MTD 070 Series Operator's Manual page 5

Do:
1. Mowacrossthe face of slopes; neverup anddown.
Exerciseextremecaution when changingdirectionon
slopes.
2. Watchfor holes,ruts,rocks, hiddenobjects,or bumpswhich
can causeyouto slip or trip. Tallgrass can hide obstacles.
3. Alwaysbe sure of yourfooting.A slip andfall can cause
serious personalinjury.If you feel you are losingyour
balance,releasethe bladecontrol handle immediately,and
the bladewill stop rotatingwithin 3 seconds.
Do Not:
I. Donot mownear drop-offs, ditchesor embankments, y ou
could loseyour footing or balance.
2. Donot mowslopes greaterthan 15degrees asshown on
the slope gauge.
3. Donot mowon wetgrass. Unstablefooting could cause
slipping.
Children
Tragicaccidentscan occur if the operatoris not alertto the
presenceof children.Childrenare often attractedto the mower
and the mowingactivity. Theydo not understandthe dangers.
Neverassumethat children will remainwhereyou lastsaw
them.
1. Keepchildrenout of the mowingarea and underthe watch-
ful careof a responsibleadult otherthan the operator.
2. Be alert andturn moweroff if a child entersthe area.
3. Beforeand while movingbackwards,look behindand down
for small children.
4. Useextremecare when approachingblind corners,
doorways,shrubs,trees, or otherobjectsthat mayobscure
your visionof a childwho may run into the mower.
5. Keepchildrenawayfrom hot or runningengines.They can
suffer burnsfrom a hot muffler.
6. Neverallowchildren under14 yearsold to operatea power
mower.Children14years old andover shouldread and
understandthe operationinstructionsand safetyrules in
this manualandshould be trainedand supervisedby a
parent.
Service
Safe Handling Of Gasoline:
1. To avoid personalinjury or propertydamage useextreme
care inhandlinggasoline. Gasolineis extremelyflammable
and the vapors are explosive.Serious personalinjury can
occur when gasolineis spilled on yourself or your clothes
which can ignite.
2. Wash yourskin andchangeclothesimmediately.
3. Useonly an approvedgasolinecontainer.
4. Neverfill containers insidea vehicle or on a truckor trailer
bedwitha plasticliner.Alwaysplace containerson the
ground awayfrom yourvehicle beforefilling.
5. Removegas-poweredequipmentfromthe truck or trailer
and refuel it on the ground.If this is not possible,then refuel
such equipmenton a trailer witha portablecontainer,rather
than from a gasoline dispensernozzle.
6. Keepthe nozzlein contactwiththe rim of the fuel tank or
container openingat all times until fuelingis complete.Do
not use a nozzle lock-opendevice.
7. Extinguishall cigarettes,cigars,pipes and othersourcesof
ignition.
8. Neverfuel machineindoorsbecauseflammablevapors
will accumulateinthe area.
9. Neverremovegas cap or add fuel whilethe engineis
hot or running. Allow engineto cool at least two minutes
beforerefueling.
10. Neveroverfill fuel tank. Filltank to no morethan Y2 inch
below bottomof filler neckto providefor fuel expansion.
11. Replacegasoline cap andtighten securely.
12. If gasolineis spilled,wipe it off the engine and equipment.
Moveunit to another area.Wait 5 minutesbeforestarting
the engine.
13. Neverstorethe machineor fuel containernear an open
flame,sparkor pilot light as on a water heater,space
heater, furnace, clothesdryeror othergas appliances.
14. Toreducefire hazard,keepmowerfree of grass, leaves,
or other debrisbuild-up.Clean up oil or fuel spillage and
removeany fuel soakeddebris.
15. Allow a mowerto cool at least5 minutesbeforestoring.
General Service:
1. Neverrunan engine indoorsor in a poorlyventilatedarea.
Engineexhaustcontainscarbon monoxide,an odorless
anddeadlygas.
2. Beforecleaning,repairing,or inspecting,makecertain the
bladeand all moving parts havestopped.Disconnectthe
sparkplug wire and groundagainstthe engineto prevent
unintendedstarting.
3. Checkthe bladeand enginemountingbolts at frequent
intervalsfor propertightness.Also,visuallyinspectblade
for damage(e.g.,bent,cracked,worn) Replacebladewith
the original equipmentmanufacture's(O.E.M.)bladeonly,
listed inthis manual."Use of parts whichdo not meetthe
originalequipmentspecificationsmay lead to improper
performanceand compromisesafety!"
4. Mowerbladesare sharp andcan cut. Wrapthe bladeor
weargloves,and use extra cautionwhen servicingthem.
5. Keepall nuts,bolts, and screwstight to be surethe
equipmentis insafe workingcondition.
6. Nevertamper withsafetydevices.Checktheir proper
operationregularly.
7. After strikinga foreignobject,stop the engine,discon-
nect the sparkplug wire and groundagainstthe engine.
Thoroughlyinspectthe mowerfor any damage.Repairthe
damagebeforestartingand operatingthe mower.
8. Neverattemptto makea wheel or cuttingheightadjust-
mentwhilethe engine is running.
9. Grasscatchercomponents,dischargecover,andtrail
shield aresubjectto wear anddamagewhichcould
exposemovingparts or allowobjectsto be thrown.For
safetyprotection,frequentlycheck componentsand re-
place immediatelywithoriginal equipmentmanufacturer's
(O.E.M.)parts only, listedin this manual."Use of parts
whichdo not meetthe originalequipmentspecifications
may lead to improperperformanceand compromise
safety!"
10. Do not changethe engine governorsettingor overspeed
the engine.The governorcontrols the maximumsafe
operatingspeed of the engine.
11. Maintainor replacesafetylabels, as necessary.
12. Observeproper disposallaws andregulations.Improper
disposaloffluids and materialscan harmthe environment.
5
Practices
WARNING
This symbol points
out importantsafety
instructionswhich, if
not followed,could
endangerthe personal
safety and/or property
of yourselfand others.
Read and follow all
instructionsin this
manual beforeat-
tempting to operate
this machine. Failure
to comply with these
instructionsmay result
in personalinjury.When
you see this symbol.
HEED ITS WARNING!
Your Responsibility
Restrict the use
of this power machine
to persons who read,
understand
and follow the warnings
and instructions
in this manual
and on the machine.