Poulan Pro PR500N21SH LAWN MOWER - Manual (Page 3)

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• Use fresh fuel next season.
NOTE: Fuel stabilizer is an acceptable al-
ternative in min i miz ing the formation of fuel
gum deposits during stor age. Add stabi-
lizer to gasoline in fuel tank or storage con-
tainer. Always follow the mix ratio found on
stabilizer container. Run engine at least 10
min utes after adding stabilizer to allow the
stabilizer to reach the car bu re tor. Do not
drain the gas tank and car bu re tor if using
fuel stabilizer.
ENGINE OIL
Drain oil (with engine warm) and replace
with clean oil. (See “ENGINE” in the Main-
tenance section of this manual).
CYLINDER
• Remove spark plug.
• Pour one ounce (29 ml) of oil through
spark plug hole into cylinder.
• Pull starter handle slowly to dis trib ute oil.
• Replace with new spark plug.
BATTERY (IF EQUIPPED)
Disconnect the battery from the engine
connector and charge battery 48 hours.
OTHER
• Do not store gasoline from one sea son
to another.
• Replace your gasoline can if your can
starts to rust. Rust and/or dirt in your
gasoline will cause problems.
• If possible, store your unit indoors and
cover it to protect it from dust and dirt.
• Cover your unit with a suitable pro tec tive
cover that does not retain mois ture. Do
not use plastic. Plas tic cannot breathe,
which allows con den sa tion to form and
will cause your unit to rust.
IMPORTANT: Never cover mower while
engine and exhaust areas are still warm.
CAUTION: Never store the lawn mow er
with gaso line in the tank in side a build ing
where fumes may reach an open fl ame
or spark. Allow the engine to cool before
storing in any en clo sure.
ENGINE
FUEL SYS TEM
IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent
gum deposits from forming in essential fuel
system parts such as carburetor, fuel fi lter,
fuel hose, or tank during storage. Alcohol
blended fuels (called gasohol or using
ethanol or methanol) can attract moisture
which leads to separation and formation
of acids during storage. Acidic gas can
damage the fuel system of an engine while
in storage.
• Drain the fuel tank.
• Start the engine and let it run until the
fuel lines and car bu re tor are empty.
• Never use engine or carburetor cleaner
prod ucts in the fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur.
3 POSITION HANDLES
When setting up your handle from the stor-
age position, the lower han dle will require
manually locking into the mowing position.
3 POSITION “EZ”
3 POSITION “QUICK”
Handle pin
Handle
ad just ment
bracket
SQUEEZE
Handle
bracket
Knob
Bolt
STORAGE
3
SAFETY RULES
• Stop the engine (motor) whenever you
leave the equip ment, before clean ing the
mower or unclogging the chute.
• Shut the engine (motor) off and wait until
the blade comes to complete stop before
removing grass catcher.
• Mow only in daylight or good artifi cial
light.
• Do not operate the machine while under
the infl uence of alcohol or drugs.
• Never operate machine in wet grass.
Always be sure of your footing: keep a
fi rm hold on the handle; walk, never run.
• Disengage the self-propelled mech a-
nism or drive clutch on mowers so
equipped before starting the engine.
• If the equipment should start to vi brate
abnormally, stop the engine (motor) and
check immediately for the cause. Vibra-
tion is generally a warning of trouble.
• Always wear safety goggles or safe ty
glasses with side shields when op er at ing
mower.
II. SLOPE OPERATION
Slopes are a major factor related to slip &
fall accidents which can result in severe
injury. All slopes require extra caution. If
you feel uneasy on a slope, do not mow it.
DO:
• Mow across the face of slopes: nev er
up and down. Exercise extreme caution
when changing direction on slopes.
• Remove obstacles such as rocks, tree
limbs, etc.
• Watch for holes, ruts, or bumps. Tall
grass can hide obstacles.
DO NOT:
• Do not trim near drop-offs, ditches or
embankments. The operator could lose
footing or balance.
• Do not trim excessively steep slopes.
• Do not mow on wet grass. Reduced
footing could cause slipping.
III. CHILDREN
Tragic accidents can occur if the op er a-
tor is not alert to the presence of children.
Children are often attracted to the ma chine
and the mowing activity. Never assume
that children will remain where you last
saw them.
• Keep children out of the trimming area
and under the watchful care of an oth er
re spon si ble adult.
• Be alert and turn machine off if chil dren
enter the area.
• Before and while walking back wards,
look behind and down for small chil dren.
• Never allow children to operate the
machine.
• Use extra care when approaching blind
corners, shrubs, trees, or other objects
that may obscure vision.
WARNING: CHILDREN CAN BE
INJURED BY THIS EQUIPMENT. The
American Academy of Pediatrics recom-
mends that children be a minimum of 12
year of age before operating a pedestrian
controlled lawn mower and a minimum of
16 years of age before operating a riding
lawn mower.
• When loading or unloading this machine,
do not exceed the maximum recom-
mended operation angle of 15°.
• Wear proper Personal Protective Equip-
ment (PPE) while operating this ma-
chine, including (at a minimum) sturdy
footwear, eye protection, and hearing
protection. Do not mow in shorts or
open toed footwear.
Always let someone know you are outside
mowing.
IV. SAFE HANDLING OF GASOLINE
Use extreme care in handling gasoline.
Gasoline is extremely fl ammable and the
vapors are explosive.
• Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes
and other sources of ignition.
• Use only an approved container.
• Never remove gas cap or add fuel with
the engine running. Allow engine to cool
before refueling.
• Never refuel the machine indoors.
• Never store the machine or fuel contain-
er where there is an open fl ame, spark
or pilot light such as a water heater or
on other appliances.
• Never fi ll containers inside a vehicle, on
a truck or trailer bed with a plastic liner.
Always place containers on the ground
away from your vehicle before fi lling.
• Remove gas-powered equipment from
the truck or trailer and refuel it on the
ground. If this is not possible, then
refuel such equipment with a portable
container, rather than from a gasoline
dispenser nozzle.