cutting height adjust ment
while the engine is running.
9. Gras s catcher components, discharge c over, and trail
shield are subject to wear and damage whic h could expose
moving parts or allow objects to be throw n. For safety
protection, frequently check com ponents and replace im-
mediately 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 compr omise 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. Improper
disposal of fluids and materials can harm the environment.
2
Safe Operation PracticesWARNING