Operator's Manual
®
CRRFTSMRN
24cc/1.46 cu. in. 2-Cycle
17 Inch Cutting Path
GASOLINE WEEDWACKER ®
//
Model No.
358.795320
WARNING:
&
Read and follow all Safety Rules and Operating
Instructions before first use of this product.
I
I
For answers to your questions about this product:
Carl 7 am-7 pm, Mon-Sat; Sun, 10 am-7 pm
1-800-235-5878
Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 USA
530-084661 03/16/97
WarrantyStatement 2 Storage 10
SafetyRules 2 TroubleshootingChart 1!
Assembly 4
Operation 5 RepairPartsList 12
Maintenance 8 Spanish 16
Service&Adjustments 9 Partsand Ordering BackCover
FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON CRAFTSMAN GAS POWERED
WEEDWACKER ® LINE TRIMMER
For one year from the date of pumhase, when this Craftsman Gas Powered
Weedwacker_ Line Trimmer is maintained, lubricated, and tuned up according to
the operating and maintenance instructionsin the Operator's Manual, Sears will
repair,free of charge, any defect in materials or workmanship.
This warranty excludes nylonline, spark plug, and air filter, whichare expendable
parts and become worn duringnormal use.
if th_sWeedwacker® Line Trimmer is used for commercial purposes, this warran-
ty applies for only90 days from the date of pumhase. If this Weedwacker_ Line
Trimmer is used for rental purposes, this warranty applies for only 30 days from
the date of purchase. This warranty applies only while this product is in use in the
United States.
WARRANTYSERVICE IS AVAILABLEBY RETURNINGTHE WEEDWACKER® LINE
TRIMMER TO THE NEARESTSEARS SERVICE CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights,and you may also have other rights
which vary from state to state.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., D/817 WA Heffman Estates, IL 60179
WARNING: When usinggardening
appliances,basicsafetyprecautions
mustalwaysbefollowedtoreducethe
riskoffireandseriousinjury.Readand
follow all instructions.
Thispower unitcanbe dangerous!
Operatorisresponsibleforfollowing
instructionsandwarningsonunitand
in manual.ReadentireOperator's
Manualbeforeusingunit!Bethorough-
lyfamiliar withthe controlsandthe
properuseofthe unit.Restrictthe use
ofthisunittopersonswhohaveread,
understand,andwillfollow theinstruc-
tionsandwarningsontheunitand in
themanual. Neverallowchildrento
operatethisunit.
Safetyinformationontheunit
DANGER: Neverusebladesorflail-
ingdevices.Thisunitisdesignedfor
linetrimmeruseonly.Useofanyother
accessoriesor attachmentswillin.
creasethe riskofinjury.
WARNING: Trimmerlinethrowsob-
jectsviolently.Youand otherscanbe
blinded/injured.Weareye andleg
protection.Keep bodypartsclearof
rotatingline.Keepchildren,bystand-
ers, and animals 50 feet (15 m) away.
Ifapproached,stopunitimmediately.
_Prote_on
2
• tfsituationsoccurwhichare notcov-
ered in this manual, use care and
goodjudgement.If you need assis-
tance, contactSearsServiceor call
the1-800numberlistedonthefront of
thismanual.
OPERATOR SAFETY
• Alwayswearsafetyeye protection.
• Always,wearlongpants,long
sleeves,boots,and gloves.Wearing
safetylegguardsisrecommended.
Do notgo barefootorwearsandals.
Stay clearofspinningline.
• Securehairaboveshoulderlength.
Secureorremove looseclothingor
clothingwithlooselyhangingties,
straps,tassels,etc.They can be
caughtinmovingparts.
• Do notoperatewhenyouare tired,
ill,or undertheinfluenceofalcohol,
drugs,ormedication.
• Wear hearingprotectionifyouuse
unitfor morethan1-1/2 hoursper
day.
• Neverstartorruninsidea closed
roomorbuilding.Breathingexhaust
fumescan kilt.
• Keephandlesfreeofoilandfuel.
UNIT / MAINTENANCE SAFETY
• Disconnectthesparkplugbefore
performingmaintenanceexceptcar-
buretoradjustments.
• Lookforandreplacedamagedor
leosepartsbeforeeachuse.Look
for and repairfuelleaksbefore use.
Keepingoodworkingcondition.
• Replacetrimmerheadpartsthatare
chipped,cracked,broken,ordam-
aged inanyotherwaybeforeusing
theunit.
• Makesureunitisassembledcorrect-
lyas showninthismanual.
• Makecarburetoradjustmentswith
lowerendsuppertedtopreventline
from contactinganyobject.
• Keepothersawaywhenmakingcar-
buretoradjustments.
• UseonlyrecommendedCraftsman
accessoriesandreplacementparts.
FUEL SAFETY
° Mixandpourfueloutdoors.
° Keepawayfromsparksorflames.
• Useacontainerapprovedfor fuel.
• Donotsmokeorallowsmokingnear
fuel ortheunit.
' Wipeupall fuelspills.
• Moveat least 10 feet (3 meters)
away fromfuelingsit=
engine.
• Stopengineand allowtocoolbefore
removingfuel cap.
CUTTING SAFETY
• Useonlyfortrimming,mowing,
ing,andsweeping.Do notusefor
pruningorhedgetrimming.
• Inspecttheareabeforeeachuse.
Removeobjects(rocks,broken
glass,nails,wire,etc.)whichcanbe
thrownbyorbecomeentangledin
line.Hardobjectscandamagethe
trimmerbeadandbe throwncausing
seriousinjury.
• Keepfirmfoolingand balance.Do
notoverreach.
• Keepall partsofyourbodyaway
from mufflerandspinningline.Keep
enginebelowwaistlevel A hotmuf-
fler cancauseseriousbums.
• Cuttingonleftsideoftheshieldwill
throwdebrisawayfromthe operator.
TRANSPORTING AND
STORAGE
• Allowenginetocool;secureunitbe-
forestoringortransportinginvehicle.
• Emptythefueltankbeforestoring or
transportingtheunit.Useupfuelleft
inthecarburetorby startingtheen-
gineand lettingit rununtilitstops.
• Storeunitandfuelinareawherefuel
vapors cannot reachsparksor open
flames from water heaters,electric
motorsor switches,furnaces,etc.
• Storeunitsolinelimitercannotacci-
dentally causeinjury.The unitcanbe
hung by the tube.
• Storeunitout of reachofchildren.
• If situationsoccur which are notcov-
ered in this manual, use care and
good judgment.If you need assis-
tance,call 1-800-235-5878.
SPECIAL NOTICE: This unitisnot
equippedwitha temperaturelimiting
mufflerandsparkarrestingscreen
whichmeetsthe requirementsofCali-
forniaCodes4442and4443. AllU.S.
forest landandthe statesofCalifornia,
Idaho,Maine,Minnesota,New Jersey,
Oregon,andWashingtonrequireby
lawthat manyinternalcombustionen-
ginesbe equippedwitha sparkarres-
torscreen.If youoperateina locale
wheresuchregulationsexist,youare
3
legally responsible for installing and tionof the law, Contact your Sears
maintaining the operating condition of Service Center for the correct parts.
these parts. Failure to do so is a viola-
CARTON CONTENTS
Check carton contents against the fol-
lowinglist.
Model 358,795320
• Trimmer
• Shield with wing nut
• Assist Handle with'bolt and wing nut
• Container of Oil
• Spool with 20 ft. of line
Examine parts for damage, Do not use
damaged parts.
NOTE: it you need assistance or find
pads missing or damaged, call
1-800-235-5878.
It is normal forthe fuel filterto rattle in
the empty fuel tank,
Findingfuel or oil residue on muffler is
normaldue to carburetor adjustments
and testing done by the manufacturer.
ASSEMBLY
WARNING: Ifreceivedassembled,
repeatallstepstoensureyourunitis
pmpedyassembledand allfasteners
aresecure.
Besuretoassemblethehandleto the
unitbeforeyouassembletheshield.
• Assembiehandletotheunitasshown;
make sure bottom of handle isseated
inthe groove in the trigger housing.
NOTE: Wing nut must be assembled
on the right hand side of the unit as
shown in the above illustration.
• Make sure the bolt is seated into the
hex shapped hole in the handle.
• Pivot handle to acomfortable position.
• Tighten handle securely.
ATTACHING SHIELD
WARNING: The shield must be prop-
erly installed.The shield providespartial
protectionfromthe risk ofthrown objects
to the operator and othersand is
equippedwitha line llm_terwhichcuts
excess lineto the proper length. The line
limtter(on undersideofshield) is sharp
and can cutyou. For proper orientation,
see illustrationin Operationsection.
• Remove wing nutfrom shield.
- Insert bracket into slot as shown.
• Pivot shield untilbolt passes through
hole in bracket.
• Securely tighten wing nut onto bolt.
ATTACHING THE HANDLE
(some unitsare already assembled)
WARNING: Make sure unit is propedy
assembled and allfasteners are secure.
_-_ Slot
"_,__ Bracket
Wing
nut
KNOWYOURTRIMMER
READTHiSOPERATOR'SMANUALANDSAFETYRULES BEFOREOPERATINGYOUR
UNIT.Compare the illustrations with your unit b familiarize yourself withthe !ocationof
e various controlsand adjustments. Save this manual for future mferenca.
AssistHandle
Tube
Muffler EngineStop Throttle Tdrr_rner
ENGINE STOP SWITCH
Theenginestopswitchis usedtostopthe
engine.Pushandholdthe enginestop
swltcnintheSTOPorOFFpositionuntil
theenginehas fully stopped.
PRIMER BULB
Theprimerbulb removesairfrom the
fuellinesandfillsthem withfuel. This
allowsyouto starttheenginewithfew-
erpullson thestarterrope,Activate
theprimerbulbby pressingit andal-
Switch Trigger Head
Starter
Rope
Choke
Lever
Primer
Bulb
FuelMix Line
FillCap Limiter
CHOKE
Shield
\
The chokehelps tosupplyfueltothe
carburetorduringstarting.This allows
youtostarta coldengine.Activatethe
chokebymovingchokeleverto Full
Choke.After enginehasstarted,move
chokelevertoOff Choke.
EDGEGUIDE
The edQeguideprotectstheunitfrom
contactingthe groundduringedging,
lowingitto return toitsoriginalform.
BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
WARNING: Besureto readthefuel
informationin thesafetyrulesbefore
youbegin.Ifyou do notunderstand
thesafelyrules,do notattemptto luel
yourunit.Call1-800-235-5878,
FUELING ENGINE
Thisengineis certifiedtooperateon
unleadedgasoline.Beforeoperalion,
gasoiinemust be mixedwitha good
quality2-cycleair-cooledengineoil,
We recommendCraftsmanbrandoil.
Mixgasolineandoilat a ratioof40:1
(A40:1 ratioisobtainedby mixing3.2
ouncesof oilwith_ gallonofunFeaded
gaseline),DONOTUSEautomotiveoil
orboatoil.Theseoilswillcause
enginedamage.When mixingfuel,
follow inslructionspdntedoncontainer.
Onceoil isaddedtogasoline,shake
containermomentarilyto assurethat
thefuel isthoroughlymixed,Always
readandfollow the safetyrules
relatingtofuel beforefuelingyourunit.
IMPORTANT
Experience indicates that alcohol
blended fuels (called gasehol or using
ethanol or methanol) can attract mois-
lure which leads to separation and
formation of acids during storage.
Acidic gas can damage the fuel sys-
tem of an engine while in storage.
Toavoid engine problems,empty fuel
system before storage for30 days or
longer.Drain gas tank, start engine and
let it mn until fuel line,sand carburetor
are empty. Use freshfuel next season.
Never use engine or carburetor cleaner
productsin the fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur. See the STORAGE
sectionfor additional information.
5
B!ade
HOW TO STOP YOUR UNIT
Push and hold the engine stop switch
in the STOP or OFF position until the
unit has fully stopped.
STARTING YOUR ENGINE
Engine -__
Stop
Switch_
HOW TO START YOUR UNIT
WARNING: The tdmmer head will turn
while starting the engine. A hot muffler
can cause serious burns.
COLD ENGINE STARTING OR
STARTING AFTER REFUELING
• Set unit on a flat surface.
ChokeLever
StartingPosition
• Slowlypressprimerbulb6limes.
• MovechokelevertoFULLchoke.
Trigger
Bulb
• Squeeze and hold trigger through all
remaining steps.
° Pullstarter handleuntilengine attempts
to start,but no more than 5 pulls.
• Move choke lever to HALFchoke.
• Pull starter handle until engine runs.
Allow engine to run 10 seconds, then
move choke lever to OFFchoke.
RESTARTING A WARM ENGINE
• Move choke lever to OFF choke.
• Pull starter handle untilengine starts.
° If engine does notstart in 5 pulis,follow
ir_truclionsin STARTINGA COLDEN-
GINE.
DIFFICULT STARTING OR
STARTING A FLOODED ENGINE
Flooded engines can be started by
placing the choke lever in the Off
Choke position; then, pull the rope to
clear the engine of excess fue!. This
could require pullingthe starter handle
many times depending on how badly
the unit is flooded.
Ifthe unit still doesn't start, refer to
TROUBLESHOOTINGchart or call
1-800-235-5878.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
OPERATING POSITION
ALWAYS WEAR: _ Eye Protection
Cut from your dghtI left.
Do not run the engine at a higher speed
than necessa_,.The cutting linew_ cut
efficiently when the engineis runat less
than full throttle.At lowerspeeds, there
is less engine noise and vlbralion.The
cuttinglinewill lastlonger andwill be
lesslikely to"weld" ontothe spool.
Always release the throttle triggerand
allow the engine to return to idle speed
when notcutting.
To stop engine:
• Release the throttle trigger.
• Push and hold the engine stop
switch in the STOPor OFF position
untilthe unit has fully stopped.
TWIST-N-EDGE
• Pull the tab toward the engine.
• Twist the tube to the edging position.;
release tab.
TRIMMER UNE ADVANCE
Trimmer line will advance approxi-
mately 2 in. (5 cm) each time bottom of
tdmmer head is tapped on the ground
with engine running at full throttle.
The most efficientlinelength is the
maximum length allowedby linelimiter.
Always keep the shield in place when
the tool is being operated;
ToAdvance Line:
° Operate the engine at full throttle.
6
• Holdthetrimmerheadparalleltoand
abovethegrassyarea.
• Tapthebottomof thetrimmerhead
lightlyonthe groundonetime.Ap-
proximately2 in. (5 cm)oflinewillbe
advancedwitheachtap.
Toadvance line,tapbottomoftrimmer
headongroundonetime.
Always tap the trimmer head on a
grassy area. Tapping on surfaces such
as concrete or asphalt can cause ex-
cessive wear to the trimmer head.
If line isworn downto 2 in.(5 cm) or
less,more than one tap willbe required
to obtain the most officiantline length.
WARNING" Use only .080" (2 ram)
diameter line. Other sizes o!line will
not advance properly and can cause
serious injury. Do not use other materi-
als such as wire, String, rope, etc. Wire
can break off during cutting and be-
come a dangerous missile that can
cause serious injury.
CUTTING METHODS
WARNING: Use minimum speed and
do not crowdthe line when cutting
around hard objects (rock, gravel, fence
posts,etc.), which can damage the trim-
mer head, become entan_ed inthe line,
or be thrown causing a serious hazard,
* The tipof the linedoes the curing.
Youwillachieve the best performance
and minimum linewear by notcrowd-
ingthe lineinto cuttingarea. The right
and wrong waysare shown below.
Tipofthe Une LineCrowdedInto
DoesTheCutting WorkArea
Right
* The line willeasily remove grass and
weeds from around walls, fences,
trees and flower beds, but it also can
cut the tender bark of trees or shrubs
and scar fences. To help avoid dam-
age especially to delicate vegetation
or trees with tender bark, shorten line
to4-5 in. (10-13 cm) and use at less
than full throttle.
• For trimming or scalping, use less
than full throttle to increase line life
and decrease head wear, especially:
• During light duty cutting,
• Near objects around which the line
can wrap such as small posts,
trees or fence wire.
° For mowing or sweeping, use full
throttle for a good clean job.
WARNING: Always wear eye protec-
tion. Never teen over the trimmer head.
Rocks or debris can ricochet or be
thrown into eyes and face and cause
blindness or other serious injury.
TRIMMING - Hold the bottom of the
trimmer head about 3 in. (8
the ground and at an
the tip of the line to make contact.
notfome trimmer line into work area.
Trimming
:3in. (8 cm)
AboveGround
SCALPING - The scalping technique
removes unwanted vegetation. Hold
the bottom of the trimmer head about 3
in. (8 cm) above the ground and at an
angle. Allow the tipof the line to strike
the ground around trees, posts, monu-
ments, etc. This technique increases
line wear.
Scelpi_o... .
MOWING - Your trimmer is ideal for
mowing in places conventional lawn
mowers cannot reach. In the mowing
position, keep the line parallel to the
ground, Avoid pressing the head into
the ground as this can scalp the
ground and damage the tool.
Mowing Ii
SWEEPING- Thefanningactionof
rotatinglinecanbe usedfor a quick
andeasycleanup.Keeplineparallel
to and abovethesurfacesbeingswept
and movethetoolfromsideto side.
MAINTENANCESCHEDULE
CARE& MAINTENANCETASK
CheckforLoosefastenersandparts
Checkfor damagedorwornparts
Cleanunit andtabels
Cleanair filter
Replace sparkplug
EDGING- TheTwist-N-Edgefeature
allows for easy edgingof sidewalks,
patios,driveways,etc.Adjust trimmer
to the edging position.Allow onlythe
tipof thelineto make contact.Do not
forcetrimmerline intoworkarea.
Edging _',_1
WHEN TO PERFORM
Beforeeachuse
Beforeeachuse
Aftere_h use..........
.........Every5 hoursofoperation
Yearly
GENERALRECOMMENDATIONS
The warrantyonthisunitdoesnotcov-
er itemsthathavebeensubjectedto
operatorabuseornegligence.Tore-
ceivefull valuefromthewarranty,the
operatormustmaintainunitas instruct-
edinthismanual Variousadjustments
willneedto bemadeperiodicallyto
properlymaintainyourunit.
CHECK FOR LOOSE
FASTENERS AND PARTS
• SparkPlugBoot
• AirFilter
, HousingScrews
• Assist HandleScrews
• ShieldScrew
CHECK FOR DAMAGED OR
WORN PARTS
Referreplacementofdamaged/worn
partstoyourSearsService Center.
• EngineStopSwitch- Ensureswitch
functionspropedybypressingand
holdingthe switchinthe "Stop"posi-
tion.Makesureenginestops;then
restartengineandcontinue.
• FuetTank- Donotuseunititfueltank
showssignsof damageorleaks.
• Shield- Discontinueuse ofunit if
debrisshieldisdamaged.
CLEAN UNIT & LABELS
• Cleanthe unitusinga dampcloth
witha milddetergent.
• Wipeoffunitwithacleandrycloth.
CLEAN AIR RLTER
Do notcleanfilteringasolineorother
flammablesolventtoavoidcreatinga
fire hazardorproducingharmfulevap-
orativeemissions.
A dirtyair filter decreasesengineper-
formanoeand increasesfuelconsump-
tionandharmfulemissions.Always
cleanafterevery5 hoursofoperation.
• Cleanthecoverandtheareaaround
itto keepdirt anddebrisfrom failing
intothecarburetorchamberwhen
thecoveris removed.
• Removeparts asillustrated.
• Washthefilterinsoapandwater.
• Allowfiltertodry.
• Replaceparts.
SFdter .
Cover
REPLACE SPARK PLUG
Replacethe spark plugeachyear to
ensuretheenginestarts easierand
runsbetter. Setsparkpluggapat
,025in. ignitiontimingisfixedand
nonadjustable.
• Twist,thenpu!loffsparkplugboot.
• Removesparkplugfromcylinder
anddiscard.
• ReplacewithChampionRCJ-SY
sparkplugand tightenwitha 3/4 in.
socketwrench(10-12 ft.-Jbs).
° Reinstallthe sparkplugboot.
ADVANCING THE CU'R'ING LINE
Advancelinebytappingbottomofcut-
ringheedtightlyonthegroundwhile
engineis runningat fullspeed.A metal
bladeattachedtotheshieldwillcutthe
line totheproperlength.
REPLACING THE LINE
• Removethespoolbyfirmlypu!ling
onthetap button.
• Cleanentiresurfaceofhuband
spool.
• Replacewitha pre-woundspool,or
cuta lengthof20 feet of.080" _2
ram)diameterCraftsman®ProTrim-
merline.Neveruse wire,rope,
string,etc,,whichcanbreakoffand
becomea dangerousmissile.
• insertabout1/2inch(1 cm)of one
endo!the lineintothesmallholein-
sidethespool.
Smati ._'-.P"_
Hole__' _,..__Spool
• Windthelineevenlyand tightlyonto
thespool.Windinthe directionof the
arrowfoundonthe spool.
• Pushthelineintothe notch,leaving
3 to5 inches(7- 12 cm)unwound.
• Inserttheline intothee_dtholeinthe
hubas shownintheillustration.
• Alignthenotchwiththeline exithole.
• Pushthespoolintothe hubuntilit
snapsinto place.
• Pullthelineextendingoutsidethe
hub toreleaseit from thenotch.
CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENT
WARNING: The trimmerheadwillbe
spinningduringmostofthisprocedure.
Wearyourprotectiveequipmentand
observeall safetyprecautions.After
makingmixtureadjustments,recheck
idtespeed.
Carburetoradjustmentiscriticalandif
doneimproperlycanpermanently
damagetheengineas wellas thecar-
buretor.Ifyourequ|refurtherassis-
tanceorare unsureaboutperforming
thisprocedure,call1.800-235-5878.
Oldfuel, a dirtyairfilter,adirtyfuelIll-
ter,orfloodingmay givethe impres-
sionof animproperlyadjustedcarbu-
retor.Checktheseconditionsbefore
adjustingthecarburetor.
The carburetorhasbeencarefullySet
at thefactory.Adjustmentsmay be
necessaryifyounoticeanyofthefol-
lowingconditions;
° Enginewillnotidle.
underadjustingprocedure.
• Enginediesorhesitatesinsteadof
accelerating.See =Acceleration
Check"underadjustingprocedure.
• Lossofcuttingpower.See "Mixture
Adjustment"underadjusting
procedure.
Thereare twoadjustmentscrewson
thecarburetor.Theyarelocatedin the
area justabovethe primerbulb.
MixtureScrew(with
LirniterCap)
Line exit hole
AirF{Iter
Cover
Idle
Speed
Screw