MTD 112-518R000 - Manual (Page 2)

IMPORTANT
RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION
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THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL
SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND O''HERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE
ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR LAWN MOWER. F/ ILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL
INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL— A HELD ITS WARNING.
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DANGER
Your lawn mower was built to be oper: ted according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As
with any type of power equipment, car Messness or error on the part of the operator can result in seri-
ous injury, if you violate any of these ru les, you may cause serious injury to yourself or others.____________
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TRAINING
1. Read this owner’s guide carefully in its entirety before attempt­
ing to assemble or operate this machine. Be corrpietely famil­
iar with the controls and the proper use of this m ichine before
operating it. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and
regular reference and for ordering replacement pa 1s.
2. Your rotary mower is a precision piece of powf r equipment,
not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme (aution at all
times.
3. Never allow children to operate a power mower. Only persons
well acquainted with these rules of safe operati )n should be
allowed to use your mower.
4. Keep the area of operation clear of all persons, particularly
small children and pets. Stop engine when th ¡y are in the
vicinity of your mower to help prevent blade contict or thrown
object injury. Although the area of operation should be com­
pletely cleared of foreign objects, an object may have been
overlooked and could be accidently thrown by he mower in
any direction and cause serious personal injury t( the operator
or any others allowed in the area.
PREPARATION
1. Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is to be
used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones and other foreign
objects which could be picked up and thrown by the mower in
any direction and cause serious personal injury ti i the operator
or any others allowed in the area.
2. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields durinc operation or
while performing an adjustment or repair, to prof 3ct eyes from
foreign objects that may be thrown from the michine in any
direction.
3. Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-fitting slacks
and shirts to avoid entanglement in the movinc parts. Never
operate a unit in bare feet, sandals, or sneakers.
4. Check the fuel before starting the engine. Gisoline is an
extremely flammable fuel. Do not fill the gasoline tank indoors,
while the engine is running, or until engine has boen allowed to
cool for two minutes after running. Replace gasoline cap
securely and wipe off any spilled gasoline befoie starting the
engine as it may cause a fire or explosion.
5. Disengage the self-propelled mechanism or diive clutch on
units so equipped before starting the engine.
6. The blade control handle is a safety device. Ne' er attempt to
bypass its operation. Doing so makes the safety fevice inoper­
ative and may result in personal injury through c( ntact with the
rotating blade. The blade control handle must op erate easily in
both directions.
7. Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting heigit adjustment
while the engine is running.
8. Never operate the equipment in wet grass. Alw< ys be sure of
your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious p jrsonal injury.
Keep a firm hold on the handle and walk, never i un. Mow only
in daylight or in good artificial light.
9. For your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this
manual to measure slopes before operating this unit on a
sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15° as shown
on the slope gauge, do not operate this unit on that area or
serious injury could result.
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OPERATION
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Do not change the engine governor settings or overspeed the
engine. Excessive engine speeds are dangerous.
Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating parts. Keep
clear of the discharge opening at all times as the rotating blade
can cause injury.
Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or roads.
After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, remove the wire
from the spark plug, and thoroughly inspect the mower for any
damage. Repair the damage before restarting and operating the
mower.
If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the
engine and check immediately for the cause. Vibration is gen­
erally a warning of trouble.
Shut the engine off and wait untii the blade comes to a com­
plete stop before removing the grass catcher or unclogging the
chute. The cutting blade continues to rotate for a few seconds
after the engine is shut off. Never place any part of the body in
the blade area until you are sure the blade has stopped rotat­
ing.
Before cleaning, repairing or inspecting, make certain the blade
and all moving parts have stopped. Disconnect the spark plug
wire, and keep the wire away from the spark plug to prevent
accidental starting.
Do not run the engine indoors.
Mow across the face of slopes, never up-and-down. Exercise
extreme caution when changing direction on slopes. Do not
mow excessively steep slopes. Always be sure of your footing.
A slip and fall can cause serious personai injury.
Never operate mower without proper guards, plates or other
safety protective devices in place.
Do not operate this mower with the chute door open, unless
the complete grass catcher or chute deflector is properly
mounted on the mower.
MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE
1. Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at frequent inter­
vals for proper tightness.
2. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment
is in safe working condition.
3. Never store the equipment with gasoline in the tank inside of a
building where fumes may reach an open flame or spark. Allow
the engine to cool before storing in any enclosure.
4. To reduce fire hazard, keep the engine free of grass, leaves, or
excessive grease.
5. Check the grass catcher bag frequently for wear or deteriora­
tion. For safety protection, replace only with new bag meeting
original equipment specifications.
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