Echo SRM-580, Operator'S Manual

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Trimming operation
Trimming
This is feeding the trimmer carefully into the material you wish to
cut. Tilt the head slightly to direct the debris away from you. If cut-
ting up to a barrier such as a fence, wall or tree, approach from
an angle where any debris ricocheting off the barrier will fly away
from you.
Move the nylon line cutting head slowly until the grass is cut right
up to the barrier, but do not jam (overfeed) the line into the barri-
er. If trimming up wire mesh or chain link fencing, be careful to
feed only up to the wire. If you go too far, the line will snap off
around the wire.
Trimming can be done to cut through weed stems one at a time.
Place the nylon line cutting head near the bottom of the weed
never high up, which could cause the weed to chatter and catch
the line. Rather than cut the weed right through, just use the very
end of the line to wear through the stem slowly.
Scything
This is the cutting or mowing of large grassy areas by sweeping
or swinging the trimmer in a level arc. Use a smooth, easy mo-
tion. Do not try to hack or chop down the grass. Tilt the nylon line
cutting head to direct the debris away from you on the scything
stroke. Then return without cutting grass for another stroke. If you
are well protected and do not care whether some debris is thrown
in your direction, you may scythe in both directions.
Scalping and edging
Both of these are done with the nylon line cutting head tilted at a
steep angle. Scalping is removing top growth, leaving the earth
bare. Edging is trimming the grass back where it has spread over
a pavement or driveway. During both edging and scalping, hold
the unit at a steep angle in a position where the debris, and any
dislodged dirt and stone, will not come back towards you even if
it ricochets off the hard surface.
Although the pictures show how to edge and scalp, every opera-
tor must find for himself the angles which suit his body size and
cutting situation.
For nearly all cutting, it is good to tilt the nylon line cutting head
so that contact is made on the part of line circle where the line is
moving away from you and the shield (See appropriate picture).
This results in the debris being thrown away from you.
Tilting the head to the wrong side will shoot the debris toward
you. If the nylon line cutting head is held flat to the ground so that
cutting occurs on the whole line circle, debris will be thrown at
you, drag will slow the engine, and you will use up a lot of line.
1. Angle to wall
2. Debris 3. Knife side raised
4. Angle to ground
A: Scalping B: Edging
Nylon line cutting head rotates anticlockwise.
The knife will be on the left side of the shield.
1. Debris
2. Cut on this side
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2