Safety Instructions; General Operation; Slope Operation - Craftsman 247.240193 Operator's Manual

This symbol points out
i mportant s afety instructions w hich,if not
followed, could endangerthe personalsafetyand/orproperty of
yourself a ndothers. Read andfollow all instructions i n this manual
beforeattempting to operate this machine.Failureto complywith these
instructions m ay resultin personalinjury.Whenyouseethis symbol,HEED
ITSWARNING!
CALiFORNiA PROPOSITION 65
Engine Exhaust, someof itsconstituents, andcertain vehicle components
contain or emit chemicalsknownto Stateof California to causecancerand
birth defectsor other reproductiveharm.
Battery posts, t erminals, a nd relatedaccessories contain leadand lead
compounds, c hemicalsknownto the Stateof California tocausecancerand
reproductive harm.Washhandsafter handling.
Thismachinewasbuilt to beoperatedaccording t o the safeoperation
practicesin this manual.Aswith anytype of powerequipment,
carelessness o r error on the part of the operatorcanresultin seriousinjury.
Thismachineiscapableof amputating fingers, hands, t oesandfeet and
throwing debris. Failureto observethe following safety instructions c ould
resultin seriousinjuryor death.
Your Responsibility--Restrict the useof this powermachineto
persons w ho read,understandandfollow the warningsand instructions i n
thismanualandon the machine.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
GENERAL OPERATION
Read, u nderstand, andfollowall instructions onyourequipment a ndintheir
manuals before attemptingto assemble andoperate.Keep thismanual i n
asafeplaceforfutureandregularreference a ndfor orderingreplacement
parts.
Tohelpavoidbladecontact o r a thrownobjectinjury,keepbystanders,
helpers, c hildrenandpetsat least75feetfrom the mowerwhileit isin
operation. S topmachine if anyone entersthe area.
Thoroughly inspectthe areawherethe equipmentisto beused.Remove
all stones, s ticks,wire, bones, t oys,andotherforeignobjectswhichcould
bepickedupandthrownbythe blade(s). Thrown objectscancause serious
personal i njury.
Always wearsafetyglasses o r safetygoggles duringoperationandwhile
performinganadjustment o r repairto protectyoureyes. T hrown objects
whichricochetcancause serious injury to the eyes.
Donot operate the mowerwithoutthe discharge c overor entiregrass
catcher i n itsproperplace. A missing or damaged discharge c overor grass
bagattachment c omponent m ayresultin thrownobjectsor bladecontact
injuries.
Donot put hands or feetnearrotatingpartsor underthe cuttingdeck.
Contact w ith the blade(s) c anamputatehands andfeet.
Shutoff mower'sengineandwait forblades to cometo acompletestop
beforeunclogging mower'sdischarge openingor bagger p arts.
Slowdown before turning.Operate the machine smoothly. A voiderratic
operation andexcessive s peed. B eawarethata grass catcher a ttachment c an
affectthe handlingcharacteristics ofyourmower.
Disengage b lade(s), setparkingbrake,stopengineandwaituntil the
blade(s) c ometo a complete stopbeforeopeningbagger a ttachment's top
cover, r emovinggrass catcher, e mptyinggrass, u nclogging chute,removing
anygrassor debris, o r makinganyadjustments.
Neverleave a runningmachine unattended. A lwaysturn off blade(s), place
transmission i n neutral,setparkingbrake,stopengineandremove key
beforedismounting.
Yourmachine isdesigned to cut normalresidential g rass of aheightno more
than 10".Donot attemptto mowthroughunusually tall, drygrass(e.g.,
pasture)or pilesofdry leaves. D rygrassor leaves maycontactthe engine
exhaust a nd/orbuildup onthe mowerdeckpresenting a potential f ire
hazard.
Ifsituations occurwhicharenot covered inthismanual, u secareandgood
judgment.
SLOPE OPERATION
Slopes a rea majorfactorrelatedto lossofcontrolandtip-overaccidents w hichcan
resultinsevere injuryor death.Allslopes requireextracaution.Ifyoucannotback
upthe slopeor if youfeel uneasy on it,do not mowit.
Foryoursafety,usethe Slope Guideincluded aspart ofthismanual t o measure
slopes beforeoperatingthismachine on aslopedor hilly area.Ifthe slopeis greater
than 10degrees asshownonthe SlopeGuide, d o notoperatethismachine on that
areaor serious injurycouldresult.
Do;
Mow upanddownslopes, n ot across. E xercise e xtremecautionwhen
changingdirectionon slopes.
Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks, o r otherhiddenobjects.Uneven terrain
couldoverturnthe machine. T allgrasscanhideobstacles.
Use slowspeed. C hoose alow enough speed settingsothatyouwill not have
to stopor shift whileon the slope.Tires maylosetractiononslopes even
thoughthe brakes arefunctioningproperly. A lways keepmachine ingear
whengoingdownslopes to takeadvantage of enginebrakingaction.
Follow the manufacturer's r ecommendations forwheelweightsor
counterweights t o improvestability.