Yard-Man 970 Series Owner's Manual page 4

• Never operate the mower in wet grass. Aways be
sure of your footing. A slip and fail can caus_ serious
personal injury. Keep a firm hold on the h_ ndle and
walk, never run. If you feel you are Io,_ing your
footing, RELEASE THE BLADE CONTROL -{ANDLE
IMMEDIATELY and the blade wilI stop rotat ng within
three seconds.
• Mow only in daylight or good artificial light.
• Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or
roads.
o if the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally,
stop the engine and check immediately for the
cause. Vibration is generally a warning of tro Jble.
• Shut the engine off and wait until the blade ;omes to
a complete stop before removing the gras:_ catcher
or unclogging the chute. The cutting blade +:ontinues
to rotate for a few seconds after the engin_ is shut
off. Never place any part of the body in tie blade
area until you are sure the blade has stopped
rotating.
• Never operate mower without proper guards, grass
catcher, plates or other safety protective d)vices in
place.
• Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a
burn. Do not touch.
• Only use accessories approved for this m_chine by
the manufacturer. Read, understand, and 'ellow all
instructions provided with the approved acce _sory.
• If situations occur which are not oovere J in this
manual, use care end good judgment. Cortact your
dealer for assistance. Telephone 1-800-300-7310
for the name of your nearest dealer.
2, SLOPE OPERATION
For your safety, use the slope gauge included as p ]rt of this
manual to measure slopes before operating this mit on a
sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 1_ degrees
as shown on the slope gauge, do not operate this unit on
that area or serious injury could result.
DO:
• Mow across the face of slopes; never up aid down
Exercise extreme caution when changing direction
on slopes.
• Watch for holes, ruts, hidden objects, or bu'nps. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.
• Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can
cause serious personal injury. If you fee you are
losing your balance release the blade contr 3I handle
immediately and the blade will stop in le,'s than 3
seconds.
DO NOT:
• Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or emb_ nkments.
The operator could lose footing or balance.
• Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as
shown on the slope gauge.
• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced footing could
cause slipping.
3. CHILDREN
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the
presence of children. Children are often attracted to the
mower and the mowing activity. Never assume that children
will remain where you last saw them.
• Keep children out of the mowing area and under the
watchful care of a responsible adult other than the
operator.
• Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the area.
Before and while moving backwards, look behind
and down for small children or other objects.
Never allow children under age 14 to operate the
mower. Children 14 years of age and above should
read and understand the operation instructions and
safety rules in this manual
Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,
shrubs, trees, or other objects that may obscure your
vision of a child or hazard.
4. SERVICE
Use extreme care in handling gasoline and other
fuels. They are extremeIy flammable and the vapors
are explosive.
Use only an approved gasoline container.
Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is
running. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes
before refueling.
Replace gasoline cap securely and wipe off any
spilled gasoline before starting the engine as it may
cause a fire or explosion.
Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other
sources of ignition.
Never refuel machine indoors because flammable
vapors will accumulate in the area.
Never store the machine or fuel container inside
where there is an open flame or spark such as a gas
water heater, space heater, or furnace.
Never run an engine inside a closed area.
To reduce fire hazard, keep mower free of grass,
leaves, or other debris build-up. Clean up oil or fuel
spillage. Allow mower to cool at least 5 minutes
before storing.
Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make
certain the blade and all moving parts have stopped.
Disconnect the spark plug wire, and keep the wire
away from the spark plug to prevent accidental
starting.
Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at
frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually
inspect blade for damage (e.g., bent, cracked or
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