MTD 12A-445E755 Operator's Manual page 4

8. Never o perate themower i nwetgrass. A lways be
sureofyourfooting. A slipandfallcancause
serious personal injury.Ifyoufeelyouarelosing
yourfooting, r elease thebladecontrol handle
immediately andtheblade willstoprotating within
threeseconds.
9. Mowindaylight orgoodartificial light.Walk, n ever
run.Stoptheblade whencrossing g ravel d rives,
walkways o rroads.
10.Iftheequipment should start t ovibrate abnormally,
stoptheengine andcheck immediately forthe
cause. V ibration isgenerally a warning oftrouble.
11.Shuttheengine offandwaituntil t hebladecomes
toa complete s topbefore removing t hegrass
catcher o runclogging t hechute. T hecutting blade
continues t orotate fora fewseconds afterthe
engine is shutoff.Never p laceanypartofthebody
inthebladeareauntilyouaresurethebladehas
stopped rotating.
12.Never o perate mower w ithout p roper t rail shield,
discharge c over, g rasscatcher, bladecontrol
handle orothersafetyprotective d evices inplace
andworking. N ever o perate mower w ithdamaged
safety devices. Failure todoso,canresult i n
personal injury.
13.Muffler a ndengine become hotandcancause a
burn. D onottouch.
14.Onlyusepartsandaccessories made forthis
machine bytheoriginal e quipment manufacturer
(O.E.M). Failure to dosocancause personal injury.
15.If situations o ccurwhich arenotcovered inthis
manual, usecareandgood judgment. Contact your
dealer f orassistance. Telephone 1 -800-800-7310
forthename ofyournearest d ealer.
SlopeOperation
Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall
accidents which can result in severe injury. Operation
on slopes requires extra caution. If you feel uneasy on a
slope, do not mow it. Before operating this unit on a
slope or hilly area, use the slope gauge on page 6 to
measure slopes. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees,
do not mow it.
Do:
1.
,
,
Mow across the face of slopes; never up and down.
Exercise extreme caution when changing direction
on slopes.
Watch for holes, ruts, rocks, hidden objects, or
bumps which can cause you to slip or trip. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.
Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can
cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are
losing your balance, release the blade control
handle immediately, and the blade will stop rotating
within 3 seconds.
Do Not:
1. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or
embankments, you could lose your footing or
balance.
2. Do not mow slopes greater than 15 degrees as
shown on the slope gauge.
3. Do not mow on wet grass. Unstable footing could
cause slipping.
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. They do not
understand the dangers. Never assume that children
will remain where you last saw them.
1. Keep children out of the mowing area and under
the watchful care of a responsible adult other than
the operator.
2. Be alert and turn mower off if a child enters the
area.
3. Before and while moving backwards, look behind
and down for small children.
4. 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
mower.
5. Keep children away from hot or running engines.
They can suffer burns from a hot muffler.
6. Never allow children under 14 years old to operate
a power mower. Children 14 years old and over
should read and understand the operation
instructions and safety rules in this manual and
should be trained and supervised by a parent.
Service
Safe Handlingof Gasoline
1. To avoid personal injury or property damage use
extreme care in handling gasoline. Gasoline is
extremely flammable and the vapors are explosive.
Serious personal injury can occur when gasoline is
spilled on yourself or your clothes which can ignite.
2. Wash your skin and change clothes immediately.
3. Use only an approved gasoline container.
4. Never fill containers inside a vehicle or on a truck or
trailer bed with a plastic liner. Always place
containers on the ground away from your vehicle
before filling.
5. If possible, remove gas-powered equipment from
the truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If this
is not possible, then refuel such equipment on a
trailer with a portable container, rather than from a
gasoline dispenser nozzle.
6. Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel
tank or container opening at all times until fueling is
complete. Do not use a nozzle lock-open device.