Operation
BeforeOperation
BeforeOperationSafety
GeneralSafety
•Becomefamiliarwiththesafeoperationoftheequipment,
operatorcontrols,andsafetysigns.
•Checkthatallguardsandsafetydevices,suchasdeectors
and/orgrasscatcher,areinplaceandworkingproperly.
•Alwaysinspectthemachinetoensurethattheblades,
bladebolts,andcuttingassemblyarenotwornor
damaged.
•Inspecttheareawhereyouwillusethemachineand
removeallobjectsthatthemachinecouldthrow.
•Adjustingthecuttingheightmaybringyouintocontact
withthemovingblade,causingseriousinjury.
–Shutofftheengineandwaitforallmovingpartsto
stop.
–Donotputyourngersunderthehousingwhen
adjustingthecuttingheight.
FuelSafety
DANGER
Fuelisextremelyammableandhighlyexplosive.
Areorexplosionfromfuelcanburnyouand
othersandcandamageproperty.
•Topreventastaticchargefromignitingthefuel,
placethecontainerand/ormachinedirectlyon
thegroundbeforelling,notinavehicleoron
anobject.
•Fillthefueltankoutdoors,inanopenarea,when
theengineiscold.Wipeupanyfuelthatspills.
•Donothandlefuelwhensmokingoraroundan
openameorsparks.
•Storefuelinanapprovedcontainerandkeepit
outofthereachofchildren.
WARNING
Fuelisharmfulorfatalifswallowed.Long-term
exposuretovaporscancauseseriousinjuryand
illness.
•Avoidprolongedbreathingofvapors.
•Keepyourhandsandfaceawayfromthenozzle
andthefuel-tankopening.
•Keepfuelawayfromyoureyesandskin.
FillingtheFuelTank
•Forbestresults,useonlyclean,fresh,unleadedgasoline
withanoctaneratingof87orhigher((R+M)/2rating
method).
•Oxygenatedfuelwithupto10%ethanolor15%MTBE
byvolumeisacceptable.
•Donotuseethanolblendsofgasoline,suchasE15
orE85,withmorethan10%ethanolbyvolume.
Performanceproblemsand/orenginedamagemayresult,
whichmaynotbecoveredunderwarranty.
•Donotusegasolinecontainingmethanol.
•Donotstorefueleitherinthefueltankorinfuel
containersoverthewinterunlessfuelstabilizerhasbeen
addedtothefuel.
•Donotaddoiltogasoline.
Fillthefueltankwithfreshunleadedregulargasolinefroma
majorname-brandservicestation(Figure11).
Important:Toreducestartingproblems,addfuel
stabilizertothefuelallseason,mixingitwithgasoline
lessthan30daysold.
g188348
Figure11
1.Donotllthefueltankabovethebottomofthefueltank
neck.
CheckingtheEngine-OilLevel
ServiceInterval:Beforeeachuseordaily
1.Movethemachinetoalevelsurface.
2.Removethedipstick,wipethedipstickendwithaclean
cloth,andinsertitintotheoil-lltube(Figure12).
8