Yard Machines 070 Series Slope Operation, Do Not, Children, Service Safe Handling Of Gasoline

•Never operate mower without proper trail shield, dis- charge 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.

•Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do not touch.

•Only use parts and accessories made for this ma- chine by the manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal injury.

•If situations occur which are not covered in this man- ual, 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 acci- dents 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:

•Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down. Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on slopes.

•Watch for holes, ruts, rocks, hidden objects, or bumps which can cause you to slip or trip. Tall grass can hide obstacles.

•Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are los- ing your balance, release the blade control handle immediately, and the blade will stop rotating within 3 seconds.

Do Not:

•Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments, you could lose your footing or balance.

•Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on the slope gauge.

•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 at- tracted to the mower and the mowing activity. They do not understand the dangers. Never assume that children will remain where you last saw them.

•Keep children out of the mowing area and under the watchful care of a responsible adult other than the operator.

•Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the area.

•Before and while moving backwards, look behind and down for small children.

•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.

•Keep children away from hot or running engines. They can suffer burns from a hot muffler.

•Never allow children under 14 years old to operate a power mower. 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.

Service

Safe Handling Of Gasoline:

•To avoid personal injury or property damage use ex- treme care in handling gasoline. Gas oline is extremely flammable and the vapors are explosive. Serious personal injury can occur when gasoline is spilled on yourself or your clothes which can ignite.

•Wash your skin and change clothes immediately.

•Use only an approved gasoline container.

•Never fill containers inside a vehicle or on a truck or trailer bed with a plastic liner. Always place contain- ers on the ground away from your vehicle before filling.

•Remove gas-powered equipment from the truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If this is not possi- ble, then refuel such equipment on a trailer with a portable container, rather than from a gasoline dis- penser nozzle.

•Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel tank or container opening at all times until fueling is complete. Do not use a nozzle lock-open device.

•Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources of ignition.

•Never fuel machine indoors because flammable va- pors will accumulate in the area.

•Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is hot or running. Allow engine to cool at least two min- utes before refueling.

•Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch below bottom of filler neck to provide for fuel ex- pansion.

•Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.

•If gasoline is spilled, wipe it off the engine and equip- ment. Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes before starting the engine.

•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 ap- pliances.

•To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass, leaves, or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel spillage and remove any fuel soaked debris.

•Allow a mower to cool at least 5 minutes before stor- ing.

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