USING THE CUTTING BLADE
WARNING: Always wear eye, hearing, foot, body protection and the strap to reduce the risk of injury when operating this unit.
WARNING: Do not use the cutting blade for edging or as an edger, severe personal injury to yourself or others can occur.
Before operating the unit with the cutting blade stand in the operating position, Figure 22. Refer to Holding the Trimmer.
Cutting Blade Operating Tips:
To establish a rhythmic cutting procedure:
•Plant feet firmly, comfortably apart.
•Bring the engine to full throttle before entering the material to be cut. The blade has maximum cutting power at full throttle and is less likely to bind, stall, or cause blade thrust, which can result in serious personal injury to the operator or others.
FIGURE 22
WARNING: Kick back may occur when the spinning blade contacts an object that it does not immediately cut. Kick back can be violent enough to cause the unit and/or operator to be propelled in any direction, and possibly lose control of the unit. Kick back can occur without warning if the blade snags, stalls, or binds. This is more likely to occur in areas where it is difficult to see the material being cut.
•Cut while swinging the upper part of your body from right to left.
•Always release the throttle trigger and allow the engine to return to idle speed when not cutting.
•When done always unsnap unit from harness before taking harness off.
WARNING: The blade continues to spin after the engine is turned off. The coasting blade can seriously cut you if accidentally touched.
•Swing the unit in the same direction as the blade spins, which increases the cutting action.
•Move forward to the next area to be cut after the return swing and plant feet again.
•The cutting blade is designed with a second cutting edge, which can be used by removing the blade, turning it upside down, and reinstalling it.
WARNING: Do not sharpen the cutting blade. Sharpening the blade can cause the blade tip to break off while in use. This can result in severe personal injury to yourself or others. Replace the blade.
To reduce the chance of material wrapping around the blade, follow these steps:
•Cut at full throttle.
•Swing the unit into material to be cut from your right to your left, Figure 23.
•Avoid the material just cut as you make the return swing.
FIGURE 23
WARNING: Do not clear away cut material with the engine running or blade turning. To avoid serious personal injury, turn off engine. Allow the blade to stop before removing materials wrapped around the blade shaft.
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