Cub Cadet BC 509 BC 509 Operator's Manual - Page 4

OIL AND FUEL INFORMATION The use of fuel additives, such as STA-BIL® Gas Stabilizer or an equivalent, will inhibit corrosion and minimize the formation of gum deposits. Using a fuel additive can keep fuel from forming harmful deposits in the carburetor for up to six (6) months. Add 0.8 oz. (23 ml) of fuel additive per gallon of fuel according to the instructions on the container. NEVER add fuel additives directly to the unit's gas tank. FUELING THE UNIT Gas Can Spout WARNING: Remove fuel cap slowly to avoid injury from fuel spray. Never operate the unit without the fuel cap securely in place. WARNING: DO NOT USE E85 FUEL IN THIS UNIT. It has been proven that fuel containing greater than 10% ethanol will likely damage this engine and void the warranty. Fuel Tank 1. Remove the fuel cap (Fig. 19). 2. Place the gas container's spout into the fill hole on the fuel tank (Fig. 19) and fill the tank. NOTE: Do not overfill the tank. 3. Wipe up any gasoline that may have spilled. 4. Reinstall the fuel cap. 5. Move the unit at least 30 ft. (9.1 m) from the fueling source and site before starting the engine. NOTE: Dispose of the old gasoline in accordance with federal, state and local regulations. Fig. 19 Fuel Cap STARTING/STOPPING INSTRUCTIONS STARTING INSTRUCTIONS WARNING: Operate this unit only in a well-ventilated outdoor area. Carbon monoxide exhaust fumes can be lethal in a confined area. ON (I) OFF (O) WARNING: Avoid accidental starting. Make sure you are in the starting position when pulling the starter rope (Fig. 22). To avoid serious injury, the operator and unit must be in a stable position while starting. Make sure that any Add-On item is installed correctly and secure before starting the unit. Choke Lever Fig. 20 Throttle Control Primer Bulb 1. Check the oil level in the crankcase. Refer to Checking the Oil Level. 2. Fill the fuel tank with fresh, clean unleaded gasoline. Refer to Fueling the Unit. NOTE: There is no need to turn the unit on. The On/Off Stop Control is in the ON ( I ) position at all times (Fig. 20). 3. Fully press and release the primer bulb 10 times, slowly. Some amount of fuel should be visible in the primer bulb (Fig. 21). If fuel cannot be seen in the bulb, press and release the bulb until fuel is visible. Starter Rope Fig. 21 Starting Position 4. Move the choke lever to Position 1 (Fig. 21). 5. Crouch in the starting position (Fig. 9). SQUEEZE and HOLD the throttle control for ALL further steps. Pull the starter rope 5 times. 6. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Move the choke lever to Position 2 (Fig. 21). 7. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Pull the starter rope 3-5 times to start the engine. Throttle Control Fig. 22 8. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Allow the engine to warm up for 30-60 seconds. 9. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Move the choke lever to Position 3 (Fig. 21). 10. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Run the unit for an additional 60 seconds to complete the warm-up. The unit may be used during this step. NOTE: The unit is properly warmed up when the engine accelerates without hesitation. IF... the engine hesitates, return the choke lever to Position 2 and continue the warm-up. IF... the engine does not start, go back to step 3. IF... the engine fails to start after a few attempts, move the choke lever to Position 3 and squeeze the throttle control. Pull the starter rope 3-8 times. The engine should start. If not, repeat. IF THE ENGINE IS HOT... Move the choke lever to Position 2, press the primer bulb 10 times, squeeze the throttle control and pull the starter rope until the unit starts. Run the unit for 2-5 minutes. The unit may be used during this time. Then move the choke lever to Position 3. STOPPING INSTRUCTIONS 1. Release your hand from the throttle control. Allow the engine to cool down by idling. 2. Press and hold the On/Off Stop Control switch in the OFF (O) position until the unit comes to a complete stop (Fig. 20). IF USING THE OPTIONAL ELECTRIC STARTER OR POWER START BIT™ ACCESSORY HOW TO START THE UNIT USING THE ELECTRIC STARTER OR POWER START BIT ACCESSORY NOTE: This Unit Can Use an Electric Start or Power Start Bit™ Optional Accessory! Please refer to the Electric Starter or Power Start Bit operator's manual for proper use of this feature. (Items Sold Separately! Please refer to page 10 of this manual about purchasing these accessories.) STARTING INSTRUCTIONS 1. Check the oil level in the crankcase. Refer to Checking the Oil Level. 2. Fill the fuel tank with fresh, clean unleaded gasoline. Refer to Fueling the Unit. NOTE: There is no need to turn the unit on. The On/Off Stop Control is in the ON ( I ) position at all times (Fig. 20). 3. Fully press and release the primer bulb 10 times, slowly. Some amount of fuel should be visible in the primer bulb (Fig. 21). If fuel cannot be seen in the bulb, press and release the bulb until fuel is visible. 4. Move the choke lever to Position 1 (Fig. 21). 5. Crouch in the starting position (Fig. 22). Place the electric starter or Power Start Bit™ into the back of the unit (Fig. 49). Refer to the Operation section of the Electric Starter or Power Start Bit™ operator's manual. 6. SQUEEZE and HOLD the throttle control for ALL further steps. Press and hold the electric starter or drill ON (I) button for 2 seconds. 7. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Move the choke lever to Position 2 (Fig. 21). 8. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Press and hold the electric starter or drill ON (I) button for 2-second intervals until the unit starts. 9. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Remove the electric starter or drill from the unit. 10. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Allow the engine to warm up for 30-60 seconds. 11. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Move the choke lever to Position 3 (Fig. 21). 12. Continue to squeeze the throttle control. Run the unit for an additional 60 seconds to complete the warm-up. The unit may be used during this step. NOTE: The unit is properly warmed up when the engine accelerates without hesitation. IF... the engine hesitates, return the choke lever to Position 2 and continue the warm-up. IF... the engine does not start, go back to step 3. IF... the engine fails to start after a few attempts, move the choke lever to Position 3 and squeeze the throttle control. Press and hold the electric starter or drill ON (I) button for 2-second intervals until the unit starts. IF THE ENGINE IS HOT... Move the choke lever to Position 2, press the primer bulb 10 times, squeeze the throttle control, and press and hold the electric starter or drill ON (I) button for 2second intervals until the unit starts. Run the unit for 2-5 minutes. The unit may be used during this time. Then move the choke lever to Position 3. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS HOLDING THE TRIMMER WARNING: Always wear eye, hearing, foot and body protection to reduce the risk of injury when operating this unit. Before operating the unit, stand in the operating position (Fig. 23). Check for the following: • The operator is wearing eye protection and proper clothing • With a slightly-bent right arm, the operator's right hand is holding the shaft grip • The operator's left arm is straight, the left hand holding the assist handle • The unit is at waist level • The cutting attachment is parallel to the ground and easily contacts the grass without the need to bend over ADJUSTING TRIMMING LINE LENGTH Fig. 23 WARNING: Do not remove or alter the line cutting blade assembly. Excessive line length will make the clutch overheat. This may lead to serious personal injury or damage to the unit. The Bump Head™ cutting attachment allows you to release trimming line without stopping the engine. To release more line, lightly tap the cutting attachment on the ground (Fig. 24) while operating the trimmer at high speed. NOTE: Always keep the trimming line fully extended. Line release becomes more difficult as the cutting line becomes shorter. Each time the head is bumped, about 1 inch (25.4 mm) of trimming line is released. A blade in the cutting attachment shield will cut the line to the proper length if excess line is released. For best results, tap the Bump Head™ on bare ground or hard soil. If line release is attempted in tall grass, the engine may stall. Always keep the trimming line fully extended. Line release becomes more difficult as the cutting line becomes shorter. Fig. 24 NOTE: Do not rest the Bump Head™ on the ground while the unit is running. Some line breakage will occur from: • Entanglement with foreign matter • Normal line fatigue • Attempting to cut thick, stalky weeds • Forcing the line into objects such as walls or fence posts TIPS FOR BEST TRIMMING RESULTS • For best trimming results, operate unit at full throttle. • Keep the cutting attachment parallel to the ground. • Do not force the cutting attachment. Allow the tip of the line to do the cutting, especially along walls. Cutting with more than the tip will reduce cutting efficiency and may overload the engine. • Cut grass over 8 inches (200 mm) by working from top to bottom in small increments to avoid premature line wear or engine drag. • Cutting from left to right improves the unit's cutting efficiency. Clippings are thrown away from the operator. • Slowly move the trimmer into and out of the cutting area at the desired height. Move either in a forward-backward or side-to-side motion. Cutting shorter lengths produces the best results. • Trim only when grass and weeds are dry. • The life of your cutting line is dependent upon proper adherence of explained trimming techniques, what vegetation is cut, and where vegetation is cut. For example, the line will wear faster when trimming against a foundation wall as opposed to trimming around a tree. DECORATIVE TRIMMING Decorative trimming is accomplished by removing all vegetation around trees, posts, fences and more. Fig. 25 Rotate the whole unit so that the cutting attachment is at a 30° angle to the ground (Fig. 25). USING THE CUTTING BLADE WARNING: Always wear eye, hearing, foot, body protection and the shoulder strap to reduce the risk of injury when operating this unit. WARNING: Do not use the cutting blade for edging or as an edger. Severe personal injury to yourself or others can result. Before operating the unit with the cutting blade, stand in the operating position (Fig. 23). Refer to Holding the Trimmer. Cutting Blade Operating Tips WARNING: Blade thrust may occur when the spinning blade contacts an object that it does not immediately cut. Blade thrust can be violent enough to cause the unit and/or operator to be propelled in any direction, and possibly lose control of the unit. Blade thrust can occur without warning if the blade snags, stalls or binds. This is more likely to occur in areas where it is difficult to see the material being cut. WARNING: The blade continues to spin after the engine is turned off. The coasting blade can seriously cut you if accidentally touched. To establish a rhythmic cutting procedure: • Plant feet firmly, comfortably apart. • Bring the engine to full throttle before entering the material to be cut. At full throttle the blade has maximum cutting power and is less likely to bind, stall or cause blade thrust (which can result in serious personal injury to the operator or others). • Cut while swinging the upper part of your body from left to right. • Always release the throttle trigger and allow the engine to return to idle speed when not cutting. • When you are finished, always unsnap the unit from the harness before taking off the harness. • Swing the unit in the opposite direction as the blade spins, which increases the cutting action. • After the return swing, move forward to the next area to be cut plant your feet again. • The cutting blade is designed with a second cutting edge. You can use it by removing the blade, turning it upside down, and reinstalling it. To reduce the chance of material wrapping around the blade, follow these steps: WARNING: Do not sharpen the cutting blade. Sharpening the blade can cause the blade tip to break off while in use. This can result in severe personal injury to yourself or others. Replace the blade. • Cut at full throttle • Swing the unit into material to be cut from your left to your right (Fig. 26) • Avoid the material just cut as you make the return swing Fig. 26 WARNING: Do not clear away any cut material with the engine running or blade turning. To avoid serious personal injury, turn off the engine. Allow the blade to stop before removing materials wrapped around the blade shaft. STOPPING INSTRUCTIONS 1. Release your hand from the throttle control. Allow the engine to cool down by idling. 2. Press and hold the On/Off Stop Control switch in the OFF (O) position until the unit comes to a complete stop (Fig. 20). 4