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 immediately.
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 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
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 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 blade control is released. 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 judgement. Contact Customer Support for assistance or the name of the nearest service 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 machine 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 three (3) seconds.
Do Not:
1.Do not mow near
2.Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on the slope gauge.
3.Do not mow on wet grass. Unstable footing could cause slipping.
Children
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the presence of children. Children are often attracted to the mower and the mowing activity. They do not understand the dangers. Never assume that children will remain where you last saw them.
1.Keep children out of the mowing area and under watchful care of a responsible adult other than the operator.
2.Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the area.
3.Before and while moving backwards, look behind and down for small children.
4.Use extreme care when approaching blind corners, doorways, shrubs, trees, or other objects that may obscure your vision of a child who may run into the mower.
5.Keep children away from hot or running engines. They can suffer burns from a hot muffler.
6.Never allow children under 14 years of age to operate this machine. Children 14 and over should read and understand the instructions and safe operation practices in this manual and on the machine and be trained and supervised by an adult.
Section 2 — Important Safe Operation Practices