Poulan 331 Operating Instructions for USE with Trimmer Head, Advancing the Trimmer Line

S Extend your left arm and hold handlebar grip with your left hand.

SHold throttle grip with your right hand with

finger on throttle trigger.

SKeep unit below waist level.

SKeep shoulder strap pad centered on your left shoulder and danger sign centered on

your back.

S Maintain full weight of tool on your left shoulder.

SWithout bending over, keep the blade or trim- mer head near and parallel to the ground and not crowded into material being cut.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE WITH TRIMMER HEAD

Before trimming, bring engine to a speed suffi- cient to cut material to be trimmed.

Do not run engine at a higher speed than nec- essary. The cutting line will cut efficiently when the engine is run at less than full throttle. At lower speeds, there is less engine noise and vibration. The cutting line will last longer and will be less likely to “weld” onto the spool. If trimmer head does not turn when the engine is in operation, make sure the tube is properly seated in engine shroud.

Always release the throttle trigger and allow the engine to return to idle speed when not cutting.

To stop engine:

STo stop the engine, push and release the engine STOP switch.

SIf engine does not stop, move choke to the FULL CHOKE position.

ADVANCING THE TRIMMER LINE

Advance line by tapping the bottom of the cut- ting head lightly on the ground while engine is running at full speed. The line limiter blade (on underside of shield) will cut the line to the proper length.

WARNING: Use only 0.095 inch (2.4

mm)diameter line. Other sizes of line will not advance properly and can cause serious injury. Do not use other materials such as wire, string, rope, etc. Wire can break off dur- ing cutting and become a dangerous missile that can cause serious injury.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE WITH WEED BLADE

SBlade Thrust is a reaction that only occurs when using a bladed unit. This reaction can cause serious injury such as amputation. Carefully study this section. It is important that you understand what causes blade thrust,

how you can reduce the chance of its occur- ring, and how you can remain in control of unit if blade thrust occurs.

SWHAT CAUSES BLADE THRUST --Blade Thrust can occur when the spinning blade contacts an object that it does not cut. This contact causes the blade to stop for an instant and then suddenly move or “thrust” away from the object that was hit. The “thrusting” re- action can be violent enough to cause the op- erator to be propelled in any direction and lose control of the unit. The uncontrolled unit can

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cause serious injury if the blade contacts the operator or others.

S WHEN BLADE THRUST OCCURS --Blade Thrust can occur without warning if the blade snags, stalls, or binds. This is more likely to occur in areas where it is diffi- cult to see the material being cut. By using the unit properly, the occurrence of blade thrust will be reduced and the operator will be less likely to lose control.

SCut only grass, weeds, and woody brush up to 1/2 inch in diameter with the weed blade. Do not let the blade contact material it can- not cut such as stumps, rocks, fences, metal, etc., or clusters of hard, woody brush

having a diameter greater than 1/2 inch.

SKeep the blade sharp. A dull blade is more likely to snag and thrust.

SCut only at full throttle. The blade will have maximum cutting power and is less likely to

bind or stall.

S “Feed” the blade deliberately and not too rapidly. The blade can thrust away if it is fed too rapidly.

SCut only from your right to your left. Swing- ing the unit in the same direction as the blade spins increases the cutting action.

SUse the shoulder strap and keep a firm grip on the unit with both hands. A properly ad- justed shoulder strap will support the weight of the unit, freeing your arms and hands to con- trol and guide the cutting motion.

S Keep feet comfortably spread apart and braced for a possible sudden, rapid thrust of unit. Do not overreach. Keep firm footing and balance.

SKeep blade below waist level; it will be eas-

ier to maintain control of unit.

SDo not raise the engine above your waist as the blade can come dangerously close to

your body.

SDo not swing unit with such force that you

are in danger of losing your balance. Bring the engine to cutting speed before en- tering the material to be cut.

If the blade does not turn when you squeeze the throttle trigger, make sure tube is fully in- serted into the engine.

Always release the throttle trigger and allow engine to return to idle speed when not cut- ting. The blade should not turn while the en- gine is running at idle. If the blade turns at idle, do not use your unit. Refer to the Carburetor adjustment section or contact your autho- rized service dealer.

S Maintain good firm footing while using the unit. Do this by planting feet firmly in a com- fortable apart position.

S Cut while swinging the upper part of your body from right to left.