Stihl FS 311 Instruction Manual page 14

English
increase the risk of injury, since the
cutting attachment is more fully exposed
and the power tool may be more difficult
to control. Never use your clearing saw
as a hedge trimmer.
WARNING
During cutting, check the tightness and
the condition of the cutting attachment at
regular short intervals with the engine
and attachment stopped. If the behavior
of the attachment changes during use,
stop the engine immediately, wait until
the cutting attachment stops, and check
the nut securing the attachment for
tightness and the blade or head for
cracks, wear and damage.
WARNING
A loose blade or head may vibrate,
crack, break or come off the clearing
saw, which may result in serious or fatal
injury. Make sure that the cutting
attachment is properly tightened. Use
the wrench supplied or one of sufficient
length to obtain the proper torque. If the
blade or head loosens after being
properly tightened, stop work
immediately. The retaining nut may be
worn or damaged and should be
replaced. If the blade or head continues
to loosen, see your STIHL dealer. Never
use a clearing saw with a loose cutting
attachment.
WARNING
Replace a cracked, damaged or worn-
out head or a cracked, bent, warped,
damaged, dull or worn out blade
immediately, even if damage is limited to
12
superficial cracks. Such attachments
may shatter at high speed and cause
serious or fatal injury.
WARNING
When using rigid blades, avoid cutting
close to fences, sides of buildings, tree
trunks, stones or other such objects that
could cause the power tool to kick out or
could cause damage to the blade.
STIHL recommends use of the nylon line
heads for such jobs. In addition, be alert
to an increased possibility of ricochets in
such situations.
WARNING
If a rotating metal blade strikes a rock or
other hard object, sparks may be
created, which can ignite flammable
materials under certain circumstances.
Flammable materials can include dry
vegetation and brush, particularly when
weather conditions are hot and dry.
When there is a risk of fire or wildfire, do
not use metal blades around flammable
materials or around dry vegetation or
brush. Contact your local fire authorities
or the U.S. Forestry Service if you have
any question about whether vegetation
and weather conditions are suitable for
the use of a metal blade.
WARNING
If the head, blade or deflector becomes
clogged or stuck, always shut off the
engine and make sure the cutting
attachment has stopped before
cleaning. Grass, weeds, etc. should be
cleaned off the blade or from around the
head at regular intervals.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of unintentional
rotation of the cutting attachment and
injury, always shut off the engine and
remove the spark plug boot before
replacing the cutting attachment. To
reduce the risk of injury, always shut off
the engine before adjusting the length of
the nylon line on manually adjustable
mowing heads.
WARNING
The gearbox becomes hot during
operation. To reduce the risk of burn
injury, do not touch the gear housing
when it is hot.
WARNING
Never modify your muffler. Any
modification could cause an increase in
heat radiation, sparks or sound level,
thereby increasing the risk of fire, burn
injury or hearing loss. You may also
permanently damage the engine. Have
your muffler serviced and repaired by
your STIHL servicing dealer only.
WARNING
The muffler and other parts of the engine
(e.g. fins of the cylinder, spark plug)
become hot during operation and remain
hot for a while after stopping the engine.
To reduce risk of burns, do not touch the
muffler and other parts while they are
hot. Keep the area around the muffler
clean. Remove excess lubricant and all
debris such as pine needles, branches
or leaves. Let the engine cool down
FS 311