Craftsman 358796050 Owner’s Manual

Operator's Manual

CRRFTSMRN°

1.3 cu. in./21cc 2-Cycle

17 Inch Cutting Path / .065 in. Line

GASOLINE WEEDWACKER ®

Model No.

358.796050

Read and follow all Safety Rules and Operating

WARNING:

Instructions before first use of this product.

--_-Fe r answers-to your-q uestionsabout-this=product: Call 7 am-7 pm, Mon.-Sat., or 10 am-7 pm, Sun.

• 1-800-235"5878 (HourslistedareCe.tralTime)

Sears, Roebuck and Co., Hoffman Estates, IL 60179 USA

530-087366 03/02/98 M

Warranty Statement 2 Storage t Safety Rules 2 Troubleshooting Chart 12

Assembly 4 Operation 5 Illustrated Parts Ust 13

Maintenance 9 Spanish !6

Service & Adjustments 10 Parts and Ordering Back

FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON CRAFTSMAN GAS POWERED

WEEDWACKER_ LINETRIMMER Foroneyearfrom thedate of purchase,whenthisCraftsmanGasPowered

Weedwacker®Line Trimmeris maintained,lubricated,and tunedupaccordingto theoperatingandmaintenanceinstructionsintheOperator'sManual,Searswill

repair,free ofcharge,anydefectinmaterialsorworkmanship.

Thiswarrantyexcludesnylon_ine,sparkplug,and airfiiter,whicham expendable partsand becomewornduringnormaluse.

If thisWeedwacker®LineTrimmeris usedfor commercialpurposes,thiswarran- ty appliesforonly 90 daysfromthe date ofpurchase.IfthisWeedwacker®Line

Trimmerisusedforrentalpurposes,thiswarrantyappliesfor only30 daysfrom thedateofpurchase.Thiswarrantyappliesonlywhilethisproductis in useinthe

UnitedStates. WARRANTYSERVICEIS,AVAILABLEBYRETURNINGTHEWEEDWACKER®LINE

TRIMMERTOTHENEARESTSEARSSERVICECENTERINTHEUNITEDSTATES.

Thiswarrantygivesyou specificlegalrights,and you may alsohave otherrights

whichvaryfrom stateto state. Sears, Roebuck and CO,,D/817WAHoffmanEstates, IL 60179

WARNING: When usinggardening appliances,basicsafetyprecautions

mustalways befollowedtoreducethe

riskoffire andseriousinjury.Readand

"_aSafety info_rmationontheunit

follow all instructions.

Thispower unitcanbe dangerous!

Operator isresponsiblefor fol!owing instructionsandwa-mingsonunitand inmanual.ReadentireOperator's

Manual before using unit! Be thorough- crease the risk of injury. .....

ly fami)iar with the controlsand the .....

proper use of the unit. Restrict the use of this unit to persons who have read,

understand, and w_l follow the instruc-

tions and warnings on the unit and in

the manual. Never allow children to

operate this unit.

DANGER: Never use blades or flail- ing devices. This unit is designed for

line trimmer use only. Use of any other accessories or attachments will in-

WARNING: Trimmerline throwsob-

jectsviolently.Youandotherscanbe blinded/injured.Wear eyeandleg

protection.Keepbodypartsclearof

rotatingline.Keepchildren,bystand-

ers,andanimals50 feet (I 5 meters)

away. If approached stop unit immedi-

ately.

Eye Protection

If situationsoccurwhicharenot coveredinthismanual,usecare and

goodjudgement.If youneed assistance,contactyourAuthorized

ServiceDealerorcall1-800-235-5878. OPERATOR SAFETY

• Always wearsafetyeye protection.

• Always wearlongpants,long

sleeves,boots,andgloves.Wearing safetylegguardsisrecommended.

Do notgo barefootorwearsandals. Stayclearofspinningline.

• Securehairaboveshoulderlength.

Secureor removelooseclothingor clothingwithlooselyhangingties,

straps,tassels,etc.Theycanbe caughtinmovingparts.

• Do notoperatewhenyouaretired,

ill,upset,orundertheinfluenceof alcohol,drugs,ormedication.

* Wearheadngprotecti6nifyouuse

unitfor morethan1-1/2 hoursper day.

• Neverstartorruninsideaclosed roomorbuilding.Breathingexhaust

fumescankill.

• Keephandlesfreeofoilandfuel,

UNIT / MAINTENANCE SAFETY

• Disconnectthesparkplugbefore performingmaintenanceexceptcar-

buretoradjustments.

• Lookfor and replacedamagedor loosepartsbeforeeach use.Look

for and repairfuelleaksbeforeuse. Keep.ingoodworkingcondition.

• Replacetrimmerheadpartsthat are chipped,cracked,broken,ordam-

aged inany otherway beforeusing

theunit.

. Makesureunitisassembledcorrect-

lyasshowninthismanual.

° Make carburetoradjustmentswith

lowerendsupportedtopreventline from contactinganyobject.

• Keep othersawaywhenmakingcar- buretor adjustments.

• Use only recommendedCraftsman accessories and replacementparts.

FUEL SAFETY

• Mix andpourfueloutdoors.

• Keep away fromsparksorflames......

• Usea containerapprovedfor fuel.

° Do notsmokeor atlowsmokingnear

fuelortheunit.

• Wipeupallfuel spills.

• Moveat least 10feet (3 meters) away fromfueling site beforestarting

engine.

• Stopengineandallowtocoolbefore removingfuelcap.

CUTTING SAFETY

• Use only for trimming, mowing, edg- ing, and sweeping. Do not use for

pruning or hedge tdmming.

• Inspect the area before each.use. Remove objects (rocks, broken glass, nails, wire, etc.) which can be

thrown by or become entangled in

line. Hard objects can damage the

tdmmer head and be thrown causing serious inju_.

• Keep firm footing and batance. Do

notoverreach.

• Keep all parts of your,body away

from muffler and spinning line. Keep

engine below waist level. A hot muf-

tier can cause serious bums.

• Cutting on left side of the shield will

throw debris away from the operator,

TRANSPORTING AND STORAG E * Allow engine to cool; secure unitbe-

fore stodng ortransportingin vehicle.

• Empty the fuel tank before storing or

transporting the unit. Use up fuel left

in the carburetor by startingthe en- gine and letting it run until it stops.

• Store unit and fuel in area where fuel

vapors cannot reach sparks or open flames from water heaters, etectdc

motors or switches, furnaces, etc.

• Store unit so line limiter cannot acci- dentally cause injury. The unit can be

hung by the tube.

. Store unit out of reach of children. ° If situations occur which are not cov-

ered in this manual, use care and good judgment, if you need assis-

tance, call 1-800-235-5878.

SPECIAL NOTICE: Thisunitis not equippedwitha temperaturelimiting

mufflerandsparkarrestingscreen

whichmeetstherequirementsofCali- fornia Cedes4442 and444-3.AllU.S.

forestlandandtl_estatesofCalifornia0 Idaho,Maine,Minnesota,NewJersey, Oregon,andWashingtonrequireby

lawthatmanyinternalcombustion en- ginesbeequippedwithasparkarres-

torscreen.Ifyouoperateina locale

wheresuchregulationsexist,youare

legallyresponsiblefor installing and maintainingthe operatingoondiUonof

these pads. Failuretodo soisa viola-

tionofthelaw. Refertothe MAINTE- NANCEsectioninthismanual.

SPECIAL NOTICE; Exposureto

vibrationsthroughprolongeduse of

gasolinepoweredhandtools could

causeblood vesselor nervedamage

inthe fingers,hands, andjointsof

peopleproneto circulationdisordersor

abnormalswellings.Prolongedusein

coldweatherhasbeen linkedto blood vesseldamageinotherwisehealthy

people.Ifsymptomsoccursuchas numbness,pain,lossofstrength,

changeinskincolorortexture,orloss offeelln9 inthe fingers,hands,or

joints,d_scontlnuetheuseofthis tool

andseekmedical attention.AnantF vibrationsystemdoesnot guarantee

theavoidanceofthese problems. Us-

erswhooperatepowertools on a con-

tinualand regularbasismustmonitor

closelytheirphysicalconditionandthe conditionofthistool.

CARTON CONTENTS Checkcarton contentsagainstthefol-

lowinglist.

Model 358.796050

• Trimmer

• Shield

• Containerof Oil , FuelContainer

• ExtraSpool

Examinepartsfor damage.Do notuse damagedparts.

NOTE:tfyouneedassistance orfind

partsmissingordamaged,call

1-800-235-5878. It isnormalforthe fuelfilterto rattle in

theemptyfueltank.

Findingfue!oroil reaidueonmuffleris

normalduetocarburetoradjustments and testingdone bythe manufacturer. ASSEMBLY

WARNING; If receivedassembled,

repeatallsteps to ensureyour unitis

properlyassembledandall fasteners

are secure.

ADJUSTING THE HANDLE WARNING: Whenadjustingthehan-

dle,be sureit remainsbetweenthe triggerandthesafetylabel.

t Loosenwingnutor knobonhandle.

• Rotatethehandleonthetube to an

uprightposition;retighten wingnut.

ATTACHING THE SHIELD

WARNING: Theshieldmustbe prop- erlyinstalled.The shieldprovidespap tiaiprotectionfromtheriskof thrown objectstotheoperatorand othersand is equippedwithalinelimiter which

cutsexcess line totheproperlength. The lineIimiter(onundersideof shield)

is sharp andcancutyou.

• Assemblepartsasshown.

• Tightenpadssecurely.

_NOT_: Remove \ "Wing Nut

washer and wing Washer

nutfromthisbolt; useforassembling

shield.

KNOW YOUR TRIMMER

READ THIS OPERATOR'S MANUAL AND SAFETY RULES BEFORE OPERAT- ING "tOUR UNIT, Compare the illustrationswith your unit to familiarize yourself

with the location of the various controls and adjustments, Save this manual for future reference.

._ssistHandle

Tube Trimmer

l Head

ThrottleTdgger ON/STOP

Switch

Starter Rope

ON/STOPSWITCH The STOPswitchisusedtostopthe

engine.Pressandhold theswitchto stoptheunit. PRIMERBULB

The primerbulbremovesairfrom the

fuel linesand fills themwithfuel. This allowsyoutostartthe enginewithfew-

erpullsonthestarterrope,Activate

theprimerbulbbypressingitand

BEFORE STARTING ENGINE

WARNING: Be sure to read the fuel

informationinthe safety rules before

you begin. If you do not understand the safety rules, do not attempt to fuel

your unit. Call 1-800-235-5878.

FUELING ENGINE

Thisengineis certifiedto operateon unIeadedgasoline.Beforeoperation, gasolinemustbemixedwitha good

quality 2-cycleair-cooledengineoil.

We recommendCraftsmanbrandoil. Mixgasolineandoilata ratioof40:1

(A40:1ratioisobtainedby mixing3.2 ouncesofoilwith1gallonofunleaded

gasoline).DONOTUSEautomotiveoil orboatoi!.Theseoilswillcause

Shield._

SparkPlug

Choke Lever

Primer Bulb

FuelMixFillCap

Line Umiter

Blade

allowingittoreturn to itsoriginalform. CHOKE

The chokehelpstosupplyfuel to the carburetorduring starting.Thisallows

youtostarta coldengine.Activatethe chokebymovingthe chokeleverto the Fullposition.After theenginehas

started,movethechoketothe Off

position.

enginedamage.When mixingfuel,

follow instructionsprintedoncontainer. Once oilisaddedtogasoline,shake

containermomentarilytoassure that thefuelisthoroughlymixed.Always

readandfollow the safetyrules relatingtofuelbeforefueling yourunit.

IMPORTANT Experienceindicatesthat alcohol

blendedfuels (calledgasoholor using ethanolormethanol) canattractmois-

turewhichleadstoseparationand formationofacidsduringstorage. Acidicgascandamagethefuel sys- temofanenginewhileinstorage.

Toavoidengineproblems,emptythe fuelsystembeforestoragefor30 days or longer.Drainthe gas tank,startthe

engineandletitrununtilthefuellines and carburetorare empty. Use fresh

fuelnext season.

Never use engineor carburetorclean- er productsinthe fueltank orperma-

nentdamagemayoccur. See the STORAGEsectionfor addi-

tionalinformation.

STOPPING YOUR ENGINE

* Press and hold the ON/STOP switch

in the STOP position.

* If engine does not stop, move choke

lever to full position.

STARTING YOUR ENGINE

COLD ENGINE OR WARM ENGINE AFTER RUNNINGOUTOF FUEL

WARNING: The tdmmerheadwill

turnwhilestartingthe engine. Avoidany contactwiththemuffler.A

hotmufflercan causeseriousbums.

• Restengineandshieldon ground, supportingtrimmerheadoffground.

• Slowlypressthe primerbulb6 times.

• MovethechokelevertotheFull Chokeposition.

• Squeezeandhoistthethrottletrigger.

Keep throttletriggerfully squeezed untilthe enginerunssmoothly.

Choke

Lever

• Pull starter rope sharply 5 times.

NOTE: Iftheenginesoundsasif it is

tryingto startbeforethe5thpull,goto thenextstep.

• Move thechokelever tothe Half

Chokeposition.

, Pul_starter ropesharply untilengine

runs,butno morethan6 pulls.

NOTE: If theenginehas notstarted

after6 pulis(athalfchoke),checkto make surethechokeleverisin the

properposition.Then,move thechoke leverto theFullChokepositionand presstheprimerbulb6 times;squeeze andholdthethrottlet_ggerandpuJt thestarterrope2 moretimes.Move

thechokelevertoHalf Chokeandpull thestarterropeuntilthe engineruns, butnomorethan6morepulls.Ifthe

enginestillhasnot started,it is prob- ablyflooded.Proceedto "Startinga

FloodedEngine."

* Allowthe engineto run 10 seconds,

thenmovethechokeleverto Off

Choke.Allowthe unit to run for 30

moresecondsatOff Chokebefore

releasingthethrottle trigger.

NOTE: Ifenginedieswiththe choke leverat theOffChokeposition,move

thechoke_evertoHalf Chokeandpull theropeunt_engineruns.

STARTING A WARM ENGINE . Movethechokelever tothe Half

Chokeposition.

. Squeezeandholdthe throttletrigger.

Keep throttletriggerfully squeezed

until theenginerunssmoothly.

• Pullstarterropesharply untilengine

runs,butnomorethan5 pu(Is.

• Allow enginetorun15 seconds,then movethechokeleverto OffChoke.

NOTE"if engine hasnotstarted,pull

starter rope5morepulis.If enginestill doesnot run,itisprobablyflooded.

DIFFICULT STARTING OR

STARTING A FLOODED ENGINE

Flooded engines can be started by

placing the chokeleverintheOff Choke position;then, pull the rope to

clear the engineof excessfuel. This couldrequirepullingthe starter handle

many t_mesdepending on howbadly the unit is flooded.

)fthe unit stilt doesn'tstart, referto TROUBLESHOOTINGchartor call

1-_S00-235-5878.

OPERATINGINSTRUCTIONS OPERATINGPOSITION

ALW/_YSWEAR_<_._..._

_ Eye Protection

LongPants"_-t ____

Cut from yourrighttoyourleft.

Do not runthe engine at a higher

speed than necessary. The cutting line willcut efficiently when the engine is

run at less than fullthrottle. At lower speeds, there is less engine noise and

vibration. The cuttingline will last

longer and will be less likely to "weld" onto the spool. If the trimmer head does not turn when

the engine is in operation, make sure the drive shaft housing is properly

seated in engine shroud. Always release the throtUetrigger and

allow the engine to return to idle speed when not cutting.

To stop engine:

* Release the throttle trigger.

• Press and holdthe ON/STOP switch inthe STOP position.

TRIMMER LINE ADVANCE The trimmer line will advance approxi-

mately 2 in. (5 cm) each time the bot- tom of the tdmmer head is tapped on the ground wJthrthe engine running at

full throttle. The most efficient linelength is the

maximum lengthallowed by the line limiter.

Always keep the shleld in place when the toolis being operated.

To Advance Line:

, Operate the engine at full throttle.

, Holdthe trimmer head parallel to and

above the grassy area.

. Tap the bottom of the trimmer head

lightlyon the groundone time. Ap- proximately 2 in. (5 cm) of line will be

advanced with each tap.

Alwaystap 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 the line isworn downto 2 in. (5 cm) or less, more than one tap will be re-

quired to obtain the most efficient line length.

WARNING; Use only .065" (1.6 ram) diameter line. Other sizes of line will

not advance properlyand can cause

serious injury.Do notuse other mated- als such as wire, stdng, rope, etc. Wire can break off during cuttingand be- come a dangerous missile that can cause serious injury.

CUTrlNG METHODS WARNING: Use minimum speed and

do not crowd the line when cutting

around hard objects (rock, gravel, fence posts, etc.), which can damage the trimmer head, become entangled in the line, or be thrown causing a seri-

ous hazard.

• The tip ofthe line does the cutting.

You wilt achfeve the best perform- ance and minimumline wear by not crowdingthe line into the cutting area. The rightand wrong ways are

shown below.

TipoftheLine I LineCrowdedInto

WorkArea

DoesTh_Cutt_g _'_W"_'I,

Right " "_."_gl Wrong *_" "

, The line will easily 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 darn- age especially to delicate vegetation

or trees with tender bark, shorten line to 4-5 in. (10-13 cm) and use at less

than full throttle.

• For trimming or scalping, use tess than full throttle to increase line life

and decrease head wear, especially:

• During light duty cutting.

• Near objects around which the fine

can wrap such as small posts, trees or fence wire.

• For mowing or sweeping, use full

throttle for a good cleanjob.

WARNING: Alwaysweareyeprotec- tion.Neverleanoverthe trimmerhead,

Rocksordebris can ricochetor be

thrown intoeyesandface andcause blindnessor otherseriousinjury.

TRIMMING- Holdthebottomofthe trimmerheadabout3 in. (8 cm)above

theground andat anangle.Allow only thetipofthe lineto makecontact.Do

notforcetrimmerlineintoworkarea.

Trimming

mr, nd

SCALPING- Thescalpingtechnique removesunwantedvegetation.Hold

thebottom ofthetrimmerheadabout3 in. (8cm)abovethegroundandat an

angle.Allow thetipofthelinetostrike thegroundaroundtrees,posts,monu-

ments,etc,Thistechniqueincreases linewear.

Scalping

MOWING- Yourtrimmerisidealfor

mowinginplacesconventionallawn mowerscannotreach.Inthemowing

position,keepthe line parallelto the ground.Avoidpressingthe headinto thegroundasthiscan scalpthe groundanddamagethetool.

Mowing

SWEEPING- The fanning actionof therotating linecanbe usedfor a

quickandeasycleanup, Keeptheline

parallel toandabovethesurfacesbe- ingsweptand movethe toolfrom side

to side.

Sweeping , : ,"

MAINTENANCESCHEDULE

CARE & MAINTENANCE TASK Check for Loose fastenem and parts

Check for damaged orwom parts

Clean unit and labels Clean air fitter Replace spark plus

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS The warrantyonthisunitdoesnotcov-

eritemsthathavebeen subjectedto operatorabuseornegligence.Tore- ceivefull valuefrom the warranty,the operatormustmaintainunitas instruct- edinthismanual,Variousadjustments

willneedtobe made periodicallyto properlymaintainyouruniL CHECK FOR LOOSE FASTENERS AND PARTS

• SparkPlugBoot

• AirFilter

• HousingScrews

• AssistHandleScrews

• Shield CHECK FOR DAMAGED OR

WORN PARTS " Referreplacementofdamaged/worn

partsto yourSears ServiceCenter.

• On/StopSwitch- EnsureOn/Stop switchfunctions properlybypressing

theswitchtothe =Stop"position.

Makesureenginestops;thenrestart

engineandcontinue.

• FuelTank- DisconUnueuseof unitif

fueltankshowssignsofdamageor

leaks.

• Shield- Disconfinueuseof unitif shieldisdamage_

CLEAN UNIT & LABELS

• Cleantheunitusinga dampcloth with a milddetergent,

• Wipeoffunitwitha cleandrycloth.

CLEAN AIR FILTER

Donotcleanfilteringasolineorother flammablesolventtoavoidcreatinga fire hazardorproducingharmfulevap-

orativeemissions. A d_rtyairfilterdecreasesengineper-

formanceandincreasesfuelconsump-

......WHENTOpERFORM,,,

Before each use

Before each use ,

After each use

Every 5 hours of operation

Yearly

tion and harmful emissions. Always clean after every 5 hours of operation,

• Clean the cover and the area around it to keep dirt from falling into the

carburetor chamber when the cover is removed.

• Remove parts as illustrated,,

• Wash the filterin soap and water.

• Allow filter to dry.

• Add a few drops of oil to the filter;

squeeze the filter to distribute oil.

• Replace parts,

(_ ,_Rlter

Z*f"__..d_ Screws

Cover

REPLACE SPARK PLUG Replace the spark plug each year to

ensure the engine starts easier and runs better. Set spark plug gap at .025 in. ignitiontiming is fixed and

nonadjustable.

• Twist, then pull off spark plug boot,

• Remove spark plug from cylinder and discard.

• Replace with Champion CJ-8Y spark plug and tighten with a 3/4 in. socket

wrench (10-12 ft.-tbs).

• Reinstatl the spark plug boot.

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