Honda HHT25S Owner's Manual page 10

Turn the Engine Off When Not Trimming
If you stop trimming or cutting for any reason, even to clean off the
cutting attachment, always shut off the engine.
Keep People Away From Your Working Area
To prevent injury to others, keep people at least 50 feet (15 meters)
away from the working area during operation.
Always Wear the Harness When Trimming
The harness keeps the trimmer away from your body, lowering your
chances of being cut by the trimmer's blade or cutting line.
Read This Manual Before Using the Trimmer
Read the manual before operating the trimmer. Understand how to
use all the controls and obey all warnings.
Clear the Working Area First
Objects thrown by the trimmer can cause serious injury. Before
operating the trimmer, carefully inspect the area and remove any
broken glass, pieces of wire, and other loose objects.
Keep the Trimmer Properly Maintained
• The cutting attachment should be examined for looseness, cracks,
broken parts, or excessive wear. Tighten or replace as needed
before operating the trimmer.
• Do not operate the trimmer without a debris shield properly
installed. Make sure you have the right shield installed for your
cutting attachment.
Cutting Terrain
Be very careful when operating the trimmer over uneven or rough
ground, and when the ground is wet and slippery. Watch out for
hidden obstacles that could cause you to stumble. Operate the
trimmer only under conditions with good visibility. Do not operate the
trimmer where you cannot see what it is cutting.
WARNING

Rotating cutting lines can cause serious abrasions and cuts,
and blades can cut deeply.
• Keep away from the cutting lines or blade whenever the
engine is running.
• Always stop the engine, and be sure the cutting line head
or blade has stopped turning, before inspecting or
handling the cutting lines or blade.
10
Thrown Debris
The trimmer will throw debris in the direction of blade movement at
the point of contact.
The cutting line head or blade
rotates counterclockwise, as
viewed from the operator's
position. Tilting the cutting line
head to the right will throw
debris away from you, and
tilting to the left will throw debris
toward you.
If the cutting line head or blade
is held parallel to the ground,
debris will scatter in all
directions and there will be greater friction, which will wear out the
cutting line or blade sooner.
When operating the trimmer near a hard surface such as a wall, work
from an angle where debris that strikes the hard surface will ricochet
away from you.
Gravel, loose stones, etc. can be picked up by the nylon cutting lines
or blade and thrown many feet with enough force to cause serious
personal injury and/or property damage. Before crossing graveled
areas, release the throttle trigger to stop the cutting line head or
blade.
Blade Thrust (Kickback)
Blade thrust (kickback) is the sudden, forceful, and uncontrolled
movement of a blade-equipped trimmer that may occur if the blade
binds while cutting or strikes a solid object.
Blade thrust (kickback)
throws the trimmer in the
direction opposite blade
rotation at the point of
contact, and the jolt
received by the operator
can result in further loss of
control.
To reduce the risk of
loosing control, use metal
blades on trimmers
equipped with a U-type
handlebar, or install the
barrier bar (optional part)
on trimmers equipped with a loop handle.
Replace or resharpen dull blades. Dull blades are more likely to bind
in the cut and cause blade thrust.
Watch out for hidden obstacles such as rocks, stumps, roots, etc., that
could cause the blade to kick back if struck. Blade thrust is more likely
to occur in areas where it is difficult to see what is being cut.
Understand the reaction forces of the blade. When using a brush
blade to saw through heavy brush and small saplings, saw with the
side of the brush blade that is moving toward you and tends to pull the
trimmer away from you.
Blades on Honda HHT25S and HHT35S trimmers rotate
counterclockwise, as viewed from the operator's position. Therefore,
the left side of the blade is moving toward you. With these trimmers,
sawing with the left side of a brush blade will give you better control
and less risk of kickback, though it will throw the sawdust toward you.
Cut from the side of saplings that will cause them to fall away from the
trimmer. This will help prevent the blade from binding in the cut and
kicking back.
Accelerate the engine to maximum speed before starting the cut, and
saw through with uniform pressure.
DEBRIS
Cut with the
right side to
throw debris
away from
you.
BLADE
THRUST