Black & Decker Gx295 Instruction Manual

English

Hover Mower GX295

Congratulations!

On your purchase of your Black & Decker hover lawnmower.

This user manual provides important operating and maintenance instructions for all of the hover mowers in the Black & Decker GX295 range.

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 refer ence.

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

• Remember that the operator is

• Your mower is designed for use on AC

• Plug your mower into a power point -

• Never carry your mower by the cable or

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

360

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

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

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

never a lighting socket.

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.

User manual

Preparation

• To 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 blades.

• 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 or may damage your mower and could be thrown by the blade.

Operation

• When tilting the handle downwards (or to

the side) 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.

Your 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 tines are 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 (if supplied) for wear

or damage and replace if necessary. Never use your mower without the grassbag 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.

ENGLISH

• Never operate your mower with defective

guards or shields.

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

Your 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)

Your 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 5 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,

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

• Only fit BS1363A approved plugs fitted

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

• Before replacing the top cover of the

Fit a BS1363A approved 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 residual current device (RCD). The RCD is designed to provide a high degree of personal protection against harmful electric current should fault conditions occur.

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

immediately. Insertion of a detached plug into a 5 amp socket outlet may result in electric shock.

with the correctly rated fuse.

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).

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

Fit the recommended fuse

Connect brown to L (live)

240 volts AC only. Never use a light socket

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.

Handle assembly (Fig. A - D)

Remove all the parts from the carton and

familiarise yourself with the individual parts of your mower.

The main parts of your mower are your mower body (1) which comprises the cutter cover (2), motor cover (3), air vent shroud (5), pivot blocks (6) and pivot pins (8).

The handle (10) comprises the lower handle (11), the upper handle (12), switch box (13) with switch lever (14) and safety lock-off switch (15), electrical supply cable (16), the cable clips (17), and the handle clamp assemblies (18) which each comprise a wing nut, washer and bolt.

Note: The electrical supply cable should be positioned on the right-hand side of your mower when viewed from the operating position. Ensure that this is not damaged or twisted before you begin to assemble your mower.

Assemble the lower handle to your mower body, as follows:

• Place the lower handle (11) into the pivot

blocks (6) on the cutter cover (2).

Note: It will be necessary to tilt the lower handle towards the rear of your mower to allow pivot pins (8) to fit correctly.

• Fit the pivot pins (8) through the holes in

the pivot block flanges (6) and through the holes in the lugs on the lower handle (11).

• Using a mallet, or similar tool, tap the

pivot pin (8) through the inner part of the pivot block (6). The hooks on the end of the pivot pin will click into position behind the inner wall, retaining it in position.

• Repeat the process on the other side.

With the lower handle in position, assemble the upper handle, as follows:

• Place the upper handle (12) over the

lower handle (11).

• Align the holes in both the upper and

lower handles and fit a bolt (20) through each hole. Fit a washer (21) to each bolt and fit the wing nuts (22) on to the bolts. Tighten each one with hand pressure only.

Note: Do not use a spanner or other implement to tighten the wing nuts.

With the upper and lower handles assembled, fit the switch box to the upper handle, as follows:

Note: The switch box must be positioned on the right-hand side of your mower. Ensure that the electrical supply cable is not twisted before you begin to assemble the handle.

• Locate the two pins on the switch box (13)

with the holes in the upper handle (12).

• Fit the retaining plate (23) over the stem

of the handle (12) ans secure in position using the two screws (24) provided.

Note: Do not overtighten these screws - light pressure will be sufficient to hold the switch box in position.

• Finally, secure the electrical supply cable

to the lower handle using the cable clip (17) supplied.

Handle operation (Fig. E)

The handle has three positions, two storage

(park) positions and one operating position. Positions 1 and 3 in Fig. E are the storage (park) positions and F is the operating range.

For storage purposes, the handle assembly can be set to position 2 or 3, as follows:

• With the handle in its working range F,

pivot the handle downwards until it contacts the stops on the end of the handle tube. This is the park position 2 for the handle.

• The handle can be moved to a park

position 3. Push the handle upwards in the working range F, to the top position

1. Pull the handle upwards. While still pulling the handle upwards, pivot the handle down towards the ground to position 3.

Height of cut adjustment

Your mower has one height of cut and can not be adjusted.

Carrying your mower

Disconnect your mower from the mains. Remove the grassbox (if fitted), lower the handle to

the flat “park” position and then, holding one handle near the pivot block and carry with the blade pointing away from you.

ENGLISH

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

Observe all the relevant warnings when using your mower .

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

• Place the bulk of the extension cable

on the lawn close to the starting point (Fig. Ga position 1).

• Your switch box incorporates a cable

restraint. To fix the cable to the restraint, proceed as follows:

• Bring the socket end of the extension

cable from behind and connect it to your mower plug.

• Form a loop on your extension cable

close to the switchbox.

• Push the loop through the slot from

the opposite side of the restraint hook, position the loop over the hook and pull the cable back through the slot. Your cable will now be restrained.

• The extension cable should now fall

away from your mower and behind the operator, ready for use.

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

• Lift the handle up to release it from the

park position.

• Tilt the unit slightly on its side to reduce

the risk of lawn damage whilst starting, depress the safety lock-off button (15) on the switchbox (13) (Fig. D), and whilst still depressed pull the switch lever (14) towards you. Y our mower will start, and you can now allow it to return to its proper cutting position, and commence cutting.

• Proceed down the cutting area as

shown in Fig. Ga, 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. Ga, always working away from the cable.

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