Service; Slope Operation - Craftsman 247.370480 Operator's Manual

• The motor/bladecontrol handleis a safetydevice.Neverattemptto
bypassits operation.Doingso makesthe safety device inoperativeand
may resultin personalinjury through contactwiththe rotatingblade.The
motor/bladecontrol handlemustoperate easilyin bothdirectionsand
automaticallyreturnto the disengagedpositionwhen released.
• Do not chargethe mower in rain,or inwet conditions.
• Neveroperatethe mowerin rainor wetgrass. Alwaysbe sureof your
footing. A slip andfall can causeserious personalinjury. Ifyou feel
you are losingyourfooting,releasethe motor/bladecontrolhandle
immediatelyandthe bladewill stop rotatingwithinthreeseconds.
• Mow only indaylightor goodartificial light.Walk, never run.
• Stopthe bladewhen crossinggraveldrives,walks or roads.
• If the equipmentshould startto vibrateabnormally,stop the motorand
check immediately for the cause.Vibrationis generallya warningof
trouble.
• Shutthe motoroff and waituntil the bladecomesto a completestop
beforeremovingthe grass catcheror uncloggingthe chute.The cutting
bladecontinuesto rotatefora few secondsafter the motoris shut off.
Neverplace any part of the bodyinthe bladearea untilyou are surethe
bladehas stoppedrotating.
• Neveroperatemowerwithoutproper trailingshield, dischargecover,
grasscatcher,motor/bladecontrolhandle or othersafetyprotective
devices inplace and working.Neveroperate mowerwithdamaged
safetydevices.Failureto do so, can resultin personalinjury.
• Only use partsand accessoriesmadefor this machineby manufacturer.
Failureto do so can result in personalinjury.
• If situationsoccurwhich are not coveredinthis manual,use careand
goodjudgment. ContactyourSears ServiceCenterfor assistance.
Slope Operation:
Slopesare a major factorrelatedto slip andfall accidentswhichcan resultin
severeinjury.Operationon slopesrequiresextracaution.Ifyou feel uneasyon
a slope,do not mow it.For yoursafety,usethe slope gaugeincludedas part
of this manualto measureslopesbeforeoperatingthis unit on a slopedor hilly
area.If the slope is greaterthan 15 degrees,do not mowit.
Do:
• Mow acrossthe face of slopes; never up anddown. Exerciseextreme
cautionwhen changingdirectionon slopes.
• Watchfor holes,ruts,rocks, hiddenobjects,or bumpswhich can cause
youto slip or trip.Tall grasscan hide obstacles.
• Alwaysbe sureof your footing.A slip andfall can causeseriouspersonal
injury.If you feel you are losingyour balance,releasethe motor/blade
control handleimmediately,andthe bladewill stop rotatingwithinthree
(3) seconds.
Do Not:
• Do not mow neardrop-offs, ditchesor embankments,youcould lose
yourfooting or balance.
• Do not mow slopesgreaterthan 15degrees asshown on the slope
gauge.
Service
• Ifthe mower'sbuilt-inoverloadprotectionswitchfrequentlytrips, contact
your nearestSearsService Centerfor repair.
• Removekeyand store idlelawn mowerindoorswhen not in use. Allow
motorto cool beforestoringin any inclosure.Lawn mowershould be
storedindoorsin a dry,high,or locked-upplace,out of reachof children.
• When servicinguse only identicalreplacementparts listed inthis
manual."Use of parts whichdo not meet the original equipmentspecifi-
cationsmay lead to improperperformanceandcompromisesafety!"
• Beforecleaning, repairing,or inspecting,makecertainthe blade and
all movingparts havestopped.Removethe keyto preventaccidental
starting.
• Removekey beforeservicing, cleaning,or removingmaterialfrom the
lawn mower.
• Followinstructionsfor lubricatingand changingaccessories.
• Keep handlesdry,clean and free from oil and grease.
• To reducea fire hazard,keepthe motorcoverfree of grass, leavesand
debris build-up.
• Checkthe bladeand motormountingbolts at frequentintervals
for proper tightness.Also,visually inspectbladefordamage (e.g.,
bent, cracked,and worn). Replacebladewiththe originalequipment
manufacturer's(OEM)bladeonly, listed inthis manual.
• Maintainyourmowerwith care-- Keepmower bladesharp andclean for
best andsafestperformance.Mowerbladesare sharpand can cut, wrap
the bladeor wearglovesand use extra cautionwhen servicingthem.
• Keep all nuts, bolts,and screwstight to be surethe equipmentis in safe
workingcondition.
• Nevertamperwith safetydevices.Checktheir properoperationregularly.
• Neverattemptto makewheel or cuttingheight adjustmentswhilethe
motor is running.
• After strikinga foreignobject, stopthe motor,removethe key,and
thoroughlyinspectthe mowerfor any damage.Repairthe damage
beforeoperatingthe mower.
• Grasscatchercomponents,dischargecover,andtrailingshield are
subjectto wearanddamagewhich couldexpose movingparts or allow
objectsto be thrown.Forsafety protection,frequently checkcomponents
and replaceimmediately with originalequipmentmanufacturer's (OEM)
parts only, listedin this manual.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
• Do not mow on wetgrass. Unstablefooting could causeslipping.
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