8
Refuel With Care
Gasoline is extremely flammable and gasoline vapor can explode.
Refuel only outdoors, in a well-ventilated area, with the engine OFF.
Never smoke near gasoline, and keep other flames and sparks away.
Always store gasoline in an approved container.
Wear Protective Clothing
Wearing protective clothing will reduce your risk of injury. Long pants
and eye protection reduce the risk of injuries from thrown objects.
Sturdy shoes with aggressive soles will help protect your feet and give
you better traction on slopes or uneven ground.
Stop the Engine When Not Mowing
If you need to leave the mower for any reason, even just to inspect the
lawn ahead, stop the engine by releasing the blade control lever.
Avoid Slopes
Avoid steep slopes of more than
20
°.
Mow across slopes, not up and
down. Be careful when changing
direction. Mowing on a slope
when the grass is damp or wet
could cause you to slip, fall, and
lose control of the mower.
NOTICE
Mowing on steep slopes can
starve the engine of oil, causing engine damage that is not covered by
the
DISTRIBUTORS LIMITED WARRANTY (
).
Keep all four wheels on the ground, and be careful to avoid losing
your footing and your control of the mower. Keep a firm grip on the
handlebar, and walk, never run, with the mower. Be very careful when
mowing uneven or rough ground.
If stuck, do not kick or shove the mower with your foot. Use the
handlebar to control the mower.
Avoid Obstacles
Gravel, loose stones, and landscaping material can be picked up by
the mower and thrown many feet with enough force to cause serious
personal injury and/or property damage. The best way to prevent
potential injury from thrown objects is to release the blade control
lever to stop the blades before reaching areas with gravel, loose
stones, or landscaping material.
Be careful when mowing over obstacles that stick up above the
surface of the lawn such as sprinkler heads, paving, edging, raised
tree roots, etc.
If the blade hits something, or if the mower starts to vibrate, stop the
engine immediately, disconnect the spark plug cap, and check for
damage (
). Striking objects may damage the blades, bend the
crankshaft, and/or break the mower deck or other components.
Vibration usually indicates serious trouble.
The
DISTRIBUTOR’S LIMITED WARRANTY
(
) does not cover
parts damaged by accidental impact collision.
Operating the Controls
Throttle Lever
For best cut quality, always mow
with the throttle lever in the FAST
position. When the blades rotate at
the preset fast speed, they create a
strong fan action that lifts and cuts
grass more efficiently.
Do not try to increase the preset
FAST engine speed; the blades
could fracture and come apart.
Blade Control System
To start blade rotation, make
sure the engine is running
and the throttle lever is in the
FAST position.
1. Push down and hold the
Roto-Stop
®
button
.
2. Pull the blade control lever
quickly against the
handlebar allowing the
engine to bring the blades
up to full speed. Then
release the Roto-Stop
button.
Continue to hold the blade control lever against the handlebar to
maintain blade rotation. Always keep the blade control lever fully
engaged while mowing. Do not partially disengage - doing so will
reduce the life of the blade clutch system.
Release the blade control lever quickly to stop blade rotation.
Always release the blade control lever before starting the engine to
prevent the blades from rotating.
Adjusting the Select Drive Control
With the engine running and
the blades rotating, slowly
push the Select Drive control
to propel the mower forward.
Normal operation is with your
hand comfortably around the
handle bar and Select Drive
control.
Push the Select Drive control
with your thumb into the
indentation for extra torque
(up a hill, or through thick
grass).
You can reduce the ground speed by partially releasing the Select
Drive control.
Ground speed varies with terrain, grass height, slope, and grass bag
weight. Moving the Select Drive knob (
) or varying how far you
push the Select Drive control forward allows you to maintain the
desired ground speed under constantly changing mowing conditions.
Release the Select Drive control to disengage (stop) the rear wheels.
Disengage the drive when mowing around trees and other obstacles.
Push the mower around obstacles for better directional control.
WARNING
A worn, cracked, or damaged blade can break, and
pieces of the damaged blade can become dangerous
projectiles.
Blades thrown from the mower could seriously hurt or
kill someone.
Inspect the blades regularly (see
), and do not
operate the mower with a worn or damaged blade.
FAST
STOP
ROTO-STOP
BUTTON
BLADE CONTROL LEVER
SELECT DRIVE CONTROL
