Echo GT-2150 Operator's Manual page 8

Trimming
Angle to wall
Scything
Scalping
Edging
GT-2150/2150S
Debris
Knife side
raised
Angle to
ground
The basic cutting actions pictured are:
Trimming, scything, scalping and lawn edging.
These actions are as follows:
TRIMMING : This is feeding the trimmer carefully into
the material you wish to cut.
Tilt the head slightly to direct the debris away from
you.
If cutting up to a barrier such as a fence, wall or tree,
approach from an angle where any debris ricocheting
off the barrier will fly away from you.
Move the line head slowly until the grass is cut right up
to the barrier, but do not jam (overfeed) the line into the
barrier.
If trimming up to wire mesh or chain link fencing, be
careful to feed only up to the wire. If you go too far, the
line will snap off around the wire.
Trimming can be done to cut through weed stems one
at a time.
Place the nylon line cutter near the bottom of the weed
never high up, which could cause the weed to chatter
and catch the line.
Rather than cut the weed right through, just use the
very end of the line to wear through the stem slowly.
SCYTHING : This is the cutting or mowing of large
grassy areas by sweeping or swinging the trimmer in
a level arc.
Use a smooth, easy motion.
Do not try to hack or chop down the grass.
Tilt the line head to direct the debris away from you on
the scything stroke.
Then return without cutting grass for another stroke.
If you are well protected and do not care whether
some debris is thrown in your direction, you may
scythe in both directions.
SCALPING and EDGING : Both of these are done
with the line head tilted at a steep angle.
Scalping is removing top growth, leaving the earth
bare.
Edging is trimming the grass back where it has spread
over a pavement or driveway.
During both edging and scalping , hold the unit at a
steep angle in a position where the debris, and any
dislodged dirt and stone, will not come back towards
you even if it ricochets off the hard surface.
Although the pictures show how to edge and scalp,
every operator must find for himself the angles which
suit his body size and cutting situation.
For nearly all cutting, it is good to tilt the nylon cutter
so that contact is made on the part of line circle where
the line is moving away from you and the shield ( See
appropriate picture).
This results in the debris being thrown away from you.
Tilting the head to the wrong side will shoot the debris
toward you.
If the nylon line cutter is held flat to the ground so that
cutting occurs on the whole line circle, debris will be
thrown at you, drag will slow the engine, and you will
use up a lot of line.
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