Craftsman 138.98818 Operator's Manual page 4

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
reach of children, and stored in a separate
location out of the reach of children.
• Always use safety protective devices. Do not
operate the mower without the entire grass
catcher, mulching plug and rear discharge
door in place and working properly.
• Do not open or mutilate the battery. Released
electroly te is corrosive and may cause
damage to the eyes or skin. It may be toxic if
swallowed.
• Follow manufacturer's instructions for proper
operation and installation of accessories.
Only use acc essor ies approved by the
manufacturer.
• Exercise care in handling batteries in order
not to shor t the batter y with conducting
materials such as rings or bracelets. The
battery or conductor may overheat and cause
burns.
• Cl ear t h e wo r k area b efo re eac h us e.
Remove all objects such as rocks, sticks,
metal, wire, bones, toys, or other objects
which can be thrown by the blade.Stay
behind the handle when the motor is running.
• Avoid holes, ruts, bumps, rocks, property
stakes, or other hidden objects. Uneven
terrain could cause a slip and fall accident.
• Do not mow near drop - of fs, ditches, or
embankments.
• Mow across the face of slopes, never up
and down. Exercise extreme caution when
changing direction on slopes.
• Plan your mowing pattern to avoid discharge
o f m a t e r i a l t o w a r d r o a d s , s i d e w a l k s ,
b y s t a n d e r s a n d t h e l i k e . A l s o , a v o i d
disc harging mater ial against a wall o r
obstruction, which may cause the material to
ricochet back toward the operator.
• Do not mow on wet grass or excessively
steep slopes. Poor footing could cause a slip
and fall accident. Walk, never run.
• Use extra care when approaching blind
corners, shrubs, trees, or other objects that
may block your view.
• Do not pull the mower backward unless
absolutely necessary. If you must back the
mower away from a wall or obstruction, first
look down and behind to avoid tripping or
pulling the mower over your feet.
• Objects struck by the lawn mower blade can
cause severe injuries to persons. The lawn
should always be carefully examined and
cleared of all objects prior to each mowing.
• If the lawn mower strikes a foreign object,
follow these steps:
• Stop the lawn mower by releasing the
bail, wait until the blade comes to a
complete stop, and then remove the
battery packs.
• Thoroughly inspect the mower for any
damage.
• Replace the blade if it is damaged in
any way. Repair any damage before
restarting and continuing to operate the
mower.
• Stop the motor, wait until the blade comes
to a complete stop, and remove the battery
before unclogging the chute. The cutting
blade continues to rotate for a few seconds
after the motor is shut off. Never place any
part of the body in the blade area until you
are sure the blade has stopped rotating.
• I f t h e m o w e r s h o u l d s t a r t t o v i b r a t e
abnor mally, stop the motor and c hec k
immediately for the cause. Replace the blade
if it is unevenly worn or damaged in any way.
Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.
• Service on the product must be performed
by qualified repair personnel only. Service
or maintenance performed by unqualified
personnel could result in injury to the user or
damage to the product.
• U s e o n l y i d e nt i c a l r e p l a c e m e nt p a r t s
when servicing the product. Use identical
replacement blades only. Use of nonidentical
parts may create a risk of serious injury to
the user, or damage to the product.
• Maintain or replace safet y instructions
labels, as necessary.
• Disconnect battery- Disconnect battery pack
from the appliance before storing, servicing,
transpor ting, or c hanging ac c essor ies
such as blades. Such preventive safety
4 — English