Craftsman 358.797290 Operator's Manual

Operator's Manual

CRRFTSMRN

1.4 cu.in./24cc 2-Cycle

205 MPH/410 CFM

GASOLINE POWERED
BLOWERNAC

Model No.

358.797290

WARNING:

Read and follow all Safety Rules and Operating
Instructions before first use ofthis product.

For answers to your questions about this product:

Call 7 am-7 pm, Mon.---Sat., or 10 am-7 pm, Sun.

• 1-800-235-5878 (.o==_._=._..=,_m)

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

530-087632 07/10/98

I

Warranty Statement 2 Storage 10
Safety Rules 2 TroubleshootingChart 11
Assembly 4 Pads Ust 13

Operation 6

Maintenance 8 Spanish 16

Service & Adj_,stments - 9 Parts and Ordering Back

FULL TWO YEAR WARRANTY ON CRAFTSMAN ® GAS BLOWER
Fo_o (2) years from date of purchasa,when this Gas Blower is maintained,

lubncatad, and tuned up accordingto the instructionsinthe operator'smanual,
Sears will repair,free of charge, any defects in material orworkmanship.

Thb warran_j excludes blowertubes, spark plug,and aircleaner, which are ex-
pe_dabl9 parts and become worn dudng normaluse.

IftM_-:bl0wer__ forcommemial purposes,thiswarrantyappliesfor 90 daysfrom

the date.ofpumhase. Ifthis Bloweris usedfor rentalpurposes,this warrantyapplies
for 30 days from the date of pumhase. Thiswarranty appliesonly whilethisproduct

is inuse inthe United States.

WARRANTY SERVICE IS AVAJ_LE BY RETURNING THE BLOWER TO THE NF.JkREST
SEJ_RSSERVICE CENTFR IN THE UNITED STATES,

This warrdntygives you specificlegal rights,and you may also have otherrights

whichvary from state tostate.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. D/S17WA Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

Failure tofollow all Safety Rules and Pre-

cautionscan result inseriousinjury.

KNOW YOUR UNIT

• Read your Operator's Manual care-
fullyuntilyoucompletely understand
and can followall warningsand
safety rulesbefore operatingthe unit.

• Restrict unitto userswho understand

and will follow all warningsand safety

rules inthis manual.

PLAN AHEAD

• Alwayswear eye pmteclionwhen op-

-era_ng,servicing,or performingmain-
tenance on unit.Woaringeye protec-

tion v_llhelpto praOentrocksor debris
from'being blownor ricochetingInto

eyes and face which can resultin
blindnessand/or seriousinjury.

• Always wear respirator or face mask
iwhen workingwith unit in dusty envi-

ronments.

• Secure hair above shoulder length.

Secure or remove jewelry, loose

clothing, or Clothing_th loosely
hanging straps, ties, tassels, etc.
They can be caught in moving pads.

• Do notoperate unitwhen youare tired,

ili,upset,or ifyou are underthe influ-
ence of alcohol,drugs,or medication.

• Keep children,bystanders, and ani-
mals away from work area a mini-

mum of 50 feet (15 m) when starting

or operatingunit.

• Inspectarea beforestarlingunit.Re-

move all debrisand hard objectssuch

as rocks,glass,wire,etc.thst canrico-
chet,he thrown, or otherwisecause
injuryordamage duringoperal_n,

HANDLE FUEL WITH CAUTION

• Eliminateall sources ofsparks or
flame (includingsmoking,open
flames, or workthat can cause

sparks) inthe areas where fuel is

mixed,poured, or stored.

• Mixand pourfuel in an outdoorarea;
store fuel in a cool,dry,well ventilated

place;use an approvecl,marked con-
taber for all fuelpurposes.

• Do notsmoke while handlingfuel or

while operating the unit.

• Do notfillfuel tank while engine is

running.

-2-

• Wipe up fuel spills before starting en-
gine.

• Move at'least 10 feet (3 meters)
away from fuel and fueling site before

starting engine.

OPERATE YOUR UNIT SAFELY

• Stopthe engine before Openingthe

vacuum inlet door.The engine must
be stopped and the impellerblades

nolongerturning to avoidsedous in-

juryfrom the rotatingblades.

• Inspect unit bafom each use for

worn, loose, missing,, or damaged

parts.Do not use until unitis in
properworkingorder.

• Keep outside surfacesfree from oil

and fuel.

• Never start or run engine inside a

dosed room or building. Breathing
exhaust fumes can Idll.

• To avoid static electricityshock, do

notwear rubbergloves or any other
insulatedgloves while operating unit.

• Do notset uniton any surface except

a clean, hard area while engine is
running. Debds such as gravel, sand,

dust, grass, etc. could be picked up
by the airintake and thrown out

throughdischarge opening, damag-
ing unit,property,or causing serious

injuryto bystanders or operator.

• Avoid dangerous environments. Do
not use in unventilated areas or

where explosivevapors or carbon

monoxidebuild up could be prssenL

• Do notoverreach or use fromunsta-

ble surfaces suchas ladders, trees,
steep slopes, rooftops,etc. Keep firm

footing and balance at all times.

• Never place objects inside the blower

tubes; always direct the blowing de-

bds away from people, animals,
glass__d solid objectssuch as

trees, automobiles, walls_etc. The
force of air can cause rocks,dirt, or
sticksto be thrown or to dcochet

whichcan hurtpeople or animals,
break glass, or cause otherdamage.

• Never run unitwithout the proper
equipment attached. When using

your unit as a blower, always install

blowertubes. When using the option-
al vacuum kit, always installvacuum

tubes and vacuum bag assembly.

Make sure vacuum bag assembly is

coml_lately zipped.

• Check air intake opening, blower

tubes, and vacuum tubas frequently,

always with engine stopped and
spark plug disconnected. Keep vents

and discharge tubes free of debris
which can accumulate and restrict

proper air flow.

• Never place any object in air intake
opening as this could restrict proper air

flow and causedamage to the unit.

• Never use for spreading chemicals

fertilizers,or other substanceswhich

may contain toxicmaterials.

• To avoid spreading fire, do not use
near leaf or brushfires, fireplaces,

barbecue pits, ashtrays, etc.

• Use onlyfor jobe explainedin this
manual.

MAINTAIN YOUR UNIT PROPERLY

• Have all maintenance other than the

recommendedprocedures described
in the Operator's Manual performed

by Sears Service.

• Disconnectspark plug before per-

forming maintenanceexcept for car-

buretor adjustments.

• Use only recommendedCRAFTS-
MAN• replacement parts;use ofany

other partsmay voidyour warranty
and cause damage to your unit.

• Emptyfueltank beforestoring the unit.
Use up fuelleftin carburetorby starting
engineand letiJngit mn untilitstops.

• Do notuse any accessoryor attach-

ment otherthanthoserecommended

bymanufacturerfor use withyourunit.

• Do not store the unit or fuel in a

closed area where fuel vapors can

reach sparks or an open flame from
hotwater heaters, electdc motorsor

switches,fomaces, etc.

• Store in a dry area out of reach of

children.

SPECIAL NOTICE: For users on U.S.
Forest Land and in some states, in-

cludingCalifornia(PublicResources

Codes 4442 and 4443), Idaho, Maine,
Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, and

Washington: Certain internal combus-

tion enginesoperated onforest, brush,
and/or grasscovered land in the above

areas are requiredto be equipped with
a spark arrestor,maintained in effective

worldngorder,or the engine must be
constmoted, equipped, and maintained

for the preventionof fire. Check with

your state or local authoritiesfor regu-
lationspertaining to these require-

ment_ Failure to followthese require-
ments is a violationof the law. This unit

is not factory equipped with a spark ar-
restor;, however, a spark arrestor is
available as an optional pad. If a spark
arrestor is required in your area, con-

tact Sears Service for the correct kit.
The spark arrestor, blower tubes, and

nozzles must be assembled to unit to
be in full compliance with regulations.

SPECIAL NOTICE: Exposure to w'ora-
tJonsthrough p_longed useof gasoline

powered hand tools could cause blood
vessel or nerve damage in the fingers,

hands, and joints of people prone to cir-
culation disorders or abnormal swelling.

Prclongeduse incold we_ has been
linkedto bloodvesseldamage in other-
wisehealthypeopla.If _ occur

suchas n4mbnees,pa_, lossof

strength,change in skincoloror texture,
or lossof feelingin the fingers,hands, or

joints,discontinuethe use of this tool

and seek medicalattention.An
antivibrstionsystemdoes not9uarantse

the avoidanceofthese problems.Users
who operatepowertooison a continual
and rsgular basis must monitor clssely
theirph_'w,al conditionand the condition

ofthistool.

CARTON CONTENTS

Check carton contents against the fol-
lowinglist.

Model 358.797290

• Blower

• Blower tube

• Vacuum bag

• Upper vacuum tube

• Lower vacuum tube

• 2-Cycle Engine Oil

NOTE: Itis normal for the fuel filterto
rattle inthe empty fuel tank.

ASSEMBLY
WARNING: If received assembled,

repeat all steps to ensure your unit is
properlyassembled and all fasteners
are secure.

• No tools are required for assembly,

BLOWER TUBE ASSEMBLY

Ifyouhave already assembled your

unitfor use as a vacuum, remove the

vacuum tubes and collectionbag.

• Align the rib on the blowertube with
the groovein the bloweroutlet; slide

the tube into place.

BIt_w_r: Blower

• Tighten the tube clamp by tuming the

knob clockwise.

• To remove the tube, turn the knob
counterclockwise to loosen clamp;

remove tube.

VACUUM BAG ASSEMBLY
If you have already assembled your
unitfor use as a blower,removethe

blowertube.

• Place the smallend of vacuum bag
overthe blower outletandclamp knob.

Blower

VelcroStrap

• "lightenthe Velcrc strap securely.

• Make sure the zipper on the bag is
closed completely.

• Secure the ends of the shoulder
strap by routingthe strap throughthe

buckle as shown.

VACUUM TUBE ASSEMBLY
WARNING Stop engine and be sure
the impellerblades have stoppedturn-

ing beforeopening the vacuum inlet
door or attemptingto insertor remove
the vacuum tubes. The rotatingblades

cancause serious injury.

• Remove blowertubefrom engine.

-4-

• Align the lower vacuum tube as
shown. Push lower vacuum tube into

upper vacuum tube.

Upper

Lower

VacuumTube

• Insert a screwdriver intothe latch

area on the vacuum inletcover.

.,p_.. Blower

Outlet

Latch Area

Vacuum
InletCover

• Gently tilt the handle of the screwdriv-
er toward the back of the unit while

pulling up on the vacuum inlet cover
with your other hand.

• Hold the vacuum inlet cover open un-
til upper vacuum tube is installed.

Vacuum Inlet

Retaining Post

Vacuum

Inlet

Cover ....._q

• Place the hooks on the vacuum tube

on the retaining posts; pivot tube into

position. Secure vacuum tube by

tuming the knob clockwise until tight.

Hooks

• When conva_ng back to the blower
feature, make sure latch on the vacu-
um inletcover is securelyfastened.

SHOULDER STRAP ADJUSTMENT

(for vacuum use only)

• Hold the unitas shown.

• Pass the shoulder strap over your

head and onto your left shoulder.

• Snap the hook onto the retainer on

the top handle.

• Extend you right arm toward the rear

of the vacuum bag.

• Adjust shoulder strap until the vacu-

um bag/shoulder strap seam lies be-
tween your thumb and index finger.

• Make sure air flows freely from the
elbow tube into bag. If bag is kinked,
the unit will not operatar properly.