Echo GRASS/WEED TRIMMER BRUSHCUTTER and CLEARING SAW manual Reaction Forces, Using Weed Blades

GT SERIES

CLOCKWISE ROTATION

PULL

PUSH

OBJECT ON LEFT OBJECT ON RIGHT

SRM SERIES

COUNTERCLOCKWISE ROTATION

PUSH

PULL

OBJECT ON LEFT OBJECT ON RIGHT

KICKOUT (BLADE THRUST)

CLOCKWISE KICKOUT COUNTERCLOCKWISE KICKOUT

OBJECT

SCYTHING

WEEDS

DO NOT TOUCH THESE TYPES OF

OBJECTS WITH THE BLADE

METAL STAKES

UTILITYWIRES

RUBBER

ROCKSMASONRYMETALFENCE

WARNING DANGER

Be sure you understand the reaction forces of push and pull, and kickout (also called blade thrust), described in this manual, and how these forces may affect your balance in the operation of a bladed unit.

REACTION FORCES

PUSH. The operator feels the unit push toward him when he tries to saw with the blade on the side where the teeth are moving away from him. If he cannot hold the blade in the cut, a kickout may occur when the blade is pushed out to where the teeth at the outside furthest point from the operator are cutting. The blade will “kick out” sideways.

KICKOUT. This blade-thrust reaction may occur when the moving blade at the front of the blade circle contacts strong brush or trees. The force that occurs pushes the entire unit and blade violently away in an arc. Kickout is a danger to a bystander and also a jolting force to the operator.

PULL. The opposite of push. When the part of the blade where the teeth are moving toward the operator is used for cutting, the reaction is a pull away from the operator. Although this pull type of cutting may cause sawdust to be thrown back at the operator, it is recom- mended for sawing of heavy brush because the cutting is smoother and more stable than when the unit pushes.

NOTE

The direction of the kickout will depend on what unit model you are using. A curved-shaft GT model employs a clockwise rotation of its cutting head and will kickout to the left of the operator. The straight-shaft SRM employs a counter-clock- wise rotation of its cutting head and will kickout to the right of the operator.

USING WEED BLADES

SCYTHING WEEDS. This is cutting by swinging the blade in a level arc. It can quickly clear areas of field grass and weeds. Scything should not be used to cut large, tough weeds or woody growths.

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