MTD 551 Operator's Manual page 4

4. Never o perate withdamaged s afety devices.
Failure todoso,canresult i npersonal injury.
5. Never r unanengine indoors orina poorly
ventilated a rea. E ngine exhaust c ontains carbon
monoxide, anodorless anddeadly gas.
6. Donotoperate machine w hileunder t heinfluence
ofalcohol or drugs.
7. Muffler a ndengine become hotandcancause a
burn. D onottouch.
8. Never o perate thismachine without g oodvisibility
orlight. A lways besureofyourfooting andkeep a
firmholdonthehandles. Walk, n everrun.
9. Donotoperate thismachine ifithasbeen dropped
ordamaged. Return machine toyournearest
authorized servicing dealer f orexamination and
repair.
10.Donotoperate thismachine w ithadamaged o r
excessively worncutting blade.
11.Never a ttempt toclearmaterial fromtheblade
guard whiletheengine is running. S hut t heengine
off,disconnect thesparkplugwireandground
against theengine toprevent unintended s tarting.
12.Donotoverload machine capacity b yattempting t o
edge attoofastofa rate.
13.Stayalertforuneven sidewalks, terrain etc.Always
pushslowly overrough surfaces. Donotusethis
machine ongravel s urfaces.
14.Donotoperate machine inrainorwetsoil
conditions.
15.Always operate machine frombehind thehandles
andposition yourself w here thedirect l ineofsight
tocutting bladeis blocked byguards.
16.Always stopengine whenedging ortrimming is
delayed orwhen transporting m achine f romone
location toanother.
17.Never l eave a running machine unattended. Stop
theengine, d isconnect sparkplugwireandground
against theengine toprevent unintended s tarting.
18. Only useparts andaccessories made forthis
machine bythemanufacturer. Failure todoso,can
result i n personal injury.
19. Ifsituations o ccur w hicharenotcovered inthis
manual, usecareandgood judgment. Contact an
authorized
M TD service dealer or telephone 1-800-
800-7310.
MAINTENANCE A NDSTORAGE
1. Never tamper with safety devices. Check their
proper operation regularly.
2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting,
disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against
the engine to prevent unintended starting.
3. Check bolts, and screws for proper tightness at
frequent intervals to keep the machine in safe
working condition. Also, visually inspect machine
for any damage.
4. Do not change the engine governor setting or over-
speed the engine. The governor controls the
maximum safe operating speed of the engine.
5. The blade, blade guard and debris shield are
subject to wear and damage. For your safety
protection, frequently check all components and
replace with original equipment manufacturer's
(O.E.M.) parts only. "Use of parts which do not
meet the original equipment specifications may
lead to improper performance and compromise
safety!"
6. Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as
necessary.
7. Observe proper disposal laws and regulations for
gas, oil, etc. to protect the environment.
8. Never store the machine or fuel container inside
where there is an open flame, spark or pilot light
such as a water heater, furnace,clothes dryer etc.
9. Always refer to the operator's manual for proper
instructions on off-season storage.
,_ WARNING: YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Restrict the use of this power machine to persons who read, understand and follow the warnings
and instructions in this manual and on the machine.
I:| !_'1 =] ::1•
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Figure 1
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