Yourmachineisdesignedtocutnormalresidentialgrassofaheightnomore
than10".Donotattempttomowthroughunusuallytall,drygrass(e.g.,
pasture)orpilesofdryleaves.Drygrassorleavesmaycontacttheengine
exhaustand/orbuilduponthemowerdeckpresentingapotentialfirehazard.
Useonlyaccessoriesandattachmentsapprovedforthismachinebythe
machinemanufacturer.Read,understandandfollowallinstructions
providedwiththeapprovedaccessoryorattachment.Foralistofapproved
accessoriesandattachments,call1-888-331-4569.
Dataindicatesthatoperators,age60yearsandabove,areinvolvedin a
largepercentageofridingmower-relatedinjuries.Theseoperatorsshould
evaluatetheirabilitytooperatetheridingmowersafelyenoughtoprotect
themselvesandothersfromseriousinjury.
Ifsituationsoccurwhicharenotcoveredin thismanual,usecareandgood
judgment.
SLOPE OPERATION
Slopesareamajorfactorrelatedtolossofcontrolandtip-overaccidentswhichcan
resultinsevereinjuryordeath.Allslopesrequireextracaution.Ifyoucannotback
uptheslopeorif youfeeluneasyonit, donotmowit.
Foryoursafety,usetheslopegaugeincludedaspartoftNs manualtomeasure
slopesbeforeoperatingthis machineonasJopedorhillyarea.Iftheslopeisgreater
than15degreesasshownontheslopegauge,donotoperatethismachineonthat
areaorseriousinjurycouldresult.
Do_"
Mowacrossslopes,notupanddown.Exerciseextremecautionwhen
changingdirectiononslopes.
Watchforholes,ruts,bumps,rocks,orotherhiddenobjects.Uneventerrain
couldoverturnthemachine.Tallgrasscanhideobstacles.
Useslowspeed.Choosealowenoughspeedsothatyouwill nothaveto
stopwhileontheslope.Avoidstartingorstoppingona slope.Ifthetiresare
unabletomaintaintraction,disengagethebladesandproceedslowlyand
carefullystraightdowntheslope.
Followthemanufacturer'srecommendationsforwheelweightsor
counterweightstoimprovestability.
Useextracarewith grasscatchersorotherattachments.Thesecanchange
thestabilityofthemachine.
Keepallmovementontheslopesslowandgradual.Donotmakesudden
changesinspeedordirection.Rapidaccelerationordecelerationcouldcause
thefrontofthe machineto lift andrapidlyrolloverbackwards,whichcould
causeseriousinjury.
Do Not:
Donotturnonslopesunlessnecessary;thenturnslowlyuphillanduseextra
carewhileturning.
Donotmowneardrop-offs,ditchesorembankments.Themowercould
suddenlyturnoverifawheelisovertheedgeofacliff,ditch,orif anedge
cavesin.
Donottrytostabilizethemachinebyputtingyourfootontheground.
Donotuseagrasscatcheronsteepslopes.
Donotmowonwetgrass.Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.
Donottow heavypullbehindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart,lawn
roller,etc.)onslopesgreaterthan5degrees.Whengoingdownhill,the
extraweighttendstopushtheridingmowerandmaycauseyoutoloose
control(e.g.ridingmowermayspeedup,brakingandsteeringabilityare
reduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcauseridingmowertooverturn).
CHILDREN
Tragicaccidentscanoccurif theoperatorisnotalertto thepresenceofchildren.
Childrenareoftenattractedtothemachineandthemowingactivity.Theydonot
understandthedangers.Neverassumethatchildrenwill remainwhereyoulastsaw
them.
Keepchildrenoutofthemowingareaandinwatchfulcareofaresponsible
adultotherthantheoperator.
Bealertandturnmachineoff ifachildentersthearea.
Toavoidback-overaccidents,alwayslookbehindanddownforsmall
children.
Nevercarrychildren,evenwith theblade(s)shutoff.Theymayfall offand be
seriouslyinjuredorinterferewith safemachineoperation.
Useextremecarewhenapproachingblindcorners,doorways,shrubs,trees
orotherobjectsthatmayblockyourvisionofachildwhomayrunintothe
pathofthemachine.
Keepchildrenawayfromhotorrunningengines.Theycansufferburnsfrom
ahotmuffler.
Removekeywhenmachineisunattendedtopreventunauthorized
operation.
Neverallowchildrenunder14yearsofagetooperatethismachine.Children14and
overshouldreadandunderstandtheinstructionsandsafeoperationpracticesin
thismanualandonthemachineandshouldbetrainedandsupervisedbyanadult.
TOWING
Towonlywith amachinethathasahitchdesignedfortowing.Donotattach
towedequipmentexceptatthehitchpoint.
Followthe manufacturersrecommendationforweightlimitsfor towed
equipmentandtowingonslopes.
Neverallowchildrenorothersinorontowedequipment.
Onslopes,theweightofthetowedequipmentmaycauselossoftractionand
lossofcontrol.
Travelslowlyandallowextradistancetostop.
Donotshifttoneutralandcoastdownhill.
Donottowheavypullbehindattachments(e.g.loadeddumpcart,lawn
roller,etc.)onslopesgreaterthan5 degrees.Whengoingdownhill,the
extraweighttendstopushtheridingmowerandmaycauseyoutoloose
control(e.g.ridingmowermayspeedup,brakingandsteeringabilityare
reduced,attachmentmayjack-knifeandcauseridingmowertooverturn).
SERVICE
Safe Handling of Gasoline:
Toavoidpersonalinjuryor propertydamageuseextremecareinhandling
gasoline.Gasolineisextremelyflammableandthe vaporsareexplosive.
Seriouspersonalinjurycanoccurwhengasolineisspilledonyourselfor your
clotheswhichcanignite. Washyourskinandchangeclothesimmediately.
Useonlyanapprovedgasolinecontainer.
Neverfill containersinsideavehicleoronatruckortrailerbedwith aplastic
liner.Alwaysplacecontainersonthegroundawayfromyourvehiclebefore
filling.
Whenpractical,removegas-poweredequipmentfromthetruckor
trailerandrefuelit ontheground.Ifthisisnotpossible,thenrefuelsuch
equipmentonatrailerwith aportablecontainer,ratherthanfromagasoline
dispensernozzle.
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