youcannotbeckupaslopeorfeel uneasyonit, do
notmow it.
Foryour safety, usethe slopegaugeincludedas
part ofthismanualto measure slopesbefore
operatingthisunitonaslopedor hillyarea, If the
slopeisgrealer than 15°as shownonthe slope
gauge,do not operatethisuniton thatarea or
seriousinjurycouldresult.
Mow upand downslopes, notacross.
Remove obstaclessuchas rocks,limbs,etc.
Watch forholes, rutsorbumps.Uneven terrain
couldoverturnthe machine.Tall grasscanhide
obstacles.
Use slowspeed. Choosea low enoughgear so that
you willnot have tostopor shiftwhileonthe slope.
Alwayskeep machinein gearwhen goingdown
slopes to take advantage ofenginebrakingaction.
Followthe manufacturer's recommendations for
wheelweightsor counterweightsto improve
stability.
Use extra care withgrass catchersor other
attachments.These can change thestabilityofthe
machine,
Keep allmovement on the slopes slowand gradual.
Do not make sudden changes in speed or direction.
Rapid engagement or braking could causethe front
of the machine to lift and rapidlyflip over backwards
whichcould cause sedous injury.
Avoid startingor stopping on aslope. If tires lose
traction,disengage the blede(s) and proceedslowly
straightdownthe slope.
DoNot:Do notturn onslopes unlessnecessary;then, rum
slowly and graduallydownhill,ifpossible.
Do notmow neardrop-offs,ditchesor
embankments.The mowercould suddenlyturnover
ifa wheel isoverthe edge of aclifforditch,or ifan
edge caves in.
Do notmow on wet grass. Reducedtractioncould
cause sliding.
Do nottrytostabilizethe machine byputtingyour
foot onthe ground.
Do notuse grass catcher on steepslopes.
Children
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator isnot alert to
the presence ofchildren. Children are often attracted to
the machine and the mowing activity. Never assume
thatchildren will remain where you last saw them.
Keep childrenout ofthe mowingarea and in
watchfulcare ofan adultotherthanthe operator.
Be alertand turn machine off ifchildrenenter the
area.
• Before and when backing, look behindand down for
smallchildren.
Never carry children,even withthe blades off.They
may fall off and be seriouslyinjured or interferewith
the safe machineoperation.
Never allowchildren under 14years oldto operate
the machine.Children14 yearsand overshould
onlyoperate machine under closeparental
supervisionand properinstruction,
Useextra care whenapproachingblindcomers,
shrubs,treesor otherobjects thatmay obscureyour
visionofa childor otherhazard,
Remove key when machineis unattendedto
preventunauthorizedoperation.
Service
Useextreme care in handlinggasolineand other
fuels. They are extremelyflammable and the vapors
areexplosive.
Useonlyan approvedcontainer.
Never remove fuel cap or add fuel withtheengine
running, Allow engineto coolat leasttwominutes
before refueling.
Replacefuel cap securelyand wipeoffany spilled
fuel beforestarlingthe engineas rtmay cause afire
orexplosion.
Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipes and other
sources ofignition.
Neverrefuelthe machineindoorsbecause fuel
vaporswillaccumulateinthe area.
Neverstorethe fuel containerormachine inside
where there isan open flame orspark, suchas a
gas hotwater heater,space heater orfurnace.
Never runa machineinsidea closedarea.
Toreducefire hazard, keep the machinefree of
grass,leaves or otherdebris build-up.Clean up oil
or fuel spiJlage.Allowmachine tocoolat least 5
minutesbatorestoring.
Beforecleaning,repeiringor inspecting,make
certaintheblade and all movingparts have
stopped. Disconnect the sparkplugwire, andkeep
the wtreaway from the spark plugtoprevent
accidental starting.
Ghec_the blade and enginemountingboltsat
frequent inter_alsfor propertightness.A_so,visually
inspectblade for damage (e.g., excessivewear,
bent,cracked). Replacewithblade whichmeets
originalequipmentspecifications.
Keepallnuts,boltsand screwstightto be sorethe
equipmentis insafe workingcondition.
Never tamperwithsafetydevices. Check their
properoperationregularly, Use allguardsas
instructedinthis manual.
Afterstriking a foreignobject,stopthe engine,
remove the wire from the spark plugand thoroughly
inspectthe mowerlot any damage. Repair the
damage beforerestartingand operatingthe mower,
Grasscatchercomponents are subjectto wear,
damage and deterioration,whichcould expose
movingpartsor allowobjectstobe thrown.Foryour
safety protection,frequently checkcomponentsand
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