Owner`s manual

II. SLOPE OPERATION
Slopesare a major factorrelatedto lossof
controland tip-over accidents,which can
resultin severeinjuryor death. Opera-
tionon all slopesrequiresextra caution. If
youcannot backupthe slope or if youfeel
uneasyon it, do not mowit.
• Mowup and downslopes, notacross.
• Watchfor holes, ruts,bumps,rocks,or
otherhidden objects. Uneventerrain
couldoverturn the machine. Tallgrass
can hideobstacles.
• Choosea low groundspeedso that
youwill not haveto stop or shift while
on the slope.
• Donot mowonwet grass.Tires may
losetraction.
Alwayskeepthe machinein gearwhen
goingdownslopes.Do not shiftto
neutraland coastdownhill.
• Avoidstarting,stopping,or turningon
a slope. If the tires losetraction, dis-
engagethe bladesand proceedslowly
straightdown the slope.
• Keepall movementonthe slopes slow
and gradual. Do not makesudden
changesin speedor direction,which
could causethe machineto roll over.
• Useextra carewhileoperatingma-
chinewith grasscatchersor other at-
tachments;they can affectthe stability
of the machine.Dono useon steep
slopes.
• Donot try to stabilizethe machine by
puttingyourfoot on the ground.
• Donot mownear drop-offs,ditches,
or embankments.The machinecould
suddenlyroll overif a wheel is overthe
edge or if the edgecavesin.
III. CHILDREN
Tragicaccidentscan occur if the operator
is not alert to the presence of children.
Childrenareoftenattractedto the machine
and the mowing activity. Never assume
that children will remain where you last
sawthem.
• Keepchildrenout of the mowingarea
and in the watchfulcareof a respon-
sibleadult otherthan the operator.
• Bealert and turn machineoff if a child
entersthe area.
• Beforeandwhile backing,look behind
and downfor smallchildren.
• Nevercarry children,evenwith the
bladesshut off. Theymayfall off and
be seriouslyinjuredor interferewith
safemachineoperation.Childrenwho
havebeen givenrides inthe past may
suddenlyappearinthe mowingarea
for anotherride and be run overor
backedover bythe machine.
• Neverallowchildrento operatethe
machine.
• Useextracarewhen approachingblind
corners,shrubs,trees,or other objects
that mayblockyourview of a child.
IV, TOWI NG
• Tow only with a machine that has a
hitch designed for towing. Do not at-
tach towed equipment except at the
hitch point.
• Followthe manufacturer's recom-
mendation for weight limits for towed
equipment and towing on slopes.
• Never allow children or others in or on
towed equipment.
• On slopes, the weight of the towed
equipment may cause loss of traction
and loss of control.
• Travel slowly and allow extra distance
to stop.
V. SERVICE
SAFE HANDLING OF GASOLINE
To avoid personal injury or property
damage, use extreme care in handling
gasoline. Gasoline is extremely flammable
and the vapors are explosive.
• Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes,
and other sources of ignition.
• Use only approved gasoline container.
• Never remove gas cap or add fuel with
the engine running. Allow engine to
cool before refueling.
• Never fuel the machine indoors.
• Never store the machine or fuel con-
tainer where there is an open flame,
spark, or pilot light such as on a water
heater or other appliances.
• Never fill containers inside a vehicle
or on a truck or trailer bed with plastic
liner. Always place containers on the
ground away from your vehicle when
filling.
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