Craftsman 172.74544 Remove the Spool, Filling Spool with, Replace the Spool, Operating Tips

Spool

Spool Rail

Notch

Eyelet

Cutting Line

OPERATION cont.

TO REPLACE CUTTING LINE (Fig. 14)

REMOVE THE SPOOL

For easy spool replacement we recommend using Craftsman 71-85967, bump feed replacement spool with 0.065 cutting line. It is factory wound for maximum reliability.

1.Disconnect the trimmer from the power supply. Turn trimmer over to access spool head cover.

!WARNING: To avoid injury, ALWAYS turn off and disconnect the trimmer from the power outlet BEFORE installing parts or cleaning the trimmer

or making any adjustments.

OPERATION cont.

FILLING SPOOL WITH

CUTTING LINE cont. (Fig. 15)

4.When the wound cutting line reaches the eyelets (recesses), cut the line. Temporarily park the line in the spool rail notch on one side of the spool as shown in Fig. 15.

5.Repeat the above procedure for the second cutting line on the lower section of the spool.

6.Fit the spool onto the tool as described in “REPLACE THE SPOOL” page 20.

Fig. 15

RIGHTWRONG

2.Press the release tabs on the spool head cover and remove cover, pulling it straight off of spool.

3.Lift the spool out of the spool housing.

REPLACE THE SPOOL

1.Replace the spool with a new factory pre-wound spool, Craftsman 71-85967, available from your Sears store or other Craftsman outlet.

2.Insert the end of one line through an eyelet in the spool housing. Insert the other line through the other eyelet.

3.Insert the spool into housing and press it down gently until you feel it drop into place.Take care to keep the line from becoming trapped under the spool.

4.Snap the spool head cover back on and at the same time pull lines and be sure that they are released from spool rail notch.

Spool Head Cover

Fig. 14

Release tabs

Spool

Rail

Notch

Cutting Line

!CAUTION: Before you begin trimming, only use the appropriate type of cutting line. Ensure that cutting line is present in both sections of the spool. (Fig. 15).

OPERATING TIPS

1.	Before each use make sure the protective safety guard is securely installed.
	Tighten the guard screws, but DO NOT over tighten.
2.	Be sure to check the auxiliary handle before each use, to make sure it is firmly
	tightened into desired working position.
3.	Before trimming, inspect the area for string, wire, branches, rocks, toys, or other
	objects that could be entangled in or thrown by the cutting line.
4.	Stand with the cutting head tipped down at an angle in front, guiding the trimmer in a
	semi-circular motion around you.
5.	Cut from left to right whenever possible. Cutting to the right improves the unit’s cutting
	efficiency and clippings are thrown away from the operator.
6.	To produce a smoothly trimmed area, move the trimmer in and out of the area being
	cut with constant speed and height.
7.	Use only the tip of the cutting line to do the trimming, especially near walls and fences.
	Trimming with the side of the cutting line may overload the motor, wear out the line
	faster, and break the line more often.

FILLING SPOOL WITH CUTTING LINE (Figs. 15)

You may wind new cutting line onto an empty spool. Replacement packs of 0.065 inch (1.65mm) Craftsman Cutting Line 71-85822 are available from your Sears store.

1. Remove the empty spool from the tool

as described in “REMOVE THE SPOOL” above.

2.Remove any remaining cutting line from the spool.

3.First wind new line onto the uppermost part of the spool. Feed 3/4 inch of cutting line into one of the line spool rail notches. Wind the cutting line onto the spool in the direction of the arrow on the spool. Make sure to wind the line neatly and in layers Do not crisscross (see Fig. 15).

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8.	DO NOT rest the trimmer spool on the ground while you are trimming. This will cause
	spool wear.
9.	When cutting vegetation that is over 6 inches in height, work from top to bottom
	in small increments to avoid premature line wear or engine drag.
10.	When the trimmer is stopped and the spool stops rotating, the cutting line will relax
	and may recede. Feed extra cutting line before storing the trimmer to prevent losing
	the line in the spool housing.
11. If the diameter of the cutting area gets smaller, the line is worn down and needs to be
	advanced.
12.	If the trimmer is not cutting correctly, the cutting line may not be feeding properly.
	Remove and rewind the line spool.
	(See FILLING SPOOL WITH CUTTING LINE, pg. 20).

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