8
Refuel With Care
Gasoline is extremely flammable and gasoline vapor can explode.
Refuel only outdoors, in a well-ventilated area, with the engine OFF.
Never smoke near gasoline, and keep other flames and sparks away.
Always store gasoline in an approved container.
Wear Protective Clothing
Wearing protective clothing will reduce your risk of injury. Long pants
and eye protection reduce the risk of injuries from thrown objects.
Sturdy shoes with aggressive soles will help protect your feet and give
you better traction on slopes or uneven ground.
Stop the Engine When Not Mowing
If you need to leave the mower for any reason, even just to inspect the
lawn ahead, always release the blade control lever.
Avoid Slopes
Avoid steep slopes of more than 20
°
.
Mow across slopes, not up and down. Be
careful when changing direction. Mowing
on a slope when the grass is damp or wet
could cause you to slip, fall, and lose
control of the mower.
NOTICE
Mowing on steep slopes can starve the
engine of oil, causing engine damage that
is not covered by the
Distributor’s Limited
Warranty
.
Keep all four wheels on the ground, and be careful to avoid losing
your footing and your control of the mower. Keep a firm grip on the
handlebar, and walk, never run, with the mower. Be very careful when
mowing uneven or rough ground.
If stuck, do not kick or shove the mower with your foot. Use the
handlebar to control the mower.
Avoid Obstacles
Gravel, loose stones, and landscaping material can be picked up by
the mower and thrown many feet with enough force to cause serious
personal injury and/or property damage. The best way to prevent
potential injury from thrown objects is to release the blade control
lever to stop the blades before reaching areas with gravel, loose
stones, or landscaping material.
Be careful when mowing over obstacles that stick up above the
surface of the lawn such as sprinkler heads, paving, edging, raised
tree roots, etc.
If the blade hits something, or if the mower starts to vibrate, stop the
engine immediately, disconnect the spark plug cap, and check for
damage (
). Striking objects may damage the blades, bend the
crankshaft, and/or break the mower deck or other components.
Vibration usually indicates serious trouble.
The
DISTRIBUTOR’S LIMITED WARRANTY
(
) does not
cover parts damaged by accidental impact collision.
Operating the Controls
Throttle Lever
For best cut quality, always mow
with the throttle lever in the FAST
position. When the blades rotate
at the preset fast speed, they
create a strong fan action that
lifts and cuts grass more
efficiently.
Do not try to increase the
preset FAST engine speed; the
blade could fracture and come
apart.
Blade Control
System
To start blade rotation,
make sure the engine is
running and the throttle
lever is in the FAST
position.
1. Push down and hold the
Roto-Stop
®
button
.
2. Pull the blade control
lever
slowly against
the handlebar allowing
the engine to bring the
blades up to full speed.
Then release the
Roto-Stop button.
Continue to hold the blade control lever against the handlebar to
maintain blade rotation.
Release the blade control lever to stop blade rotation. Always release
the blade control lever before starting the engine to prevent the blades
from rotating.
Smart Drive Control
With the engine running
and the blades rotating,
slowly push the Smart
Drive control to propel the
mower forward.
Ground speed will increase
as more pressure is applied
to the Smart Drive control.
After maximum ground
speed is obtained, applying
additional pressure will not
further increase ground
speed. Apply only enough
pressure to achieve the desired speed.
Release the Smart Drive control to disengage the drive when mowing
around trees and other obstacles. Push the mower around obstacles
for better directional control.
Ground speed varies with terrain, grass height, slope, and grass bag
weight. Moving the Smart Drive control allows you to maintain the
desired ground speed under constantly changing mowing conditions.
Release the Smart Drive control to disengage (stop) the rear wheels.
WARNING
A worn, cracked, or damaged blade can break, and pieces of
the damaged blade can become dangerous projectiles.
Blades thrown from the mower could seriously hurt or kill
someone.
Inspect the blades regularly (see
), and do not operate
the mower with a worn or damaged blade.
ST
OP
SLOW
FAST
FAST
STOP
BLADE CONTROL LEVER
ROTO-STOP BUTTON
SMART
DRIVE
CONTROL
ADJUST
POSITION
BLADE
CONTROL
2
SMART DRIVE CONTROL
