USING THE CUTTING BLADE
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WARNING: Always wear eye, hearing, foot and body
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I protection to reduce the risk of injury when operating
this unit.
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WARNING: Do not use the cutting blade for edging or
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AI_IIL i as an edger. Severe personal injury to yourself or others I
can result.
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Before operating the unit with the cutting blade, stand in the'
operating position (Fig. 4). Refer to Holding the Trimmer.
Fig. 4
Cutting Blade Operating Tips
To establish a rhythmic cutting procedure:
• Plant feet firmly, comfortably apart.
• Bring the engine to full throttle before entering the material to
be cut. At full throttle the blade has maximum cutting power
and is less likely to bind, stall or cause blade thrust (which
can result in serious personal injury to the operator or others).
WARNING: Blade thrustmay occur when the spinning
blade contactsan object that it does not immediately
cut. Bladethrustcan be violentenoughto cause the
unitand/oroperatorto be propelledin any direction, a nd
possiblylose controlof the unit. Bladethrustcan occur
withoutwarningif the bladesnags, stallsor binds.This
is more likelyto occurin areas where it is difficult t o see
the materialbeing cut.
• Cut while swinging the upper part of your body from right
to left.
• Always release the throttle trigger and allow the engine to
return to idle speed when not cutting.
• When you are finished, always unsnap the unit from the
harness before taking off the harness.
• Watch out for hidden obstacles, such as rocks stumps, roots,
etc, that could cause the blade to kick back.
• Make sure the "J" Handle, Shield and Shoulder Strap are
installed per assembly instructions.
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WARNING: The blade continues to spin after the
I engine is turned off.The coasting blade can seriously
I cut you if accidentally touched.
• Swing the unit in the same direction as the blade spins, which
increases the cutting action.
• After the return swing, move forward to the next area to be cut
and plant your feet again.
• The cutting blade is designed with a second cutting edge. You
can use it by removing the blade, turning it upside down, and
reinstalling it.
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I WARNING: Do not sharpen the cutting blade.
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Sharpening the blade can cause the blade tip to break
off while in use. This can result in severe personal injury
to yourself or others. Replace the blade.
WARNING: Always wear gloves when working with blade.
To reduce the chance of material wrapping around the blade,
follow these steps:
• Cut at full throttle.
• Swing the unit into material to be cut from your right to your
left (Fig. 5).
• Avoid the material just cut as you make the return swing.
Fig. 5
WARNING: Do not clear away any cut material with the
engine running or blade turning. To avoid serious
personal injury, turn off the engine. Allow the blade to
stop before removing materials wrapped around the
blade shaft.
HOLDING THE TRIMMER
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I WARNING: Always wear eye, hearing, foot and body
I
protection to reduce the risk of injury when operating
this unit.
Before operating the unit, stand in the operating position
(Fig. 6). Check for the following:
• The operator is wearing eye protection and proper clothing.
• With a slightly-bent right arm, the operator's hand is holding
the shaft grip.
• The operator's left arm is straight, the left hand holding the
D-handle.
• The unit is at waist level.
• The cutting attachment is parallel to the ground and easily
contacts the grass without the need to bend over.