Safe Operation Practices - MTD 19A30002000 Operator's Manual

Important Safe Operation Practices
WARNING!
could endanger the personal safety and/or property of yourself and others. Read and follow
all instructions in this manual before attempting to operate this machine. Failure to comply
with these instructions may result in personal injury.
When you see this symbol. HEED ITS WARNING!
DANGER! This attachment was built to be used according to the safe operation practices in
this manual. Carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury.
Mowers are capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects. Failure to observe
the following safety instructions as well as the instructions provided with your mower, could
result in serious injury or death.
General Operation
1. Read, understand, and follow all instructions on your
equipment and in their manuals before attempting to
assemble and operate. Keep this manual in a safe place for
future and regular reference and for ordering replacement
parts.
2. To help avoid blade contact or a thrown object injury, keep
bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from
the mower while it is in operation. Stop machine if anyone
enters the area.
3. Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is to be
used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones, toys, and other
foreign objects which could be picked up and thrown by
the blade(s). Thrown objects can cause serious personal
injury.
4. Always wear safety glasses or safety goggles during
operation and while performing an adjustment or repair
to protect your eyes. Thrown objects which ricochet can
cause serious injury to the eyes.
5. Do not operate the mower without the discharge cover
or entire grass catcher in its proper place. A missing
or damaged discharge cover or grass bag attachment
component may result in thrown objects or blade contact
injuries.
6. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under the
cutting deck. Contact with the blade(s) can amputate
hands and feet.
7. Shut off mower's engine and wait for blades to come to
a complete stop before unclogging mower's discharge
opening or bagger parts.
8. Slow down before turning. Operate the machine smoothly.
Avoid erratic operation and excessive speed. Be aware
that a grass catcher attachment can affect the handling
characteristics of your mower.
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This symbol points out important safety instructions which, if not followed,
9. Disengage blade(s), set parking brake, stop engine and wait
until the blade(s) come to a complete stop before opening
bagger attachment's top cover, removing grass catcher,
emptying grass, unclogging chute, removing any grass or
debris, or making any adjustments.
10. Never leave a running machine unattended. Always turn
off blade(s), place transmission in neutral, set parking
brake, stop engine and remove key before dismounting.
11. Your machine is designed to cut normal residential grass of
a height no more than 10". Do not attempt to mow through
unusually tall, dry grass (e.g., pasture) or piles of dry leaves.
Dry grass or leaves may contact the engine exhaust and/
or build up on the mower deck presenting a potential fire
hazard.
12. If situations occur which are not covered in this manual, use
care and good judgment. Contact your customer service
representative for assistance.
Slope Operation
Slopes are a major factor related to loss of control and tip-over
accidents which can result in severe injury or death. Attachments
can also affect the stability of the machine. All slopes require
extra caution.
For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this
manual to estimate the angle of slopes before operating this
machine on a sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 10
degrees as shown on the slope gauge, do not operate the mower
with the grass bag attachment installed on that area or serious
injury could result.
Do:
1. Mow up and down slopes, not across. Exercise extreme
caution when changing direction on slopes.
2. Watch for holes, ruts, bumps, rocks, or other hidden
objects. Uneven terrain could overturn the machine. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.
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