MTD 500 Thru 509, Operator'S Manual, Page: 4 / 16

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18. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop
the engine and check immediately for the cause.
Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.
19. Shut the engine off and wait until the blade comes to a
complete stop before removing the grass catcher or
unclogging the chute. The cutting blade continues to
rotate for a few seconds after the engine is shut off.
Never place any part of the body in the blade area until
you are sure the blade has stopped rotating.
20. Never operate mower without proper trail shield,
discharge 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.
21. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do
not touch.
22. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by
the manufacturer. Failure to do so, can result in personal
injury.
23. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual,
use care and good judgment. Contact your dealer for
assistance. Telephone 1-800-800-7310 for the name of
your nearest dealer.
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, 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:
1. Mow 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 blade control handle immediately,
and the blade will stop rotating within 3 seconds.
Do Not:
1. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments,
you could lose your footing or balance.
2. Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on
the slope gauge.
3. 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 attracted to the
mower and the mowing activity. They do not understand the
dangers. Never assume that children will remain where you
last saw them.
1. Keep children out of the mowing area and under the
watchful care of a responsible adult other than the
operator.
2. Be alert and turn mower 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
mower.
5. Keep children away from hot or running engines. They
can suffer burns from a hot muffler.
6. 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:
1. To avoid personal injury or property damage use extreme
care in handling gasoline. Gasoline 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.
2. Wash your skin and change clothes immediately.
3. Use only an approved gasoline container.
4. 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.
5. When practical, remove gas-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 gasoline dispenser
nozzle.
6. 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.
7. Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources
of ignition.
8. Never fuel machine indoors because flammable vapors
will accumulate in the area.
9. Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is hot
or running. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes
before refueling.
10. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch
below bottom of filler neck to provide space for fuel
expansion.
11. Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.
12. If gasoline is spilled, wipe it off the engine and
equipment. Move unit to another area. Wait 5 minutes
before starting the engine.
13. Never store the machine or fuel container inside where
there is an open flame, spark or pilot light as on a water
heater, space heater, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas
appliances.
14. 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.
15. Allow a mower to cool at least 5 minutes before storing.