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14

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Fig. 20

Fig. 21

Fig. 22

DECORATIVE TRIMMING

Decorative trimming is accomplished by removing all
vegetation around trees, posts, fences and more.

Rotate the whole unit so that the cutting attachment is at
a 30° angle to the ground (Fig. 20).

USING THE CUTTING BLADE

Before operating the unit with the cutting blade, stand in
the operating position (Fig. 21). Refer to 

Holding the

Trimmer

.

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).

• Cut while swinging the upper part of your body from

left to right.

• 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.

• Swing the unit in the opposite direction as the blade

spins, which increases the cutting action.

• After the return swing, move forward to the next area

to be cut 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.

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 left to

your right (Fig. 22)

• Avoid the material just cut as you make the return swing

Always wear eye,
hearing, foot, body

protection and the shoulder strap to reduce the
risk of injury when operating this unit.

WARNING:

Do not use the
cutting blade for

edging or as an edger. Severe personal injury
to yourself or others can result.

WARNING:

The blade continues
to spin after the

engine is turned off. The coasting blade can
seriously cut you if accidentally touched.

WARNING:

Do not sharpen the
cutting blade.

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:

Blade thrust may
occur when the

spinning blade contacts an object that it does
not immediately cut. Blade thrust can be violent
enough to cause the unit and/or operator to be
propelled in any direction, and possibly lose
control of the unit. Blade thrust can occur
without warning if the blade snags, stalls or
binds. This is more likely to occur in areas where
it is difficult to see the material being cut.

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.

WARNING:

Summary of Contents for LT31CSH

Page 1: ...Operator s Manual LT31CSH Trimmer Brushcutter IMPORTANT READ SAFETY RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY P N 769 02284 1 06 ...

Page 2: ... AND SPECIFICATIONS All information illustrations and specifications in this manual are based on the latest product information available at the time of printing We reserve the right to make changes at any time without notice Copyright 2005 MTD SOUTHWEST INC All Rights Reserved SERVICE INFORMATION Service on this unit both within and after the warranty period should be performed only by an authori...

Page 3: ...g the feul tank Never remove the feul tank cap or add fuel when the engine is hot Never operate the unit without the fuel cap securely in place Loosen the fuel tank cap slowly to relieve any pressure in the tank SYMBOL MEANING The purpose of safety symbols is to attract your attention to possible dangers The safety symbols and their explanations deserve your careful attention and understanding The...

Page 4: ... or try to stop the cutting attachment when it rotates Do not touch the engine gear housing or muffler These parts get extremely hot from operation even after the unit is turned off Do not operate the engine faster than the speed needed to cut trim or edge Do not run the engine at high speed when not cutting Always stop the engine when cutting is delayed or when walking from one cutting location t...

Page 5: ...or damage before continuing Repair or replace affected parts as necessary After Use Clean cutting blades with a household cleaner to remove any gum buildup Oil the blade with machine oil to prevent rust RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION Lock up and store the cutting blade in an appropriate area to protect the blade from unauthorized use or damage OTHER SAFETY WARNINGS Never store a fueled unit inside a bui...

Page 6: ...and rotating cutter can cause severe injury Keep bystanders especially children and pets at least 50 feet 15 m away from the cutting area The cutting attachment shield must be used when using the trimmer cutting attachment CHOKE CONTROL 1 FULL choke position 2 PARTIAL choke position 3 RUN position SYMBOL MEANING SAFETY ALERT SYMBOL Indicates danger warning or caution May be used in conjunction wit...

Page 7: ...rush of up to 1 2 inch in diameter Primer Bulb Air Filter Muffler Cover Spark Plug Muffler Blue Choke Lever Petrol Cap On Off Stop Control Shaft Housing Starter Rope Grip Blade Shield Shield Mount Line Cutting Blade Support Fitting Throttle Control Cutting Attachment Shield Cutting Attachment Gear Housing Cutting Blade Handlebar Foot Stand Hip Pad Throttle Lock Out ...

Page 8: ...clamp screws evenly until the handlebar is secure INSTALL THE HARNESS 1 Push the strap through the center of the buckle 2 Pull the strap over the cross bar and down through the slot in the buckle Fig 3 3 Put the harness on over head and onto shoulder Snap it on to the support fitting Fig 4 4 Adjust length to fit the operator s size Pull tab to lengthen pull strap to shorten Fig 5 Support Fitting F...

Page 9: ...aft Bushing Locking Rod Output Shaft 2 Hold the locking rod in place by grasping it next to the boom of the unit Fig 8 3 While holding the locking rod remove the cutting attachment by turning it clockwise off of the output shaft Fig 9 Store the cutting attachment for future use NOTE The blade retainer under the cutting attachment will be used when installing the cutting blade Fig 7 Fig 9 Fig 8 Ins...

Page 10: ...nt shield Refer to Remove and Install the Cutting Attachment Shield Blade Retainer Output Shaft Bushing Fig 13 5 Make sure that the cutting blade is centered on the pilot step and sitting flat against the output shaft bushing Fig 11 4 Remove the nut blade retainer and blade Store the nut and blade together for future use in a secure place Store out of children s reach Install the Cutting Attachmen...

Page 11: ...ir cooled engines along with a fuel additive such as STA BIL Petrol Stabilizer or an equivalent Add 23 ml 0 8 oz of fuel additive per gallon of fuel according to the instructions on the container NEVER add fuel additives directly to the unit s fuel tank Thoroughly mix the proper ratio of 2 cycle engine oil with unleaded petrol in a separate fuel can Use a 40 1 petrol oil ratio Do not mix them dire...

Page 12: ...antly reduces the effort required to start the engine You must pull the starter rope out far enough to hear the engine attempt to start There is no need to pull the rope briskly there is no harsh resistance when pulling Be aware that this starting method is vastly different from and much easier than what you may be used to 6 Place the blue choke lever in Position 2 7 While squeezing the throttle c...

Page 13: ...e will occur from Entanglement with foreign matter Normal line fatigue Attempting to cut thick stalky weeds Forcing the line into objects such as walls or fence posts TIPS FOR BEST TRIMMING RESULTS For best trimming results operate unit at full throttle Keep the cutting attachment parallel to the ground Do not force the cutting attachment Allow the tip of the line to do the cutting especially alon...

Page 14: ...lade turning it upside down and reinstalling it 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 left to your right Fig 22 Avoid the material just cut as you make the return swing Always wear eye hearing foot body protection and the shoulder strap to reduce the risk of injury when operating this unit...

Page 15: ...7 Every 25 hours Check and clean spark arrestor Check spark plug condition and gap Page 18 Page 20 Every 50 hours Inspect spark arrestor screen for clogging or obstruction to assure maximum performance levels Page 18 To prevent serious injury never perform maintenance or repairs with unit running Always service and repair a cool unit Disconnect the spark plug wire to ensure that the unit cannot st...

Page 16: ...ng line Insert one end of the line through one of the two holes in the inner reel Fig 29 Pull the line through the inner reel until only about 4 inches is left out 9 Insert the end of the line into the open hole in the inner reel and pull the line tight to make the loop as small as possible Fig 29 10 Before winding split the line back about 6 inches 11 Wind the line in tight even layers in the dir...

Page 17: ...ter Muffler Cover 2 Turn cover over and look inside to locate the air filter Remove the air filter from inside the air filter muffler cover Fig 33 3 Wash the filter in detergent and water Fig 34 Rinse the filter thoroughly Squeeze out excess water Allow it to dry completely 4 Apply enough clean SAE 30 oil to lightly coat the filter Fig 35 5 Squeeze the filter to spread and remove excess oil Fig 36...

Page 18: ...de screwdriver carefully pry up the spark arrestor screen from the recessed hole taking care to notice that the raised part of the spark arrestor screen is inside the recessed hole Remove the spark arrestor screen from the muffler 4 Clean the spark arrestor screen with a wire brush Replace it if it is damaged or if you are unable to clean it thoroughly 5 Reinstall the spark arrestor screen by putt...

Page 19: ... a Champion RDJ7Y spark plug or equivalent The correct air gap is 0 020 inch 0 5 mm Remove the plug after every 25 hours of operation and check its condition 1 Stop the engine and allow it to cool Grasp the plug wire firmly and pull it from the spark plug 2 Clean around the spark plug Remove the spark plug from the cylinder head by turning a 5 8 inch socket counterclockwise 3 Replace a cracked fou...

Page 20: ...ored for more than 60 days Dispose of the old fuel oil mix in accordance to Federal State and Local regulations TRANSPORTING Allow the engine to cool before transporting Drain fuel from unit Tighten fuel cap before transporting Secure the unit while transporting To avoid serious personal injury always turn your trimmer off and allow it to cool before you clean or service it WARNING 2 Start the eng...

Page 21: ...y mixed fuel Drain fuel tank and add fresh fuel mixture Fouled spark plug Replace or clean the spark plug Plugged spark arrestor Clean or replace spark arrestor The outside temperature is below 40º F Pull the starter rope up to 10 15 times The outside temperature is above 90º F Squeeze the throttle control and pull the starter rope ENGINE WILL NOT START ENGINE WILL NOT IDLE ENGINE WILL NOT ACCELER...

Page 22: ...ard Throttle Manual Spring Return Fuel Tank Capacity 444 ml 15 fl oz Drive Shaft Housing Steel Tube Throttle Control Finger Tip Trigger with Lock Out Approximate Unit Weight No petrol with cutting attachment shield and handle 7 kg 15 lbs Cutting Mechanism 4 Tooth Cutting Blade Dual String Cutting Head Line Spool Bump Line Releaser Line Spool Diameter 101 6 mm 4 inches Trimming Line Diameter 2 41 m...

Page 23: ...23 NOTES ...

Page 24: ...24 NOTES ...

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