Patriot Products 5F, 6F, 8F, 10F manual Fire and Burn Hazards, Carbon Monoxide Hazards

Fire and Burn Hazards

Gasoline is very flammable. The vapor can explode. Use extreme care when handling gasoline. KEEP FUEL AWAY FROM CHILDREN.

Use a proper fuel container for your gasoline. Do not remove the gas cap until you have shut down the chipper-shredder-vac. Re-fuel the engine out of doors and only after the engine has cooled down. Use a gasoline funnel.

Do not operate or store the chipper-shredder-vac, or the gasoline, near open flames or other heat sources.

▲Avoid touching a hot engine and exhaust system. Allow the engine to cool before refueling, transporting, or storing the chipper-shredder-vac.

▲Refuel in a well-ventilated area with the engine shut off and the rotor fully stopped. Keep flames, sparks, and smoking materials away!

▲Avoid spilling or over-filling the tank. Tighten the gas cap after re- fueling. Allow spilled fuel to dry before re-starting the engine.

▲Store the chipper-shredder-vac on a level surface in a well-ventilated area, away from appliances like water heaters and clothes drier.

Grass and dry leaves are also flammable. Empty the bag when you are finished, even if it is not full. Stored shreds and clippings are a fire hazard.

▲Grass and dry leaves are flammable. Empty the bag before storage, even if it is not full. Stored shreds and clippings are a fire hazard.

Carbon Monoxide Hazards

Exhaust from the engine contains poisonous carbon monoxide. It is colorless, odorless, and can be lethal. Breathing the exhaust can cause loss of conscious- ness, possibly leading to death.

▲Do not operate any gas engine in an enclosed area. Use outdoors only!

▲Carbon monoxide is a poison known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Mechanical Hazards

If unusual vibration or noise occurs, shut down the chipper-shredder-vac. Continuing to run the machine when it may be damaged may cause serious property damage and personal injury. Replace or repair parts as needed and check fasteners for tightness before resuming work. If there are still problems, take it to a service shop.

▲Don’t tamper with the engine speed governors. They prevent rotating parts from over-speeding and causing damage or injury. Seek an authorized service mechanic should engine problems arise.

▲Do not put your hands or any other part of your body or clothing inside the cone, shredder hopper, or into any inlet or outlet to moving parts!

▲Do not attempt even a minor clean-out of the cone, hopper, bag, or engine service while the rotor is turning!

▲Empty the collection bag when it is almost full to prevent clogging and poor performance.

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Safety & Maintenance

This chipper-shredder-vac is built to meet or beat the very latest safety standards established by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the American National Standards Institute.

Part of this certification requires that safety labels meet certain standards. They must be replaced when they become worn out. It is your responsibility to replace the labels if they become hard to read.

Safety certification also requires that all guards and deflectors be kept in place and in good condition. Again, it is the operator’s job to repair or replace guards and deflec- tors when necessary.

Other Maintenance

Regular maintenance must also include the engine. Add oil as it is needed and change the oil regularly. Your engine manual has information about the kind of oil to use, how much to use, and how to add or drain the oil.

It’s hard to say exactly when you should sharpen the knives or replace the shredding hammers.

Chipping branches and prunings while they are green and fresh keeps the knives wet and cool. They stay sharp longer. Dead, dry wood—and dirty, gravelly garden waste, for that matter—dulls chipping knives.

Generally speaking, when the knives do not pull branches down the chipper with relative ease, it is time to sharpen them. The hammers can be checked after you have shut down. If the edges are smooth, weathered or bent, reverse or replace them.