Husqvarna ST 268EPT, Instruction Manual

3

  Safe Operation Practices

  for Snow Throwers

Training 

1.  Read the operating and service instruction manual care-

fully. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls and the 

proper use of the equipment. Know how to stop the unit 

and disengage the controls quickly. 

2.  Never allow children to operate the equipment. Never 

allow adults to operate the equipment without proper 

in struc tion. 

3.  Keep the area of operation clear of all persons, particularly 

small children, and pets. 

4.  Exercise caution to avoid slipping or falling, especially 

when operating in reverse.

Preparation 

1.  Thoroughly inspect the area where the equipment is to 

be used and remove all doormats, sleds, boards, wires 

and other foreign objects. 

2.  Disengage all clutches and shift into neutral before start-

ing the engine. 

3.  Do not operate the equipment without wearing ad e quate 

winter garments. Wear footwear which will improve footing 

on slippery surfaces. 

4.  Handle fuel with care; it is highly flammable. 

a) Use an approved fuel container. 
b) Never add fuel to a running or hot engine. 
c)  Fill fuel tank outdoors with extreme care.

  Never fill fuel tank indoors. 
d)  Replace gasoline caps 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 the collector housing height to clear gravel or 

crushed rock surface. 

7.  Never attempt to make any adjustments while the engine 

is running (except where specifically rec om mend ed by 

man u fac tur er). 

8.  Let engine and machine adjust to outdoor tem per a tures 

before starting to clear snow. 

9.  The operation of any powered machine can result in 

foreign objects being thrown into the eyes. Always wear 

safety glasses or eye shields during operation or while 

performing an adjustment or repair.

Operation 

1.  Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating parts. 

Keep clear of the discharge opening at all times. 

2.  Exercise extreme caution when operating on or cross-

ing gravel drives, walks, or roads. Stay alert for hidden 

hazards or traffic. 

3.  After striking a foreign object, stop the engine, remove 

the wire from the spark plug, thoroughly inspect the snow 

thrower for any damage and repair the damage before 

restarting and operating the snow thrower. 

4.  If the unit should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the 

engine and check immediately for the cause. Vibration 

is gen er al ly a warning of trouble. 

5.  Stop the engine whenever you leave the operating posi-

tion, before unclogging the collector/impeller housing or 

dis charge guide and when making any repairs, adjust-

ments or inspections. 

6.  When cleaning, repairing, or inspecting make certain the 

collector/impeller and all moving parts have stopped. 

Dis con nect the spark plug wire, and keep the wire away 

from the plug to prevent accidental starting. Disconnect 

the cable on electric motors. 

7.  Do not run the engine indoors, except when starting it - 

and for moving the snow thrower in or out of the building. 

Open the outside doors; exhaust fumes are dangerous. 

8.  Do not clear snow across the face of slopes. Exercise 

extreme caution when changing direction on slopes. Do 

not attempt to clear steep slopes. 

9.  Never operate the snow thrower without proper guards, 

plates or other safety protective devices in place. 

10.  Never operate the snow thrower near glass en clo sures, 

automobiles, window wells, drop-offs, etc. without proper 

adjustment of the snow discharge angle. Keep children 

and pets away. 

11.  Do not overload the machine capacity by attempting to 

clear snow at too fast a rate. 

12.  Never operate the machine at high transport speeds on 

slippery surfaces. Use care when reversing. 

13.  Never direct discharge at bystanders or allow anyone in 

front of the unit. 

14.  Disengage power to the collector/impeller when snow 

thrower is transported or not in use. 

15.  Use only attachments and accessories approved by the 

manufacturer of the snow thrower (such as wheel weights, 

counterweights, cabs, etc.). 

16.  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.

17.  When using your snowthrower for long periods of time in 

deep snow, be aware of snow and ice build up between 

the track components. This may cause a loss of perfor-

mance in the drive system.

Clean out snow and debris between tracks in regular intervals.

Maintenance and Storage 

1.  Check guards, shear bolts, engine mounting bolts, etc., 

at frequent intervals for proper tightness to be sure the 

equipment is in safe working condition. 

2.  Never store the machine with fuel in the fuel tank inside 

a building where ignition sources are present such as hot 

water and space heaters, clothes dryers, etc. Allow the 

engine to cool before storing in any enclosure. 

3.  Always refer to owner’s guide instructions for im por tant 

details if the snow thrower is to be stored for an extended 

period. 

4.  Maintain or replace safety and instructions labels, as 

nec es sary. 

5.  Run the machine a few minutes after throwing snow to 

prevent freeze-up of the collector/impeller.