Toro 51301, 51301P, 51303, 51302, 51304 Operator's Manual

FORM NO. 3321–194

Electric Trimmers
Electric Trimmers & Edgers

10-Inch, 11-Inch, 12-Inch, 13-Inch, 14-Inch and
15-Inch Cutting Widths

Model No. 51301, 51302, 51303, 51304, 51305, 51306, 51307, 51308,
51309, 51324, 51332—89000001 & Up

Taille-bordures électriques

Largeur de coupe 25, 28, 30, 33, 36 et 38 cm (10,
11, 12, 13, 14 et 15 po.)

Modèle No. 51301, 51302, 51303, 51304, 51305, 51306, 51307, 51308,
51309, 51324, 51332—89000001 et suivants

Recortadoras electricas
Recortadoras y cortadoras de
césped eléctricas para bordes

Anchos de corte de 25, 28, 30, 33, 36 y 38 cm
(10, 11, 12, 13, 14 y 15 pulg.)

Modelos N. 51301, 51302, 51303, 51304, 51305, 51306, 51307, 51308,
51309, 51324, 51332—89000001 y siguientes

Operator ’s Manual
Manuel de L’Utilisateur
Manual del Operador

English

Safety

WARNING—To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock or injury,
follow these safety instructions.

Read All Instructions

It is essential that you or any other operator of the appliance
read and understand the contents of this manual before
operating the appliance. Pay particular attention to the safety

alert symbol
DANGER — “personal safety instruction.” FAILURE TO
COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTION MAY RESULT IN
PERSONAL INJURY, RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL
SHOCK.

• A void Dangerous Environment–Don’t use appliances in damp

or wet locations.

• Don’t Use In Rain.

• Keep Children A way–All visitors should be kept at a distance

from work area.

• Dress Properly–Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. They

can be caught in moving parts. Use of rubber gloves and
substantial footwear is recommended when working outdoors.
Wear protective hair covering to contain long hair.

• Use Safety Glasses–Always use face or dust mask if operation

is dusty. Safety glasses are available at most retail stores.

• Use Right Appliance—Do not use the appliance for any job

except that for which it was intended.

• Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection should be

provided on the circuit(s) or outlet(s) to be used for the
gardening appliance. Receptacles are available having built-in
GFCI protection and may be used for this measure of safety.

• WARNING—To reduce the risk of electrical shock, use only

an approved UL (CSA in Canada) extension cord suitable for
outdoor use, such as an extension cord of cord type SW-A,
SOW-A, STW-A, STOW-A, SJW-A, SJOW-A, SJTW-A or
SJTOW-A.

• Extension Cord–Make sure your extension cord is in good

condition. When using an extension cord, be sure to use one
heavy enough to carry the current your product will draw. An
undersized extension cord will cause a drop in line voltage
resulting in loss of power and overheating. The Extension
Cord Chart shows the correct size to use depending on cord
length and nameplate ampere rating. If in doubt, use the next
heavier gage. The smaller the gage number, the heavier the
cord. T o reduce the risk of disconnection of appliance from
extension cord during operating, use the cord lock described in
this manual.

which means CAUTION, WARNING OR

polarized extension cord. A polarized extension cord will
require the use of a polarized wall outlet. This plug will fit into
the polarized wall outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit
fully into the wall outlet, reverse the plug. If the plug still does
not fit, contact a qualified electrician to install the proper wall
outlet. Do not change the equipment plug, extension cord
receptacle, or extension cord plug in any way.

• Avoid Unintentional Starting–Do not carry plugged–in

appliance with finger on switch. Be sure switch is off when
plugging in.

• Don’t Abuse Cord–Never carry appliance by cord or yank it to

disconnect from receptacle. Keep cord from heat, oil, and sharp
edges.

• Keep grass shield in place and in working order.

• Keep hands and feet away from cutting area.

• Don’t Force Appliance–It will do the job better and with less

likelihood of a risk of injury at the rate for which it was
designed.

• Don’t Overreach—Keep proper footing and balance at all

times.

• Stay Alert – Watch what you are doing. Use common sense.

Do not operate appliance when you are tired.

• Disconnect Appliance–Disconnect the appliance from the

power supply when not in use or before servicing.

• Store Idle Appliances Indoors–When not in use, appliances

should be stored indoors in dry, and high or locked-up place ­out of the reach of children.

• Maintain Appliance With Care –Follow instructions for

changing accessories. Inspect appliance periodically, and if
damaged, have it repaired by an Authorized T o ro Service
Dealer. Inspect extension cords periodically and replace if
damaged. Keep handles dry, clean, and free from oil and
grease. Trimmer requires no lubrication.

• Check Damaged Parts – Before further use of the appliance, a

guard or other part that is damaged should be carefully checked
to determine that it will operate properly and perform its
intended function. Check for alignment of moving parts,
binding of moving parts, breakage of parts, mounting, and any
other condition that may affect its operation. A guard or other
part that is damaged should be properly repaired or replaced by
an authorized service center unless indicated elsewhere in this
manual.

• When servicing use only identical TORO replacement parts.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

EXTENSION CORD CHART

If length of extension cord is less
than or equal to:

Assure wire size gage (A.W.G.) in
cord is:

Note: Use of an extension cord over 150 feet is not recommended.

• To reduce the risk of electric shock, this appliance has a

polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other) (Fig. 1) and
will require the use of a polarized extension cord. The
appliance plug will fit into a polarized extension cord only one
way. If the plug does not fit fully into the extension cord,
reverse the plug. If the plug still does not fit, obtain a correct

Printed in USA

100 ft. 150 ft.

16 14

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The Toro Company – 1997

All Rights Reserved

Safety and Instruction Decals

Safety decals and instructions are easily visible to the operator and are located near any area of potential
danger. Replace any decal that is damaged or lost.

ON TUBE

(Part No. 98–7184)

Assembly

Note: Your unit may be partially or fully assembled when removed
from carton. The unit may have a snap-on shield or have two
screws to secure shield. Trimmer should appear as shown in
Figure 2 when fully assembled.

Attach Support Handle

1. Press support handle onto tube with smooth side of support

handle facing toward upper handle. Position support handle at
a comfortable operating height and secure with a carriage bolt
and wing nut (Fig. 3).

Attach Grass Shield

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• Cutting knife on grass shield is sharp.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Contact with cutting knife could cause personal

injury.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Be careful when handling shield. Avoid contact with

knife blade.

For Shields Secured With Two Screws

1. Fit grass shield into long, curved slot in motor housing

(Fig. 6). Invert trimmer and secure grass shield to motor
housing with (2) screws provided (Fig. 7).

Before Starting

1. Make sure spool cap is securely snapped in place. If not, align

cap tabs with slots in cutter head, press tabs in and push down
cap and spool to lock cap in place (Fig. 13).

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• Cap may loosen during shipment. A loose or

improperly installed cap or spool could fly off
trimmer.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Contact with a thrown spool or cap could cause injury

to operator or bystanders.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Be sure spool and cap are fully secured before

operating the unit. Replace spool if it is damaged or if
cap does not securely snap onto cutter head.

• Keep bystanders and pets away from trimming area.

Note: The grass shield must always be on the trimmer to protect

the operator.

For Snap-on Shields

1. Spread locking tabs apart while sliding grass shield onto motor

housing (Fig. 4). Push locking tabs into holes until you feel
them snap into place (Fig. 5).

Securing Extension Cord

Note: Use only a UL listed (CSA certified in Canada) extension
cord recommended for outdoor use. Refer to Extension Cord Chart
on page 1.

1. Secure extension cord in cord lock as shown in Figure 8.

2

Operation

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• Objects can be thrown by the trimmer while it is in

operation.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Thrown objects could cause injury to the operator or

bystanders.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Always wear safety goggles or other suitable eye

protection, long pants and shoes while operating
trimmer.

• Keep people and pets away from trimming area.

To reduce line wear or breakage, follow these trimming techniques.

• Inspect area to be trimmed for any wire, rope or string-like

matter which could become entangled in the rotating line. Pick
up any objects or debris that could be thrown by the trimmer.

• Trim only when grass and weeds are dry.

• Slowly move unit in and out of area being cut, maintaining

unit at desired cutting height. Use a forward-backward or
side-to-side motion (Fig. 9 & 10).

• Grass in excess of eight inches tall or small weeds should be

cut by cutting from the top to the bottom in small increments.

• DO NOT FORCE THE UNIT. Allow the very tip of the

nylon line to do the cutting (especially along walls).

• The tip of the cutting line will wear during use and reduce the

cutting swath. If the line is not advanced occasionally, it will
wear down to the eyelet. When the trimmer stops, the line
tends to relax and may retract into the cutter head. Should
this occur, remove spool, refeed the line through eyelet, and
reassemble spool to trimmer.

• After each use, feed out some line to prevent line from

retracting into cutting head.

• NEVER drag the trimmer spool on the ground while

trimming.

• Trimmer may be used as a decorative edger by rotating support

handle 180 (Fig. 11).

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• When using trimmer for decorative edging, objects

may be thrown in operator’s or bystander’s direction.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Thrown objects could cause injury to the operator or

bystanders.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Always wear safety goggles or other suitable eye

protection, long pants and shoes while operating
trimmer.

• Keep people and pets away from trimming area.

Lengthening Cutting Line

1. To lengthen line, tap spool on the ground while the motor
continues to run (Fig. 12); do not hold it on the ground. The
cutting knife attached to the shield will cut the line to the
proper length.

Note: To help prevent line tangle, tap only once to lengthen line. If
additional line is required, wait a few seconds before retapping
trimmer head. Do not allow line to wear too short. Keep line length
at full cutting diameter as much as possible.

Replacing Cutting Line

For best performance, use only Toro spools. Prewound
replacement spools can be purchased from your local T oro retailer.

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• Use of line other than proper monofilament cutting

line could cause personal injury.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Metal wire, r ope or other string-like substances could

cut through clothes, skin, etc. and cause personal
injury.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Do not use any type of metal wire, rope or other

string-like substance.

• Use only TORO .065” dia. nylon monofilament

cutting line, 30 feet maximum.

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• When trimmer is in operation, the cutting head is

rotating.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Contact with rotating cutting head could cause

personal injury.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Always be sure cutting head has completely stopped

rotating and trimmer is unplugged before inverting
trimmer.

• Never activate trimmer when it is in an inverted

position.

1. Disconnect trimmer from power source.

2. To remove empty spool, invert trimmer, place hand over spool

and press in tabs on each side of cap (Fig. 13).

3. If there is any line on spool, hold free end of line with one
hand to prevent spool from unraveling and with other hand
grasp spool and lift off spool and cap together (Fig. 14).

Note: If spring falls off cutter head during this procedure, reinstall
spring before reinstalling spool and cap.

4. Thoroughly clean cutter head. Inspect for any damaged or
worn parts.

5. Unwind no more than three inches of line from new spool.
Hold line and spool to prevent unraveling.

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6. Place cap on spool.

7. Insert line into eyelet (Fig. 13) and hold line with one hand

while using your other hand to place spool and cap on spring.
Align cap tabs with slots in cutter head, press in tabs and push
down cap and spool to lock cap in place (Fig. 13).

Note: Spool may need to be rotated slightly to allow it to be fully
installed.

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• An improperly installed cap or spool could fly off

trimmer.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Contact with a thrown spool or cap could cause injury

to operator or bystanders.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Be sure spool and cap are fully secured before

operating the unit. Replace spool if it is damaged or if
cap does not securely snap onto cutter head.

• Keep bystanders and pets away from trimming area.

8. If line should tangle or break at eyelet, unplug trimmer, remove

spool, refeed the line through eyelet, and reassemble spool to
trimmer.

9. The spool may wear during normal use of the line advance

feature and may require occasional replacement. Replacement
spools are available through your TORO retailer. See page 5
for accessories.

Rewinding Empty Spools

Replacement line can be purchased from your local Toro retailer.

1. Hook one end of line into slot on spool, allowing no more
than 1/8” to protrude. Push end of line all the way to the
inner end of slot. Wind line in direction of arrow on spool in

level rows between spool flanges (Fig. 15).

Trimmer will not function properly if:

line is wound in the wrong direction
end of line protrudes more than 1/8” at inner end of

slot
line is wound beyond outer edges of spool

Maintenance

POTENTIAL HAZARD

• There is the possibility that trimmer could be

inadvertently started when the extension cord is
plugged into an electrical socket.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

• Inadvertent starting could cause personal injury to

operator or bystanders.

HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD

• Always be sure your trimmer is unplugged and the

cutting head has stopped rotating before attempting
any maintenance or repairs.

• To keep the exterior clean, wipe it with a damp cloth. Never

hose unit down.

• Wipe or scrape clean the cutter head and spool area any time

there is an accumulation of dirt or cuttings.

• Check and tighten all fasteners. If any part is damaged or lost,

repair or replace it.

• Scrape debris away from air intake vents in both sides of motor

housing (Fig. 2).

IMPORTANT: Keeping air intake vents free of grass and
debris prevents motor overheating and possible failure.

IMPORTANT: To avoid damaging shield when storing
trimmer, rest trimmer on cutter head or motor housing or
hang trimmer from handle(s). DO NOT REST TRIMMER ON
GRASS SHIELD AS SHOWN (Fig. 16). THE GRASS
SHIELD MAY WARP AND INTERFERE WITH CUTTING
LINE.

• Any other servicing should be performed by an authorized

Toro Service Dealer.

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Accessories

  

Prewound

Spool

Model #88175 Part #73–8190 50’ of .065”

Empty Spool

Coil of

Cutting Line

Model #88003

Replacement

Spring and

Cap

Model #88026

Toro Service Support

If your unit requires service or maintenance, your nearest TORO
Master Service Dealer (U.S. only) is the best dealer to assist you.
Refer to the “Yellow Pages” of your local telephone directory in
the section titled “Lawn Mowers.” TORO Master Service Dealers

The Toro Promise

A Full Two Year Residential Use Warranty

For the United States, Canada and Mexico

The Toro Company warrants this TORO Product for two years against defects in material or workmanship. To receive a
replacement or repair, at Toro’s option, just return the complete unit, postage prepaid, to the seller. (U.S. customers ONLY
may return their unit, with proof of purchase, to any TORO Master Service Dealer or the TORO Service Center, 5300
Shoreline Blvd., Mound, MN 55364.) This warranty covers product defects only. It does not cover incidental or

consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential
damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific rights, and you may have

other rights which vary from state to state. If all other remedies fail, you may contact us at The Toro Company , Customer
Service Department, 8111 Lyndale Ave S, Bloomington, MN, 55420-1196. (Do not return defective product to this
address.)

are listed under the TORO trademark. If you need help locating a
TORO Master Service Dealer near you, call 1-800-421-9684 (U.S.
only) for assistance.

COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA OR MEXICO

Customers who have purchased TORO products exported from the United States, Canada or Mexico should contact their
TORO Distributor (Dealer) to obtain guarantee policies for your country, province or state. If for any reason you are
dissatisfied with your Distributor’s service or have difficulty obtaining guarantee information, contact the TORO importer.

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