Black & Decker GR342C 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,
duringand afterusingyourmower,and
maintainyourmoweringoodworkingorder.
Familiariseyourselfwiththecontrolsonyour
mowerbeforeattemptingtooperateit,but
above all, be sure you know how to stop
yourmowerinanemergency.
Retainthisuser manual andallother
literaturesuppliedwithyourmowerforfuture
reference.
Safetyinstructions
Training
•Neverallow childrenorpersonswhoare
unfamiliarwiththistypeofmower to use
it,nor anyone whohas not readthis user
manual.
360
6m / 20ft
Donotallowchildren,animalsor
otherpersonsnearyourmower
whenin use - always keep them
atleast 6m (20ft) away fromthe
cuttingarea.
•Rememberthattheoperatoris
responsibleforaccidentsorhazards
occurringtootherpeopleortheirproperty.
•Yourmoweris designed foruse on AC
(mains)electricalsuppliesonly-donot
attempttouse it on any othersupply.
•Plugyour mower into a power point -
neveralightingsocket.
!
•Nevercarryyour mower by the cableor
jerkthecableto seperate the
connectors.Keepthecableawayfrom
heatsources,oils orsharpedges.Check
thecondition ofyourcablebeforeuse
anddo not use if damaged.
Preparation
•Toprotectyourfeet,alwayswearstout
shoesor boots - freshly cut grass is
dampandslippery.
•Rubberorman-madefootwearwill
enhanceyoursafety.
•Donotoperate yourmowerbarefootor
inopensandals.
•Useprotectiveequipment.Wearsafety
spectaclesorgoggleswhilstoperating
yourmower.Use earprotectionifthe
soundlevelseemsuncomfortablewhen
usingyourmower.
•Usea face mask if dusty.
•Wearlong trouserstoprotectyourlegs-
anydebrisleft on the lawnorcutting path
maybe picked up and ejected by the
blade.
•Thepower supplycableshouldbe
regularlyinspectedforsignsofdamageor
ageing,andonlyusedifingoodcondition.
•Alwayskeepthepower supplycable
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.A damagedbladeorworn
blade nut is a major hazard and must be
replaced.Alsocheckthatthebladenut is
securelyfastened.
•Alwayscheck thatyourlawnorcutting
pathisclearofallsticks, stones, wire
andotherdebris.Contactwithsuch
debrismaybe dangerousasitmay
damageyourmowerand could be
thrownbythe blade.
Operation
•Whentiltingthehandledownwardsto
startyour mower, do not tilt it more than
isabsolutelynecessary.Alwaysensure
thatbothhandsareintheoperating
positionandfeetarewell away fromthe
bladesbeforereturningyourmowerto
theground.
Usermanual

3
ENGLISH
Maintenanceandstorage
•Storeyour mower in a dryplace when
notin use, out of the reach of children.
•Donotusesolventsorcleaningfluids to
cleanyourmower - use a bluntscraper
toremovegrassanddirt.
•Alwaysdisconnectfromtheelectrical
supplybeforecleaning.
•Donotoperate your mower if anyparts
aredefective;discardalldefectiveparts
andfitnewpartsbeforeuse.
•Keepallnuts,boltsandscrewstight to
be sure your mower is in a safe working
condition.
•UseonlyBlack&Deckerrecommended
replacementpartsandaccessories.
Black& Decker’spolicyisoneofcontinuous
improvementtoourproductsand,as such,we
reservetherighttochangeproductspecifications
withoutpriornotice.
Doubleinsulation
Yourmowerisdoubleinsulated.
Thismeans thatallexternalmetalpartsare
electricallyisolatedfromthepowersupply.
Thisisachievedby placing an extra
insulationbarrierbetweentheelectricaland
mechanicalparts.Doubleinsulationmeans
greaterelectricalsafetyandobviatesthe
necessityofhavingyourmowerearthed.
Electricalsafety(UKonly)
!
Yourmowershouldalways beswitchedoff
atthemainsbeforedisconnectinganyplug
andsocketconnectororextensioncables.
Fusereplacement
Ifyourmower is suppliedwithcablefitted
withanon-re-wireableplug:
•The plug is fitted with a 13 amp fuse
whichistherecommendedfusefor
yourmower.
•Onlyusereplacementfuseswhichare
approvedtoBS1362.
•Whenchangingthe fuse in your plug,
alwaysensurethefusecoverisrefitted.
Ifthefusecoveris missing or damaged
donot use the plug.
Yourmower willcontinuetorun
fora shorttimeafterreleasing
theswitchlever.Alwaysallow
yourmower to stop on its own.
•Releasetheswitch lever toturnyour
moweroffand removetheplugfrom
themains:
•Wheneveryouleaveyourmower
unattended.
•Beforechecking,cleaning,adjusting
orworking on yourmower.
•Beforeclearingablockage.
•Ifyourmower startstovibrate
abnormally(checkimmediately).
•Afterstrikingaforeignobject,inspect
yourmowerfordamage and make
repairsasnecessary.
•Neverrunyourmowerwhilstlyingonits
sideor attempt to stop the blade -
alwaysallow it to stop on its own.
•Do not put hands or feet near or under
rotatingparts.
•Keepclear ofdischargeopenings atall
times.
•Startyourmowercarefullyaccordingto
theinstructionsandwithyourfeetwell
awayfromtheblade.
•Do not use your mower in the rain and
donot allow it to get wet. Avoidusing
yourmowerin wet grass,ifpossible.
•Useyourmoweronlyin daylight or good
artificiallight.
•Donot pull your mowertowardsyouor
walkbackwardswheninoperation.
•Donotcrossgravel paths or roadswhilst
thebladeisrotating.
•Alwaysbesureofyourfooting,
particularlyonslopes.
•Alwayscutacrossthefaceofslopes,never
upanddown.Exerciseextremecaution
whenchangingdirectiononslopes.
•Donot cutexcessivelysteepslopesand
alwayswearnon-slipfootwear.
•Checkthegrassbag/boxforwearor
damageandreplaceifnecessary.Never
useyourmowerwithoutthegrassbag/
boxin place.
•Walk,neverrun.Donotforceyourmower.
•Neverpickuporcarry your mower while
themotorisrunning.
•Ensurethebladehasstoppedrotating
andtakeextremecarebeforeliftingyour
mowerforandduringtransportation.
•Neveroperateyourmowerwithdefective
guardsorshields.

4
Note:Fusesdonotgivepersonalprotection
againstelectricshock.
Plugreplacement
•Disconnecttheplugfromthesupply.
•Cutoffthe plug and disposeof
immediately.Insertionofadetatched
pluginto a 13 amp socket outlet may
resultinelectricshock.
•OnlyfitBS1363Aapprovedplugsfitted
withthecorrectlyratedfuse.
•Thecablewirecolours, or a letter,willbe
markedat theconnectionpoints ofmost
goodquality plugs.Attachthe wiresto
theirrespectivepointsintheplug(see
below).Brownis for“Live” (L) and blue is
for“Neutral”(N).
•Beforereplacingthe top coverofthe
mainsplug ensurethat thecableclamp
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:Donotwireanextensioncable directly
intoyourmoweryourself.Instead,takeyour
mowertoyournearestBlack&Decker
serviceagent.
Increasedsafetycanbeobtainedbyhaving
aqualifiedelectricianinstallahighsensitivity
(30mA)circuitbreakerinthehousewiring.
Ifyou do nothave such acircuitbreaker
installed,or you do not wish to have one
installed,thenwestronglyrecommendthat
theelectricalpower toyourmowerbe
suppliedthroughahighsensitivity(30mA)
residualcurrentdevice(RCD).TheRCDis
designedtoprovideahighdegreeof
personalprotectionagainstharmfulelectric
currentshouldfaultconditionsoccur.
Warning! The use of anRCD or other circuit
breakerunitdoes notreleasetheoperatorof
yourmowerfromthesafetyinstructionsand
safeworkingpracticesgiveninthismanual.
Handle assembly (Fig. A & B)
ARemovethecontents of 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.
Toassemblethelower handlesintothe
correctlocationsonyourmowerbody,
proceedasfollows:
B2•Insertthelowerhandles(9)intothetwo holesinyour mower body (1) andpress
downuntilsecure.Secureinposition
usingthescrewssupplied(6).
Heightof cutadjustment(Fig.C)
Warning!Disconnectyourmowerfrom
theelectricalsupplybeforemakingany
adjustmentand allowthebladetostop
rotating.Cuttingbladesaresharp.
CThewheelsarealreadypre-mounted. Toselect aheight of cut, move the 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•Alignbothparts together andclipin place.
Fittingthe grassboxto yourmower:
D2•Thespringloadedgrass flap is lifted and the two arms on the front edge of the
grassboxarelocatedbehindthetwolugs
risingup fromthe rearedge of the cutter
deck.
•Thegrass flap can nowbe releasedto
lockthegrassboxintoposition.

5
ENGLISH
Note: Toobtainthebestresultscut your
lawnorgrass arearegularlyand donotcut
whenthegrass is wet.
If,whengrass cutting,loosegrassisseen
tobescatteringfrombeneathyourmower,
thegrassboxis probablyfull and shouldbe
emptied.
Blademaintenance
Thesteel blade is designedto give a fine
finishinlongortoughgrass.The blade will
continuetocutevenwhen it has become
blunt or burred. There is no need for it to be
razorsharp.
If,however,because of damageorwearthe
cuttingperformancedeteriorates,thenyour
mowermay requirea newblade, or at least
theexistingbladetobesharpened.
Werecommendthatthesteelblade is
sharpenedora new blade fitted atthe
beginningofeachseason.
Replacementbladesareavailablefrom
Black&Deckerserviceagents.
Warning! Whenfittinganewbladeuseonly
theBlack&Deckerreplacementpart
specifiedforyourmower - do not attempt to
fitany otherblade.
Fitting a new blade (Fig. G)
Observealltherelevantwarningsbefore
changingtheblade.
Warning!Disconnectyourmowerfromthe
electricalsupplybeforechangingtheblade.
•Turn your mower over on its side so that
theundersideof the mower body (1)is
exposed.
G•Usingacloth placed over the bladeor
heavydutyglovestoprotectyourhands,
griptheblade and,usingthespanner
provided,loosenandremovethenut(16)
fromthe motor spindle. Turn thenut in an
anti-clockwisedirectiontoloosenit.
•Theblade can now bereplacedand the
washerandnutreassembled.
Note:Donotremovetheimpeller(17)for
anyreason.
Note:Somemowersarefittedwithaclutch
washer,betweenthebladenutandtheblade,
whichmust bereassembledatalltimes.
Removingthegrassboxfromyourmower:
Raisethegrassflap.Liftthegrassboxoffthe
mowerandrestitonthe lawn. Gently lower
thegrassflap,thenusebothhandstoliftthe
fullgrassbox.
How to use your mower (Fig. E & F)
Observeall ofthe relevantwarnings when
usingyourmower.
E•Pushtheloopofcable throughtheslot
fromtheoppositesideoftherestraint
hook(Fig.E1),positiontheloopoverthe
hookandpullthecablebackthroughthe
slot.Your cablewillnowberestrained.
Werecommendthedirectionalmethodof
operationtoobtainthemaximumcutting
performancefromyourmowerandtoreduce
theriskof the trailing the extensionleadfrom
enteringthecuttingpath.
•Placethe bulk of thesupply cable on
thelawnclose to the starting point
(seeFig.F2a,position1).
•Holdthehandleassemblywithboth
hands.
Warning! Donotattempttooperateyour
mower with one hand - you must guide it
withbothhands.
F1 •Tiltthehandledownwardstoslightlyraise thefrontofyourmower and to reduce
theriskoflawndamagewhilststarting,
depressthesafetylock-offbutton(12)on
theswitchbox(10)andwhilststill
depressedpulltheswitchlever(11)
towardsyou.Yourmower willstartand
youcannowallowthelock-offbutton to
bereleasedand lower your mowertoits
propercuttingposition,andcommence
cutting.
F2 •Proceeddownthecuttingareaasshown inFig.F2a, working fromposition1
towardsposition2and,onreaching
position2,turn to therightandproceed
towardsposition3.Continuetotheend
ofthe cutting area, turnto the left and
proceedtowardsposition4.Continuein
thesame manner as shown inFig. F2a,
alwaysworkingawayfromthecable.
Donot adopt the method as shown in
Fig.F2b, workingtowardsthecable,as
thisisdangerouspractice.
Yourmowerwillcontinuetooperatewhilst
youarepullingtheswitchlever. Tostop your
mowerreleasetheswitchlever.
Whenyou havefinishedusingyourmower
werecommendthatyoucleanalldebris from
itbeforeputting it away.Refertothe
‘Careandmaintenance’section.

6
Handyhints
•Onlonggrass,above10cm(4inches),use two
cutstogetaclosefinish.Werecommend that
thefirst cut should be taken with the blade set at
maximumheightof cut and the secondtaken
withit set at medium or close. This willproveto
beeasierandgiveabetter overall finish to
yourlawn.
Careandmaintenance
Theadvicegiven inthissectioncoversthe
generalcareandmaintenanceofthemain
bodyofyour mower.Advicerelatingto the
bladesisgivenin“Blademaintenance”.
Warning!Donotuseanextensioncable
whichshowssigns of damage. Fit anew
cablecompletely-donotmakeany
permanentortemporaryrepairs.
•Alwayskeepyour mower cleanandfree
fromgrasscuttings,especiallythe
undersideofthecutterdeckandtheair
vents.
•Checkallelectricalcablesatregular
intervals,lookingforsignsofwear,
abrasionorotherdamage.
•Atthe end of eachcutting session we
recommendthat the build up of grasson
theundersideof the cutter cover is
removedusingabluntscraper.
•Cleanallplasticcomponentswitha
dampcloth.
Caution:Donotuse solventsorcleaning
fluidsas thesemaydamagetheplastic
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 noise and 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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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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6
1
B2 421
C
B1
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8
A
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13
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5
3
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D1
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