Slope Operation - Craftsman 247.388240 Owner's Manual

wall o robstruction first l ook down andbehind, and-
then
follow these steps:
a. Step backfrom the mower to fully extendyour
arms.
b. Besure you are well balancedwith sure
footing.
c. Pullthe mowerback slowly,no morethan half
way towardyou.
d. Repeat these steps as needed.
• Do notoperate the mower while underthe
influenceof alcoholor drugs.
• Do not engage the self-propelledmechanismon
unitsso equippedwhile startingengine.
• The blade controlhandle isa safetydevice. Never
attemptto bypassits operation.Doing somakes
the safety device inoperativeand may resultin
personalinjurythroughcontactwith the rotating
blade. The blade controlhandle mustoperate
easily in bothdirectionsand automaticallyreturn
to the disengagedpositionwhen released.
• Never operatethe mowerin wet grass.Always be
sure of yourfooting. A slipand fall can cause
seriouspersonalinjury. Keep a firm hold on the
handle and walk, never run. Ifyou feel you are
losingyourfooting, RELEASE THE BLADE
CONTROL HANDLE IMMEDIATLEY and the
blade willstop rotatingwithinthree seconds.
• Mow only in daylightor good artificial light.
• Stop the blade when crossinggraveldrives, walks
or roads.
• If the equipmentshouldstartto vibrate
abnormally,stop the engine and check
immediatelyfor the cause. Vibrationisgenerallya
warningof trouble.
• Shut theengine offand wait untilthe blade comes
to a completestop before removingthe grass
catcheror unclogging the chute.The cutting
blade continuesto rotatefor a few secondsafter
the engine isshut off. Never place anypart of the
bodyin the blade area untilyou are sure the blade
has stoppedrotating.
• Never operate mowerwithoutproperguards,
grass catcher,plates or othersafety protective
devices in place.
• Mufflerand engine become hotand can cause a
burn.Do nottouch.
• Do notadjustthe throttlecontrolwiththe engine
running.
• Only use accessoriesapprovedfor this machine
bythe manufacturer.Read, understand,and
followall instructions providedwith the approved
accessory.
• If situationsoccurwhichare not coveredin this
manual, use care and goodjudgment.Contact
yourdealer for assistance.
Slope Operation
Foryoursafety,usathe slopegaugeincluded as partof
thismanualto measureslopesbeforeoperating this uniton
a slope or hillyarea. Itthe slopeisgreaterthan 15 degrees
as shownonthe slopegauge(page6), do not operatethis
unitonthatarea orseriousinjurycouldresult.
DO:
Mow acrossthe face of slopes;never up and
down. Exerciseextremecautionwhen changing
directionon slopes.
Watch for holes, ruts,hiddenobjects,or bumps.
Tall grass can hide obstacles.
Always be sure of yourfooting. A slipand fall can
cause seriouspersonalinjury. If youfeel you are
losingyour balancerelease the bladecontrol
handle immediatelyand the bladewillstop in less
than 3 seconds,
ON MODELS WITH CASTER WHEELS: Lock
both front wheels so they do not pivotwhile
mowingon the face ofslopes. To turn the mower,
depressthe handle and raisethe front wheels
slightly.
DO NOT:
Do not mow near drop-offs,ditchesor
embankments.The operatorcould lose footing or
balance.
Do not mowslopesgreaterthan 15 degreesas
shownon the slopegauge.
Do not mowon wet grass. Reducedfooting could
cause slipping.
ON MOWERS WITH CASTER WHEELS: Do Not
mowon slopeswith casters unlockedsince the
mower has a tendencyto driftdownhill.
Children
Tragicaccidents can occurifthe operatorisnotalerttothe
presenceofchildren. C hildrenare oftenattracted tothe
mowerand the mowing activity. N ever assumethat
children willremainwhereyou lastsew them.
Keep childrenout of the mowingarea and under
the watchfulcare of a responsible adultotherthan
the operator.
Be alert and turnmower offif a childenters the
area.
Beforeand while movingbackwards, lookbehind
and downfor small childrenor otherobjects.
Never allowchildrenunderage 14 to operatethe
mower. Children 14 years of age and above
shouldread and understand the operation
instructions and safety rulesin this manual.
Use extremecare when approaching blind
corners,shrubs,trees, or otherobjectsthat may
obscureyourvisionof a childor hazard.
Service
Use extremecare in handlinggasolineand other
fuels.They are extremelyflammable and the
vaporsare explosive.
Use onlyan approvedgasolinecontainer.
Never removegas cap or add fuel while the
engine is running. Allowengineto coolat least
two minutesbefore refueling.
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