11
• Move choke lever to CHOK E position. (A warm
engine may not require choking). See Figure 10.
Figure 10
• Move throttle control lever to FAST (rabbit) position.
See Figure 11.
Figure 11
• Grasp the starter handle and pull the rope out
slowly until resistance is felt. When it becomes
slightly harder to pull the rope, slowly allow the rope
to recoil. Then pull rope with a rapid, continuous,
full arm stroke. Keep a firm grip on starte r handle.
• Repeat the previous steps until engine starts. When
engine starts, move choke control gradually toward
the RUN position until the engine is running
smoothly.
NOTE: A “clanky” noise may be heard when pulling
the starter rope. It is completely normal and does NOT
indicate a malfunction of any kind. The noise is caused
by the flails (part of the shredding mechanism) pivoting
on the chipper shredd er’s impeller as it rotates.
• Allow the rope to reco il slowly.
WARNING: Never run the engine indoors
or in a poorly ventilated area. Engine exhaust
contains carbon monoxide, an odorless and
deadly gas.
Shredding
Yard waste such as lea ves and pine needles can be
placed in the hopper for shreddin g. After material has
been processed by the shredder blade and flails, it will
be forced out of the ch ute deflector, and, if attached,
into a debris collection bag. Observe the following
guidelines when shred ding yard debris:
• Never attempt to shred material othe r than normal
yard debris (leaves, twigs, pine cone s, etc.).
• Avoid shredding fibrous plants such as tomato
vines until they are thoroughly d ried out. Fresh
vines do not shred well and tend to wrap
themselves around the impeller and flails.
• Place reasonable amounts of debris into the hopper
at a time. Do not overload th e hopper.
• Allow the material in the hopper to be drawn into the
blades and shredded before adding additional
debris to the hopper. Failure to due so may result in
a clogged hopper, clogged chute deflector or a
stalled engine.
• Avoid placing twigs longer than 24 inches into the
hopper. Twigs longer than 24 inches may result in a
clogged hopper.
IMPORTANT: Never place branches with a diameter
greater than 1/2-inch in the hopper. Doing so can result
in serious damage to your unit’s shredder blade, flails or
impeller.
Clearing the Hopper
Should the hopper become clogged with debris during
operation, proceed as follows:
• Grasp the handle w ith both hands and gently
agitate the chipper shredde r to help loosen debris,
drawing it into the impeller.
If the clog does not clear, proceed as follows:
• Stop engine.
• Use your hands to remove any debris found near
the top of the hopper.
• Use a branch (or other available device, i.e.
broomstick) to dislodge debris located toward the
base of the hopper.
• Restart engine.
NOTE: If you’re unable to pull the starter rope as a
result of accumulated debris near the impeller, follow
instructions under the heading Cleaning the
Reduction Chamber.