Operator's Manual

Safety
Impr oper use or maintenance by the operator
or o wner can r esult in injur y . T o r educe
the potential f or injur y , compl y with these
safety instr uctions and al w ays pay attention
to the safety aler t symbol , which means:
Caution , W ar ning , or Danger —per sonal
safety instr uction. F ailur e to compl y with the
instr uction may r esult in per sonal injur y or
death.
Safe Operating Practices
T his product is capable of amputating hands and
feet. Alw a ys follo w all safety instr uctions to a v oid
serious injur y or death.
Engine exhaust contains carbon mono xide,
an odor less, deadl y poison that can kill y ou.
Do not r un the engine indoor s or in an
enclosed ar ea.
Training
• R ead the Operator’ s Manual and other training
material. If the operator(s) or mec hanic(s) can
not read English, it is the o wner’ s responsibility
to explain this material to them.
• Become familiar with the safe operation of the
equipment, operator controls , and safety signs .
• All operators and mec hanics should be trained.
T he o wner is responsible for training the users .
• Nev er let c hildren or untrained people operate
or ser vice the equipment. Local regulations
ma y restrict the ag e of the operator .
• T he o wner/user can prev ent and is responsible
for accidents or injuries occur ring to himself
or herself , other people or proper ty .
Preparation
• Ev aluate the ter rain to deter mine what
accessories and attac hments are needed to
properly and safely perfor m the job . Only use
accessories and attac hments appro v ed b y the
man ufacturer .
• W ear appropriate clothing including hard hat,
safety glasses , long pants , safety shoes , and
hearing protection. Long hair , loose clothing
or jew elr y ma y g et tangled in mo ving par ts .
• Inspect the area where the equipment is to be
used and remo v e all objects suc h as roc ks , to ys ,
and wire whic h can be thro wn b y the mac hine .
• Use extra care when handling fuels . T hey are
flammable and v apors are explosi v e .
– Use only an appro v ed container
– Nev er remo v e the fuel cap or add fuel with
the engine r unning . Allo w the engine to
cool before refueling . Do not smok e .
– Nev er refuel or drain the mac hine indoors .
• Chec k that the operator’ s presence controls ,
safety switc hes , and shields are attac hed and
functioning properly . Do not operate unless
they are functioning properly .
Operation
• Nev er r un an engine in an enclosed area.
• Only operate in g ood light, k ee ping a w a y from
holes and hidden hazards .
• Be sure all dri v es are in neutral and parking
brak e is eng ag ed before star ting the engine .
Only star t the engine from the operator’ s
position.
• Slo w do wn and use extra care on hillsides . Be
sure to tra v el in the recommended direction
on hillsides . T urf conditions can affect the
mac hine’ s stability .
• Slo w do wn and use caution when making tur ns
and when c hanging directions on slopes .
• Nev er operate with the guards not securely
in place . Be sure all interloc ks are attac hed,
adjusted properly , and functioning proper ty .
• Do not c hang e the engine g o v er nor setting or
o v erspeed the engine .
• Stop on lev el g round, lo w er implements ,
diseng ag e the auxiliar y h y draulics , eng ag e
parking brak e , shut off the engine before
lea ving the operator’ s position for any reason.
• K ee p hands and feet a w a y from mo ving
attac hments .
• Look behind and do wn before bac king up to
be sure of a clear path.
• Nev er car r y passeng ers and k ee p pets and
b ystanders a w a y .
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