MTD 760 Operator's Manual page 6

S ope Operat on DoNor
Slopesare a majorfactorrelatedto loss of controland 1. Do notturn on slopes unlessnecessary;then,turn
out mportant safety
instruct!onswhich, !f
not followed, could
endanger the personal
safety and!or property
I
of yourself and others,
Read and follow all
_nstruct!ons _nth_sman-
ual before attempting to
operate this machine
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Fa ure to compy wth
these instructions may
result in persona injury.
When you see this
i l
tip-overaccidentswhich can resultin severeinjury or
death.All slopesrequireextracaution.If you cannot
back up the slopeor if youfeel uneasyon it, do notmow
it.
Foryour safety,usethe slopegauge includedas partof
this manualto measureslopesbeforeoperatingthis unit
on a slopedor hillyarea.If the slopeis greaterthan 15
degreesas shownon the slopegauge,do notoperate
this unit on that area or serious injurycouldresult.
Do:
1. Mow up and downslopes,notacross.Exercise
extremecautionwhenchangingdirectionon slopes.
2. Watchfor holes, ruts,bumps,rocks,or other hidden
objects.Uneventerraincouldoverturnthe machine.
Tallgrasscan hide obstacles.
3. Use slow speed.Choosea low enoughspeed
settingso that youwill not haveto stop or shift while
on the slope.Tires may losetractionon slopeseven
thoughthe brakesare functioningproperly.Always
keepmachinein gear whengoingdownslopes to
take advantage of engine brakingaction.
4. Followthe manufacturer's recommendations for
wheelweightsor counterweights to improvestability.
5. Use extra carewith grasscatchersor otherat-
tachments. T hese canchangethe stabilityof the
machine.
6. Keepall movement o n theslopes slow and gradual.
Do not makesuddenchangesin speedor direction.
Rapidengagement o r brakingcouldcausethe front
of the machineto lift and rapidlyflip overbackwards
whichcouldcause seriousinjury.
7. Avoidstartingor stoppingon a slope.If tires lose
traction,disengagethe blade(s)and proceedslowly
straightdownthe slope.
slowlyand graduallydownhill,if possible.
2. Do not mownear drop-offs,ditchesor embankments.
The mowercouldsuddenlyturnoverif a wheel is over
the edgeof a cliff, ditch,or if an edge cavesin.
3. Do nottry to stabilizethe machineby puttingyourfoot
on the ground.
4. Do not usea grasscatcheron steep slopes.
5. Do not mowon wet grass.Reducedtractioncould
causesliding.
6. Do notshift to neutraland coastdownhill.Over-speed-
ing may causethe operatorto lose controlof the
machineresultingin seriousinjuryor death.
7. Do nottow heavypull behindattachments(e.g.loaded
dumpcart, lawnroller,etc.)on slopesgreaterthan
5 degrees.Whengoingdown hill,the extra weight
tendsto pushthetractorand maycauseyou to loose
control.(e.g. tractormayspeedup, brakingand steer-
ing ability are reduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeand
causetractorto overturn).
Towing:
1. Towonlywith a machinethat hasa hitchdesignedfor
towing.Do not attachtowedequipmentexceptat the
hitch point.
2. Followthe manufacturers recommendation for weight
limitsfor towedequipmentand towingon slopes.
3. Neverallowchildrenor othersin or on towedequip-
ment.
4. On slopes,theweight of thetowed equipmentmay
causeloss of tractionand loss of control.
5. Travelslowlyand allowextra distanceto stop.
6. Do notshift to neutraland coastdownhill.
symbol
l !
HEED ITS WARNING
l
l
Your
Responslbdaty
Restnct the use
of this powermachine
to persons wno reae,
andfollow the warn,ngs
instructions
in this manual
6