Slope Operation; Children; Safe Service - Craftsman 247.388240 Owner's Manual

wall O r o bstruction first l ook down and behind, and-
then follow these steps:
a. Stepbackfrom the mowerto fully extandyour
arms,
b. Be sure you are well balancodwithsure
footing.
c. Pullthe mower backslowly,no morethan half
way towardyou.
d. Repeat thesesteps as needed.
Do not operatethe mowerwhileunderthe
influenceof alcoholor drugs.
Do notengage the self-propened mechanismon
unitsso equippedwhilestartingengine.
The bladecontrolhandleis a safetydevice.Never
attemptto bypass itsoperation.Doingso makes
the safetydevice inoperativeand may resultin
personalinjurythroughcontactwiththe rotating
blade.The bladecontrolhandlemustoperate
easily in bothdirections and automatically return
to thedisengagedpositionwhen released.
Never operatethe mower in wet grass.Alwaysbe
sure ofyour footing. A slipand fall can cause
sedouspersonalinjury. Keep a firm holdon the
handleand walk, never run. Ifyou feel you are
losingyourfooting,RELEASE THE BLADE
CONTROL HANDLE IMMEDIATLEY and the
bladewill stoprotatingwithinthree seconds.
Mow onlyin daylightor goodartificiallight.
Stoptheblade whencrossinggraveldrives,walks
or roads.
If the equipmentshouldstartto vibrate
abnormally,stop the engine and check
immediately for the cause.Vibrationisgenerallya
warningoftrouble.
Shutthe engine offand wait untilthe bladecomes
to a completestop beforeremovingthe grass
catcheror unclogging the chute.The cutting
blade continues to rotatefor a few seconds alter
the engine isshut off. Never place anypart ofthe
bodyin the bladearea untilyou are surethe blade
has stoppedrotating.
Never operatemower withoutproperguards,
grasscatcher,plates or othersafety protective
devicesin place.
Mufflerand engine become hotand can cause a
bum. Do not touch.
Do not adjustthe throttlecontrolwiththe engine
running.
Only useaccessories approvedfor this machine
bythe manufacturer.Read, understand,and
follow all instructions providedwiththe approved
acCessory.
If situationsoccurwhichare notcoveredin this
manual, usecare and goodjudgment.Contact
yourdealer for assistance.
Slope Operation
Foryoursafety,usethe slopegaugeincluded as part of
thismanualtomeasure slopesbeforeoperating thisuniton
a slopeor hillyarea. If the slopeisgreaterthan15 degrees
as shownon theelopegauge(page6), do notoperatethis
uniton thatareaor serious injurycouldresult.
DO:
Mow acrossthe face of slopes;never up and
down.Exercise extremecaution when changing
direction on slopes.
Watchfor holes,ruts,hiddenobjects,or bumps.
Taggrass can hideobstacles.
Alwaysbe sure of yourfooting. A slipand fall can
cause seriouspersonalinjury. (fyou feel you are
losingyourbalance release the blade control
handleimmediatelyand the bladewill stop in less
than3 seconds.
ON MODELS WiTH CASTER WHEELS: Lock
bothfront wheels so they do not pivotwhile
mowing on theface of slopes. To turnthe mower,
depressthe handleand raise the front wheels
s(ightiy.
DO NOT:
Do not mownear drop-offs, ditchesor
embankments. T he operatorcouldlose footingor
balance.
Do not mow slopesgreaterthan 15 degrees as
shownon the slopegauge.
Do not mowon wet grass. Reducedfooting could
causeslipping.
ON MOWERS WITH CASTER WHEELS: Do Not
mow on slopeswithcasters unlockedsincethe
mowerhas a tendencyto driftdown hill.
Children
Tragicaccidents can occurifthe operatoris notalerttothe
presence ofchildren. C hildren are oftenattracted to the
mowerandthe mowing activity.Neverassumethat
childrenwillremainwhereyoulastsaw them.
• Keepchildrenoutof the mowingarea and under
the watchfulcare of a responsibleadultotherthan
the operator.
• Be alert and turnmower off ifa childenters the
area.
Beforeand whilemovingrpackwards,lookbehind
and downfor small childrenor otherobjects.
Never allowchildrenunderage 14 to operate the
mower. Children14 years of age and above
shouldread and understandthe operation
instructions and safety rules in this manual.
Use extremecare when approachingblind
corners,shrubs,trees, or otherobjectsthat may
obssureyourvisionof a child or hazard.
Service
Use extremecare in handlinggasolineand other
fuels.They are extremelyflammableand the
vaporsare explosive.
Use onlyan approvedgasolinecontainer.
Never removegas cap or add fuel while the
engine is running. Allowengine to coolat least
two minutesbeforerefueling.