Ardisam GARDEN STAR 5020D Operator's Manual page 5

OPERATION SAFETY
Preparation
• Dress appropriately when operating the tiller. Always wear sturdy
footwear. Never wear sandals, sneakers, or open shoes, and never
operate the tiller in bare feet. Do not wear loose clothing that
might get caught in moving parts.
• Carefully inspect the area to be tilled. Do not till above
underground water lines, gas lines, electric cables, or pipes. Do
not operate the tiller in soil with large rocks and foreign objects
which can damage the equipment.
Operation
• Never operate the tiller without guards, covers, and hoods in place.
• Never start the engine or operate the tiller with the wheels in the
free wheel position. Make sure the wheel lockout butterflies are
engaged through wheel hubs and wheel axle. The wheels act as
brakes to keep the tiller at a controlled speed. Disengage wheel
lockout butterflies to permit free wheeling only when engine is
stopped.
• Keep feet, hands, and clothing away from rotating tines.
• Tines and wheels rotate when tiller is engaged in forward or
reverse-- in forward, tines and wheels rotate when the shift lever
rod is pushed forward; in reverse, tines and wheels rotate when the
shift lever rod is pulled to the rear. Releasing the shift lever rod to
its neutral position stops the tines and wheels.
• Be extremely cautious when operating in reverse. Take extra care
to avoid slipping or falling, and to keep feet clear of tines.
• If vegetation clogs the tines, raise the handlebars to elevate the
tines, and run the tiller in reverse. If this does not clean clogged
vegetation from the tines, STOP THE ENGINE AND
DISCONNECT THE SPARK PLUG WIRE before removing
vegetation by hand.
• Engine muffler may be hot from operation. Do not touch it with
bare skin or a severe burn may result.
• Always stop the engine when the tiller is unattended.
• Always leave the shift lever rod in neutral when engine is not
running.
Maintenance and storage
• To prevent accidental starting, always disconnect the spark plug
wire from the spark plug before performing tiller maintenance.
• Never run the engine indoors. Exhaust fumes are deadly.
• Always allow muffler to cool before filling fuel tank.
• Never store equipment with gasoline in the tank inside a closed
building where fumes may reach an open flame or spark. Allow
the engine to cool before storing in any building.
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ARDISAM