Use and Care Manual

4 se c t i O n 2 — iM p O r t a n t sa f e Op e r a t i O n pr a c t i c e s
Dress properly – Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. 10.
They can be caught in moving parts. Wear sturdy, rough-
soled work shoes and close-fitting slacks and shirts. Shirts
and pants that cover the arms and legs, rubber gloves, and
rubber soled steel-toed shoes are recommended. Never
operate this machine in bare feet, sandals, slippery or light
weight (e.g. canvas) shoes. Always use face or dust mask if
operation is dusty.
Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts or under 11.
cutting deck. Contact with blade can amputate hands and
feet.
A missing or damaged discharge chute can cause blade 12.
contact or thrown object injuries.
Many injuries occur as a result of the mower being pulled 13.
over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or tripping.
Do not hold on to the mower if you are falling; release the
handle immediately.
Never pull the mower back toward you while you are 14.
walking. If you must back the mower away from a wall or
obstruction first look down and behind to avoid tripping
and then follow these steps:
Step back from mower to fully extend your arms.a.
Be sure you are well balanced with sure footing.b.
Pull the mower back slowly, no more than half way c.
toward you.
Repeat these steps as needed.d.
Do not operate the mower while under the influence of 15.
alcohol or drugs.
Stay alert — Watch what you are doing. Use common 16.
sense. Do not operate lawn mower when you are tired.
The motor/blade control handle is a safety device. Never 17.
attempt to bypass its operation. Doing so makes the
safety device inoperative and may result in personal injury
through contact with the rotating blade. The motor/blade
control handle must operate easily in both directions and
automatically return to the disengaged position when
released.
Never operate the mower in the rain or in damp or wet 18.
grass. Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can
cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are losing
your footing, release the motor/blade control handle
immediately and the blade will stop rotating within three
seconds.
Mow only in daylight or good artificial light. Walk, never 19.
run. Don’t force the lawn mower - It will do the job better
and safer at the rate for which it was designed.
Stop the motor/blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or 20.
roads.
If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop 21.
the motor and check immediately for the cause. Vibration
is generally a warning of trouble.
Shut the motor off and wait until the blade comes to 22.
a complete stop before removing the grass catcher or
unclogging the chute. The cutting blade continues to
rotate for a few seconds after the motor is shut off. Never
place any part of the body in the blade area until you are
sure the blade has stopped rotating.
Never operate mower without proper trail shield, discharge 23.
chute, grass catcher, motor/blade control handle or other
safety protective devices in place and working. Never
operate mower with damaged safety devices. Failure to do
so, can result in personal injury.
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection should 24.
be provided on the circuit(s) or outlet(s) to be used for the
lawn mower. Receptacles are available having built-in GFCI
protection and may be used for this measure of safety.
To prevent electric shock use only with a UL listed 25.
extension cord set suitable for outdoor use, such as Type
SW-A, SOW-A, STW-A, STOW-A, SJW-A, SJOW-A, SJTW-A, or
SJTOW-A.
Extension Cord—Make sure your extension cord set is in 26.
good condition and is heavy enough to carry the current
load your lawn mower will draw. If in doubt, use the next
heavier gauge cord. The smaller the gauge number, the
heavier the cord. An undersized cord will cause a drop in
line voltage resulting in loss of power and overheating.
MINIMUM WIRE SIZE FOR EXTENSION CORDS
FOR 120 VOLT APPLIANCES USING 10 - 12 AMPS
Cord Length (ft.) 25 50 100 150
Wire Size (AWG) 16 16 14 12
To reduce the likelihood of disconnection of the extension 27.
cord set from the mower, be sure to use the cord restraint
provided as well as a modern, tightly fitting extension cord.
To reduce the risk of electric shock, this lawn mower has a 28.
polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other) and will
require the use of a polarized extension cord. The mower
plug will only fit into the polarized extension cord one way.
If the plug does not fit fully into the extension cord, reverse
the plug. If the plug still does not fit, obtain a correct
polarized extension cord. A polarized extension cord will
require the use of a polarized wall outlet. This plug will fit
into the polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not
fit fully into the wall outlet, reverse the plug. If the plug
still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician to install
the proper wall outlet. Do not change the equipment plug,
extension cord receptacle, or extension cord plug in any
way.
If extension cord is damaged in any manner during use, 29.
disconnect extension cord from house receptacle before
unplugging mower.
Circuit Breaker/Fuses—The mower should be operated 30.
on a 15 AMP or 20 AMP circuit. If difficulty in starting
is experienced with a standard 15 AMP fuse or circuit
breaker or the mower’s built-in overload protection switch
frequently trips, contact your nearest authorized service
dealer. Do not use a higher rated circuit breaker or fuse
without consulting your power company.
Do not abuse the cord by pulling the mower by the cord or 31.
yanking it to disconnect it from the receptacle. Keep cord
from heat, oil, and sharp edges.
Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by 32.
manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal injury.