Weed Eater PP445 User Manual

R

Instruction Manual

Manual de Instrucciones

Manuel d’Instructions

PP445

ENGLISH ESPAÑOL

For Occasional Use Only

WARNING:

Read and follow all Safety Rules and Operating Instructions before
using this product. Failure to do so can result in serious injury.

ADVERTENCIA:

Lea el manual de instrucciones y siga todas las advertencias e
instrucciones de seguridad. El no hacerlo puede resultar en le­siones graves.

A VERTISSEMENT:

Lirelemanueld’instructions etbienrespecter tous lesavertisse­ments et toutes les instructions de sécurité. Tout défaut de le
faire pourrait entraîner des blessures graves.

Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
250 Bobby Jones Expressway
Augusta, GA 30907

CopyrightE2002 Electrolux Home Products, Inc.

530163323

FRANÇAIS

9/18/02

IDENTIFICATION OF SYMBOLS

DANGER!

be dangerous! Careless or im­proper use can cause
serious or even fatal injury.

Always wearappropriate earprotection, eye protection and head protection.

DANGER!

protection when operating this unit. Do not stand beneath branch being
cut.

This pruner can

Falling objects can cause severe head injury. Wear head

SAFETY RULES

WARNING:

plug wireand place wirewhere it cannotcontact
spark plug to prevent accidental starting when
setting up, transporting, adjusting or making re­pairs except carburetor adjustments.

Because apruner is a high-speedwood-cutting
tool, special safety precautions must be ob­servedto reducetherisk ofaccidents. Careless
orimproperuse ofthistoolcan causeseriousor
even fatal injury.

PLAN AHEAD

Read this manual carefully until you

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completely understand and can follow all
safety rules, precautions, and operating
instructions before attempting to use the unit.
Restrict the use of your pruner to adult users

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who understand and can follow safety rules,
precautions, and operating instructions found
on the unit and in this manual.

Always disconnect spark

Read and understand the
instruction manual before
using the pruner.

Hearing

Protection

Snug
Fitting

Clothing

Safety
Shoes

Keep all parts of your body away from the

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chain when the engine is running.
Keep children, bystanders, and animals a

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minimum of 50 feet (15 meters) away from
the work area. Do not allow other people or
animals to be near when starting or
operating the pruner.

HAZARDZONE

Safety Hat

Eye
Protection

Heavy Duty
Gloves

Safety Chaps

INSTRUCTION
MANUAL

Wear protective gear. Always use

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steel-toed safety footwear with non-slip
soles; snug-fitting clothing; heavy, long
pants, and long sleeves; heavy-duty,
non-slip gloves; eye protection such as
non-fogging, vented goggles or face
screen; an approved safety hard hat; and
sound barriers (ear plugs or mufflers) to
protect your hearing. Regular users should
have hearing checked regularly as engine
noise can damage hearing. Secure hair
above shoulder length. Secure or remove
loose clothing and jewelry or clothing with
loosely hanging ties, straps, tassels, etc.

SAFETY INFORMATION

ON THE UNIT

50 feet

(15 meters)

DANGER

use near electrical
wires or power lines.
Keep pruner at least
30 feet (10 meters)
away from all power
lines.

: Do not

2

Do not handle or operate a pruner when you

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are fatigued, ill, or upset, or if you have taken
alcohol, drugs, or medication. Youmustbein
good physical condition and mentally alert. If
you have any condition that might be
aggravated by strenuous work, check with
doctor before operating a pruner.
Carefully plan your pruning operation in

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advance. Do notstartcutting until youhave
a clear work area, secure footing, and a

planned retreat path.
If situations occur which are not covered in
this manual, use care and good judgment. If
youneedassistance, contact yourauthorized
service dealer or call 1-800-554-6723.

OPERATE YOUR PRUNER SAFELY

Do not operate a pruner with one hand.

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Serious injury to the operator, helpers,

bystanders or any combination of these

persons may result from one-handed

operation. A pruner is intended for

two-handed use.

Operate the pruner only in a well-ventilated

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outdoor area.

Do not operate pruner from a ladder or in a

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tree.

Donot use apruner tocutdown trees orany

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portion of the tree trunk.

Only use for pruning limbs or branches not

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greater than 4 inches in diameter.

Neverstandunder the limbyouare pruning.

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Always position yourself out of the path of

falling debris.

Donot cut smallbrushandsaplings withthe

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pruner. Slender matter may catch in the

chain and be whipped toward you, pulling

you off balance.

Make sure the chain will not make contact

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with any object while starting the engine.

Never try to start the unit when the guide

bar is in a cut.

Donot put pressure onthe pruner at theend

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ofthecut. Applying pressurecancauseyou

to lose control when the cut is completed.

Do not run the unit at high speed when not

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pruning.

If you strike or become entangled with a

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foreign object, stop the engine immediately

and check for damage. Have any damage

repaired by an authorized service dealer

before attempting further operations.

Do not operate a pruner that is damaged,

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improperly adjusted, or not completely and

securely assembled. Always replace bar

and chain immediately if it becomes

damaged, broken or is otherwise removed.

Always stop the unit when work is delayed

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orwhen walking from one cutting location to

another. Stop the engine before setting the

unit down.

Use only in daylight or good artificial light.

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Use only for jobs explained in this manual

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(or manuals for optional attachments).

MAINTAIN YOUR PRUNER IN GOOD
WORKING ORDER

Have all service performed by a qualified

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service dealer with the exception of the

items listed in the maintenance section of

this manual.

Make certain the chain stops moving when

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the throttle trigger is released. For
correction, refer to CARBURETOR
ADJUSTMENTS.
Never modify your unit in any way.

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Keep the handles dry, clean, and free of oil

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or fuel mixture.
Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and

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fasteners securely tightened.
Make carburetor adjustments with lower

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end supported to prevent chain from
contacting any object.
Keep others away when making carburetor

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adjustments.
Use only Poulan PRORaccessories and

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replacement parts as recommended.

HANDLE FUEL WITH CAUTION

Do not smoke while handling fuel or while

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operating the pruner.
Eliminate all sources of sparks or flame in

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the areas where fuel is mixed or poured.
There should be no smoking, open flames,
or work that could cause sparks. Allow
engine to cool before refueling.
Mixandpour fuel inanoutdoor area on bare

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ground; store fuel in a cool, dry, well
ventilated place; and use an approved,
marked container for all fuel purposes.
Wipeupall fuelspillsbeforestarting engine.
Moveatleast 10feet (3meters) from fueling

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site before starting engine.
Turn the engine off and let unit cool in a

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non-combustible area, not on dry leaves,
straw, paper, etc. Slowly remove fuel cap
and refuel unit.
Store the unit and fuel in anareawherefuel

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vapors cannot reach sparks oropen flames
from water heaters, electric motors or
switches, furnaces, etc.

KICKBACK

WARNING:

can result in serious injury.
backward, upward or sudden forward motion
of the guide bar occurring when the chain
near the upper tip of the guide bar contacts
any object such as a log or branch, or when
the wood closes in and pinches the chain in
the cut. Contacting a foreign object in the
wood can also result in loss of control.

Rotational Kickback

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moving chain contacts an object at the upper
tip of the guide bar. This contact can cause
the chain to dig into the object, which stops
the chain for an instant. The result is a
lightning fast,reverse reactionwhich kicksthe
guide bar up and back toward the operator.

Pinch-Kickback

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closes in and pinches the moving chain in
thecutalong the top oftheguidebarand the
chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden
stopping of the chain results in areversal of
the chain force used to cut wood and
causes the pruner to move in the opposite
direction of the chain rotation. The pruner is
driven straight back toward the operator.

Pull-In

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can occur when the moving chain
contactsaforeignobjectinthe woodin the cut
along the bottom of the guide bar and the

Avoid kickback which

Kickback

can occur when the

can occurwhenthe wood

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is the

chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden
stopping pulls the pruner forward and away
from the operator and could easily cause the
operator to lose control of the pruner .

REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK

Recognize that kickback can happen. With

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abasicunderstanding of kickback, you can
reduce the element of surprise which
contributes to accidents.
Never let the moving chain contact any

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object at the tip of the guide bar.
Keep the working area free from

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obstructions suchasother trees, branches,
rocks, stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid any
obstruction that your chain could hit while
you are cutting. When cutting a branch, do
not let theguide barcontact branch orother
objects around it.
Keep your chain sharp and properly

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tensioned. A loose or dull chain can
increase the chance of kickback occurring.
Follow manufacturer’s chain sharpening
and maintenance instructions. Check
tension at regular intervals with the engine
stopped, never with the engine running.
Make sure the bar clamp nut is securely
tightened after tensioning the chain.
Begin and continue cutting at full speed. If

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the chain ismoving ataslower speed, there
is greater chance of kickback occurring.
Cut one branch at a time.

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Use extreme caution when re-entering a

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previous cut.
Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip of

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the bar (plunge cuts).
Watch forshifting ofwoodor other forcesthat

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could close a cut and pinch or fall into chain.
Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar and

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Low--Kickback Chain specified for your unit.

MAINTAIN CONTROL

Stand with your weight evenly balanced on

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both feet.
Stand slightly totheleftsideofthe pruner to

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keep your body from being in a direct line
with the cutting chain.

KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES

The following features are included on your
pruner to help reduce the hazard of kickback;
however, such features will not totally elimi­nate this danger. As apruneruser,do not rely
only on safety devices. You must follow all
safety precautions, instructions, and mainte­nance in this manual to help avoid kickback
and other forces which can result in serious
injury.

Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar, designed

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with a small radius tip which reduces the
size ofthekickback danger zone on thebar
tip.

Reduced Kickback Symmetrical Guide Bar

Small Radius Tip

Symmetrical Guide Bar

Low--Kickback Chain, designed with a

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contoured depth gauge and guard link
which deflect kickback force and allow
wood to gradually ride into the cutter.

Low---Kickback

Chain

Contoured Depth Gauge

Large Radius Tip

Elongated Guard Link

Deflects
kickback force
and allows wood
to gradually ride
into cutter

Keep a good, firm grip on the pruner with

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both hands when the engine is running and
don’t let go. A firm grip will help you reduce
kickback and maintain control. Keep the
fingers of your left hand encircling and your
left thumb under the assist handle. Keep
your right hand completely around the
throttle handle whether your are right
handed or left handed.

Can Obstruct Material

Not a Low---Kickback Chain

SAFETY NOTICE:

through prolonged use of gasoline powered
hand tools could cause blood vessel ornerve
damage in the fingers, hands, and joints of
people prone to circulation disorders or ab­normal swellings. Prolonged use in cold
weather hasbeenlinked tobloodvesseldam­age inotherwise healthy people. If symptoms
occur such as numbness, pain, loss of
strength, change in skin color or texture, or
loss of feeling in the fingers, hands, or joints,
discontinue the useofthis tool and seekmed­ical attention. An anti--vibration system does
not guarantee the avoidance of these prob­lems. Users who operate power tools on a
continual and regular basis must monitor
closely their physical condition and the condi­tion of this tool.

Exposure to vibrations

4

SPECIAL NOTICE:

with a temperature limiting muffler and spark
arresting screen which meets the require­ments of California Codes 4442 and 4443. All
U.S. forest land and the states of California,
Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ore­gon, and Washington require by law that
many internal combustion engines be
equipped with aspark arresting screen. If you
operate inalocale wheresuchregulations ex­ist, you arelegally responsible for maintaining
the operating condition of these parts. Failure
to do so is a violation of the law. For normal
homeowner use, the mufflerandsparkarrest­ing screen will not require any service. After
50 hours of use, we recommend that your
muffler be serviced or replaced by an autho­rized service dealer.

This unit is equipped

ADDITIONAL SAFETY RULES

FOR OPTIONAL A TTACHMENTS

WARNING:

tachment used, read entire instruction manu­al before use and follow all warnings and in­structions in manual and on attachment.

WARNING:

installed when using edger or brushcutter at­tachments. Attach handlebar above arrow on
safety label on the upper tube (engine end of
unit). If your edger or brushcutter attachment
does not include ahandlebar, ahandlebar ac­cessory kit (#530071451) is available from
your authorized service dealer.

For each optional at-

Ensure handlebar is

Eye Protection

HazardZone

50 ft.

Boots

Keep children, bystanders, and animals 50 feet
(15 meters) away. Stop unit immediately if ap­proached.

WARNING:

trimmed before each use. Remove objects
(rocks, broken glass, nails, wire, etc.) which
can bethrownbyorbecomeentangled inline.
Hard objects can damage the trimmer head
and be thrown causing serious injury.

Use only for trimming, scalping, mowing and

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sweeping. Do not use for edging, pruning or
hedge trimming.
Cut from your right to your left. Cutting on

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left side of the shield will throw debris away
from the operator.

Inspect the area to be

(15 m)

EDGER SAFETY

WARNING:

edged before each use. Remove objects
(rocks, broken glass, nails, wire, etc.) which
can be thrown by the blade or can wrap
around the shaft.

Blade rotates momentarily after the trigger

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is released. The blade can seriously cut
you or others.
Allow blade to stop before removing it from

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the cut.

Inspect the area to be

Handlebar

LINE TRIMMER SAFETY

DANGER:

trimmer attachment. Never use flailing de­vices with any attachment. Use of any other
accessories with line trimmer attachment will
increase the risk of injury.

WARNING:

jects violently.Youandothers canbeblinded/in­jured. Wear eye and leg protection. Keep body
parts clear of rotating line.

Never useblades withline

Trimme rline throws ob-

Throw away blades that are bent, warped,

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cracked, broken or damaged in any other
way. Replace parts that are cracked,
chipped, or damaged before using the unit.
Do not attempt to remove cut material nor

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hold material to be cut when the engine is
running or when cutting blade is moving.
Always keep the wheel and depth adjusting

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skid in contact with the ground.
Always push the unit slowly over the

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ground. Stay alert for uneven sidewalks,
holes in the terrain, large roots, etc.
Always use the handlebar when using edg-

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er attachment.

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BLOWER/VACUUM SAFETY

WARNING:

starting unit. Remove all debris and hard ob­jects such as rocks, glass, wire,etc. that can
ricochet, be thrown, or otherwise cause injury
or damage during operation.

Do not set unit on any surface except a

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clean, hard area while engine is running.
Debris such as gravel, sand, dust, grass,
etc., could be picked up by the air intake
and thrown out through discharge opening,
damaging unit, property, orcausing serious
injury to bystanders or operator.
Never place objects inside the blower

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tubes, vacuum tubes or blower outlet. Al­ways direct the blowing debris away from
people, animals, glass, and solid objects
such as trees, automobiles, walls, etc. The
forceof aircan causerocks, dirt,or sticksto
be thrown or to ricochet which can hurt
people or animals, break glass, or cause
other damage.
Never run unit without the proper equip-

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ment attached. When using your unit as a
blower, always install blower tubes.
Check air intake opening, blower tubes or

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vacuum tubes 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 anyobject inairintake opening

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as this could restrict proper air flow and
cause damage to the unit.
Never use for spreading chemicals, fertiliz-

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ers,orother substances which may contain
toxic materials.
To avoid spreading fire, donotusenear leaf

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or brush fires, fireplaces, barbecue pits,
ashtrays, etc.

Inspect area before

BRUSHCUTTER SAFETY

DANGER:

away from material it does not cut. Blade
thrust can cause amputation of arms or legs.

WARNING:

as a fastening device for the blade.

Blade can thrust violently

Donotusetrimmerhead

jects or seriously cut you if accidentally
touched. Stop the blade by contacting the
right hand side of the coasting blade with ma­terial already cut.

Stop coasting
blade by contact
with cut material.

WARNING:

cut beforeeachuse. Remove objects (rocks,
broken glass, nails, wire, etc.) which can be
thrown or become entangled in the blade or
trimmer line.

Throw away and replace blades that are

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bent, warped, cracked, broken ordamaged
in any other way.
Install required shield properly before using

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the unit. Use the metal shield for all metal
blade use.

WARNING:

tachments that provide a metal shield with
proboscis nose.

Useonlyspecified blade and makesureit is

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properly installed and securely fastened.
Cut from your left to your right. Cutting on

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the right side of the shield will throw debris
away from the operator.
Always use the handlebar and a properly

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adjusted shoulder strap with blade (seeAS­SEMBLY instructions in brushcutter attach­ment instruction manual).

Inspect the area to be

Only usebrushcutter at-

Proboscis

nose

CULTIVATOR SAFETY

WARNING:

serious injury. Keep away from rotating tines.
Stop the engine and disconnect the spark plug
before unclogging tines or making repairs.

Rotating tines can cause

WARNING:

spin after the throttle is released or engine is
turned off. The coasting blade can throw ob-

The blade continues to

WARNING:

cultivated before starting the unit. Removeall
debris and hard and sharp objects such as
rocks, vines, branch-- es, rope, string, etc.

Inspect the area to be

6