6
BEFORE EACH OPERATION
Your safety is your responsibility. A little time spent in preparation will
significantly reduce your risk of injury.
Read and understand this manual. Know what the controls do and
how to operate them.
Familiarize yourself with the lawn mower and its operation before you
begin using it. Know how to quickly shut off the lawn mower in case of
an emergency.
Check Your Mower
For your safety, and to maximize the service life of your lawn mower, it
is very important to take a few moments before you operate the lawn
mower to check its condition. Be sure to take care of any problem you
find, or have your servicing dealer correct it, before you operate the
lawn mower.
• Make sure the lawn mower is on a level surface
• Look around and underneath the lawn mower for signs of oil or
petrol leaks
• Look for signs of damage
• Check each control for proper operation
• Check the blades for wear. Replace as necessary (page 12)
• Check that the blade bolts are tight (page 12)
• Check that all nuts, bolts, and screws are tightened
• Check the air filter (page 13) and oil level (page 7)
• Check the fuel level (page 7). Starting with a full tank will help to
eliminate or reduce operating interruptions for refueling.
Check Your Mowing Area
For your safety and the safety of others, always inspect the area
before operating the lawn mower.
Anything that can be picked up by the blades and thrown is a potential
hazard to you and others. Look for things like stones, sticks, nails, and
wire, and remove them from the lawn area.
People and animals near the lawn area can move into your lawn
mower’s path or into a position where they could be struck by thrown
objects. Clear the area of pets and people, especially children. Their
safety is your responsibility.
Check the condition of the grass. Adjust your lawn mower ground
speed and mowing swath accordingly.
Rear Shield
During normal use the rear shield is subject to deterioration and wear.
Remove the grass bag and raise the discharge guard to check the
rear shield for cracks or tears. If the rear shield is excessively worn,
have it replaced by your authorised Honda servicing dealer.
Mulching Plug
To mulch the grass clippings rather than bag them, install the
mulching plug.
Make sure the tab at the bottom rear of the mulching plug fits snugly
into the slot at the back of the discharge chute.
Grass Bag
A lawn mower works like a vacuum cleaner; it blows air through the
bag fabric, which traps the grass clippings. Always empty the grass
bag before it becomes filled to the limit of its capacity. Bagging
performance will diminish after the bag becomes about 90% filled.
Also, the bag is easier to empty when it is not packed full.
You can leave the grass bag on the mower during mowing, even
when the mulching plug is installed.
To minimize dust and fine particles from passing through the grass
bag fabric, it is best to mow grass in the morning when the grass is
damp.
Inspection
During use, the grass bag material is subject to normal wear and tear.
Grass bag replacement is explained on page 5.
WARNING
Improperly maintaining this lawn mower, or failing to
correct a problem before operation, could cause a
malfunction in which you could be seriously injured.
Always perform a pre-operation inspection before each
operation, and correct any problem.
CAUTION
An excessively worn grass bag may allow objects to be
thrown toward the operator.
Replace a worn grass bag to prevent possible injury.
REAR SHIELD
DISCHARGE GUARD
SLOT
TAB
DISCHARGE
CHUTE
