troy-bilt TB45E operators manual

Operator’s Manual

Electric Grass Trimmer
Model TB45E

CAUTION: Before using this product,
read this manual and follow all safety
rules and operating instructions.

P/N 6096-202B02

PRINTED IN CHINA

• SAFETY

• ASSEMBLY

• OPERATION

• MAINTENANCE

• PARTS LIST

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Warranty Page 2
Safety Rules Pages 3 - 7
Assembly Page 8
Adjustment Instructions Pages 9-10
Operating Instructions Page 10-11

Maintenance Pages 12 - 14
Specifications Page 14
Parts List Page 15

WARRANTY STATEMENT

TWO YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ON TROY BILT GRASS TRIMMER

For two years from the date of purchase, when this Grass trimmer is used and maintained according
to the operator’s manual, Troy Bilt will repair any defect in material or workmanship free of charge.

If this Grass trimmer is used for commercial or rental purposes, this warranty applies for only 90 days
from the date of purchase.

WARRANTY SERVICE IS AVAILABLE BY RETURNING THIS GRASS TRIMMER TO THE NEAREST
TROY BILT REPAIR CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES. CALL 1-800-520-5520 FOR LOCATIONS.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state
to state.

2

RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION

The purpose of safety symbols is to attract your atten­tion to possible dangers. The safety symbols, and
explanations, deserve your careful attention and under­standing. The safety warnings do not by themselves
eliminate any danger. The instructions or warnings they
give are not substitutes for proper accident prevention
measures.

SYMBOL MEANING

SAFETY ALERT:

warning or caution. Attention is required in
order to avoid serious personal injury. May
be used in conjunction with other symbols
or pictographs.

NOTE: Advises you of information or instructions vital to

the operation or maintenance of the equipment.

Read the Operator’s Manual(s) and follow all warnings
and safety instructions.

Failure to do so can result in serious injury to the
operator and/or bystanders.

their

Indicates
danger,

• IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS •

SYMBOL MEANING

DANGER:

serious injury to yourself or to others. Always
follow the safety precautions to reduce the
risk of fire, electric shock and personal injury.

WARNING:

result in injury to yourself and others.
Always follow the safety precautions to
reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and
personal injury.

CAUTION:

result in property damage or personal injury
to yourself or to others. Always follow the
safety precautions to reduce the risk of fire,
electric shock and personal injury.

Failure to obey a safety
warning may result in

Failure to obey a
safety warning can

Failure to obey a
safety warning may

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS
BEFORE OPERATING

• Read the instructions carefully. Be familiar with the
controls and proper use of the unit.

WARNING:

safety rules. Please read these instructions
before operating the unit in order to ensure the
safety of the operator and any bystanders.
Please keep these instructions for later use.

• Do not operate this unit when tired, ill, or under the
influence of alcohol, dr

• Childr

•

• Inspect the unit before use. Replace damaged parts.

• Carefully inspect the area before starting the unit.

en must not operate the unit. T

accompanied and guided by an adult.
All guards and safety attachments must be installed

properly before operating the unit.

Check for fuel leaks. Make sure all fasteners are in
place and secure. Replace parts that are cracked,
chipped, or damaged in any way. Do not operate the
unit with loose or damaged parts.

Remove all debris and hard or sharp objects such as
glass, wire, etc.

ugs, or medication.

When using the unit,
you must follow the

eens must be

• Clear the area of children, bystanders, and pets. At a
minimum, keep all children, bystanders, and pets out­side a 50 feet (15 m.) radius; there still may be a risk to
bystanders from thrown objects. Bystanders should be
encouraged to wear eye protection. If you are
approached, stop the unit immediately.

3

RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION

MINIMUM WIRE GAUGE RECOMMENDATIONS

VOLTS

EXTENSION CORD

LENGTH

WIRE SIZE

REQ

UIRED

120

25 feet / 7.5m 18 A.W.G.*

50 feet / 15m 16 A.W.G.*

100 feet / 30m 16 A.W.G.*

*American Wire Gauge

PLEASE READ - SAVE THESE
INSTRUCTIONS

When using an electr
should always be followed to assure maximum safety and
optimum performance. Read this manual before assem­bling and operating this appliance. Failure to comply with
instructions may result in electrical shock, burns, fire, or
personal injury.

ical appliance, basic precautions

WARNING

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC
SHOCK, BURNS, FIRE OR PERSONAL
INJURY:

1. FOLLOW ALL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS listed in

this manual before/during operation of this trimmer.

2. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK this

equipment has a polarized plug (one blade is wider
than the other). This plug will fit in a polarized exten­sion cord only one way. If the plug does not fit fully in
the extension cord, reverse the plug. Do not change
the plug in any way.
INSPECT UNIT FOR DAMAGE to the housing or

3.
plug. Keep all fasteners tight. Do not use if the trigger
does not turn the unit off properly. Never use unit if
cord or plug has been damaged, the motor or unit
itself is not working as it should or has been dropped,
damaged, left outdoors or dropped in water. Never
operate with any air opening blocked. Keep air open­ings free of debris that may reduce air flow. Replace
damaged parts that are chipped, cracked or damaged
in any way. Keep cutter knife sharp.

4.

5.

DOUBLE INSULATED to help protect against

electric shock. Double insulation construction
consists of 2 separate “layers” of electric insulation.
Appliances built with this insulation system are not
intended to be grounded. As a result, the extension
cord used with y

our unit can be plugged into an
ventional 120 volt electrical outlet. Normal safety pre­cautions must be observed when operating an electri­cal appliance
added protection against injur

. The double insulation system is only for

y resulting from a possi

ble internal electrical insulation failure.
EXTENSION CORD - Use only with an extension cord
intended for outdoor use. Match wire gauge to the
cord length. See table below. A 2-wire cord without a

round connection ma

g
is doub

le insulated.

y be used since this appliance

If in doubt of proper wire siz
the next heavier gauge. Please note that the smaller
the gauge number, the heavier the cord.

y con

, use

e

Table 1

(1). When using the appliance, an extension cord of ade-

quate size must be used for safety and to prevent loss
of power and overheating.

(2). The extension cord must be specifically intended for

outdoor use and marked “SJ” or “SJT” and with the
suffix “WA”. In Canada, the extension cord must be
marked “SFTW”.

(3). Inspect extension power cord for loose or exposed

wires and damaged insulation. If damaged, replace
before using appliance.

DO NOT ABUSE CORD - Never carry appliance by
cord or pull cord to disconnect from outlet. Keep cord
clear of operator and obstacles at all times. Do not
expose cord to heated surfaces, oil or water. Do not
pull cord around sharp edges, corners or close door
on cord.

6.

NO SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE - Your dou-

ble insulated appliance has no serviceable parts
inside. Do not attempt to repair it yourself. For service
information, contact the Troy Bilt Product Service
Department listed on the back cover of this User
Manual.
RISK OF EYE INJURY - Always wear goggles or

7.
other suitable eye protection when operating your
trimmer. Edging increases the risk of injury caused by
flying debris. Always keep bystanders at a safe dis­tance.

KEEP HANDS AND FEET A

8.

WAY

from rotating line

.

Do not operate without debris shield attached.

9. DRESS PROPERLY - Always wear long pants, shoes

-

and glo

ves. Do not wear loose clothing, jewelry, short

pants, sandals or go barefoot.

10. KEEP AREA CLEAR - Keep everyone, especially
children and pets away from the area of operation 50

-

feet (15m). Turn off unit immediately if you are
approached. Never allow children to operate the appli­ance, to be used as a toy, or to run unattended at any

.

time

11. AVOID A DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT - Do not
use in the presence of flammable liquids or gases,
smoking or b

ning mater

ur

ials to avoid creating a fire
or explosion. Never operate the trimmer in wet or
damp conditions or around swimming pools, hot tub,

Do not handle plug, cord or

Do not use in r

etc.

ain.

appliance with wet hands.

4 5

RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION

12. USE APPLIANCE CORRECTLY - Use this appliance

only for its intended use as described in this manual.
DO NO
to tilting stringhead to sweep away debris from walk­ways, etc. Your trimmer is a powerful tool and small
stones or other such debris may be hurled 50 feet or
more, causing injury or damage to nearby property
such as automobiles, homes and windows. Inspect
area before starting the appliance to remove debris
and other objects that can cause damage during oper­ation.
DO NOT USE ACCESSORIES or attachments except

13.
as recommended and provided by Troy Bilt. Do not
use any type of wire or metal cutting line.

14.

DO NOT OVERREACH - Keep firm footing and bal­ance at all times

15.

AVOID UNINTENTIONAL STARTING - Do not carry
plugged in trimmer with your finger on the trigger.

16. DISCONNECT trimmer from power supply when not
in use and before servicing stringhead.
STORE idle trimmer indoors. Appliance should be

17.
stored in a dry, high or locked up place - out of the
reach of children.

18. Don’t grasp the exposed cutting edges when picking
up or holding the appliance.

19. Don’t force appliance - it will do the job better and
witth less likelihood of a risk of injury at the rate for
which it was designed.

T SWEEP WITH TRIMMER - Sweeping refers

.

EXPLANATION OF NOTE, WARNING, and
WARRANTY SYMBOL

A NOTE

1.
highlight a particular explanation, or to expand a step
instruction.

2. A
undertaken or if improperly done, can result in a seri­ous personal injury or damage to the unit and/or both.

3. (
unless instructions or procedures are followed, any
damage will void the warranty and repairs will be at
owner’s expense. Service other than user mainte­nance should be performed by a Troy Bilt Authorized
Service Center. Damage or conditions caused by
improper maintenance practices which render this
product inoperable will void the manufacturer’s war­ranty.

4.

FOR WARRANTY OR SERVICE contact the nearest
Troy Bilt Authorized Service Center by calling the
800# on the back cover of this manual.

is used to con

WARNING identifies a procedure which, if not

WARRANTY SYMBOL) serves notice that

vey additional information, or

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION

SAFETY AND INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS

This operator's manual describes safety and international symbols and pictographs that may appear on this product.
Read the operator's manual for complete safety, assembly, operating and maintenance and repair information.

SYMBOL MEANING

• SAFETY ALERT SYMBOL

Indicates danger, warning, or caution.
May be used in conjunction with
other symbols or pictographs.

• READ OPERATOR'S MANUAL

WARNING: Read the

Operator’s Manual(s) and follow
all warnings and safety
instructions. Failure to do so can
result in serious injury to the
operator and/or bystanders.

• WEAR EYE, HEARING AND HARD­HAT PROTECTION

WARNING: Thrown

objects and loud noise can cause
severe eye injury and hearing loss.
Wear eye protection meeting ANSI
Z87.1-1989 standards and ear pr
tection when operating this unit.
Wear a hard hat. Use a full face
shield when needed.

SYMBOL MEANING

• MINIMUM OPERATING DISTANCE

WARNING:Keep

children, bystanders, and
animals 50 feet (15 meters)
away. If approached stop unit
immediately.

DANGER: Objects

thrown up by machine.

-

o

6 7

RULES FOR SAFE OPERATION

KNOW YOUR GRASS TRIMMER

SAFETY SWITCH

ON/OFF TRIGGER

ASSIST HANDLE

REAR HANDLE

POWER CORD

CORD RETAINER

EDGE

WHEEL

SHAFT ADJUSTMENT

BUTTO

GUIDE

EDGER CONVERSION

BUTTON

ADJUSTABLE SHAFT

AIR OPENINGS

DEBRIS SHIELD

STRING HEAD

EDGE

GUIDE

WING

NUT

NOTE: The only assembly required for your trimmer is to
install the debris shield and the assist handle.

EDGE GUIDE WHEEL INSTALLATION

1. Position the edge guide wheel (A) to the front of the
motor housing as shown in Fig. 1.

2. Tighten the wing nut (B) firmly. (Fig. 2)

A

Fig. 1

B

Fig. 3

C

C

Fig. 2

DEBRIS SHIELD INSTALLATION

1. Position the motor housing with string head carrier
facing up. (Fig. 3)

2. Slide debris shield over motor housing.

3 Secure it with 4 screws (C). (Fig. 4)

Fig. 4

8 9

ADJUSTMENT INSTRUCTIONSASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

ADJUST SHAFT LENGTH

1. Grip shaft firmly.

2. Push shaft release button (A) and move motor hous­ing forward or backward to desired length. (Fig. 5)

NOTE: Shaft may be adjusted in trimming or edging mode.

A

Fig. 5

EDGING CONVERSION

1. Grip shaft firmly.

2. Push edge button (B) and rotate handle assembly
until an audible click is heard. (Fig. 6 & Fig. 7)

3. Adjust assist handle as required.

ADJUST THE ASSIST HANDLE

TE:

NO

been turned under for packing

1. Loosen adjustment knob and rotate handle to the top

2. Tighten adjustment knob securely.

The assist handle is attached to the shaft b

of shaft (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8

ut has

STARTING

1. Before starting the grass-trimmer for the first time,
check that the nylon lines touch or pass over the line­cutting blade. If they are not long enough, press the
bump knob and, at the same time, pull the nylon lines.
(Fig. 9).

B

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 9

2. Connect the correct extension cord to the string trim­mer power cord per the instructions in Section 5-1
Connect the cord.

e sure the length of g

Mak

3.
assist handle is most comf
the length of grass trimmer by pressing the shaft
adjustment button, adjust the height of assist handle

y loosening the adjustment knob.

b

rass trimmer and position of

or

tab

le bef

ore use

, adjust

Take a secure hold of the grass trimmer and, without

4.
letting it touch the grass to be cut, push up the safety
switch, then press the trigger on the upper handgrip.
Let the g
“bump” the stringhead against the lawn. Nylon line will
automatically release. The cut-off blade in the debris
shield will trim off excess line.

5. To switch off the string trimmer let go of the switch.

rass trimmer run for a few seconds and

CAUTION :

to improve its operation on subsequent occa­sions, bump the spool buttom (A) lightly on the
ground while the trimmer is running.(Fig/ 10)

These operations should be repeated a few times before
starting work to make sure that everything is functioning
properly and to familiarize yourself with the grass trimmer.

Start off slowly, when you have gained experience, you will
be able to use the grass trimmer to its full potential.

A short or worn line
cuts less efficiently so,

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

CONNECT THE CORD

1. Insure the cord is NOT plugged into a receptacle
before this procedure.

2. Make a loop with 8
extension cord.

3. Place the loop into the slot (A) under the rear handle
and lock into place on the cord retainer as shown in
Figure 11.

4. Connect the extension cord to the trimmer power
cord.

5. Plug the extension cord into a receptacle ONLY when
you are ready to operate the trimmer.

″ - 10″ (20 - 25cm) of the end of the

A

Fig. 10

TRIMMER OPERATION

1. TRIMMING / MOWING (Fig. 12). Swing trimmer with a

sickle-like motion from side to side. Do not tilt the
stringhead during the procedure. Test area to be
trimmed for proper cutting height. Keep stringhead at
same level for even depth of cut.

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

A

10 11

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONSADJUSTMENT INSTRUCTIONS

2. CLOSER TRIMMING (Fig. 13). Position trimmer

aight ahead with a slight tilt so bottom of stringhead

str
is above ground level and string contact occurs at
proper cutting point. Always cut away from operator.
Do not pull tr

3.

FENCE/FOUNDATION TRIMMING. Approach trim­ming around chain link fences, picket fences, rock
walls and foundations slowly to cut close without whip­ping string against the barrier. If the string comes in
contact with rock, brick walls, or foundations, it will
break or fray. If string snags fencing, it will snap off.

4. TRIMMING AROUND TREES. Trim around tree
trunks with a slow approach so string does not contact
bark. Walk around the tree trimming from left to right.
Approach grass or weeds with the tip of the string and
tilt stringhead slightly forward.

SCALPING (Fig. 14). Scalping refers to removal of all

5.
vegetation down to the ground. To do this, tilt the
stringhead to about a 30 degree angle to the left. By
adjusting the handle you will have better control dur­ing this operation. Always keep a distance of 50 feet
(15 meters) from other people and animals when
scalping. Do not attempt this procedure if there is any
chance flying debris could injure operator, other peo­ple or cause damage to property.

OPERATING AS AN EDGER (Fig. 15). With the unit

6.
configured as an edger, hold it so the motor is to your
left side so that debris is thrown to the rear. Always
use eye protection.

SWEEPING - DO NOT SWEEP WITH TRIMMER (Fig.

7.

16)

8. DO NO
damage the str

immer in toward operator.

TRIMMER ON CONCRETE.

UMP

T B

inghead

(Figure 17).

This can

Fig. 14

Fig. 15

Fig. 13

Fig. 16

Fig. 17