Craftsman 358.798270-32ce Important Manual page 16

A. BLADE SAFETY
I. OPERATOR SAFETY
a. Always wear eye protection when operating,
b. Always wear heavy,longpants, long sleeves,
boots, and gloves. Do notgo barefoot o r wear
sandals, jewelry, short pants,short sleeves,
looseclothing, or clothing w ith loosely h ang-
ingstraps, ties, t assels, etc.; theycanbe caught
in moving parts. Secure hairso itis above
shoulder length.Beingfiffiy covered will help
protect you from pieces oftoxic p lants suchas
poisonivythrown by theblade, w hich could be
more ofa hazardthan touching theplant itself.
c. Do notoperate this unitwhenyou aretired, ill,
or under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or
medication.
d. Always use the handlebar and a properly ad-
justed shoulder strap. See "Assembly."
e. Do not swing the unit with such force that you
are in danger of losingyour balance.
f. Never start or run the engine inside a closed
room or building.Breathingexhaustfumes
can kill.
g. Keep handles free of oil and fuel.
2. UNIT SAFETY
a. Inspect the entire unit before each use. Re-
place damaged parts. Check for fuel leaks and
make sure all handles, guards, and fasteners
are in place and securely fastened.
b. Be sure the metal shield is properly attached.
The metal shield must be installed for all blade
usage.
c. Make sure the blade is _roperly installed and
securely fastened. Refer fo "_h__sembl_"
d. L_ sure the bl_ st:,pa _ur_'fing whsn tb.s en-
gine idles. See "Trouble Shooting Chart."
e. Make carburetor adjustments with the drive
shaft housing supported to prevent the blade
from contacting any object. Hold unit by hand;
do not use the shoulder strap for support.
f. Keep others away when making carburetor ad-
justments.
g. Have all maintenance and service not ex-
plained in this manual performed by an Autho-
rized Service Dealer.
3. _G SAFETY
a. Inspect thearea to be cut before each use. Re-
move objects (rocks, broken glass, nails, wire,
string, etc.) which can be thrown or become en-
tangled in the blade.
b. Always keep the engine on the right side of
your body. Hold the unit fmnly with both
hands.
c. Keep firm footing and balance. Do not over-
reach.
d. Keep blade below waist level.
e. Do not raise the engine aboveyour waist. The
blade can come dangerously close to your body.
f. Cut at full throttle.
g. Cut from your right to your left.
h. Use only for jobs explained in this manual. Do
not use the blade as an edger. The shield does
not provide adequate protection.
B. GUARD AGAINST BLADE THRUST
• Blade Thrust is a reaction that only occurs when
using a bladed unit. This reaction can cause seri-
ous injurysuch as amputation. Carefully s tudy
thissection. Itisimportant thatyou understand
what causesbladethrust, h ow you canreducethe
chance of its occurring, a nd how you can remain
in control ofthe unitif bladethrust occurs.
• The forwardtipon the shield h elpstoreducethe
occurrence ofbladethrust but cannotpreventthe
occurrence.The operator must follow all warn-
ings and safetyinstructions in thissectionto
lessen thechanceofbladethrust occurring a nd to
maintaincontrol o funitif thereaction d oesoccur.
1. WHAT CAUSES BLADE THRUST Blade
Thrust can occur when the spinning blade con-
tacts an object thatitdoesnotcut.This contact
causestheblade to stopforan instant and then
suddenly move or "thrust" away from the object
that was hit. The %hrusting" reaction can be vio-
lent enough to cause the operator 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, Figure 21.
2. 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 difficult to see the material be-
ing cut. Byusingthe unit properly, the occurrence
of blade thrust Will be reduced and the operator
will be less likely to lose control.
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3o
BLADE THRUST
• Figure 21
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF BLADE THRUST
a. Cut only grass, weeds, and woody brush up to 2
inches in diameter with the brush blade. Do not
let the blade contact material it cannot cut such as
stumps, rocks, fences, metal, etc., or dusters of
hard, woody brush having a diameter greater than
2 inches.
b. Keep the blade sharp. A dullblade is more likely to
snag and thrust.
c. Cut only at full throttle. The blade has maximum
c_tting power at full throttle and is less likely to
bind or stall.
d. "Feed" the blade deliberately and not too rapidly.
The blade can thrust away if it is fed too rapidly.
e. CUt only from your right to your left. Swinging
the unit in the same direction as the blade spins
increases the cutting actiom