Cutting Blade; Operation - Craftsman 79960 Owner's Manual

OPERATION
CHIPPER OPERATION
DANGER
To PreventPersonal Injury or Property Damage:
Figure 26: Using the chipper.
Feed small branches into the chipper chute Branches
are processed by the chipper blade and discharged into
the collection bag
• Cutting blades begin to rotate when the engine
starts and slow down gradually after the engine is
shut off. Do not allow hands or any other part of the
body or clothing inside the vacuum inlet, chipper
chute, dischargedeflector or near any moving part.
,, Before inspecting, cleaning, or servicing the
machine, stop the engine and make sure that all
moving parts have come to a complete stop.
Disconnectthe spark plug wire and secure it away
lrom the spark plug.
,, Do not operate the machine unless the chipper
chuteis securelyinstalled.
. To avoid a fire hazard, keep leaves, grass and
other combustib!e materials away from the engine
and muffler.
= Keep bystanders,pets, and children at least 25 feet
away from the machine.
° Review all of the safety rules in the Safety Section
of this Manual,,
1, If the machine was previously used for vacuuming, it
is correctly assembled for using the chipper, ff the
machine was used for blower operation, it must be
adjusted to the walk-behind vacuuming position
before using the chipper. See assembly steps on
Page 10.
IMPORTANT: THE CHIPPER IS tN OPERATING
MODE WHENEVER THE ENGINE IS RUNNING_ BE
SURE TO WEAR WORK GLOVES WHEN FEEDING
MATERIAL INTO THE CHIPPER CHUTE
2. Stand at the side of the machine, and carefully feed
small branches and twigs (up to 1-1/2 inch in diameter)
into the chipper chute,. See Figure 26 which shows
chipper operation,
3, Guide the branch down until your hands approach the
top of the chute Note that there is a flap at the top of
the chipper chute. NEVER PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN
PAST THE CHIPPER CHUTE FLAP.
iMPORTANT: DO NOT OPERATE THE CHIPPER iF
THE CHIPPER FLAP IS WORN OR MISSING
4. Feed the branch slowty. If the machine labors, puil
the branch upward until the engine regains speed
..... Continue to alternately feed and retract the branch until
your hands approach the top of the chipper chute and
then let go,,
5, Do not reach into the chipper chute to retrieve
material that is below the flap, if the material jams or
clogs the chute, shut off the engine, disconnect the
spark piug wire, and wait for all moving parts to stop
before attempting to retrieve the material
C3 If a branch causes the engine to stai!, merely restart.
Stalling does not harm the engine.
O Empty the collection bag frequently when using the
chipper Refer to Page 12.
6. To stop the engine, move the Engine Control Lever all
the way to the left (toward turtle position) until it stops
There is an audible, distinct sound as the cutting blade
stows down, Wait for this sound to stop before
inspecting, servicing, or changing the operating mode of
the machine.
Tips for Using the Chipper
O Before chipping a large number of branches, remove
the shredder screen for faster discharge of the chips
into the collection bag.
_1 Whenever possible, process branches while they are
still fresh-- green wood chips more easily than dry
wood,
IMPORTANT: iF THE MACHINE JAMS OR CLOGS,
IMMEDIATELY STOP THE ENGINE AND MAKE SURE
THAT ALL MOVING PARTS HAVE COME TO A
COMPLETE STOP° DISCONNECT THE SPARK PLUG
WIRE AND SECURE IT AWAY FROM THE SPARK
PLUG, REFER TO PAGE 26 FOR SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS AND DETAILED iNSTRUCTIONS ON
HOW TO REMOVE JAMS AND CLOGS.
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