Black & Decker Gr342c Instruction Manual

English

Rotary Lawnmower GR340/GR342/GR345/GR346

User manual

Congratulations!

On your purchase of your Black & Decker rotary lawnmower.

This user manual provides important operating and maintenance instructions for all of the rotary mowers in the Black & Decker GR340 and GR345 ranges.

Know your mower

Read all of this manual carefully , observing all the recommended safety instructions before, during and after using your mower , and maintain your mower in good working order .

Familiarise yourself with the controls on your mower before attempting to operate it, but above all, be sure you know how to stop your mower in an emergency .

Retain this user manual and all other literature supplied with your mower for future reference.

Safety instructions

Training

• Never allow children or persons who are

unfamiliar with this type of mower to use it, nor anyone who has not read this user manual.

Do not allow children, animals or

6m / 20ft

other persons near your mower when in use - always keep them

360

at least 6m (20ft) away from the cutting area.

• Remember that the operator is

responsible for accidents or hazards occurring to other people or their property .

• Y our mower is designed for use on AC

(mains) electrical supplies only - do not attempt to use it on any other supply .

• Plug your mower into a power point -

never a lighting socket.

• Never carry your mower by the cable or

jerk the cable to seperate the

connectors. Keep the cable away from heat sources, oils or sharp edges. Check the condition of your cable before use and do not use if damaged.

Preparation

• T o protect your feet, always wear stout

shoes or boots - freshly cut grass is damp and slippery .

• Rubber or man-made footwear will

enhance your safety .

• Do not operate your mower barefoot or

in open sandals.

• Use protective equipment. Wear safety

spectacles or goggles whilst operating your mower . Use ear protection if the sound level seems uncomfortable when using your mower .

• Use a face mask if dusty .

• Wear long trousers to protect your legs -

any debris left on the lawn or cutting path may be picked up and ejected by the blade.

• The power supply cable should be

regularly inspected for signs of damage or ageing, and only used if in good condition.

• Always keep the power supply cable

away from the blades - be aware of its position at all times.

• Always be sure your mower is in a safe

operating condition.

• Before using your mower , disconnect it

from the electrical supply and visually check that the blade, blade nut and cutter assembly are not worn or damaged. A damaged blade or worn blade nut is a major hazard and must be replaced. Also check that the blade nut is securely fastened.

• Always check that your lawn or cutting

path is clear of all sticks, stones, wire and other debris. Contact with such debris may be dangerous as it may damage your mower and could be thrown by the blade.

Operation

• When tilting the handle downwards to

start your mower , do not tilt it more than is absolutely necessary . Always ensure that both hands are in the operating position and feet are well away from the blades before returning your mower to the ground.

Y our mower will continue to run for a short time after releasing the switch lever . Always allow your mower to stop on its own.

• Release the switch lever to turn your

mower off and remove the plug from the mains:

• Whenever you leave your mower

unattended.

• Before checking, cleaning, adjusting

or working on your mower .

• Before clearing a blockage.

• If your mower starts to vibrate

abnormally (check immediately).

• After striking a foreign object, inspect

your mower for damage and make repairs as necessary .

• Never run your mower whilst lying on its

side or attempt to stop the blade always allow it to stop on its own.

• Do not put hands or feet near or under

rotating parts.

• Keep clear of discharge openings at all

times.

• Start your mower carefully according to

the instructions and with your feet well away from the blade.

• Do not use your mower in the rain and

do not allow it to get wet. Avoid using your mower in wet grass, if possible.

• Use your mower only in daylight or good

artificial light.

• Do not pull your mower towards you or

walk backwards when in operation.

• Do not cross gravel paths or roads whilst

the blade is rotating.

• Always be sure of your footing,

particularly on slopes.

• Always cut across the face of slopes, never

up and down. Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on slopes.

• Do not cut excessively steep slopes and

always wear non-slip footwear .

• Check the grassbag/box for wear or

damage and replace if necessary . Never use your mower without the grassbag/ box in place.

• Walk, never run. Do not force your mower .

• Never pick up or carry your mower while

the motor is running.

• Ensure the blade has stopped rotating

and take extreme care before lifting your mower for and during transportation.

• Never operate your mower with defective

guards or shields.

ENGLISH

Maintenance and storage

• Store your mower in a dry place when

not in use, out of the reach of children.

• Do not use solvents or cleaning fluids to

clean your mower - use a blunt scraper to remove grass and dirt.

• Always disconnect from the electrical

supply before cleaning.

• Do not operate your mower if any parts

are defective; discard all defective parts and fit new parts before use.

• Keep all nuts, bolts and screws tight to

be sure your mower is in a safe working condition.

• Use only Black & Decker recommended

replacement parts and accessories.

Black & Decker’ s policy is one of continuous improvement to our products and, as such, we reserve the right to change product specifications without prior notice.

Double insulation

Y our mower is double insulated. This means that all external metal parts are electrically isolated from the power supply . This is achieved by placing an extra insulation barrier between the electrical and mechanical parts. Double insulation means greater electrical safety and obviates the necessity of having your mower earthed.

Electrical safety (UK only)

Y our mower should always be switched off at the mains before disconnecting any plug

and socket connector or extension cables.

Fuse replacement

If your mower is supplied with cable fitted with a non-re-wireable plug:

• The plug is fitted with a 13 amp fuse

which is the recommended fuse for your mower .

• Only use replacement fuses which are

approved to BS1362.

• When changing the fuse in your plug,

always ensure the fuse cover is refitted. If the fuse cover is missing or damaged do not use the plug.

Note: Fuses do not give personal protection against electric shock.

Plug replacement

• Disconnect the plug from the supply .

• Cut off the plug and dispose of

immediately . Insertion of a detatched plug into a 13 amp socket outlet may result in electric shock.

• Only fit BS1363A approved plugs fitted

with the correctly rated fuse.

• The cable wire colours, or a letter , will be

marked at the connection points of most good quality plugs. Attach the wires to their respective points in the plug (see below). Brown is for “Live” (L) and blue is for “Neutral” (N).

• Before replacing the top cover of the

mains plug ensure that the cable clamp is holding the outer sheath on the cable firmly and that the two leads are correctly fixed at the terminal screws.

Fit a BS1363A approved resilient plug

Connect blue to N (neutral)

Make sure that the outer sheath of the cable is held firmly by the clamp

Warning! Never connect live or neutral wires to the earth pin marked “E” or .

Note: Do not wire an extension cable directly into your mower yourself. Instead, take your mower to your nearest Black & Decker service agent.

Increased safety can be obtained by having a qualified electrician install a high sensitivity (30mA) circuit breaker in the house wiring. If you do not have such a circuit breaker installed, or you do not wish to have one installed, then we strongly recommend that the electrical power to your mower be supplied through a high sensitivity (30mA) residual current device (RCD). The RCD is designed to provide a high degree of personal protection against harmful electric current should fault conditions occur .

Warning! The use of an RCD or other circuit breaker unit does not release the operator of your mower from the safety instructions and safe working practices given in this manual.

Fit the recommended

fuse approved

to BS1362

Connect brown

to L (live)

230 volts AC only

Never use a light

socket

Handle assembly (Fig. A & B)

Remove the contents of the carton and

familiarise yourself with the individual parts of your mower .

The main parts of your mower are as follows:

• Mower body (1) - this comprises the

motor cover (3), wheels (4), grass flap (5).

• Handle - upper handle (8), lower

handle (9R & 9L), switch box (10), switch lever (11), safety lock-off (12), electric cable (13), cable clips (14), handle assembly (wing nut and bolt) (15).

• Join the upper and lower handles by

screwing them together using the wing nuts and bolts provided.

T o assemble the lower handles into the correct locations on your mower body , proceed as follows:

• Insert the lower handles (9) into the two

holes in your mower body (1) and press down until secure. Secure in position using the screws supplied (6).

Height of cut adjustment (Fig. C)

Warning! Disconnect your mower from the electrical supply before making any adjustment and allow the blade to stop rotating. Cutting blades are sharp.

The wheels are already pre-mounted.

T o select a height of cut, move the wheels (4) into the slot required using the spring system (21). T o ensure an even cut, please make sure that all four wheels are placed in the same position.

Grassbox assembly (Fig. D)

Read the safety instructions at the beginning of this manual before using this accessory .

• The grassbox is a two piece (14 & 15)

plastic construction which needs to be assembled before attaching it to your mower.

T o assemble the grassbox, proceed as follows:

• Align both parts together and clip in

place.

Fitting the grassbox to your mower:

• The spring loaded grass flap is lifted and

the two arms on the front edge of the grassbox are located behind the two lugs rising up from the rear edge of the cutter deck.

• The grass flap can now be released to

lock the grassbox into position.

Removing the grassbox from your mower:

Raise the grassflap. Lift the grassbox off the mower and rest it on the lawn. Gently lower the grassflap, then use both hands to lift the full grassbox.

ENGLISH

How to use your mower (Fig. E & F)

Observe all of the relevant warnings when using your mower .

• Push the loop of cable through the slot

from the opposite side of the restraint hook (Fig. E1), position the loop over the hook and pull the cable back through the slot. Y our cable will now be restrained.

We recommend the directional method of operation to obtain the maximum cutting performance from your mower and to reduce the risk of the trailing the extension lead from entering the cutting path.

• Place the bulk of the supply cable on

the lawn close to the starting point (see Fig. F2a, position 1).

• Hold the handle assembly with both

hands.

Warning! Do not attempt to operate your mower with one hand - you must guide it with both hands.

• Tilt the handle downwards to slightly raise

the front of your mower and to reduce the risk of lawn damage whilst starting, depress the safety lock-off button (12) on the switchbox (10) and whilst still depressed pull the switch lever (11) towards you. Y our mower will start and you can now allow the lock-off button to be released and lower your mower to its proper cutting position, and commence cutting.

• Proceed down the cutting area as shown

in Fig. F2a, working from position 1 towards position 2 and, on reaching position 2, turn to the right and proceed towards position 3. Continue to the end of the cutting area, turn to the left and proceed towards position 4. Continue in the same manner as shown in Fig. F2a, always working away from the cable. Do not adopt the method as shown in Fig. F2b, working towards the cable, as this is dangerous practice.

Y our mower will continue to operate whilst you are pulling the switch lever . T o stop your mower release the switch lever .

When you have finished using your mower we recommend that you clean all debris from it before putting it away . Refer to the ‘Care and maintenance’ section.

Note: T o obtain the best results cut your lawn or grass area regularly and do not cut when the grass is wet.

If, when grass cutting, loose grass is seen to be scattering from beneath your mower , the grassbox is probably full and should be emptied.

Blade maintenance

The steel blade is designed to give a fine finish in long or tough grass. The blade will continue to cut even when it has become blunt or burred. There is no need for it to be razor sharp.

If, however , because of damage or wear the cutting performance deteriorates, then your mower may require a new blade, or at least the existing blade to be sharpened.

We recommend that the steel blade is sharpened or a new blade fitted at the beginning of each season.

Replacement blades are available from Black & Decker service agents.

Warning! When fitting a new blade use only the Black & Decker replacement part specified for your mower - do not attempt to fit any other blade.

Fitting a new blade (Fig. G)

Observe all the relevant warnings before changing the blade.

Warning! Disconnect your mower from the

electrical supply before changing the blade.

• T urn your mower over on its side so that

the underside of the mower body (1) is exposed.

• Using a cloth placed over the blade or

heavy duty gloves to protect your hands, grip the blade and, using the spanner provided, loosen and remove the nut (16) from the motor spindle. T urn the nut in an anti-clockwise direction to loosen it.

• The blade can now be replaced and the

washer and nut reassembled.

Note: Do not remove the impeller (17) for any reason.

Note: Some mowers are fitted with a clutch washer , between the blade nut and the blade, which must be reassembled at all times.

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