Troy-Bilt 258 - Manual (Page 4)

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9. Trim or mow only in daylight or good artificial light.
Walk never run.
10. Stop the trimmer head when crossing gravel drives,
walks or roads.
11. If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally,
stop the engine and check immediately for the
cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble.
12. Shut the engine off and wait until the trimmer head
comes to a complete stop before replacing trimmer
line, making any adjustment or repairs. The trimmer
head continues to rotate for a few seconds after the
engine is shut off. Never place any part of the body
in the trimmer head area until you are sure the
blade has stopped rotating.
13. Never operate the string trimmer mower without
proper shields, guards, trimmer head control
handle or other safety protective devices in place
and working. Never operate the string trimmer
mower with damaged safety devices. Failure to do
so, can result in personal injury.
14. Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a
burn. Do not touch.
15. Only use parts and accessories made for this string
trimmer mower by the manufacturer. Failure to do
so, can result in personal injury.
16. If situations occur which are not covered in this
manual, use care and good judgment. Contact your
dealer for assistance. Telephone 1-800-520-5520
for the name of your nearest dealer.
Slope Operation
Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents
which can result in severe injury. Operation on slopes
requires extra caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not
trim or mow it. For your safety, use the slope gauge included
as part of this manual to measure slopes before operating
this unit on a sloped or hilly area. If the slope is greater than
15 degrees, do not trim or mow it.
Do:
1. Trim or mow across the face of slopes; never up or
down. Exercise extreme caution when changing
direction on slopes.
2. Watch for holes, ruts, hidden objects, or bumps.
Tall grass can hide obstacles.
3. Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can
cause serious personal injury. If you feel you are
losing your balance, release the trimmer head
control handle immediately, and the trimmer head
will stop rotating within a few seconds.
Do Not:
1. Do not trim or mow near drop-offs, ditches or
embankments. The operator could lose footing or
balance.
2. Do not trim or mow slopes greater than 15 degrees
as shown on the slope gauge on page 6.
3. Do not trim or mow on wet grass. Unstable footing
could cause slipping.
Children
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the
presence of children. Children are often attracted to the
string trimmer mower and the trimming or mowing activity.
They do not understand the dangers. Never assume that
children will remain where you last saw them.
1. Keep children out of the trimming or mowing area
and under the watchful care of a responsible adult
other than the operator.
2. Be alert and turn string trimmer mower off if a child
enters the area.
3. Before and while moving backwards, look behind
and down for small children.
4. Use extreme care when approaching blind corners,
shrubs, trees, or other objects that may obscure
your vision of a child who may run into the string
trimmer mower.
5. Keep children away from hot or running engines.
They can suffer burns from a hot muffler.
6. Never allow children under age 14 to operate a
string trimmer mower. Children 14 years of age and
over should read and understand the operation
instructions and safety rules in this manual and
should be trained and supervised by an adult.
Service
Safe Handling Of Gasoline:
To avoid personal injury or property damage use extreme
care in handling gasoline. Gasoline is extremely flammable
and the vapors are explosive. Serious personal injury can
occur when gasoline is spilled on yourself or your clothes
which can ignite. Wash your skin and change clothes
immediately.
1. Use only an approved gasoline container.
2. Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and other
sources of ignition.
3. Never fuel machine indoors because flammable
vapors will accumulate in the area.
4. Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine
is running. Allow engine to cool at least two minutes
before refueling.
5. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than 1/2
inch below bottom of filler neck to provide space for
fuel expansion.
6. Replace gasoline cap and tighten securely.
7. If gasoline is spilled, wipe it off the engine and
equipment. Move unit to another area. Wait 5
minutes before starting the engine.
8. Never store the machine or fuel container inside
where there is an open flame, spark, or pilot light as
on a gas water heater, space heater, furnace,
clothes dryer or other gas appliances.
9. To reduce fire hazard, keep the string trimmer
mower free of grass, leaves, or other debris build-