Rules For Safe Operation - MTD 130-432E000 Owner's Manual

IMPORTANT
RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION
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THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL SAFETY
AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING
TO OPERATE YOUR UNIT. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE
THIS SYMBOL- A HEED ITS WARNING.
Ai
DANGER
Your unit was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manuai. As with any
type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury.
If you violate any of these rules, you may cause serious injury to yourself or others.
1. READ THIS OWNER'S MANUAL carefully in its entirety before at¬
tempting to assemble or operate this unit. Keep this manual in
a safe place for future and regular reference and for ordering
replacement parts.
2. This unit is a precision piece of power equipment, not a plaything.
Therefore exercise extreme caution at all times.
3. Know the controls and how to stop the machine quickly.
4. Do not allow children to operate vehicle. Do not allow adults to
operate it without proper instruction. Only persons well acquainted
with these rules of safe operation should be allowed to use your
mower.
5. Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-fitting slacks and
shirts to avoid entanglement in the moving parts. Never operate
a unit in bare feet, sandals, or sneakers.
6. To prevent injury, do not carry passengers or give rides. Keep
children, pets and bystanders out of the area while mowing. Only
the operator should ride on the unit and only ride in the seat.
7. Check overhead clearance carefully before driving under power
lines, guy wires, bridges or low hanging tree branches, before
entering or leaving buildings, or in any other situation where the
operator may be struck or pulled from the unit, which could result
in serious injury.
8. To maintain control of the unit and reduce the possibility of upset
or collision, operate the tractor smoothly. Avoid erratic operation
and excessive speed.
9. Keep the area of operation clear of all persons, particularly small
children and pets. Stop engine when they are in the vicinity of
your mower. Although the area of operation should be complete¬
ly cleared of foreign objects, a small object may have been
overlooked and could be accidently thrown by the mower in any
direction and cause injury to you or a bystander.
10. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields during operation or while
performing an adjustment or repair, to protect eyes from foreign
objects that may be thrown from the machine in any direction.
11. Stop the blade(s) when crossing gravel drives, wall« or roads.
12. Disengage all attachment clutches and shift into neutral before
attempting to start engine.
13. Before leaving the operator's position, disengage blade(s), place
shift lever in neutral, engage parking brake, shut engine off and
remove key.
14. Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating parts. Keep clear
of the discharge opening at ail times as the rotating blade(s) can
cause injury.
15. Disengage power to attachment(s) and stop engine before mak¬
ing any repairs or adjustments. Disconnect the spark plug wire
and keep the wire away from the plug to prevent accidental starting.
16. Before attempting to unclog the mower or discharge chute, stop
the engine. The mower blade(s) may continue to rotate for a few
seconds after the engine is shut off. Therefore, be sure the blade(s)
have stopped completely. Disconnect the spark plug wire and keep
the wire away from the plug to prevent accidental starting.
17. Disengage power to attachment(s) when transporting or not in use.
18. For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this manual
to measure slopes before operating this unit on a sloped or hilly
area. If the slope is greater than 15" as shown on the slope gauge,
do not operate this unit on that area or serious injury could result.
19. Do not stop or start suddenly when going uphill or downhill. Mow
up and down face of steep slopes: never across the face. Use
extreme caution if it is necessary to drive the tractor up an incline
or back the tractor down an incline because the front of the trac¬
tor could lift and rapidly flip over backward which could cause
serious injury.
20. Reduce speed on slopes and in sharp turns to prevent tipping or
loss of control. Always keep the tractor in low gear when going
down steep hills to take advantage of engine braking action. Choose
a low enough gear so that you will not have to stop or shift while
on the slope.
21. Stay alert for holes in terrain and other hidden hazards which may
cause the unit to tip over.
22. Use care when pulling loads or using heavy equipment.
A. Use only approved drawbar hitch points.
B. Limit loads to those you can safely control.
C. Do not turn sharply. Use care when backing.
D. Use counterweight(s) or wheel weights when suggested in
owner's manual.
23. Watch out for traffic when crossing or near roadways.
24. When using any attachments, never direct discharge of material
toward bystanders nor allow anyone near vehicle while in operation.
25. Handle gasoline with care. It is highly flammable.
A. Use approved gasoline container.
B. Never remove cap or add gasoline to a running or hot engine
or fill fuel tank indoors. Wipe up spilled gasoline. Always use
original type vented cap.
C. Open doors if engine is run in garage. Exhaust fumes are
dangerous. Do not run engine indoors.
26. Never store the machine with fuel in the fuel tank inside a building
where ignition sources are present, such as hot water and space
heaters, clothes dryers, and the like. Allow the engine to cool before
storing in any enclosure.
27. To reduce fire hazard, keep engine and cutting deck free of grass,
leaves or excessive grease.
28. Keep the vehicle and attachments in good operating condition,
and keep safety devices in place. Use guards as instructed in
operator's manual.
29. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment
is in safe working condition.
30. The vehicle and attachments should be stopped and inspected for
damage after striking a foreign object. The damage should be
repaired before restarting and operating the equipment.
31. Do not change the engine governor settings or overspeed the
engine.
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