18
STORAGE
Immediately prepare your lawn mower for
storage at the end of the season or if the
unit will not be used for 30 days or more.
CAUTION: Never store the lawn mower
with gaso line in the tank inside a build ing
where fumes may reach an open fl ame
or spark. Allow the engine to cool before
storing in any enclosure.
LAWN MOWER
When lawn mower is to be stored for a pe-
riod of time, clean it thor oughly, remove all
dirt, grease, leaves, etc. Store in a clean,
dry area.
• Clean entire lawn mower (See “CLEAN-
ING” in the Maintenance section of this
manual).
• Lubricate as shown in the Main te nance
section of this manual.
• Be sure that all nuts, bolts, screws, and
pins are securely fas tened. Inspect
moving parts for damage, breakage and
wear. Replace if necessary.
• Touch up all rusted or chipped paint
surfaces; sand lightly before painting.
HANDLE
Your handle may be folded for storage as
shown.
• Squeeze the bottom ends of lower
handle towards each other until handle
clears the handle brackets and swing
handles forward over mower.
• Loosen upper handle mounting hard-
ware enough to allow upper handle to be
folded back.
IMPORTANT: When folding handles for
storage or transportation, be sure to fold
handles as shown or you may damage the
control cables.
Lower handle
SQUEEZE
TO FOLD
2 POSITION / “ADJUSTABLE” HAN DLES
When setting you handles up from the
storage position, the lower handle will
au to mat i cal ly lock into mow ing position.
3 POSITION HANDLES
When setting up your handle from the stor-
age position, the lower han dle will require
manually locking into the mowing position.
FOLD
FORWARD
FOR
STORAGE
MOWING
POSITION
Lower handle
Operator
presence
control bar
Upper
handle
Handle
knob
3 POSITION “EZ”
3 POSITION “QUICK”
Handle
ad just ment
brack et
Knob
Bolt
Handle pin
Handle
ad just ment
bracket
SQUEEZE
3
CONGRATULATIONS on your purchase of a new Lawn Mower. It has been designed, en gi -
neered and manu fac tured to give you the best pos sible de penda bil ity and per form ance.
Should you experience any prob lems you can not easily remedy, please contact your
nearest authorized service center. They have com pe tent, well trained tech ni cians and
the proper tools to service or repair this unit.
• Read the SAFETY RULES and this Operator's Manual in its entirety before you at-
tempt to assemble or operate your new lawn mower to insure proper operation and to
prevent injury to yourself and others. Save this manual for future reference.
• Your new lawn mower has been assembled at the factory with the exception of those
parts left unassembled for shipping purposes. To ensure safe and proper operation
of your lawn mower, all parts and hardware you assemble must be tightened securely.
Use the correct tools as necessary to ensure proper tightness.
• All parts such as nuts, washers, bolts, etc., necessary to complete the assembly have
been placed in the parts bag.
• Remove obstacles (rocks, tree limbs, etc.)
• Watch for holes, ruts, or bumps. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.
DO NOT:
• Do not trim near drop-offs, ditches or
embankments. The operator could lose
footing or balance.
• Do not trim excessively steep slopes.
• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced foot-
ing could cause slipping.
III. CHILDREN
Tragic accidents can occur if the op er a tor is
not alert to the presence of children. Children
are often attracted to the ma chine and the
mowing activity.
Never assume that children
will remain where you last saw them.
• Keep children out of the trimming area
and under the watchful care of an oth er
re spon si ble adult.
• Be alert and turn machine off if chil dren
enter the area.
• Before and while walking back wards,
look behind and
down for small chil dren.
• Never allow children to operate the mower.
• Use extra care when approaching blind
corners, shrubs, trees, or other objects
that may obscure vision.
IV. SAFE HANDLING OF GASOLINE
Use extreme care in handling gasoline.
Gasoline is extremely fl ammable and the
vapors are explosive.
• Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes
and other sources of ignition.
• Use only an approved container.
• Never remove gas cap or add fuel with
the engine running. Allow engine to cool
before refueling.
• Never refuel the machine indoors.
• Never store the machine or fuel contain-
er where there is an open fl ame, spark
or pilot light such as a water heater or on
other appliances.
• Never fi ll containers inside a vehicle, on
a truck or trailer bed with a plastic liner.
Always place containers on the ground
away from your vehicle before fi lling.
• Remove gas-powered equipment from the
truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If
this is not possible, then refuel such equip-
ment with a portable container, rather than
from a gasoline dispenser nozzle.
• 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.
• If fuel is spilled on clothing, change
clothing immediately.
• Never overfi ll fuel tank. Replace gas cap
and tighten securely.
V. GENERAL SERVICE
• Never run machine inside a closed area.
• Never make adjustments or repairs with
the engine (motor) running. Dis con nect the
spark plug wire, and keep the wire away
from the plug to prevent ac ci den tal starting.
• Keep nuts and bolts, especially blade
attachment bolts, tight and keep equip-
ment in good condition.
• Never tamper with safety devices. Check
their proper operation reg u lar ly.
• Keep machine free of grass, leaves, or other
debris build-up. Clean oil or fuel spillage.
Allow machine to cool before storing.
• Stop and inspect the equipment if you
strike an object. Repair, if nec es sary,
before restarting.
• Never attempt to make wheel height
adjustments while the engine is running.
• Grass catcher components are sub ject to
wear, dam age, and de te ri o ra tion, which
could expose moving parts or allow objects
to be thrown. Frequently check com po nents
and replace with man u fac tur er’s recom-
mended parts, when necessary.
• Mower blades are sharp and can cut.
Wrap the blade(s) or wear gloves, and
use extra caution when ser vic ing them.
• Do not change the engine governor set-
ting or overspeed the engine.
• Maintain or replace safety and instruc-
tion labels, as necessary.
