Honda HRC7018 Owner's Manual page 33

OPERATING THE MOWER
I
1.
Pull the blade control lever to OFF. (The mower should not
be started without either the entire grass catcher or the guard
in place.)
2. Pull both forward speed control levers to NEUTRAL.
The safety interlock system will prevent the engine from
starting if the blade control is ON or if the forward speed
controls are not in neutral. (Do not attempt to disconnect or
modify the safety interlock system.)
3. Squeeze both direction control levers to their neutral position
and apply the neutral locks by pulling them back with your
thumbs.
4.
Be sure both pump bypass valves are closed.
5. Open the fuel valve.
6. To start a cold engine, pull the choke knob up fully and move
the throttle to FAST.
To restart a warm engine, move the throttle lever to the
FAST position, but leave the choke knob fully down.
7. Turn the key ON. For electric-start models, turn the key past
ON to START to engage the starter. For recoil-start models,
pull the rope.
8. As the engine warms up, move the choke knob down. For
best engine performance, the choke should be off (fully
down) as soon as the engine will run smoothly.
Using the Direction Controls
The direction control levers allow you to control the speed
and direction of the mower.
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