MTD 550 Operator's Manual page 4

4. Never o perate withdamaged s afety devices.
Failure todoso,canresult i n personal injury.
5. Never r unanengine indoors orina poorly
ventilated a rea.Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide, anodorless a nddeadly gas.
6. Donotoperate machine whileunder theinfluence
ofalcohol ordrugs.
7. Muffler a ndengine become hotandcancause a
burn.Donottouch.
8. Never o perate thismachine w ithout g ood visibility
or light. A lways besureofyourfooting andkeepa
firmholdonthehandles. Walk,never r un.
9. Donotoperate thismachine if ithasbeendropped
ordamaged. Return machine t oyournearest
authorized s ervicing dealer f orexamination and
repair.
10.Donotoperate thismachine witha damaged o r
excessively worncutting blade.
11.Never a ttempt t oclearmaterial fromtheblade
guard whiletheengine is running. Shut t heengine
off,disconnect thesparkplugwireandground
against t heengine toprevent u nintended starting.
12.Donotoverload m achine capacity byattempting t o
edge attoofastofa rate.
13.Stayalert f oruneven sidewalks, terrain etc.Always
pushslowly overrough surfaces. Donotusethis
machine ongravel s urfaces.
14.Donotoperate machine inrainorwetsoil
conditions.
15.Always operate machine f rombehind thehandles
andposition yourself where thedirect l ineofsight
tocutting blade is blocked byguards.
16.Always stopengine whenedging ortrimming is
delayed or when transporting machine fromone
location toanother.
17.Neverleave a running machine unattended. Stop
theengine, d isconnect sparkplug wireandground
against t heengine toprevent u nintended starting.
18.
Only use parts and accessories made for this
machine by the manufacturer. Failure to do so, can
result in personal injury.
19. If situations occur which are not covered in this
manual, use care and good judgment. Contact an
authorized MTD service dealer or telephone 1-800-
800-7310.
MAINTENANCE A NDSTORAGE
1. Never tamper with safety devices. Check their
proper operation regularly.
2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting,
disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against
the engine to prevent unintended starting.
3. Check bolts, and screws for proper tightness at
frequent intervals to keep the machine in safe
working condition. Also, visually inspect machine
for any damage.
4. Do not change the engine governor setting or over-
speed the engine. The governor controls the
maximum safe operating speed of the engine.
5. The blade, blade guard and debris shield are
subject to wear and damage. For your safety
protection, frequently check all components and
replace with original equipment manufacturer's
(O.E.M.) parts only. "Use of parts which do not
meet the original equipment specifications may
lead to improper performance and compromise
safety!"
6. Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as
necessary.
7. Observe proper disposal laws and regulations for
gas, oil, etc. to protect the environment.
8. Never store the machine or fuel container inside
where there is an open flame, spark or pilot light
such as a water heater, furnace,clothes dryer etc.
9. Always refer to the operator's manual for proper
instructions on off-season storage.
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.
Figure 1
4