Use and Care Manual

4. Lock the park brake.
5. Stop the engine.
6. Remove the key.
7. Wait for engine and all moving parts to stop before you leave the
operator’s seat.
8. Close fuel shut-off valve, if your machine is equipped.
9. Disconnect the negative battery cable or remove the spark plug
wire(s) (for gasoline engines) before servicing the machine.
Rotating Blades are Dangerous
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HELP PREVENT SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENTS:
• Rotating blades can cut off arms and legs, and throw objects. Failure
to observe safety instructions could result in serious injury or death.
• Keep hands, feet and clothing away from mower deck when engine
is running.
• Be alert at all times, drive forward and in reverse carefully. People,
especially children can move quickly into the mowing area before
you know it.
• Before backing up, stop mower blades or attachments and look
down and behind the machine carefully, especially for children.
• Do not mow in reverse.
• Shut off blades when you are not mowing.
• Park machine safely before leaving the operator’s station for any
reason including emptying the grasscatchers or unplugging the
chute.
• The mower blades should stop in approximately ve seconds when
the mower is disengaged. If you believe that your blades may not be
stopping in that period of time, take your machine to your authorized
dealer where they can safely check and service your machine.
Protect Children
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• Death or serious injury can occur when young children associate
having fun with a lawn mowing machine simply because someone
has given them a ride on a machine.
• Children are attracted to lawn mowing machines and mowing
activities. They don’t understand the dangers of rotating blades or
the fact that the operator is unaware of their presence.
• Children who have been given rides in the past may suddenly
appear in the mowing area for another ride and be run over or
backed over by the machine.
• Tragic accidents with children can occur if the operator is not alert to
the presence of children, especially when a child approaches a
machine from behind. Before and while backing up, stop mower
blades and look down and behind the machine carefully, especially
for children.
• Never carry children on a machine or attachment, even with the
blades off. Do not tow children in a cart or trailer. They can fall off and
be seriously injured or interfere with safe machine operation.
• Never use the machine as a recreational vehicle or to entertain
children.
• Never allow children or an untrained person operate the machine.
Instruct all operators not to give children a ride on the machine or in
an attachment.
• Keep children indoors, out of the mowing area, and in the watchful
eye of a responsible adult, other than the operator, when a mower is
being operated.
• Stay alert to the presence of children. Never assume that children
will remain where you last saw them. Turn the machine off if a child
enters the work area.
• Use extreme care when approaching blind corners, shrubs, trees, or
other objects that may block your view of a child.
Operating on Slopes
NOTE: Use the Slope Gauge Template provided in the back of this
operators manual. Follow the instructions included with the
template.
• Slopes are a major factor related to loss-of-control and tipover
accidents, which can result in severe injury or death. Operation on all
slopes requires extra caution.
Identify Slopes for Safe Operation
• Follow safe procedures for operation on slopes. Measure slopes of
all moving sites to determine which slopes are safe for mowing with
a ride-on mower. Always use common sense and good judgement
when performing this survey.
Measuring Slopes
• Suggested Method 1: Lay a straight piece of sturdy lumber 1.2 m (4
ft) long on the slope and measure the angle of the slope with an
angle indicator or protractor level.
• Suggested Method 2: Refer to the slope gauge provided at the end
of this manual.
Operate Safely on Slopes
• Exceeding the recommended maximum slope angle increases the
risk of rollover accidents that can result in serious injury or death.
• Never mow or operate ride-on mower on slope angles greater than
13° with the lawn ride-on mower in its basic conguration. The basic
conguration is the ride-on mower with mower deck and not other
attachments. (A 13° slope is a slope that rises 1.4 m (4.6 ft) over a
horizontal distance of 6.1 m (20 ft).)
• When using attachments, never mow or operate the ride-on mower
on slope angles greater than 10°. The addition of a weather
enclosure, material collection system, or other attachments will
increase the risk of a rollover. (A 10° slope is a slope that rises 1 m
(3.5 ft) over a horizontal distance of 6.1 m (20 ft).)
• On slope angles of 10° or less, the risk of rollover is low, but as the
slope angle increases to the recommended maximum, the risk
increases to a medium level.
• Always consider potential turf conditions and slope angles when
determining the risk of loss-of-control and tip-over accidents.
• Drive slowly when mowing or operating on slopes.
• If you feel uneasy on a hillside, do not mow or operate on it.
• Mow across slopes, not up and down.
• Watch for holes, ruts, bumps, rocks, or other hidden objects. Uneven
terrain could overturn the ride-on mower. Tall grass can hide
obstacles.
• Drive slowly so you will not have to stop while on a slope.
• Do not mow on wet grass. Tires may lose traction. Tires may slip on
slopes even though the brakes are functioning properly.
Safety
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