MTD 315-800-000 - Maintenance and Storage

AC WARNING \
To reduce the potential for any injury, comply with the following safety instructions. Failure to comply
with the instructions may result in personal injury.
SAFE OPERATION PRACTICES FOR SNOW THROWERS
TRAINING
1. Read this Owner’s manual carefully. Be thoroughly
familiar with the controls and proper use of the
equipment. Know how to stop the unit and dis¬
engage the controls quickly.
2. Never allow children to operate equipment. Never
allow adults to operate equipment without proper
instructions.
3. No one should operate this unit while intoxicated or
while taking medication that impairs the senses or
reactions.
4. Keep the area of operation clear of all persons,
especially small children and pets.
5. Exercise caution to avoid slipping or falling, espe¬
cially when operating in reverse.
PREPARATION
1. Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is
to be used and remove all door mats, sleds, boards,
wires and other foreign objects.
2. Disengage all clutches and shift into neutral before
starting engine.
3. Do not operate equipment without wearing ade¬
quate winter outer garments. Wear footwear which
will improve footing on slippery surfaces.
4. Handle fuel with care. It is highly flammable.
(A) Use approved fuel container.
(B) Never add fuel to a running engine or hot
engine.
(C) Fill fuel tank outdoors with extreme care. Never
fill fuel tank indoors.
(D) Replace gasoline cap securely and wipe up
spilled fuel.
5. Use a grounded three wire plug-in for all units with
electric drive motors or electric starting motors.
6. Adjust collector housing height to clear gravel or
crushed rock surface.
7. Never attempt to make any adjustments while
engine is running (except where specifically recom¬
mended by manufacturer).
8. Let engine and machine adjust to outdoor tem¬
perature before starting to clear snow.
OPERATION
1. Do not put hands or feet near rotating parts. Keep
clear of discharge opening at all times.
2. Exercise extreme caution when operating on or
crossing gravel drives, walks, or roads. Stay alert for
hidden hazards or traffic. Do not carry passengers.
3. After striking a foreign object, stop the engine,
remove wire from spark plug, and thoroughly in¬
spect the snow thrower for any damage. Repair the
damage before restarting and operating the snow
thrower.
4. If the snow thrower should start to vibrate abnormal¬
ly, stop the engine and check immediately for the
cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.
5. Stop engine whenever you leave the operating posi¬
tion, before unclogging the collector/impeller hous¬
ing or discharge guide, and making any repairs, ad¬
justments, or inspections.
6. Take all possible precautions when leaving the vehi¬
cle unattended. Disengage the power take-off, lower
the attachment, shift into neutral, set the parking
brake, stop the engine, and remove the key.
7. When cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make cer¬
tain collector/impeller and all moving parts have
stopped. Disconnect spark plug wire and keep away
from plug to prevent accidental starting.
8. Do not run engine indoors, except when starting
engine and transporting snow thrower in or out of
building. Open doors. Exhaust fumes are dan¬
gerous.
9. Do not clear snow across the face of slopes. Exer¬
cise extreme caution when changing direction on
slopes. Do not attempt to clear steep slopes.
10. Never operate snow thrower without guards, plates,
or other safety protection devices in place.
11. Never operate snow thrower near glass enclosure,
automobiles, window wells, drop off, etc., without
proper adjustments of s iow thrower discharge
angle. Keep children and p its away.
12. Do not overload machine c, ' acity by attempting to
clear snow at too fast a rate
13. Never operate machine at h , transport speeds on
slippery surfaces. Use care an backing.
14. Never direct discharge a ystanders or allow
anyone in fron. ^nit.
15. Disengage power to collector/impeller when
transporting or not in use.
16. Use only attachments and accessories approved by
the manufacturer of snow thrower (such as wheel
weights, counter weights, cabs, etc.).
17. Never operate the snow thrower without good
visibility or light. Always be sure of your footing and
keep a firm hold on the handles. Walk, never run.
MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE
1. Check shear bolts, engine mounting bolts, etc., at
frequent intervals for proper tightness to be sure
equipment is in safe working condition.
2. Never store machine with fuel in the fuel tank inside
a building where open flame or spark are present.
Allow engine to cool before storing in any
enclosure.
3. Always refer to owner’s guide instructions for im¬
portant details if snow thrower is to be stored for an
extended period.
4. Run machine a few minutes after throwing snow to
prevent freeze up of collector/impeller.
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