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ALWAYS BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELT AND MAKE SURE IT FITS SNUGLY AROUND YOUR WAIST.

When operating a skid-steer, exercise caution. Recognize and avoid situations that could result in an accident or cause property or equipment damage.

Do not travel with the lift arms raised. Always keep them as close to the ground as posible when traveling or turning. This will enable you to maintain stability and visibility to the front and sides.

Never start moving until you're certain that no one is in your path. Look ahead, to the sides and behind the loader, so you know where everyone is.

A skid-steer loader is a one-person machine. Never permit riders.

Travel up and down slopes with the heavy end of the loader pointed uphill. Keep the lift arms low and the bucket tilted back. If you cannot avoid a steep slope, travel straight up or down -- never across. Remember, with no load, the back end of the loader carries the most weight; with a load, the front end is heaviest.

Watch out for obstacles. Go around objects rather than over or through them. Avoid ditches, curbs and exposed railroad tracks if at all possible. If obstacles are unavoidable, reduce speed to help maintain control, raise the bucket high enough to clear the obstacle and cross at an angle. When traveling over rough terrain, travel slow to maintain control and raise the bucket just high enough to clear the ground.

Never operate too close to an overhang or gully. Avoid drop-off edges.

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To load a bucket from a pile of material, toe the lift pedal until the lift arms are all the way down. Toe the lift pedal to put the cutting edge of the bucket on the ground.

Drive slowly into the material. Never ram the bucket into the pile of material. The greatest amount of power at the wheels comes with minimal steering lever movement.

Once you're into the pile, heel the tilt pedal to raise the front of the bucket. Use the proper size bucket for the material being loaded. Do not overload the bucket. Overloading will cause instability and increase the chance of tipping the loader.

With the load in the bucket and the bucket tilted backward, back away from the material. Never travel with a load obstructing your view; keep the lift arms down.

To empty the bucket, raise the lift arms and toe the tilt pedal until the bucket is empty.

Back away from the dump site, heel the tilt pedal to tilt or "roll" the bucket backward and then lower the lift arms.

When dumping into a truck or bin, drive forward slowly and raise the lift arms until the bucket is just over the truck or bin. Toe the tilt pedal to keep the load level while raising the bucket. This prevents material from falling over the back of the bucket. Dump the load by tilting the bucket fully forward.

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