Operating The Brushcutter; Blade Thrust - Ryobi RLT30CESA Operator's Manual

OPERATING THE BRUSHCUTTER

See Figures 16 - 17.
Hold the brushcutter with your right hand on the rear handle
and the your hand on the "J" handle. Keep a firm grip with
both hands while in operation. Brushcutter should be held
at a comfortable position with the rear handle about hip
height. Maintain your grip and balance on both feet. Posi-
tion yourself so that you will not be drawn off balance by
the kickback reaction of the cutting blade.
Adjust the shoulder harness to position the brushcutter at
a comfortable operating position and to assure that the
shoulder harness will reduce the risk of operator contact
with the blade.

BLADE THRUST

Exercise extreme caution when using the blade with this
unit. Blade thrust is the reaction that may occur when the
spinning blade contacts anything it cannot cut. This contact
may cause the blade to stop for an instant, and suddenly
"thrust" the unit away from the object that was hit. This re-
action can be violent enough to cause the operator to lose
control of the unit. Blade thrust 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.
For cutting ease and safety, approach the weeds being cut
with the brushcutter from the right to the left. In the event
an unexpected object or woody stock is encountered, this
practice could minimize the blade thrust reaction.
WARNING
To avoid burns from hot surfaces, never operate
unit with the bottom of the engine above waist
level.
TRI-ARC ® BLADE
The Tri-Arc blade is suited only for thicker weeds and
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pulpy stalks. When the blade becomes dull, it can be
turned over to extend the life of the blade. Do not sharpen
the Tri-Arc blade.
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CUTTING TECHNIQUE - BLADE
WARNING
E x t r e m e c a r e m u s t b e t a k e n w h e n
using blades to ensure safe operation.
R e a d t h e s a f e t y i n f o r m a t i o n f o r s a f e
operation using the blade, refer to Specific Safety
Rules for Brushcutter and Blade Use earlier in
this manual.
Always hold brushcutter on your right side with
n
both hands when operating. Use a firm grip on both
handles.
Maintain your grip and balance on both feet. Position
n
yourself so that you will not be drawn off balance by
the kickback reaction of the cutting blade.
OPERATION
Inspect and clear the area of any hidden objects such
n
as glass, rocks, concrete, fencing, wire, wood, metal,
etc.
Never use blades near sidewalks, fencing, posts,
n
buildings or other immovable objects.
Never use a blade after hitting a hard object without
n
first inspecting it for damage. Do not use if any damage
is detected.
The unit is used as a scythe, cutting from the right to
n
the left in a broad sweeping action from side to side.
Use only the Tri-Arc
n
blade or cutting head to this brushcutter can result in
serious personal injury.
dIREcTIOn Of ROTATIOn
17
blade. To install any other brand
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PROPER
OPERATInG
POSITIOn
cuTTInG AREA
Fig. 16
Fig. 17