Black & Decker GR340 User manual

1
English
®

2
Rotary Lawnmower
GR340/GR342/GR345/GR346
Congratulations!
OnyourpurchaseofyourBlack&Deckerrotary
lawnmower.
Thisusermanualprovidesimportantoperatingand
maintenanceinstructionsforalloftherotarymowers
intheBlack&DeckerGR340 and GR345 ranges.
Knowyourmower
Readallofthismanualcarefully,observingall
therecommendedsafetyinstructionsbefore,
duringandafterusingyourmower,and
maintainyourmoweringoodworkingorder.
Familiariseyourselfwiththecontrolsonyour
mowerbeforeattemptingtooperateit,but
above all, be sure you know how to stop
yourmowerinanemergency.
Retainthisusermanual andallother
literaturesuppliedwithyourmowerforfuture
reference.
Safetyinstructions
Training
•Neverallowchildrenorpersonswhoare
unfamiliarwiththistypeofmowertouse
it,nor anyone whohas not readthisuser
manual.
360
6m / 20ft
Donotallowchildren,animalsor
otherpersonsnearyourmower
whenin use- always keepthem
atleast 6m (20ft) awayfromthe
cuttingarea.
•Rememberthattheoperatoris
responsibleforaccidentsorhazards
occurringtootherpeopleortheirproperty.
•Yourmoweris designedforuse on AC
(mains)electricalsuppliesonly-donot
attempttouse it on anyothersupply.
•Plugyour mower intoa power point-
neveralightingsocket.
!
•Nevercarryyour mower by thecableor
jerkthecabletoseperatethe
connectors.Keepthecableawayfrom
heatsources,oilsorsharpedges.Check
theconditionofyourcablebeforeuse
anddo not useif damaged.
Preparation
•Toprotectyourfeet,alwayswearstout
shoesor boots - freshlycut grass is
dampandslippery.
•Rubberorman-madefootwearwill
enhanceyoursafety.
•Donotoperateyourmowerbarefootor
inopensandals.
•Useprotectiveequipment.Wearsafety
spectaclesorgoggleswhilstoperating
yourmower.Useearprotectionifthe
soundlevelseemsuncomfortablewhen
usingyourmower.
•Usea facemask if dusty.
•Wearlong trouserstoprotectyourlegs-
anydebrisleft on thelawnorcutting path
maybe pickedup and ejectedby the
blade.
•Thepowersupplycableshouldbe
regularlyinspectedforsignsofdamageor
ageing,andonlyusedifingoodcondition.
•Alwayskeepthepowersupplycable
away from the blades - be aware of its
positionatalltimes.
•Always be sure your mower is in a safe
operatingcondition.
•Beforeusingyourmower,disconnectit
fromtheelectricalsupplyandvisually
checkthattheblade,bladenutand
cutterassemblyarenotwornor
damaged.Adamagedbladeorworn
blade nut is a major hazard and must be
replaced.Alsocheckthatthebladenut is
securelyfastened.
•Alwayscheckthatyourlawnorcutting
pathisclearofallsticks,stones,wire
andotherdebris.Contactwithsuch
debrismaybe dangerousasitmay
damageyourmowerandcouldbe
thrownbytheblade.
Operation
•Whentiltingthehandledownwardsto
startyour mower, do nottilt it more than
isabsolutelynecessary.Alwaysensure
thatbothhandsareintheoperating
positionandfeetarewellawayfromthe
bladesbeforereturningyourmowerto
theground.
Usermanual

3
ENGLISH
Maintenanceandstorage
•Storeyourmowerin a dryplace when
notin use, outof the reachofchildren.
•Donotusesolventsorcleaningfluidsto
cleanyourmower - use abluntscraper
toremovegrassanddirt.
•Alwaysdisconnectfromtheelectrical
supplybeforecleaning.
•Donotoperate your mower ifanyparts
aredefective;discardalldefectiveparts
andfitnewpartsbeforeuse.
•Keepallnuts,boltsandscrewstightto
be sure your mower is in a safe working
condition.
•UseonlyBlack&Deckerrecommended
replacementpartsandaccessories.
Black&Decker’spolicyisoneofcontinuous
improvementtoourproductsand,assuch,we
reservetherighttochangeproductspecifications
withoutpriornotice.
Doubleinsulation
Yourmowerisdoubleinsulated.
Thismeansthatallexternalmetalpartsare
electricallyisolatedfromthepowersupply.
Thisisachievedbyplacingan extra
insulationbarrierbetweentheelectricaland
mechanicalparts.Doubleinsulationmeans
greaterelectricalsafetyandobviatesthe
necessityofhavingyourmowerearthed.
Electricalsafety(UKonly)
!
Yourmowershouldalwaysbeswitchedoff
atthemainsbeforedisconnectinganyplug
andsocketconnectororextensioncables.
Fusereplacement
Ifyourmoweris suppliedwithcablefitted
withanon-re-wireableplug:
•The plug is fitted with a 13 amp fuse
whichistherecommendedfusefor
yourmower.
•Onlyusereplacementfuseswhichare
approvedtoBS1362.
•Whenchangingthefuseinyour plug,
alwaysensurethefusecoverisrefitted.
Ifthefusecoveris missing or damaged
donot usethe plug.
Yourmowerwillcontinuetorun
forashorttimeafterreleasing
theswitchlever.Alwaysallow
yourmower tostop on itsown.
•Releasetheswitchlever toturnyour
moweroffandremovetheplugfrom
themains:
•Wheneveryouleaveyourmower
unattended.
•Beforechecking,cleaning,adjusting
orworkingonyourmower.
•Beforeclearingablockage.
•Ifyourmowerstartstovibrate
abnormally(checkimmediately).
•Afterstrikingaforeignobject,inspect
yourmowerfordamageandmake
repairsasnecessary.
•Neverrunyourmowerwhilstlyingonits
sideor attemptto stop theblade -
alwaysallow itto stop onits own.
•Do not put hands or feet near or under
rotatingparts.
•Keepclearofdischargeopeningsatall
times.
•Startyourmowercarefullyaccordingto
theinstructionsandwithyourfeetwell
awayfromtheblade.
•Do not use your mower in the rain and
donot allowit toget wet. Avoidusing
yourmowerinwet grass,ifpossible.
•Useyourmoweronlyin daylight or good
artificiallight.
•Donot pull yourmowertowardsyouor
walkbackwardswheninoperation.
•Donotcrossgravel paths or roadswhilst
thebladeisrotating.
•Alwaysbesureofyourfooting,
particularlyonslopes.
•Alwayscutacrossthefaceofslopes,never
upanddown.Exerciseextremecaution
whenchangingdirectiononslopes.
•Donotcutexcessivelysteepslopesand
alwayswearnon-slipfootwear.
•Checkthegrassbag/boxforwearor
damageandreplaceifnecessary.Never
useyourmowerwithoutthegrassbag/
boxinplace.
•Walk,neverrun.Donotforceyourmower.
•Neverpickuporcarry your mower while
themotorisrunning.
•Ensurethebladehasstoppedrotating
andtakeextremecarebeforeliftingyour
mowerforandduringtransportation.
•Neveroperateyourmowerwithdefective
guardsorshields.

4
Note:Fusesdonotgivepersonalprotection
againstelectricshock.
Plugreplacement
•Disconnecttheplugfromthesupply.
•Cutoffthe plug anddisposeof
immediately.Insertionofadetatched
pluginto a 13amp socket outletmay
resultinelectricshock.
•OnlyfitBS1363Aapprovedplugsfitted
withthecorrectlyratedfuse.
•Thecablewirecolours, oraletter, willbe
markedattheconnectionpointsofmost
goodqualityplugs.Attachthewiresto
theirrespectivepointsintheplug(see
below).Brownisfor“Live”(L) and blueis
for“Neutral”(N).
•Beforereplacingthe topcoverofthe
mainsplugensurethatthecableclamp
isholdingtheoutersheathonthecable
firmlyand thatthetwoleadsarecorrectly
fixedattheterminalscrews.
Fit a BS1363A
approved
resilient plug
Connect blue
to N (neutral)
Make sure that the
outer sheath of the
cable is held firmly
by the clamp
Fit the recommended
fuse approved
to BS1362
Connect brown
to L (live)
230 volts AC only
Never use a light
socket
Warning!Neverconnectliveorneutralwires
to the earth pin marked “E”or .
Note:Donotwireanextensioncabledirectly
intoyourmoweryourself.Instead,takeyour
mowertoyournearestBlack&Decker
serviceagent.
Increasedsafetycanbeobtainedbyhaving
aqualifiedelectricianinstallahighsensitivity
(30mA)circuitbreakerinthehousewiring.
Ifyou do nothave such acircuit breaker
installed,or you donot wish tohave one
installed,thenwestronglyrecommendthat
theelectricalpowertoyourmowerbe
suppliedthroughahighsensitivity(30mA)
residualcurrentdevice(RCD).TheRCDis
designedtoprovideahighdegreeof
personalprotectionagainstharmfulelectric
currentshouldfaultconditionsoccur.
Warning! Theuse of anRCDorother circuit
breakerunitdoesnotreleasetheoperatorof
yourmowerfromthesafetyinstructionsand
safeworkingpracticesgiveninthismanual.
Handle assembly (Fig. A & B)
ARemovethecontentsof thecartonand familiariseyourselfwiththeindividualparts
ofyourmower.
Themainpartsofyourmowerareasfollows:
•Mowerbody(1)-thiscomprisesthe
motorcover(3),wheels(4),grassflap(5).
•Handle-upperhandle(8),lower
handle(9R&9L),switchbox(10),switch
lever(11),safetylock-off(12),electric
cable(13),cableclips(14),handle
assembly(wingnutandbolt)(15).
B1•Jointheupperandlowerhandlesby screwingthemtogetherusingthewing
nutsandboltsprovided.
Toassemblethelowerhandlesintothe
correctlocationsonyourmowerbody,
proceedasfollows:
B2•Insertthelowerhandles(9)intothetwo holesinyour mower body(1)andpress
downuntilsecure.Secureinposition
usingthescrewssupplied(6).
Heightofcutadjustment(Fig.C)
Warning!Disconnectyourmowerfrom
theelectricalsupplybeforemakingany
adjustmentandallowthebladetostop
rotating.Cuttingbladesaresharp.
CThewheelsarealreadypre-mounted. Toselect a heightof cut, movethe wheels (4)
intotheslotrequiredusingthespringsystem
(21).Toensureanevencut,pleasemake
surethat all four wheelsareplaced inthe
sameposition.
Grassboxassembly(Fig.D)
Readthesafetyinstructionsatthebeginning
ofthismanualbeforeusingthisaccessory.
•The grassbox is a two piece (14 & 15)
plasticconstructionwhichneedstobe
assembledbeforeattachingittoyour
mower.
Toassemblethegrassbox,proceedas
follows:
D1•Alignbothpartstogether andclipin place.
Fittingthe grassboxto yourmower:
D2•Thespringloadedgrassflapis lifted and the two arms on the front edge of the
grassboxarelocatedbehindthetwolugs
risingup fromthe rearedgeofthe cutter
deck.
•Thegrass flap cannowbe releasedto
lockthegrassboxintoposition.

5
ENGLISH
Note: Toobtainthebestresultscutyour
lawnorgrass arearegularlyanddonotcut
whenthegrass is wet.
If,whengrasscutting,loosegrassisseen
tobescatteringfrombeneathyourmower,
thegrassboxisprobablyfullandshouldbe
emptied.
Blademaintenance
Thesteel blade isdesignedto give afine
finishinlongortoughgrass.The blade will
continuetocutevenwhen it has become
blunt or burred. There is no need for it to be
razorsharp.
If,however,becauseofdamageorwearthe
cuttingperformancedeteriorates,thenyour
mowermay requireanewblade,or at least
theexistingbladetobesharpened.
Werecommendthatthesteelbladeis
sharpenedora new bladefittedatthe
beginningofeachseason.
Replacementbladesareavailablefrom
Black&Deckerserviceagents.
Warning! Whenfittinganewbladeuseonly
theBlack&Deckerreplacementpart
specifiedforyourmower - do notattemptto
fitanyotherblade.
Fitting a new blade (Fig. G)
Observealltherelevantwarningsbefore
changingtheblade.
Warning!Disconnectyourmowerfromthe
electricalsupplybeforechangingtheblade.
•Turn yourmower over on its sideso that
theundersideof the mower body(1)is
exposed.
G•Usingacloth placed over thebladeor
heavydutyglovestoprotectyourhands,
gripthebladeand,usingthespanner
provided,loosenandremovethenut(16)
from the motorspindle.Turn thenut in an
anti-clockwisedirectiontoloosenit.
•Theblade can nowbereplacedand the
washerandnutreassembled.
Note:Donotremovetheimpeller(17)for
anyreason.
Note:Somemowersarefittedwithaclutch
washer,betweenthebladenutandtheblade,
whichmustbereassembledatalltimes.
Removingthegrassboxfromyourmower:
Raisethegrassflap.Liftthegrassboxoffthe
mowerandrestitonthe lawn. Gently lower
thegrassflap,thenusebothhandstoliftthe
fullgrassbox.
How to use your mower (Fig. E & F)
Observeall oftherelevantwarnings when
usingyourmower.
E•Pushtheloopofcable throughtheslot
fromtheoppositesideoftherestraint
hook(Fig.E1),positiontheloopoverthe
hookandpullthecablebackthroughthe
slot.Yourcablewillnowberestrained.
Werecommendthedirectionalmethodof
operationtoobtainthemaximumcutting
performancefromyourmowerandtoreduce
theriskofthetrailing the extensionleadfrom
enteringthecuttingpath.
•Placethe bulk ofthesupply cable on
thelawnclosetothe starting point
(seeFig.F2a,position1).
•Holdthehandleassemblywithboth
hands.
Warning!Donotattempttooperateyour
mower with one hand - you must guide it
withbothhands.
F1 •Tiltthehandledownwardstoslightlyraise thefrontofyourmower and toreduce
theriskoflawndamagewhilststarting,
depressthesafetylock-offbutton(12)on
theswitchbox(10)andwhilststill
depressedpulltheswitchlever(11)
towardsyou.Yourmowerwillstartand
youcannowallowthelock-offbutton to
bereleasedandloweryourmowertoits
propercuttingposition,andcommence
cutting.
F2 •Proceeddownthecuttingareaasshown inFig.F2a,workingfromposition1
towardsposition2and,onreaching
position2,turn to therightandproceed
towardsposition3.Continuetotheend
ofthe cutting area,turn to theleft and
proceedtowardsposition4.Continuein
thesame manner as showninFig. F2a,
alwaysworkingawayfromthecable.
Donot adoptthe method asshown in
Fig.F2b,workingtowardsthecable,as
thisisdangerouspractice.
Yourmowerwillcontinuetooperatewhilst
youarepullingtheswitchlever.Tostopyour
mowerreleasetheswitchlever.
Whenyouhavefinishedusingyourmower
werecommendthatyoucleanalldebrisfrom
itbeforeputtingitaway. Refer to the
‘Careandmaintenance’section.

6
Handyhints
•Onlonggrass,above10cm(4inches),use two
cutstogetaclosefinish.Werecommendthat
thefirst cut shouldbe taken withthe blade setat
maximumheightofcutand the secondtaken
withit setat medium orclose. This willproveto
beeasierandgiveabetter overall finish to
yourlawn.
Careandmaintenance
Theadvicegiveninthissectioncoversthe
generalcareandmaintenanceofthemain
bodyofyourmower.Advicerelatingtothe
bladesisgivenin“Blademaintenance”.
Warning!Donotuseanextensioncable
whichshowssigns of damage. Fitanew
cablecompletely-donotmakeany
permanentortemporaryrepairs.
•Alwayskeepyourmower cleanandfree
fromgrasscuttings,especiallythe
undersideofthecutterdeckandtheair
vents.
•Checkallelectricalcablesatregular
intervals,lookingforsignsofwear,
abrasionorotherdamage.
•Atthe end ofeachcutting session we
recommendthatthe build up of grasson
theundersideofthecuttercover is
removedusingabluntscraper.
•Cleanallplasticcomponentswitha
dampcloth.
Caution:Donotusesolventsorcleaning
fluidsasthesemaydamagetheplastic
componentsofyourmower.
Faultfinding
Ifyourmowerdoesnotoperatecorrectly,
usethefollowingtabletolocatetheproblem.
Warning!Alwaysdisconnectyourmower
fromtheelectricalsupplybeforecarryingout
anyinspection.
Symptoms Possiblecause Remedy
Motorbuzzes Bladejammed. Disconnectfrom
butbladedoes theelectrical
notmove. supply.
Remove
obstructionfrom
theblade.
Nonoiseand Faultyelectrical Disconnectfrom
bladedoes connection. theelectrical
notmove. supply.
Plugyourmower
intoanalternative
compatible
electricalsupply.
Symptoms Possible cause Remedy
No noiseand Faultyelectrical Fit a new fuse.
bladedoes connection. Re-tightenand
notmove. checkallelectrical
connectionsin
extensioncables.
Re-setRCDin
accordance
withinstructions.
Protecting the environment
Black & Decker provides a facility for
recycling Black & Decker products once
they have reached the end of their working
life. This service is provided free of charge.
To take advantage of this service please
return your product to any authorised repair
agent who will collect them on our behalf.
You can check the location of your nearest authorised
repair agent by contacting your local Black & Decker
office at the address indicated in this manual.
Alternatively, a list of authorised Black & Decker
repair agents and full details of our after-sales
service and contacts are available on the Internet
at: www.2helpU.com.
Guarantee
Black & Decker is confident of the quality of its
products and offers an outstanding guarantee.
This guarantee statement is in addition to and in no
way prejudices your statutory rights. The guarantee
is valid within the territories of the Member States
of the European Union and the European Free
Trade Area.
If a Black & Decker product becomes defective due
to faulty materials, workmanship or lack of conformity,
within 24 months from the date of purchase,
Black & Decker guarantees to replace defective
parts, repair products subjected to fair wear and
tear or replace such products to ensure minimum
inconvenience to the customer unless:
•The product has been used for trade,
professional or hire purposes;
•The product has been subjected to misuse or
neglect;
•The product has sustained damage through
foreign objects, substances or accidents;
•Repairs have been attempted by persons other
than authorised repair agents or Black &
Decker service staff.
To claim on the guarantee, you will need to submit
proof of purchase to the seller or an authorised
repair agent. You can check the location of your
nearest authorised repair agent by contacting your
local Black & Decker office at the address indicated
in this manual.

7
ENGLISH
Alternatively, a list of authorised Black & Decker
repair agents and full details of our after-sales
service and contacts are available on the Internet
at: www.2helpU.com.
Other outdoor tools
Black & Decker has a full range of outdoor power
tools that make life in the garden easy. If you would
like further information on the following products,
please contact our Service and Information Centre
(see the address page towards the end of this
manual) or your local Black & Decker retailer.
String trimmers
Chainsaws
Cordless shear
Hedgetrimmers
Lawnmowers
Lawnrakers
Leafbusters
Shredders
Not all products are available in all countries.
EC Declaration of conformity
GR340/GR342/GR345/GR346
Black & Decker declares that these tools
conform to:
98/37/EC, 89/336/EEC, 73/23/EEC,
EN 55014, EN 60335, EN 61000,
2000/14/EC, Lawn mower, L ≤50 cm,
Annex VIII, No. 0086
B.S.I., HP2 4SQ, United Kingdom
Level of sound pressure, measured according to
2000/14/EC:
LpA (sound pressure) dB(A) 81
LWA (acoustic power) dB(A) 95
LWA (guaranteed) dB(A) 96
Hand/arm weighted vibration value according to
EN 50144: < 2.5 m/s2
Brian Cooke
Director of Engineering
Spennymoor, County Durham DL16 6JG,
United Kingdom
1-12-2001

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E12612 20 - 11 - 01
GR340/GR342/GR345/GR346
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U.K.
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www.2helpu.com
816
820
Type 3
Type 3
TYP.
1,2,3

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10

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Australia DEWALT Industrial Power Tool Company Tel. [phone]
7 Clarice Road Fax [phone]
Box Hill, Victoria 3128
New Zealand Black & Decker Tel. [phone]
81 Hugo Johnson Drive Fax [phone]
Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand
South Africa Black & Decker South Africa (Pty) Ltd Tel. [phone]
Physical address: Fax [phone]
39 Commerce Crescent
Eastgate, ext. 12, Sandton, Kramerville 2148
Postal address:
Postnet Suite 107, Private Bag X65
Halfway House 1685
United Kingdom Black & Decker Tel. [phone]
210 Bath Road Fax [phone]
Slough, Berkshire SL1 3YD Helpline 01753 574277
601560

12
Dealer address Date of purchase
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✁
Name: ......................................................................................................
Address: ...................................................................................................
Town: .......................................................................................................
Postal code: .............................................................................................
Was this tool a gift?
Yes
No
Was this tool your first purchase?
Yes
No
Was this tool bought as a replacement?
Yes
No
Dealer address: ........................................................................................
.................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................
Data protection act:
Tick the box if you prefer not to receive further information.

13
GUARANTEE CARD
Please complete this section immediately after the purchase of your tool and send it to Black & Decker in your
country. If you live in Australia or New Zealand, please register by using the alternative guarantee card
supplied.
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✁
601560

GR340
GR342
GR345
GR346
®

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B2 421
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B1
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D1
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