Husqvarna 129DJx Owners Manual - Page 19

WORKING TECHNIQUES Basic working techniques Always slow the engine to idle speed after each working operation. Long periods at full throttle without any load on the engine can lead to serious engine damage. WARNING! Sometimes branches or ! grass get caught between the guard and cutting attachment. Always stop the engine before cleaning. WARNING! Machines fitted with saw ! blades or grass blades can be thrown violently to the side when the blade comes into contact with a fixed object. This is called blade thrust. A blade thrust can be violent enough to cause the machine and/or operator to be propelled in any direction, and possibly lose control of the machine. Blade thrust can occur without warning if the machine snags, stalls or binds. Blade thrust is more likely to occur in areas where it is difficult to see the material being cut. • Let the support cup rest lightly against the ground. It is used to protect the blade from hitting the ground. • Reduce the risk of material wrapping around the blade by following these instructions: 1Always work at full throttle. 2Avoid the previously cut material during the return stroke. • Stop the engine, unclip the harness and place the machine on the ground before you start to collect the cut material. Grass trimming with a trimmer head Trimming • Hold the trimmer head just above the ground at an angle. It is the end of the line that does the work. Let the line work at its own pace. Never press the line into the area to be cut. Avoid cutting with the area of the blade between the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Because of the speed of rotation of the blade, blade thrust can occur if you attempt to cut thick stems with this area of the blade. Grass clearing using a grass blade • Grass blades and grass knifes must not be used on woody stems. • A grass blade is used for all types of tall or coarse grass. • The grass is cut down with a sideways, swinging movement, where the movement from right-to-left is the clearing stroke and the movement from left-toright is the return stroke. Let the left-hand side of the blade (between 8 and 12 o'clock) do the cutting. • The line can easily remove grass and weeds up against walls, fences, trees and borders, however it can also damage sensitive bark on trees and bushes, and damage fence posts. • Reduce the risk of damaging plants by shortening the line to 10-12 cm (0.32-0.39 ft.) and reducing the engine speed. Clearing • The clearing technique removes all unwanted vegetation. Keep the trimmer head just above the ground and tilt it. Let the end of the line strike the ground around trees, posts, statues and the like. CAUTION! This technique increases the wear on the line. • If the blade is angled to the left when clearing grass, the grass will collect in a line, which makes it easier to collect, e.g. by raking. • Try to work rhythmically. Stand firmly with your feet apart. Move forward after the return stroke and stand firmly again. • The line wears quicker and must be fed forward more often when working against stones, brick, concrete, metal fences, etc., than when coming into contact with trees and wooden fences. • When trimming and clearing you should use less than full throttle (80%) so that the line lasts longer and to reduce the wear on the trimmer head. English - 19