HILLSIDE (SLOPE) OPERATION
Read,
Understand,
Obey:
WARNING:
Improper
opera-
---,.-
A
tion
of
your
tractor
on
hill-
sides
and
slopes
can
be
dan-
gerous.
Avoid
improper
oper-
ation!
Read
and
follow
the
in-
structions
given
in
the
section
titled
"Hillside
Operation"
in
Safety messages are
found
on
the
tractor
and in the
operator's manuals. These
must
be understood by the
tractor operator
to
be
of
value.
Be
sure
that
these mes-
sages are studied before starting
and/or
operating the
tractor by
an
operator
not
familiar
with
this particular
this
manual
before
operating
your
tractor.
Avoid operating tractor on hillsides and slopes. To
minimize the possibility
of
accidents while operating
on hills
and/or
rough terrain, obey a combination
of
rules, practices and good
common
sense.
These include:
1.
Reading, understanding, and obeying all
written
safety messages appearing on decals on the ma-
chine and in operator's manuals.
2. Learning
from
your operator's manual and careful-
ly
from
EXPERIENCE
how
to
operate your
tractor
correctly.
Know
your
tractor's
limitations.
3. Knowing the terrain on
which
you are operating
your tractor. There are terrain conditions on
which
your tractor cannot
be
operated!
4. Learning
to
expect changes in operating condi-
tions. Adding or removing attachments or
weight
to
your
tractor
will make
your
tractor
perform
dif-
ferently. Rain, snow, loose gravel,
wet
grass, etc.,
change the tractive conditions
of
the terrain re-
quiring changes in your operating technique
or
not
to
operate on
that
terrain.
The following paragraphs will cover these practices
one at a time. Read and
study
them. The examples
provided are
not
all inclusive
but
will give you a firm
understanding
of
the
requirements
for
avoiding acci-
dents while operating your
tractor
.
Ingersoll Lawn and Garden Tractors are designed and
built
to
comply
with
the
Voluntary Standard ANSI
B71
.1 - 1980 (American National Standards Institute).
THE OPERATOR IS THE SOLE JUDGE
AS
TO
THE
DEGREE
OF
SLOPE ON
WHICH
THIS TRACTOR
CAN
BE
SAFELY OPERATED. IF
IN
DOUBT
THAT
THIS TRACTOR CAN
BE
SAFELY OPERATED ON A
PARTICULAR SLOPE,
DO
NOT OPERATE ON
THAT
SLOPE! COMMON SENSE
MUST
PREVAIL.
VI
tractor.
Learn
to
Operate:
Learn your
tractor's
controls
from
decals
on
the trac-
tor
and
from
instructions in the operator's manual.
Practice
how
to
properly manipulate these controls.
Practice
must
be done in a
flat
area, clear
of
obstacles
and bystanders. Learn your
tractor's
operating charac-
teristics an'd limitations. These include:
a.
amount
of
engine
power
available
b. engine governor response
c. tractive ability
d. steering characteristics
e.
braking characteristics
f.
movement
of
travel lever
g.
forward
and reverse ground speeds
h. speed
of
attachment
lift
i.
and others
Attempting
any operation
which
approaches
or
ex-
ceeds the tractor's limitation is risking an accident.
Know
the
Terrain:
Know
the terrain
on
which
you
are
working
. Find hid-
den obstacles by walking through and inspecting the
area prior
to
operating your tractor on it. Mark ob-
stacles, such
as,
rocks, ruts or holes
with
a 6
ft.
long
pole and red flag and stay well clear
of
these obstacles
when
operating.
Operate your tractor at a ground speed
slow
enough
to
insure complete control at all times.
Place
the
transmission in
low
gear and regulate
the
throttle
control lever
slowly
and
smoothly
to
maintain
this safe speed. Do
not
stop
on
a hill
or
slope
to
change gears.
