Craftsman 358.7958 Operator's Manual page 13

areas w here i tisdifficult tosee the
material being c ut. B yusing t he unit
properly, the occurrence ofblade
thrust will b ereduced and the opera-
torwill b eless likely t olose control.
• 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 cannot cut such as
stumps, rocks, fences, metal, etc., or
clusters of hard, woody brush having
a diameter greater than 1/2 inch.
• Keep the blade sharp. A dull blade
is more likely to snag and thrust.
• Cut only at full throttle. The blade will
have maximum cutting power and is
less likely to bind or stall.
• "Feed" the blade deliberately and
not too rapidly. The blade can thrust
away if it is fed too rapidly.
• Cut only from your left to your right.
Cutting on right side of the shield will
throw debris away from the operator.
• Use the shoulder strap and keep a
firm grip on the unit with both hands.
A properly adjusted shoulder strap
will support the weight of the unit,
freeing your arms and hands to con-
trol and guide the cutting motion.
• Keep feet comfortably spread apart
and braced for a possible sudden,
rapid thrust of unit. Do not overreach.
Keep firm footing and balance.
• Keep blade below waist level; it will
be easier to maintain control of unit.
• Do not raise the engine above your
waist as the blade can come dan-
gerously close to your body.
• Do not swing unit with such force
that you are in danger of losing your
balance.
Bring the engine to cutting speed be-
fore entering the material to be cut.If
the blade does not turn when you
squeeze the throttle trigger, make sure
shaft is fully inserted into the engine.
Always release the throttle trigger and
allow engine to return to idle speed
when not cutting. The blade should
not turn while the engine is running at
idle. If the blade turns at idle, do not
use your unit. Refer to the CARBURE-
TOR ADJUSTMENT section or contact
your Sears Service Center.
• Maintain good firm footing while using
the unit. Do this by planting feet firmly
in a comfortable apart position.
• Cut while swinging the upper part of
your body from left to right.
• As you move forward to the next
area to cut, be sure to maintain your
balance and footing.
RECOMMENDED CUTTING POSITION
Cut using the 2 _1"i,_ _._,_,._,,}2
o'clock
o'clock to 4 o'clock
V'r'f V,"
position of the _/' _ _ _'€'4 o'clock
blade
--lr
A_IkWARNING: The operator or oth-
ers must not try to clear away cut mate-
rial with the engine running or the blade
turning to avoid serious injury. Stop en-
gine and blade before removing materi-
als wrapped around blade or shaft,
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
WARNING: Disconnect the spark plug before performing maintenance
except for carburetor adjustments.
CARE & MAINTENANCE TASK
Check for loose fasteners and parts
Check for damaged or worn parts
Inspect and clean unit and decals
Clean air filter
Inspect muffler and spark arresting screen
Replace spark plug
WHEN TO PERFORM
Before each use
Before each use
After each use
Every 5 hours of operation
Every 50 hours of operation
Yearly
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