MTD 550 Series Operator's Manual page 4

b. Never fillcontainers inside a vehicle oronatruck
ortrailer b ed withaplastic l iner. Always place
containers ontheground a way f rom your v ehicle
before filling.
c. Remove gas-powered equipment from thetruck
ortrailer a nd refuel itontheground. Ifthis isnot
possible, then refuel such e quipment onatrailer
with aportable container, rather than from a
gasoline dispenser nozzle.
d. Keep t henozzle incontact withtherim ofthe fuel
tank orcontainer opening atalltimes u ntil f ueling i s
complete. Donotuse anozzle lock-open device.
e. Extinguish all c igarettes, cigars, pipes a nd other
sources ofignition.
f. Never fuel m achine indoors because flammable
vapors will a ccumulate inthe area.
g. Never remove gas cap oradd fuel w hile engine i s
hotorrunning. Allow engine tocool atleast two
minutes before r efueling.
h. Never over f illfuel t ank. Fill t ank tonomore than 1/2
inch below bottom offiller n eck t oprovide forfuel
expansion.
i. Replace gasoline cap and tighten s ecurely.
j. Ifgasoline isspilled, wipe itoffthe engine and
equipment. Move m achine toanother area. Wait 5
minutes before starting e ngine.
k. Never store t hemachine orfuel c ontainer near an
open f lame, spark orpilotlight a s onawater heater,
space heater, furnace, clothes dryer orother gas
appliances.
I. Toreduce firehazard, keep lawn e dger free ofgrass,
leaves, orother debris b uild-up. Clean u poilorfuel
spillage and remove any fuel s oaked debris.
m. Allow alawn e dger tocool atleast five (5) minutes
before s toring..
Operation
1. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts. Contact with
the rotating blade can amputate hands and feet.
2. The blade control handle is a safety device. Never bypass
its operation. Doing so, makes the machine unsafe and
may cause personal injury.
3. Never operate without blade guard, debris shield and
blade control handle in place and working.
4. Never operate with damaged safety devices. Failure to do
so, can result in personal injury.
5. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ventilated area.
Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an odorless
and deadly gas.
6. Do not operate machine while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs.
7.
8.
Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn.
Do not touch.
Never operate this machine without good visibility or
light. Always be sure of your footing and keep a firm
hold on the handles. Walk, never run.
9. Do not operate this machine if it has been dropped or
damaged. Return machine to your nearest authorized
servicing dealer for examination and repair.
10. Do not operate this machine with a damaged or
excessively worn cutting blade.
11. Never attempt to clear material from the blade guard
while the engine is running. Shut the engine off,
disconnect the spark plug wire and ground against
the engine to prevent unintended starting.
12. Do not overload machine capacity by attempting to
edge at too fast of a rate.
13. Stay alert for uneven sidewalks, terrain etc. Always
push slowly over rough surfaces. Do not use this
machine on gravel surfaces.
14. Do not operate machine in rain or wet soil conditions.
15. Always operate machine from behind the handles
and position yourself where the direct line of sight to
cutting blade is blocked by guards.
16. Always stop engine when edging or trimming is
delayed or when transporting machine from one
location to another.
17. Never leave a running machine unattended. Stop
the engine, disconnect spark plug wire and ground
against the engine to prevent unintended starting.
18. Only use parts and accessories made for this machine
by the manufacturer. Failure to do so, can result in
personal injury.
19. If situations occur which are not covered in this
manual, use care and good judgment. Contact
Customer Support for assistance or the name of your
nearest service dealer.
Children
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the
presence of children. Children are often attracted to power
equipment such as lawn edgers. They do not understand
the dangers. Never assume that children will remain where
you last saw them.
1. Keep children out of the edging area and under
watchful care of a responsible adult other than the
operator.
Be alert and turn lawn edger off if a child enters the
a rea.
2.
3.
4.
Before and while moving backwards, look behind and
down for small children.
Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,
doorways, shrubs, trees, or other objects that may
obscure your vision of a child who may run into the
lawn edger.
4 I SECTION 2 -- IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES