Troy-Bilt 12097 - Manual (Page 4)

Section 1: Safety
• Exercise extreme caution when on or
crossing gravel drives, walks or roads.
Stay alert for hidden hazards or traffic.
Do not carry passengers.
• After striking a foreign object, stop the
engine, let all moving parts come to a
complete stop, disconnect the spark plug
wire and prevent it from touching the
spark plug, then carefully inspect the ma­
chine for damage. Repair the damage
before restarting and operating the
machine.
• Exercise caution to avoid slipping or
falling.
• if the machine should start to vibrate
abnormally, stop the engine. Disconnect
the spark plug wire and prevent it from
touching the plug. Check immediately for
the cause. Vibration is generally a
warning of trouble. Fix the problem
before using the equipment again.
• Stop the engine, disconnect the spark
plug wire and prevent it from touching the
spark plug whenever you leave the equip­
ment, before unclogging the tines, or
when making any repairs, adjustments or
inspections.
• Take all possible precautions when
leaving the machine unattended. Always
stop the engine. Disconnect the spark
plug wire and prevent it from touching the
plug.
• Before cleaning, repairing, or in­
specting, stop the engine and make cer­
tain all moving parts have stopped. Dis­
connect the spark plug wire and prevent it
from touching the spark plug to avoid ac­
cidental starting.
• Never operate equipment without
proper guards, plates, or other protective
safety devices in place.
• Do not run the engine in an enclosed
area. The exhaust fumes from the engine
contain extremely dangerous carbon
monoxide gas. This gas is colorless,
odorless, tasteless and deadly poisonous.
• Keep children and pets away.
• Be aware that the equipment may unex­
pectedly bounce upward or jump forward
if the tines should strike extremely hard
packed soil, frozen ground, or buried ob­
stacles such as large stones, roots or
stumps. If you are in doubt about the
tilling conditions, always use the fol­
lowing operating precautions to assist
you in maintaining control of the
equipment:
a. Stand behind the equipment, using
both hands on the handlebars. Relax
your arms, but use a secure hand
grip.
b. Start tilling at shallow depths, working
gradually deeper with each pass.
c. Clear the tilling area of all large stones,
roots, and other debris.
d. In an emergency, stop the tines by re­
leasing the Throttle/Tines Lever on the
handlebar. To stop the engine, move
the engine On/Off switch to OFF.
• Do not overload the machine’s capacity
by attempting to till too deeply at too fast
a rate.
• Never operate the equipment on slip­
pery surfaces. Look behind and use care
when backing up.
• Do not operate the equipment on a
slope that is too steep for safety. When
on slopes, slow down and make sure you
have good footing.
• Never allow bystanders near the unit.
• Only use attachments and accessories
that are factory-approved.
• Never operate the equipment without
good visibility or good light.
• Never operate the unit if you are tired,
or under the influence of alcohol, drugs,
or medication.
• Do not tamper with the engine gov­
ernor settings on the machine; the gov­
ernor controls the maximum safe oper­
ating speed and protects the engine and
all other moving parts from damage
caused by engine overspeed. Authorized
service shall be sought if a problem
exists.
• Do not touch engine parts which may
be hot from operation. Allow parts to
cool before inspecting, cleaning or
repairing.
• Remember: you can stop the tines by
releasing the Throttle/Tines Lever. Move
the engine On/Off switch to OFF to shut
the engine off.
• Never transport this machine when the
engine is running.
• Terminals and non-insulated electrical
parts shall be protected against shorting
during normal servicing, refueling or
lubrication.
• Use extreme caution when reversing or
pulling the machine toward you.
• Start the engine carefully according to
instructions and with feet well away from
the tines.
MAiNTENANCE/STORAGE
• Keep the tiller, attachments and acces­
sories in safe working condition.
• Check all nuts, bolts, and screws at fre­
quent intervals for proper tightness to be
sure equipment is in safe working
condition.
• Never store equipment with fuel in fuel
tank inside a building where fumes may
reach an open flame or spark (hot water
and space heaters, furnaces, clothes
dryers, stoves, electric motors, etc.).
• Allow the engine to cool before storing
the equipment.
• Keep the engine free of grass, leaves,
or grease to reduce the chance of a fire
hazard.
• Store gasoline in a cool, well-ventilated
area, safely away from any spark- or
flame-producing equipment. Store gaso­
line in an approved container, safely away
from the reach of children.
• Never perform maintenance when
engine is running or spark plug wire is
connected unless instructed to do so.
• If fuel tank must be drained, do so
outdoors.
• Follow manufacturer’s recommenda­
tions for safe loading, unloading, trans­
port and storage of machine.