Safety Devices; Operating The Machine; Filling The Fuel Tank - Stihl RT 4097 S Instruction Manual

Preventing blockage of the mowing
deck / of the discharge opening:
In order to prevent blockage of the mowing
deck discharge opening, it should be
regularly checked visually during mowing
and cleaned if necessary.
If the mowing deck discharge opening
frequently becomes blocked with grass,
reduce the driving speed or select a higher
cutting level.
If the problem persists, the probable cause
is blunt mowing blades or damaged or
worn wings on the mowing blades.
Sharpen or replace the mowing blades.
Furthermore, the inside of the mowing
deck, the mowing deck discharge opening
and the mowing blades should be carefully
cleaned after each use to prevent the
accumulation of grass deposits.
Fertilising:
Mowing the grass deprives the ground of
permanent nutrients, which can be
returned by using a high-grade, long-term
lawn fertiliser. Usually, fertilising three
times per mowing season is necessary.
For this purpose, the lawn should be dry,
so that the fertiliser does not stick to the
grass blades and burns them. It is then
better to water the lawn, which results in
the fertiliser being flushed off the grass
blades. (observe manufacturer's
instructions for use.)
Ground-conserving working:
The most important factors for ground-
conserving working are operating
technique and ground moisture.
In order to achieve clean mowing results,
the driving speed must be adapted to the
condition of the grass to be mowed (to the
height and density) and to the moisture of
the lawn.
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Executing curves that are too tight
increases the loading on the turf and leads
to poor mowing results, particularly on wet
grass, as the wheels sink into the soft
grass.

11. Safety devices

The machine is equipped with several
safety devices for safe operation and for
the prevention of improper use.
Risk of injury!
If a safety device is found to be
defective, the machine must not be
operated. Consult a specialist
dealer; STIHL recommends STIHL
specialist dealers.
To start the engine, the following
conditions must always be fulfilled:
– the mowing deck must be disengaged,
– the brake pedal must be pressed or the
parking brake engaged.
The engine stops if the user:
– leaves the driver's seat with the mowing
deck engaged,
– leaves the driver's seat without
engaging the parking brake.
Integrated blade run-down brake:
Following disengagement, the mowing
blades come to a standstill after
5 seconds at the latest.
Note
Following engagement of the
mowing deck, the mowing blades
turn and a wind noise is audible.
The run-on time corresponds to the
duration of the wind noise following
disengagement. This can be
measured using a stopwatch.

12. Operating the machine

● Carefully read and observe the section
entitled "For your safety". (
● Ensure that you are familiar with the
controls of the machine. (
● Before operating the machine, inspect
the maintenance schedule and carry
out all relevant maintenance
instructions. ( 14.1)
● Before each use, check that all safety
devices are operating correctly.
No safety devices must be missing,
overridden, modified or damaged.
( 11.)
Risk of injury:
For safety reasons, the machine
must not be used on slopes with an
inclination of more than 10°
(17.6 %).
A slope inclination of 17.6 %
corresponds to a vertical height
increase of 17.6 cm for a 100 cm
horizontal distance.

12.1 Filling the fuel tank

Maximum tank capacity:
9 litres
Recommendation:
Fresh good quality fuel, please
refer to the engine instruction manual for
information on fuel grade (octane rating).
– Unleaded petrol.
Filling procedure:
● Stop the engine and allow it to cool
down (warm to the touch). (
● Engage the parking brake. (
0478 192 9810 A - EN
4.)
8.)
12.3)
8.12)