SERVICE
Safe Handling of Petrol:
1. To avoid personal injury or property damage use extreme care in handling petrol. Petrol is extremely
flammable, and the vapors are explosive. Serious personal injury can occur when petrol is spilled on
yourself or your clothes, which can ignite. Wash your skin and change clothes immediately.
2. Use only an approved petrol container.
3. Never fill containers inside a vehicle or on a truck or trailer bed with a plastic liner. Always place
containers on the ground away from your vehicle before filling.
4. Remove petrol-powered equipment from the truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If this is not
possible, then refuel such equipment on a trailer with a portable container, rather than from a petrol
dispenser nozzle.
5. 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.
6. Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources of ignition.
7. Never fuel machines indoors because flammable vapors will accumulate in the area.
8. Never remove petrol cap or add fuel while engine is hot or running. Allow engine to cool at least two
minutes before refueling.
9. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank up to 80% capacity to allow for expansion.
10. Replace petrol cap and tighten securely.
11. If petrol is spilled, wipe it off the engine and equipment. Move machine to another area. Wait 5 minutes
before starting engine.
12. Never store the machine or fuel container near an open flame, spark or pilot light on petrol appliances.
13. To reduce fire hazard, keep machine free of grass, leaves, or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel
spillage and remove any fuel-soaked debris.
14. Allow machine to cool at least 5 minutes after use, 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 tines and all moving parts have stopped.
Disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against the engine to prevent unintended starting.
3. Check the tines and engine mounting bolts at frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect
tines for damage. Replace with the original equipment manufacture’s (O.E.M.) parts 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. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment is in safe working condition.
5. Never tamper with safety devices. Check the correct operation regularly.
6. After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against the
engine. Thoroughly inspect the scarifier/aerator for any damage. Repair the damage before starting and
operating the scarifier/aerator.
7. Scarifier/aerator components, guards and shields are subject to wear and damage which could expose
moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. For safety protection, frequently check components and
replace immediately with original equipment manufacturers (O.E.M.) parts only, listed in this manual.
“Use of parts which do not meet the original equipment specifications may lead to improper performance
and compromise safety!”
8. Do not change the engine’s governor setting or over-speed the engine. The governor controls the
maximum safe operating speed of the engine.
9. Check fuel line, tank, cap, and fittings frequently for cracks or leaks. Replace if necessary.
10. Do not crank engine with spark plug removed.
11. Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as necessary.
12. Observe proper disposal laws and regulations. Improper disposal of fluids and materials can harm the
environment.
DO NOT MODIFY THE ENGINE
To avoid serious injury or death, do not modify the engine in any way. Tampering with the governor setting
can lead to a runaway engine and cause it to operate at unsafe speeds. Never tamper with factory setting of
engine governor.
16. Do not operate the scarifier/aerator while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
17. The OPC/Brake lever is a safety device. Never attempt to bypass its operation. Doing so makes the safety
device inoperative and may result in injury through contact with the rotating tines. The control lever must
operate easily in both directions and automatically return to the disengaged position when released.
18. Never operate the scarifier/aerator 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 OPC/Brake lever immediately
and the spindle will stop rotating within three seconds.
19. Operate only in daylight or good artificial light. Walk, never run.
20. Stop the tines when crossing gravel drives, paths or roads.
21. If the machine starts 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 spindle comes to a complete stop before cleaning the discharge
area. The tines continue to rotate for a few seconds after the OPC/Brake lever is released. Never place any
part of the body in the scarifier/aerator area until you are sure the tines have stopped rotating and the
spark plug cap removed from the spark plug and contact cannot be made between the two.
23. Never operate the scarifier/aerator without proper shields, discharge cover, OPC/Brake lever or other
safety protective devices in place and working. Never operate with damaged safety devices. Failure to do
so can result in personal injury.
24. Muffler and engine can become hot and cause burns. Do not touch!
25. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by the manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in
personal injury.
26. When starting the engine, pull cord slowly until resistance is felt, then pull rapidly. Rapid retraction of
starter cord (kickback) will pull hand and arm towards engine faster than you can let go. Broken bones,
fractures, bruises or sprains could result.
27. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual, use care and good judgement. Contact your
nearest Approved Service Dealer for assistance
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, or it is greater than 15 degrees, do not scarify on it.
Do:
1. Scarify 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 OPC/Brake lever immediately and the tines will stop rotating within three (3)
seconds.
Do Not:
1. Do not scarify near drop-offs, ditches or embankments, you could lose your footing or balance.
2. Do not scarify on slopes greater than 15 degrees.
3. Do not scarify 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 scarifier/aerator and the activity. They do not understand the dangers. Never assume that children will
remain where you last saw them.
1. Keep children out of the scarifying area and under care of a responsible adult other than the operator.
2. Be alert and turn the scarifier/aerator 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 scarifier/aerator.
5. Keep children away from hot or running engines. They can suffer burns from a hot muffler.
6. Never allow children under 16 years of age to operate this machine. Children 16 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.
