Poulan Pro 331 Instruction Manual page 8

S Extend your left arm and hold handlebar
grip with your left hand.
S Hold throttle grip with your right hand with
finger on throttle trigger.
S Keep unit below waist level.
S Keep shoulder strap pad centered on your
left shoulder and danger sign centered on
your back.
S Maintain full weight of tool on your left
shoulder.
S Without bending over, keep the blade or trim-
mer head near and parallel to the ground and
not crowded into material being cut.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USE WITH TRIMMER HEAD
Before trimming, bring engine to a speed suffi-
cient to cut material to be trimmed.
Do not run engine at a higher speed than nec-
essary. The cutting line will cut efficiently
when the engine is run at less than full throttle.
At lower speeds, there is less engine noise
and vibration. The cutting line will last longer
and will be less likely to "weld" onto the spool.
If trimmer head does not turn when the engine
is in operation, make sure the tube is properly
seated in engine shroud.
Always release the throttle trigger and allow
the engine to return to idle speed when not
cutting.
To stop engine:
S To stop the engine, push and release the
engine STOP switch.
S If engine does not stop, move choke to
the FULL CHOKE position.
ADVANCING THE TRIMMER LINE
Advance line by tapping the bottom of the cut-
ting head lightly on the ground while engine is
running at full speed. The line limiter blade (on
underside of shield) will cut the line to the proper
length.
WARNING:
Use only 0.095 inch (2.4
mm) diameter line. Other sizes of line will not
advance properly and can cause serious
injury. Do not use other materials such as
wire, string, rope, etc. Wire can break off dur-
ing cutting and become a dangerous missile
that can cause serious injury.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USE WITH WEED BLADE
S Blade Thrust is a reaction that only occurs
when using a bladed unit. This reaction can
cause serious injury such as amputation.
Carefully study this section. It is important that
you understand what causes blade thrust,
how you can reduce the chance of its occur-
ring, and how you can remain in control of unit
if blade thrust occurs.
S WHAT CAUSES BLADE THRUST -- Blade
Thrust can occur when the spinning blade
contacts an object that it does not cut. This
contact causes the blade to stop for an instant
and then suddenly move or "thrust" away
from the object that was hit. The "thrusting" re-
action can be violent enough to cause the op-
erator to be propelled in any direction and lose
control of the unit. The uncontrolled unit can
cause serious injury if the blade contacts the
operator or others.
S WHEN BLADE THRUST OCCURS --
Blade Thrust can occur without warning if
the blade snags, stalls, or binds. This is
more likely to occur in areas where it is diffi-
cult to see the material being cut. By using
the unit properly, the occurrence of blade
thrust will be reduced and the operator will
be less likely to lose control.
S Cut only grass, weeds, and woody brush up
to 1/2 inch in diameter with the weed blade.
Do not let the blade contact material it can-
not cut such as stumps, rocks, fences,
metal, etc., or clusters of hard, woody brush
having a diameter greater than 1/2 inch.
S Keep the blade sharp. A dull blade is more
likely to snag and thrust.
S Cut only at full throttle. The blade will have
maximum cutting power and is less likely to
bind or stall.
S "Feed" the blade deliberately and not too
rapidly. The blade can thrust away if it is fed
too rapidly.
S Cut only from your right to your left. Swing-
ing the unit in the same direction as the
blade spins increases the cutting action.
S Use the shoulder strap and keep a firm grip
on the unit with both hands. A properly ad-
justed shoulder strap will support the weight of
the unit, freeing your arms and hands to con-
trol and guide the cutting motion.
S Keep feet comfortably spread apart and
braced for a possible sudden, rapid thrust of
unit. Do not overreach. Keep firm footing and
balance.
S Keep blade below waist level; it will be eas-
ier to maintain control of unit.
S Do not raise the engine above your waist as
the blade can come dangerously close to
your body.
S Do not swing unit with such force that you
are in danger of losing your balance.
Bring the engine to cutting speed before en-
tering the material to be cut.
If the blade does not turn when you squeeze
the throttle trigger, make sure tube is fully in-
serted into the engine.
Always release the throttle trigger and allow
engine to return to idle speed when not cut-
ting. The blade should not turn while the en-
gine is running at idle. If the blade turns at idle,
do not use your unit. Refer to the Carburetor
adjustment section or contact your autho-
rized service dealer.
S Maintain good firm footing while using the
unit. Do this by planting feet firmly in a com-
fortable apart position.
S Cut while swinging the upper part of your
body from right to left.
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