Bolens 112-428R372 - Manual (Page 2)

IMPORTANT
SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES
A THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL
SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND OTI- ERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE
AHEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR LAWN MOWER. FAIl URE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL
INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL— ^ HEED IFS WARNING.
▲
A
Your lawn mower was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As
DANGER: with any type of power equii iment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious
injury, if you violate any of ti ese rules, you may cause serious injury to yourself or others.
A TRAINING
1. Read this owner’s guide carefully in its entirety befe re attempt­
ing to assemble or operate this machine. Be comp etely famil­
iar with the controls and the proper use of this mac hine before
operating it. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and
regular reference and for ordering replacement part;.
2. Your rotary mower is a precision piece of power equipment,
not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme cajtion at all
times.
3. Never allow children to operate a power mower. Oily persons
well acquainted with these rules of safe operatioi 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 the^ are in the
vicinity of your mower to help prevent blade contait or thrown
object injury. Although the area of operation shoe Id be com­
pletely cleared of foreign objects, an object ma^ have been
overlooked and could be accidently thrown by th3 mower in
any direction and cause serious personal injury to he operator
or any others allowed in the area.
PREPARATION
1. Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipmunt is to be
used. Remove all stones, sticks, wire, bones and c ther foreign
objects which could be picked up and thrown by the mower in
any direction and cause serious personal injury to :he operator
or any others allowed in the area.
2. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields during )peration or
while performing an adjustment or repair, to prote :t eyes from
foreign objects that may be thrown from the machine in any
direction.
3. Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-1 itting slacks
and shirts to avoid entanglement in the moving Darts. Never
operate a unit in bare feet, sandals, or sneakers.
4. Check the fuel before starting the engine. Gamline is an
extremely flammable fuel. Do not fill the gasoline lank indoors,
while the engine is running, or until engine has be« n allowed to
cool for two minutes after running. Replace gasoline cap
securely and wipe off any spilled gasoline before starting the
engine as it may cause a fire or explosion.
5. Disengage the self-propelled mechanism or drre clutch on
units so equipped before starting the engine.
6. The blade control handle is a safety device. New r attempt to
bypass its operation. Doing so makes the safety d 3vice inoper­
ative and may result in personal injury through coi tact with the
rotating blade. The blade control handle must operate easily in
both directions.
7. Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height adjustment
while the engine is running.
8. Never operate the equipment in wet grass. Alwa\ s be sure of
your footing. A slip and fall can cause serious pe sonal injury.
Keep a firm hold on the handle and walk, never n n. Mow only
in daylight or in good artificial light.
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.
OPERATION
1. Do not change the engine governor settings or overspeed the
engine. Excessive engine speeds are dangerous.
2. 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.
3. Stop the blade when crossing gravel drives, walks or roads.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Shut the engine off and wait until 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 secondr
after the engine is shut off. Never place any part of the body ir.
the blade area until you are sure the blade has stopped rotating.
7. 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.
8. Do not run the engine indoors.
9. 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 personal injury.
10. Never operate mower without proper guards, plates or other
safety protective devices in place.
11. Do not operate this mower with the chute door open, unless
the complete grass catcher or chute deflector is properly
mounted on the mower.
12. Do not operate this mower with the chute door open, unless
the complete grass catcher or chute deflector is properly
mounted on the mower.
,IVIAINTENANCE 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.