10
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Fig. 24
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. 24).
USING THE CUTTING BLADE
WARNING:
Always wear eye, hearing, foot, body
protection and the shoulder strap to reduce the risk
of injury when operating this unit.
Fig. 25
Before operating the unit with the cutting blade, stand in the
operating position (Fig. 25). Refer to
Holding the Trimmer
.
WARNING:
Do not use the cutting blade for
edging or as an edger. Severe personal injury to
yourself or others can result.
NOTE:
Do not rest the Bump Head™ on the ground while the
unit is running.
Some line breakage 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
CAUTION:
Do not remove or alter the line cutting
blade assembly. Excessive line length will make the
clutch overheat. This may lead to serious personal
injury or damage to the unit.
ADJUSTING TRIMMING LINE LENGTH
The Bump Head™ cutting attachment allows you to release
trimming line without stopping the engine. To release more line,
lightly tap the cutting attachment on the ground (Fig. 23) while
operating the trimmer at high speed.
NOTE
: Always keep the trimming line fully extended. Line release
becomes more difficult as the cutting line becomes shorter.
Fig. 23
Each time the head is bumped, about 1 inch (25.4 mm) of trimming
line is released. A blade in the cutting attachment shield will cut the
line to the proper length if excess line is released. For best results,
tap the Bump Head™ on bare ground or hard soil. If line release is
attempted in tall grass, the engine may stall. Always keep the
trimming line fully extended. Line release becomes more difficult
as the cutting line becomes shorter.
HOLDING THE TRIMMER
Before operating the unit, stand
in the operating position (Fig.
22). Check for the following:
• The operator is wearing eye
protection and proper
clothing
• With a slightly-bent right arm,
the operator’s right hand is
holding the shaft grip
• The operator’s left arm is
straight, the left hand
holding the J-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
Once you are in the operating
position, hook the shoulder
strap to the unit.
WARNING:
Always wear eye, hearing, foot and
body protection to reduce the risk of injury when
operating this unit.
Fig. 22
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 along walls. Cutting with more than the
tip will reduce cutting efficiency and may overload the engine.
• Cut grass over 8 inches (200 mm) by working from top to bottom
in small increments to avoid premature line wear or engine drag.
• Cut from left to right whenever possible. Cutting to the right
improves the unit's cutting efficiency. Clippings are thrown
away from the operator.
• Slowly move the trimmer into and out of the cutting area at the
desired height. Move either in a forward-backward or side-to-
side motion. Cutting shorter lengths produces the best results.
• Trim only when grass and weeds are dry.
• The life of your cutting line is dependent upon:
— Proper adherence of trimming techniques (explained above)
— What vegetation is cut
— Where vegetation is cut
For example, the line will wear faster when trimming against a
foundation wall as opposed to trimming around a tree.