Safety; Safe Operating Practices; General Operation - Toro 20050 Operator's Manual

Safety

IMPORTANT SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS
This machine meets or exceeds CPSC blade safety
requirements for walk-behind rotary mowers and the
B71.1 specifications of the American National
Standards Institute, in effect at time of production.
However, improper use or maintenance by the
operator or owner can result in injury. To reduce the
potential for injury, comply with these safety
instructions and always pay attention to the safety alert
symbol which means CAUTION, WARNING or
DANGER—"personal safety instruction." Failure to
comply with the instruction may result in personal
injury.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock,
and personal injury when using electric lawn mowers,
always follow these basic safety precautions.
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS
BEFORE USING THIS MOWER
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR FUTURE REFERENCE!

Safe Operating Practices

This product is capable of amputating hands and feet and
throwing objects. Always follow all safety instructions to
avoid serious injury or death.
This mower is designed for cutting and mulching grass or,
when equipped with a grass bag, for catching cut grass.
Any use for purposes other than these could prove
dangerous to user or bystanders.

General Operation

1. Read this manual carefully before operating the
mower. Become familiar with the controls and proper
use of the mower. Never allow children under 16 years
of age to operate the mower. Never allow adults to
operate mower without proper instructions.
2. The operator of the mower is responsible for keeping
everyone, especially children and pets, away from area
of operation. The operator is responsible for accidents
or hazards occurring to other people or their property.
3. Thoroughly inspect area where mower will be used
and remove sticks, stones, wire, and debris that could
be picked up and thrown by mower. Watch for foreign
objects while mowing. Objects struck by the lawn
mower blade can cause severe injuries to persons.
4. Wear long pants and substantial shoes. Do not operate
mower while wearing open-toed shoes, jewelry, loose
clothing or when barefoot. Use of rubber gloves and
footwear is recommended when working outdoors.
5. Keep all guards, shields, safety devices, side discharge
chute or optional grass catcher in place. Repair or
replace damaged parts, including decals. Never tamper
with safety devices. Check their proper operation
regularly.
6. The motor and blade are designed to stop within 3
seconds after releasing the control bail. Ensure that the
control bail functions properly before each use of
mower. If the blade does not stop within 3 seconds, or
if there is a grinding or scraping metal-to-metal noise
when the control bail is released, contact your local
Authorized Toro Service Dealer for proper "On/Off"
and blade brake adjustment or replacement.
7. Before using, always visually inspect to see that the
blades, blade fasteners and cutter assembly are not
worn or damaged. Replace worn or damaged blades
and fasteners in sets to preserve balance.
8. Only use those accessories and attachments designed
to be used with this product. Use of any accessory or
attachment not designed for this product may increase
the risk of injury.
9. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection
should be provided on the circuit(s) or outlet(s) to be
used for the lawn mower. Receptacles are available
having built-in GFCI protection and may be used for
this measure of safety.
10. WARNING: To prevent electric shock, use only with
an extension cord suitable for outdoor use, such as
SW-A, SOW-A, STW-A, STOW-A, SJW-A, SJOW-A,
SJTW-A, or SJTOW-A.
11. Extension Cord – Make sure your extension cord set is
in good condition. When using an extension cord, be
sure to use one heavy enough to carry the current your
product will draw. Refer to Extension Cord Chart,
page 8. An undersized cord will cause a drop in line
voltage resulting in loss of power and overheating.
12. Properly connect extension cord to mower in order to
prevent disconnection of the cord (Fig. 12).
13. To reduce the risk of electric shock, this mower has a
polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other)
(Fig. 11) and will require the use of a polarized
extension cord. The polarized extension cord
receptacle will fit onto the mower plug only one way.
EN–2