MTD 500 Series Operator's Manual page 4

you cannot beck u paslope o r
feel uneasy on it, do
not mow it.
For your safety, use the slope gauge includedas
part of thismanual to measure slopesbefore
operatingthisunit ona sloped or hillyarea, If the
slope is grealer than 15° as shownon the slope
gauge, do not operate thisuniton thatarea or
seriousinjurycouldresult.
Mow up and down slopes, notacross.
Remove obstacles such as rocks,limbs, etc.
Watch for holes, ruts or bumps.Uneven terrain
couldoverturnthe machine. Tall grasscan hide
obstacles.
Use slowspeed. Choosea low enoughgear so that
you willnot have to stopor shiftwhile on the slope.
Always keep machinein gear when goingdown
slopes to take advantage of engine braking action.
Followthe manufacturer's recommendations for
wheelweights or counterweightsto improve
stability.
Use extra care with grass catchersor other
attachments.These can change the stabilityof the
machine,
Keep all movement on the slopes slowand gradual.
Do not make sudden changes in speed or direction.
Rapid engagement or braking could cause the front
of the machine to lift and rapidlyflip over backwards
whichcould cause sedous injury.
Avoid startingor stopping on a slope. If tires lose
traction,disengage the blede(s) and proceed slowly
straightdown the slope.
DoNot:
Do notturn on slopes unlessnecessary;then, rum
slowly and graduallydownhill,if possible.
Do not mow near drop-offs,ditches or
embankments. The mower could suddenlyturn over
if a wheel is over the edge of a cliffor ditch,or if an
edge caves in.
Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced tractioncould
cause sliding.
Do not tryto stabilizethe machine byputtingyour
foot on the ground.
Do notuse grass catcher on steep slopes.
Children
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to
the presence of children. Children are often attracted to
the machine and the mowing activity. Never assume
that children will remain where you last saw them.
Keep childrenout of the mowingarea and in
watchful care of an adult other than the operator.
Be alert and turn machine off if childrenenter the
area.
• Before and when backing, look behindand down for
small children.
Never carry children,even with the blades off.They
may fall off and be seriouslyinjured or interferewith
the safe machine operation.
Never allow children under 14 years old to operate
the machine.Children 14 years and over should
onlyoperate machine under closeparental
supervisionand properinstruction,
Use extra care when approachingblind comers,
shrubs,trees or other objects that may obscure your
visionof a childor other hazard,
Remove key when machineis unattended to
preventunauthorizedoperation.
Service
Useextreme care in handlinggasoline and other
fuels. They are extremelyflammable and the vapors
are explosive.
Use onlyan approvedcontainer.
Never remove fuel cap or add fuel with the engine
running, Allow engine to coolat leasttwo minutes
before refueling.
Replace fuel cap securelyand wipe offany spilled
fuel beforestarling the engine as rt may cause a fire
or explosion.
Extinguish all cigarettes,cigars, pipes and other
sources of ignition.
Neverrefuel the machine indoorsbecause fuel
vaporswill accumulate in the area.
Neverstore the fuel container or machine inside
where there is an open flame or spark, such as a
gas hotwater heater,space heater or furnace.
Never runa machineinside a closedarea.
To reducefire hazard, keep the machinefree of
grass, leaves or other debris build-up.Clean up oil
or fuel spiJlage.Allowmachine to coolat least 5
minutesbatore storing.
Beforecleaning, repeiringor inspecting,make
certainthe blade and all movingparts have
stopped. Disconnect the sparkplug wire, andkeep
the wtreaway from the spark plugto prevent
accidental starting.
Ghec_the blade and engine mountingbolts at
frequent inter_alsfor propertightness.A_so,visually
inspectblade for damage (e.g., excessive wear,
bent, cracked). Replace with blade whichmeets
originalequipmentspecifications.
Keep all nuts, bolts and screws tightto be sore the
equipmentis in safe workingcondition.
Never tamper with safety devices. Check their
properoperation regularly, Use all guards as
instructedin this manual.
Afterstriking a foreignobject, stop the engine,
remove the wire from the spark plugand thoroughly
inspectthe mower lot any damage. Repair the
damage before restartingand operatingthe mower,
Grass catcher components are subjectto wear,
damage and deterioration,which could expose
movingpartsor allow objectsto be thrown. For your
safety protection,frequently check componentsand
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