Is it safe to ride and use a hoodless lawn mower?
Answers:
It is not as safe as having a hood (engine cover) but it is okay to use. There are not too many parts that can fly off and injure you.
The only bad thing is that you may get a lot of debris around your engine and carburator. This isn't too much of a problem but can cause your air filter to clog up..
Other answers:
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Generally speaking, yes.
The main hazard comes from the obvious fact that the engine isn't protected--so don't run into anything, kay?
Also--and this is where your real problem is--clippings, dust, and other debris will have a much easier time affixing themselves to your engine. So, depending on how heavy your cutting is, you'll need to stop every half hour or so to clean off the engine, especially the air intake.
...Don't forget, the engine will be hot.
Basically all that the hood does is make things look better / keeps stuff from getting into the engine. If you are riding one without a hood, the only major risk you run is of a belt snapping and, if it does so just right, REALLY ruining your day. But the chances of that are pretty slim.
If you take good care of your hood less machine (make sure the belts aren't frayed, the various fluid levels are up to speed, and that there isn't just a bunch of garbage or leaves that worked its way into the engine), it should be OK. I'm still alive and I used one for quite a while that had the same issue.
If your lawn mowing endeavors take you to places where branches run up against moving parts then YES it is a big deal. That should (I hope) be pretty obvious. Otherwise, no big.
As usual,wear a broad-brimmed hat and ear-protection...anyway the hood is good for what? Don't catch it anywhere.
Not a big deal to run without one. Just looks ugly. No more dangerous than a push mower which has the engine exposed.