Safety Rules; Brake - Craftsman 917.254622 Owner's Manual

SAFETY R ULES
I. Know the controls and how to stop quickly. READ THIS
OPERA TOR S MANUAL and instructions furnished with
attachments.
2. Do not allow children to operate the machine. Do not
allow adults to operate it without proper instruction.
3. Do not carry passengers. Do not mow when children and
others are around.
24.
25.
26.
4. Always wear substantial footwear. Do not wear loose fit-
ting clothing that could get caught in moving parts.
5. Keep your eyes and mind on your tractor, mower and
the area being cut, Do not let other interests distract you.
6, Do not attempt to operate your tractor or mower when
not in the drivers seat.
7. Alwaysgetonoroffyourtractorfromtheoperator'sleft
hand side.
8. Clear the work area of objects (wire, rocks, etc.) which
might be picked up and thrown.
9, Disengage all attachment clutches before attempting to
start the engine.
27.
10. Disengage power to attachments and stop the engine
before leaving the operator's position. 28.
11. Disengagepowertomower, stoptheengine, anddiscon-
nect s_parkplug wire(s) from spark plug(s) before clean- 29.
ing, making an adjustment, or repair, be careful to avoid
touching hot muffler or engine components.
12, Disengage power to attachments when transporting or not
in use. 30.
13. Take all possible precautions when leaving the yah!de
unattended. Disengage the power-take-off , _ower the at-
tachments, shift into neutral, set the parking brake, stop 3 I.
the engine and remove the key.
14. Do not stop or start suddenly when going uphil! or
downhill. Mow up and down the face of slopes (not 32.
greater than 150); never across the face, Refer to page
15. Reducespeedonslopesandmaketurnsgraduallytopre-
vent tipping or loss of control. Exercise extreme caution 33.
when changing direction on slopes.
16 While going _p or down slopes, place Gear Shift Con-
trol Lever in 7st gear position to negotiate the slope
without stopping, 34.
!7, Never mow in wet or slippery grass, when traction is un-
sure or at a speed whichcoufd cause a skid. 35.
18. Stay alert for holes in the terrain and other hidden
hazards. Keep away from drop-offs.
19. Do not drive too close to creeks, ditches and public
highways.
20 Exercise spedal care when mowing araund fixed abjects 36.
in order to prevent the blades from striking them, Never
deliberately run tractor or mower into or over any foreign 37.
obiects.
21. Never shift gears until tractor comes to a stop.
22. Neverplacehandsorfeetunderthemower, indischarge
chute or near any moving ports while tractor or mower 38.
_ A_y_ clear of discharge chute.
23_ _re whe_j_uEb'_ ]_ads or using heavy equipment.
I a ._, U_nly_E_pl_p_ea_drowbar h;tch po;nts.
I JILL LOOK FOR THIS SYMBOL TO POINT OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
/k
IT MEANS-ATTENTION! BECOME ALERT! YOUR SAFETY IS INVOLVED,
CAUTION: LOOK FOR THIS WORD TO POINT OUT IMPORTANT EQUIPMENT PRECAUTIONS,
b. Limit loads to those you can safely control.
c. Do not turn sharply. Use care when backing.
d. Use counterweight or wheel weights when suggested
in the owner's manual.
Watch out for traffic when crossing or near roadways.
When using any attachments, never direct discharge of
material toward bystanders nor allow anyone near the
vehicle while in operation.
Handle gasoline "with care - it is highly flammable,
a, Use approved gasoline containers.
b. Never remove the fuel cap of the fuel tank or add
gasoline to a running or hot engine or an engine that
has not been allowed to cool for several minutes after
running. Never fill tank indoors. Always dean up
spilled'gasoline,
c. Open doors if the engine is run in the garage - ex-
haust fumes are dangerous. Do not run the engine
indoors.
Keep the vehicle and attachments in good operating con-
dition, and keep safety devices in place and wor'kin_l.
Keep all nuts, bolts and screws tight to be sure the equtp_
ment is in safe working condition.
Never store the equipment with gasoline in the tank in-
side a building where fumes may reach an open flame
or spark. Al!low the engine to cool before storing in any
enclosure.
To reduce fire hazard, keep the engine free o _grass,
leaves or excessive grease. Do not dean prod_ ct while
engine ts running
Except for adju/t_rl¢ _ J_O.,[qOT operate engine if air
cleaner or cover_j_i_t_O_r ctwbu_etor air intake is
removed, RemovcWof _pa_cou_ _e_flre hazard.
Do not operate without _-muffler_ tampe_with exhaust
system. Damaged mufflers or spor_ drte_te_ could create
a fire hazard. Inspect periodically and replace if
necessary.
The vehicle and attachments should be stopped and in-
spected for damage after striking a foreign object and
the damage should be repaired-before restarting and
operating the equipment.
Do not change the engine governor settings or overspeed
the engine; severe damage or injury may result.
When using the yah!de wl"thmower, proceed as follows;
a. Mow only in daylight or in good artificial light.
b. Shut the engine off when unclogging chute.
c. Check the blade mounting bohs Tor proper tightness
at frequent intervals.
Do not operate the mower without the deflector shield in
place.
Disengage power to mower before backing up. Do not
mow 7n ieverse unlessabsolutely necessary-an'd then on-
ly after careful observation of the entire area behind the
mower.
Under normal usage the grass catcher bag material is sub-
ject to deterioration andwear. It should'be checked fre-
quently for bag replacement. Replacement bags should
be checked to ensure compliance with the original
manufacturer's recommendations or specifications.
I
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I THIS UNIT IS EQUIPPED WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND SHOULD NOT BE USED I
ON OR NEAR ANY UNIMPROVED FOREST COVERED, BRUSH COVERED, OR GRASS COVERED |
LAND UNLESS THE ENGINE S EXHAUST SYSTEM IS EQUIPPED WITH A SPARK ARRESTER MEET- I
ING APPLICABLE LOCAL OR STATE LAWS (IF ANY). IF A SPARK ARRESTER IS USED, IT SHOULD |
BE MAINTAINED I,N EFFECTIVE WORKING ORDER BY THE OPERATOR. !
In the State of California the above is required by law (Section 4442 of the California Public Resources Code), Other
states may have similar laws, Federal laws apply on federal lands. Refer to the Repair Parts Section, page 32.