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The basic cutting actions pictured are: Trimming, scything, scalp-
ing and lawn edging. These actions are as follows
TRIMMING: This is feeding the trimmer carefully into the material
you wish to cut. Tilt the head slightly to direct debris away from you.
If cutting 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 line head slowly until the grass is cut right up
to the barrier, but do not jam (overfeed) the line into the barrier. If
trimming up to 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 trimmer line 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
motion. Do not try to hack or chop down the grass. The unit can be
hand-held for scything. Scything is also very comfortable to do with
the unit on a shoulder harness. Tilt the line 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 line 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 sidewalk or driveway. During both edging and scalping, hold
the unit at a steep angle and 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 operator must find for himself the angles
which suit his body size and cutting situation.
CURVED SHAFT
UNITS
DEBRIS
TRIMMING
KNIFE SIDE
RAISED
TILT ANGLES
ANGLE TO
WALL
SCYTHING
SCALPING
PROPER SHIELD
POSITION
EDGING
WARNING
DANGER
Do not use a blade for edging or scalping.
