YardStick 900053 User guide

Instruction Manual

YardStick

®

•

Cordless Line Trimmer and Edger

•

10” Cutting Path/.080” Line

•

24 Volt Power System

Part No. 900053

CAUTION:
Before using this product, read this manual and follow
all its Safety Rules and Operating Instructions.

American Gardener, Duluth, GA 30096

[phone] - American-Gardener.com

No Gas, No Cord,

and Ready when

you are!

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Warranty………………………………………………………………….… 2
Safety Instructions…………………………………………………….….. 2
Operation……………………………………………………………….….. 4
Maintenance…………………………………………………………….…. 8
Storage…………………………………..…………………………………. 9
Accessories.……………………………………………………………….. 9
Service……..……………………………………………………………..… 10
Trouble Shooting.…………………………………………………………. 10
Español………….…………………………………………………………. 12

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE OPERATING TOOL

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: Handling the cord on the charger

associated with this product (or cords with accessories sold for this product) will expose you
to lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause [cancer, and] birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Please wash hands after handling the cord.

WARNING TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: The batteries in this product contain

Lead, a chemical know to the State of California to cause [cancer, and] birth defects or other
reproductive harm. They are sealed for your protection – in no circumstances should you
attempt to open the batteries. Avoid excessive handling the batteries.

WARNING: When using this tool, basic safety precautions should always be followed to

reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, and personal injury, including the following:

To reduce risk of injury:

• Before any use, be sure everyone using this electric product reads and understands all
safety and operation instructions contained in this manual.

• Save these instructions and review frequently prior to use. You may store the instructions
in the slot located in the back of the charge rack.

Full Two Year Warranty on American Gardener YardStick

®

If this YardStick® fails due to a defect in material or workmanship within
two years from the date of purchase, American Gardener, at its sole dis­cretion, will repair or replace the unit free of charge. Proof of purchase is

required to validate the warranty period. This warranty does not
cover normal wear items such as the spool guard, cutting line, and
batteries. For more specific information on these wear items please
refer to the Service section of this manual.

To obtain warranty services or questions please call [phone].

This warranty applies only while this YardStick® is used in the United
States.

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

• ATTACH LINE GUARD – Before use, attach the line guard correctly. See instructions
on how to attach line guard in the Operation section. Failure to attach the line guard may
pose a risk of injury, may cause motor damage and will void the warranty.

• UNIT PARTIALLY CHARGED – The YardStick

®

is shipped in a partially charged

state, so handle the unit with care during unpacking and assembling of line guard.

• AVOID DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS and weather conditions when using this
tool.

• KEEP CHILDREN AWAY – All visitors should be kept at a safe distance from work
area.

• STORE IDLE UNIT INDOORS when not in use, the unit should be stored indoors in a
dry location – out of reach of children.

• DON’T FORCE THE TOOL – It will do the job better and with less likelihood of a risk
of injury at the rate for which it was designed.

• USE RIGHT TOOL – Do not use the tool for any job except that for which it is in-
tended.

• WARNING: KEEP HANDS AND ALL BODY PARTS AWAY from the line and line
head. The line while in motion can cause injury.

• DRESS PROPERLY – Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. They can be caught in
moving parts. Use of gloves and substantial footwear is recommended when working
outdoors. Wear protective hair covering to contain long hair and long pants to protect
from flying particles.

• DON’T OVERREACH – Maintain proper footing and balance at all times.

• USE SAFETY GLASSES – Always wear proper eye protection, and use face or dust

mask if operation is dusty.

• MAINTAIN UNIT WITH CARE – Keep the unit clean for best performance and to
reduce the risk of injury. Follow instructions for service. Keep handles dry, clean, and
free from oil and grease.

• UNINTENTIONAL STARTING – Don’t hold the switch area while carry the Yard-
Stick®. The unit is shipped partly charged, and may start inadvertently during assembly if
not handled properly.

• CHECK DAMAGED PARTS – If the YardStick® line trimmer experiences a hard im-
pact, check that no parts were damaged and verify that the unit operates properly. Check
for misalignment or bending of moving parts, breakage of parts, and any other condition
that may affect operation. A part that is damaged should be properly repaired or replaced
by an authorized service center.

• STAY ALERT – Watch what you are doing. Use common sense. Do not operate the tool
when you are tired.

• DON’T GRASP MOVING LINE – Do not attempt to remove cut material or hold mate-
rial to be cut when the line is moving. Make sure the unit’s switch is off when clearing or
changing line.

To reduce risk when using charger:

• DO NOT use charger outdoors or in wet conditions; use inside only.

• DO NOT charge the unit when the temperature is below +40 F or above +120 F. It may

lessen the service life of the battery.

• This unit and its charger are designed to work together. DO NOT charge the YardStick®
with any other charger and DO NOT use this charger with any other yard tool or appli­ance.

• The charger is designed to operate on 120 volts. DO NOT attempt to use it at any other

voltage.

• Store these instructions by folding in half and sliding into the slot in the back of the wall

charging rack.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

OPERATIONS

• ATTACH LINE GUARD PRIOR TO USE – Attach the line guard to the trimmer
housing by first aligning both of the side tabs with the slots in the trimmer housing. Next,
press firmly on the rear of the guard to secure the locking tab (no screws necessary).
Please refer to Figure-1.

Figure-1

Important: The line guard incorporates an automatic line cut-off blade, which keeps the

cutting line trimmed to the proper length. Remove the edge protection from this blade be­fore initial use. The line is shipped taped in place to the line housing. Remove the tape
prior to the any use.

Figure-2

• CHARGE BATTERY PRIOR TO USE – The YardStick

®

does not come fully charged

when purchased. Before using the unit, the battery must be charged. Before charging the
battery, read safety and charging instructions.

• PROPER RUN TIME AND PERFORMANCE can only be obtained with a fully
charged battery.

• CHARGE TIME – Overnight charging of about 16 hours is sufficient to replenish the
battery to a full charge. Initial use, long periods of inactivity, or storage at extreme tem­peratures may require extended charge time.

• WALL CHARGE BRACKET – Before charging the unit, make sure the charge bracket
is securely attached to the wall; attach with the provided screws to a wall stud, or use #8
or larger wall anchors.

To Charge Battery:

1. Plug the charger into a 120 Volt AC outlet.

2. Place the YardStick

®

into the wall charge bracket.

3. Charge for at least 16 hours.

4. The LED on the plug-in-the-wall part of the charger glows red when the unit is “charg-

ing” and green when it is fully charged and “ready to use.” For initial charge the LED

may not change to green until the battery is conditioned. This may take several charge
cycles.

Charging Notes:

• CAUTION: The charger can only be used with 60 cycle, 120 VAC only

electricity.

• The charger unit plugged into the AC outlet will normally become warm to touch during

charging.

• SAFE CHARGE – The charger utilizes a two-step charger with end of charge trickle

maintenance, which is the safest way to charge a battery. The unit will not overcharge
and can be left on charge indefinitely.

• Longest life and best performance will be obtained when charging in normal room tem-

perature.

• Battery life is dependent on usage, storage temperature and time.

Operating the YardStick®:
To turn tool ON, slide the thumb switch on top of the handle FORWARD. While holding

thumb switch FORWARD, squeeze the trigger switch (under the handle) to start the unit.
See Figure-3 and Figure-4. You may release the thumb switch once unit is running. Please
note that the YardStick® contains two identical sets of controls for ease of use in edging and
trimming modes – only one set of controls is necessary to operate the unit.

To turn tool OFF, merely release the trigger. The locking safety switch will snap backward
to prevent the trigger switch from being accidentally depressed.

TRIMMING TECHNIQUES

Maintain proper balance at all times. Keep hands away from moving line. Wear eye protec­tion when using the unit. Hold the YardStick® firmly when starting and operating.

Figure-3

WEED AND LAWN TRIMMING

•

The unit works best with dry grass, but it can be used safely in wet grass due to the low
voltage design.

•

A long sweeping cutting motion will get the greatest amount of trimming per charge.

•

Watch out for foreign objects in the grass. Avoid trimming near wiring or other objects
that could become tangled in the rotation of the string head.

• Always inspect area to be trimmed for objects that could be damaged or tangled during
trimming.

• During normal operation, the cutting line will wear down and needs to be advanced to its
full cutting length.

• Advance (bump feed) the cutting line – While the unit is running,
gently tap the line head against the ground until the cutting line advances to the cut-off
blade. Excess line will be cut off automatically to maintain proper length.

•

To lengthen the life of the string spool, do not bump feed by tapping the line head on
concrete or asphalt.

Figure-4

LAWN AND FLOWERBED EDGING

• IMPORTANT: The YardStick® edging feature works best when used on a regular basis.
In extreme cases, it may be necessary to use a standard powered or manual edger to re­move excessive growth to increase the effectiveness of maintenance edging with the
YardStick®.

• When using the YardStick® to edge an area for the first time, it is recommended that you
use the trimming feature of the unit first to trim back excess growth to the desired edge
line.

• You may encounter difficulty in initial edging with the YardStick® due to hardened
ground. This will require multiple edging applications to form a groove in the ground and
may involve the string breaking while the groove is being formed. To limit the breaking
of string, frequently advance the line while forming the groove. After the groove is
formed, regular edge maintenance is quick and easy.

• OPERATING THE EDGE FEATURE: While holding the front accessory handle, ro-
tate the rest of the unit using the primary handle around the shaft to bring the edging
wheel into position.

• Place the edging wheel on the surface to be edged. The lip on the
edging wheel should be placed against the curb, sidewalk, driveway, or other border to
guide the unit while edging. Please refer to Figure-5.

Figure-5

• Slowly let the YardStick

®

roll along the edge of the lawn with the roller guide wheel

supporting the weight of the unit. Stop periodically to advance the cutting line. See Fig­ure-5.

• For optimum results, regularly rotate the line head down and bump feed to advance string.

• Watch out for foreign objects.

To Change Line

Make sure to keep your hands away from the trigger and safety switch to ensure that the tool
is not accidentally turned ON. Place the unit on a flat surface or upside down to gain access
to the line head.

WARNING: To prevent injury, keep hands away from triggers during reloading.
USE ONLY 0.080" DIAMETER LINE. For optimal performance use line supplied by

American Gardener, which is available where you purchased the product or by calling our
customer service number [phone].

Replacement spools with line (part no. 900058) are available as an accessory at the
place of purchase of your YardStick®.

Tabs are located on each side of the line spool cover. Press both tabs on the line head cover
and remove cover by pulling upward. Please refer to Figure-6. It may be easier to press in
one tab at a time. After the tabs are pushed in, lift the spool out of the housing.

Figure-6

1. Remove and discard any remaining cutting line in the spool.

2. Clean all debris from inside the line head assembly.

3. Holding the end of the line, insert 1” of the tip into the small hole at the base of the

spool.

4. Evenly and tightly wind the spool in the direction shown on the bottom of the spool.

5. Continue winding until the line is just below the rim, then cut the line with scissors.