Cub Cadet 48-inch Fabricated Deck - Manual (Page 6)

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tion switch. Inspect for damage. Repair any
damage. Make sure the blades are in good
condition and that the blade bolts are tight
before restarting the engine.
13. Never leave the mower unattended without:
turning off the blade clutch switch; placing the
left and right steering levers in the neutral
position; moving the throttle to slow; setting
the parking brake; shutting off the engine and
taking the key from the ignition switch.
14. Never walk or stand on the discharge side of a
mower with the engine running. Turn off the
blade clutch switch if another person
approaches while you are operating the
mower.
15. Never attempt to operate the traction unit
without the mowing deck attached.
16. Keep the mower and especially the engine
and hydraulic components clean and free of
grease, grass and leaves to reduce the
chance of fire and to permit proper cooling.
E. Towing
1. Tow only with a machine that has an approved
hitch designed for towing. Do not attach towed
equipment except at the hitch point.
2. Follow the manufacturers recommendation for
weight limits for towed equipment and towing
on slopes.
3. Never allow children or others in or on towed
equipment.
4. On slopes, the weight of the towed equipment
may cause loss of traction and loss of control.
Note: 5 degrees (9%) maximum slope.
5. Travel slowly and allow extra distance to stop.
F. Operator Protection System -Foldable
1. This machine is equipped with an Operator
Protective System (OPS), which includes:
a. A Roll Over Protective Structure (ROPS) or
Operator Protective Device (OPD) which
may be of the fixed or folding configuration
b. Seat belt assembly with retractable function
2. ROPS and OPDs are structures designed to
provide a crush-resistant space for the oper-
ator when properly seat-belted within the
designated seating area of the machine in
the event of a machine tip-over or roll-over.
Folding ROPS and OPDs shall be used in
their fully upright and locked configurations
except in those circumstances whereby they
need to be momentarily folded-down to avoid
contact with items such as tree limbs, clothes
lines, guy wires, buildings, etc. At other times
and conditions, ROPS and OPDs shall be in
their fully upright and locked configurations.
DANGER:
Damaged ROPS and OPDs must be replaced prior
to operator use!
3. Seat belts shall be used and shall be prop-
erly fastened about the operator’s waist at all
times, except when the ROPS or OPDs are:
- not properly installed and/or not properly
secured onto the machine
- damaged in such manner that their struc-
tural integrity has been compromised
- not in their fully upright and locked position
4. Seat belts are attached to the movable por-
tion of the seat when suspension seats are
utilized, and therefore the seat-mounting
base must be secured to its pivot means and
the pivot means latched to the frame of the
machine. Seat belts are attached to the seat
or the frame of the machine when non-sus-
pension (standard) seats are provided, how-
ever, if a suspension kit is added to a seat,
the seat belt must be attached to the mov-
able portion of the seat or suspension mech-
anism, the seat-mounting base must be
secured to its pivot means, and the pivot
means be latched to the frame of the
machine.
DANGER:
If ROPS and OPDs are folded down or missing,
seat belts shall not be fastened. Worn or damaged
seat belt assemblies must be replaced prior to
operator use.
5. Brush Guards and canopies can afford addi-
tional protection for the operator. The Brush
Guard can deflect tree limbs, clothes lines,
and other obstacles that otherwise could
come in contact with the ROPS and OPDs.
Contact of ROPS and OPDs by items such
as tree limbs, clothes lines, guy wires, and
buildings, could create hazardous conditions
whereby the machine could experience a tip-
over or roll-over. The canopy can provide
protection for the operator from some envi-
ronmental exposure (sunlight, rain, etc.).
Work lights may be available.
6. The ROPS and seat belt are integral parts of
this machine and should not be tampered
with, modified in any manner, or removed.
7. The ROPS extends above and behind the
operator position, and therefore the operator
must be aware of potential contact of the
ROPS with items such as trees, buildings,
doorways, clothes lines, utility wires, etc., that
could cause the machine to upset or roll-
over....use caution in (or avoid) areas where