4
16. Home circuit – This mower should be operated on a 15
AMP circuit. If you experience difficulty in starting with a
standard 15 AMP fuse or circuit breaker, contact your
nearest authorized service facility. Do not use a higher
rated fuse or breaker without consulting your power
company.
17. Do not abuse the cord by pulling the mower by the cord
or yanking it to disconnect it from the receptacle. Keep
cord from heat, oil, and sharp edges.
18. Many injuries occur as a result of the mower being pulled
over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or tripping.
Never operate this machine in bare feet, sandals,
slippery or lightweight (e.g. canvas) shoes. Do not hold
on to the mower if you are falling; release the handle
immediately.
19. Never pull the mower back toward you while you are
walking. If you must back the mower away from a wall or
obstruction first look down and behind to avoid tripping
and then follow these steps:
•
Step back from the mower to fully extend your arms.
•
Be sure you are well balanced with sure footing.
•
Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way
toward you.
•
Repeat these steps as needed.
20. Do not use lawn mower for any job except that for which it
is intended. Do not force the lawn mower – Cut grass at a
rate, for which the mower is designed, which will not
sacrifice the performance or safety of the machine.
21. Do not operate the mower while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs.
22. Stay Alert – Do not operate the mower when you are
tired. Watch what you are doing. Use common sense.
23. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the
cutting deck. Contact with the blade can amputate hands
and feet.
24. Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height
adjustment while the motor is running.
25. Avoid dangerous environments – Never operate the
mower in the rain or in wet or damp grass.
26. Mow only in daylight or in good artificial light. Walk, never
run.
27. Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or
roads.
28. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop
the motor and check immediately for the cause. Vibration
is generally a warning of trouble.
29. Stop the motor 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 motor is shut off. Never
place any part of the body in the blade area until you are
sure the blade has stopped rotating.
30. Never operate mower without proper trail shield,
discharge cover, grass catcher, blade/motor control 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.
31. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by
the manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal
injury.
32. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual,
use care and good judgment. Contact your dealer or
telephone 1-800-668-1238 for assistance and the name
of your nearest servicing 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. Remove all objects such as rocks, tree limbs,
etc., which could be tripped over or thrown by the blade.
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/motor 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
1. 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.
•
Keep children out of the mowing area and under the
watchful care of a responsible adult other than the
operator.
•
Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the area.
•
Before and while moving backwards, look behind and
down for small children.
•
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.
2. 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.
