MTD 770 series Operator's Manual page 4

23.
24.
12. Amissing ordamaged discharge cover can cause blade
contact orthrown o bject injuries.
13. Stop t heblade(s) when crossing gravel drives, walks, or
roads a nd while notcutting g rass.
14. Watch fortraffic w hen operating near o rcrossing
roadways. This m achine isnot i ntended foruse onany
public r oadway.
15. Donotoperate themachine while under theinfluence of
alcohol ordrugs.
16. Mow only indaylight orgood artificial light.
17. Never carry p assengers.
18. Disengage blade(s) before s hifting i ntoreverse. Back u p
slowly. Always look down a nd behind b efore a nd while
backing toavoid a back-over accident.
19. Slow down before turning. Operate themachine smoothly.
Avoid e rratic operation and excessive speed.
20. Disengage blade(s), set p arking brake, stop engine and wait
until t heblade(s) come t oacomplete stop before r emoving
grass catcher, emptying grass, unclogging chute, removing
any grass ordebris, ormaking any adjustments.
21. Never leave a running m achine unattended. Always turn
offblade(s), place t ransmission inneutral, set p arking
brake, stop engine and remove key before d ismounting.
22. Use extra c are when l oading o runloading themachine into
atrailer ortruck. This machine should n otbedriven u por
down ramp(s), because themachine could t ipover, causing
serious personal injury. The machine must bepushed
manually onramp(s) toload orunload p roperly.
Muffler and engine b ecome hot a nd can cause aburn. Do
nottouch.
25.
26.
Check overhead clearances carefully before driving u nder
lowhanging tree branches, wires, door o penings etc.,
where t he operator may bestruck o rpulled f rom the
machine, which c ould result inserious injury.
Disengage allattachment clutches, depress thebrake
pedal completely and shift i ntoneutral before attempting
tostart e ngine.
Your machine isdesigned tocutnormal residential grass of
aheight nomore than 10". Donot a ttempt tomow through
unusually tall, d ry grass (e.g., pasture) orpiles o fdryleaves.
Dry grass orleaves may contact theengine exhaust and/
orbuild uponthemower deck p resenting apotential fire
hazard.
27. Use only accessories and attachments approved forthis
machine bythemachine manufacturer. Read, understand
and follow all i nstructions provided withthe approved
accessory orattachment.
28. Data indicates thatoperators, age 60years and above, are
involved inalarge p ercentage ofriding mower-related
injuries. These operators should e valuate their a bility
tooperate theriding mower safely enough toprotect
themselves and others from serious injury.
29. Ifsituations occur which a re notcovered inthis manual, use
care and good judgment. Contact your c ustomer service
representative forassistance.
Slope Operation
Slopes are a major factor related to loss of control and tip-over
accidents which can result in severe injury or death. All slopes
require extra caution. If you cannot back up the slope or if you
feel uneasy on it, do not mow it.
For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this
manual to measure slopes before operating this machine on
a sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees as
shown on the slope gauge, do not operate this machine on that
area or serious injury could result.
Do:
1. Mow up and down slopes, not across. Exercise extreme
caution when changing direction on slopes.
2. Watch for holes, ruts, bumps, rocks, or other hidden
objects. Uneven terrain could overturn the machine. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.
3. Use slow speed. Choose a low enough speed setting so
that you will not have to stop or shift while on the slope.
Tires may lose traction on slopes even though the brakes
are functioning properly. Always keep machine in gear
when going down slopes to take advantage of engine
braking action.
4. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for wheel
weights or counterweights to improve stability.
5. Use extra care with grass catchers or other attachments.
These can change the stability of the machine.
6. Keep all movement on the slopes slow and gradual. Do
not make sudden changes in speed or direction. Rapid
engagement or braking could cause the front of the
machine to lift and rapidly flip over backwards which could
cause serious injury.
7. Avoid starting or stopping on a slope. If tires lose traction,
disengage the blade(s) and proceed slowly straight down
the slope.
Do Not:
1. Do not turn on slopes unless necessary; then, turn slowly
and gradually downhill, if possible.
2. Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments. The
mower could suddenly turn over if a wheel is over the edge
of a cliff, ditch, or if an edge caves in.
3. Do not try to stabilize the machine by putting your foot on
the ground.
4. Do not use a grass catcher on steep slopes.
5. Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced traction could cause
sliding.
6. Do not shift to neutral and coast downhill. Over-speeding
may cause the operator to lose control of the machine
resulting in serious injury or death.
7. Do not tow heavy pull behind attachments (e.g. loaded
dump cart, lawn roller, etc.) on slopes greater than 5
degrees. When going down hill, the extra weight tends
to push the tractor and may cause you to loose control
(e.g. tractor may speed up, braking and steering ability are
reduced, attachment may jack-knife and cause tractor to
overturn).
4, I
SECTION 2
-- IMPORTANT SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES