MTD 105 Series - Safe Operation Practices

!
SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES
A THIS SYMBOL POINTS OUT IMPORTANT SAFETY lIJSTRUCTIONS WHICH, IF NOT FOLLOWED, COULD ENDANGER THE PERSONAL
SAFETY AND/OR PROPERTY OF YOURSELF AND )THERS. READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS IN THIS MANUAL BEFORE
ATTEMPTING TO OPERATE YOUR LAWN MOWER. I-AILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY RESULT IN PERSONAL
INJURY. WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL— A HELD ITS WARNING.
A Your lawn mower was b lilt to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As
DANGER: with any type of power e iuipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious
injury. If you violate any i if these rules, you may cause serious injury to yourself or others.
TRAINING
1. Read this owner’s guide carefully in its entirety before attempt¬
ing to assemble or operate this machine. Be completely famil¬
iar with the controls and the proper use of this mac line before
operating it. Keep this manual in a safe place for future and
regular reference and for ordering replacement parts.
2. Your rotary mower is a precision piece of power jquipment,
not a plaything. Therefore, exercise extreme caution at all
times. Your unit has been designed to perform iine job: to
mow grass. Do not use it for any other purpose.
3. Never allow children under 14 years old to operate a power
mower. Children 14 years old and over should only operate
mower under close parental supervision. Only psrsons well
acquainted with these rules of safe operation should be
allowed to use your mower.
4. Keep the area of operation clear of all persons, )articularly
small children and pets. Stop engine when they are in the
vicinity of your mower to help prevent blade contac: or thrown
object injury. Although the area of operation shou d be com¬
pletely cleared of foreign objects, an object may have been
overlooked and could be accidentally thrown by th) mower in
any direction and cause serious personal injury to t le 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 o her foreign
objects which could be picked up and thrown by the mower in
any direction and cause serious personal injury to tie operator
or any others allowed in the area. Plan your mowin') pattern to
avoid discharge of material toward roads, sidewalks,
bystanders and the like.
2. Always wear safety glasses or eye shields during cperation or
while performing an adjustment or repair, to protec: eyes from
foreign objects that may be thrown from the mac line in any
direction.
3. Wear sturdy, rough-soled work shoes and close-fiting slacks
and shirts. Shirts and pants that cover the arms and legs and
steel-toed shoes are recommended. Do not wear hose fitting
clothes or jewelry. They can be caught in moving [ arts. Never
operate a unit in bare feet, sandals, or sneakers.
4. Before working with gasoline, extinguish all cigare tes, cigars,
pipes and other sources of ignition. Check the fuel evel before
starting the engine. Gasoline is an extremely flammable fuel.
Do not fill the gasoline tank indoors, while the emiine is run¬
ning, or until engine has been allowed to cool for it least two
minutes after running. Replace gasoline cap secure y and wipe
off any spilled gasoline before starting the enginu as it may
cause a fire or explosion.
5. Disengage the self-propelled mechanism or drivu clutch on
units so equipped before starting the engine.
6. The blade control handle is a safety device. Never attempt to
bypass its operation. Doing so makes the safety de /ice inoper¬
ative and may result in personal injury through contact with the
rotating blade. The blade control handle must operite easily in
both directions and automatically return to the 'iisengaged
position when released.
7. Never attempt to make a wheel or cutting height adjustment
while the engine is running.
8. Never operate the mower in wet grass. Always be: ure of your
footing. A slip and fall can cause serious personal njury. Keep
a firm hold on the handle and walk, never run. N ow only in
daylight or in good artificial light.
9. F or your safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this
rfianual to measure slopes before operating this unit on a
sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15° as shown
oh 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 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.
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. Never cut grass by pulling mower toward you. 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. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do not
touch.
MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE
1. Check the blade and engine mounting bolts at frequent inter¬
vals for proper tightness. Also visually inspect blade for dam¬
age (e.g. bent, cracked). Replace with blade which meets origi¬
nal equipment specifications.
2. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment
is in safe working condition.
3. Never store the mower with gasoline in the tank or gas con¬
tainers inside of a building where fumes may reach an open
flame or spark (e.g. gas hot water heater). Allow the engine to
cool before storing in any enclosure.
4. To reduce fire hazard, keep the engine free of grass, leaves and
excessive oil.
5. Check the grass catcher bag frequently for wear or deteriora¬
tion. Replace a worn or damaged bag immediately. For safety
protection, replace only with new bag meeting original equip¬
ment specifications.
2