Craftsman 257.797600 User manual

ISea J
owner's
manual
.... MODEL NO. r....
257.'797600
CAUTION:
Read RULES for
Safe OPERATION
and INSTRUCTIONS
Carefully
CRRFT.TMRNo
ELECTR IC WE EDWACKE R
BLADELESS GRASS T_IMMER
DOUBLE INSULATED
*AssemBly
*Operating
• Repair Parts
Sold by SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. Chicago, IL. 60684 U.S.A.
and SIMPSON-SEARS LIMITED,Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
FO P,t¢I 88-024 R 037_

IMPORTANT: rules for safe operation
_n iin u_ ,n,, , ,,,,, _ .
DOUBLE INSULATION
Double Insulation is a concept in safety, replacing the stan-
dard grounded supply system, in etectric power tools, The
construction 'of a double insulated tool affords compatible
prolection to a properly grounded toot without the necessity
tot using a grounded conductor. The double insulation
system eliminates the need for the usual three wire grounded
power cord and grounded supply system. Wherever there is
e]ectdc current in the tool there are two complete sets of
insulation to protect the user. All exposed metal parts are
isolated from the internal metal motor components w_th pro-
tectJng insulation. The lead wires, switch, etc. with their
functional insu{adon have the added protection of non con-
ductive s)eeving or housings to complete the double insula-
tion system_
.... SAFETY RULES FOR POWER TOOLS
SERVICING OF A TOOL WiTH DOUBLE INSULATION RIE-
QUIRES EXTREME CARE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE SYS-
TEM AND SHOULD BE PERFORMED ONLY.BY A QUALI-
FIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN. FOR SERVICE WE SUGGEST
YOU RETURN THE TOOL TO YOUR NEAREST SEARS
STORE FOR REPAIR WHICH WILL BE DONE WITH
ORIGINAL FACTORY REPLACEMENT PARTS.
t0.
!1.
12.
CAUTION
1. Keep fingers and feet and face clear of tine while cutting.
2. Use Safety Goggles.
3, Atways wear shoes, Do not operate trimmer while bare-
foot or when wearing sandtes, -canvas or open toed
ShOes.
4. Keep ChildrenAway. Keep spectatorsata safedistance.
5. Do not allo'A, anyone whois not familiar with these rules
to use the' trimmer,
6, Do not use trimmer as ahedge trimmer.
7, Store indoors in a dry, high, or lock-up place out of reach
of children.
8. Don't force this tool, It will work better and safer at the
rate it was designed. If motor slows down too much, pull
away.
Maintain trimmer with care.
Do not immerse tool in water or operate in rain.
AfWays unplug cord when tool is unattended.
To prevent shock hazard use only aU.L Approved ex-
tension cord suitable for Outdoor use, A two wire cord
without aground connection may be used since this tool
is double insulated. Cord should be 18 gauge or heavier.
More than 100 feet may cause slight loss of power. U.L
Listed cords are available at local Sears Stores,
f3, Avoid Dangerous Environment- Do not use this unit in
damp or wet areas.
'H" ................. ..
The OPerati&n of any power tOO!can _esult in foreign objects u'_ei_-_
thrown into the eyes, which can result in severe eye damage..
Always wear safety glasses or ,eye shields before commencing
pow.er tool operation, We recommend Wide Vision Safety MaX
for Lisa over spectacles, or standard safety glasses.., available at
Sears retail or catalog stores.
FORESIGHT tS B'_TTER THAN NO SIGHT.
YOUR WEEDWACKER !S ONE OF THE SAFEST LAWN
CARE TOOLS (motor driven) BEING PRODUCED TODAY.
HOWEVER, DON'T GET A FALSE SENSE OF SAFETY IN
USING IT. USE NORMAL SAFETY PROCEDURES AS
OUTLINED ABOVE AND GOOD COMMON SENSE.
Page 2

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
BEFORE OPERATING
Before Using Your WEEDWACKER, Always Follow These
Safety Precautions:
Always wear SAFETY GOGGLES.
Cul to your LEFT side,
Keep people away from you.
Watch for pieces of wire in the area.
Tie extension cord to appliance cord (figure 1).
Retaining Extension Cord
To prevent extension cord from pulling out from appliance
cord, tie cords as shown in figure 1.
PROPER LINE LENGTH
Nylon line must be proper length to cut efficiently. This
should be 3¼ inches as shown in figure 3. tf too long it wif_
overload and possibly damage motor.
HOW TO LENGTHEN THE CUTTING UNE
As cord wears s'ddit;ona[ line may be 4oul[ed out by pulling
down on cord and unwinding line to the opening on opposite
side of rotating head (see figure 3).
EXT[NS|0N -APP_.fANC_
IA) lr_ECORD
AS SHOWN
HOW TO OPERATE
Fig. 1
1. The WEEDWACKER wiff stir up dust particles which may
get into your eyes. Wear safety goggles to prevent this.
When you cut to the LEFT SIDE of your WEED-
WACKER, it will sling particles FORWARD, away from
you. When you cut to the RIGHT SIDE, it Will sling par-
ticles BACK towards you.ALWAYS CUT TO THE LEFT
SIDE ONLY (see Fig. 2L
2. Your W{EEDWACKER can sling objects with adequate
velocity to cause harm to others. It Wilt ALWAYS sling
small particles of dirt. KEEP-PEOPLE AWAY FROM YOU
when using your WEEDWACKER just to be safe.
3. Inspect the areas you aregoing to trim for wires, cord, an_
any string-like matter to prevent them from getting tangled
in the cutting head..
4, Trimming -- The WEEDWACKER should be titled slightly
with the left or open side down 8s shown in figure 2.
IRg.2
I3% [NCHE_;
Fig.3
To install replacement spool and nylon Ii_e, Remove
spool (Ref. #9 figure 9) by grasping center rib and twisting
left ¼ turn. Pull spool free.
To rewind nylon line. Hold spool in hand with rib side,
toward you. Wind nylon line clockwise (in direction of arrow).
Best resuJts are accomplished with proper length line and
-maintaining full speed, and cutting only with the tip of the
nylon line.
When nylon ilne becomes frayed, cut off tip.
: HOW LONG WILL THE LINELAST?
This depends upon two (2) factors, 1. Technique. 2. Wha_
you a_ecutting.
1. Technique. Don't force the line. The trick is to let the tip
of the line do the cutting.
2. Whet you are cutting. The line will naturally wear faster
when you are cutting against a rock garden as com-
pared to just slashio_q away at weeds.
SUPPLYING NEW SPOOL ot REWINDING SPOOL
WEEDWACKER uses SPECIALLY TREATED MONOFILA-
MENT NYLON as cutting line. This is availa'ble ONLY at
Sears stores.
You may purchase a fully wound replacement spool, Part
No, 85777 from Sears stores and catalog stores. (Cntd,)
Page3

When re winding, be SURE to wind the line in the direction of
lhc; arrow indicated on the spool.
FRAYED ENDS
Shou,_d your !foe become frayed, it !oses some of its cutting
efficiency. To SHARPEN your line, simply snip off the frayed
end with a wire snipper -or the like. However, when cutting
around bushes having a tender balk, frayed ends work to
your advantage.
The Weedwacker is ideal for trimming next to trees, wails,
fehee and other difficult areas, however, line breakage will
occur more frequently from repeated contact against hard
objects.
GENERAL TRIMMING
For most trimmfng the unit is TILTED TO THE LEFT at
approximately 30 degrees (Fig, 5},
For most "trimming*, tilt the unit
at approximately30 degrees to the
Fig.S
ALWAYS trim to the L{_FT SIDE only because WEED-
WACKER wili throw the trimming forward. When you trim
to the dght side, trimmings will be thrown back toward the
operator.
HOW TO TRIM WALKWAYS, DRIVEWAYS, CURBS,
ETC.
The purpose of EDGING is to keep the grass from growing
over walkways, driveways, curbs and the like. Because
edging the conventJonar way was the ONLY way to
a_+complish this, most people through habit, want to
continue edging in this manner. This usually invotves
DIGGING A TRENCH along the border. We suggest a SAFER
and QUICKER METHOD,
Let your grass grow across the trench. Use WEEDWACKER
to trim the grass off the walk Ior whatever) by SKIMMING
ALONG THE TOP OF THE WALK (see iltusti'ation below,
figure 6L
This method will give your Iawn amore 'nat.ura{ look," and
eliminate ,the dangers associated with conventional edgers.
MOWING
There is afaster, more efficient way to reach [hose small
hard-to-get-to areas that you can't reach with your lawn
mower+ USE YOUR WEEDWACKER. Simply pass your
WEEDWACKER over the areas you wish to cut, keeping the
cutting head parallel to the ground. DO NOT use the usual
30 degree cutting angle when mowing as in figure 5.
MANICURING -- THE PROFESSIONAL YARD_CARE
LOOK
For a beautiful manicured look most gardeners "close crop"
around[tees, bushes, posts, etc. This "close crop" trimming
not only improves the appearance of the Iawn but it elimi-
nates weekly maintenance in these areas tO only three or four
times during the entire summer season.
If you'd like to try this, follow the below instructions . . .
STEP I -- WaJ,k around the tree to the LEFTSIDE, forcing
the line into the ground with a 30 degree tit[. Cut the OUT-
SIDE PERIMETER of the circle (see fi#ere 7 below),
STEP 2 - Next, walk in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION and
manicure the INSIDE of the circle, flush to the tree or bush
(see .figure 8 be!0wl.
"" I
Don't be afraid to go too far out. Make a B G, WIDE CIRCLE!
RELAX and ENJOY YOUR WEEDWACKE!_
Your W£EDWACKER is designed for easy Cutting. So relax
and enioy working with it. Use your arms andwrists to handle
the unit, not your body. With practice, this wilt become a
natural procedure. You should not have to stand on your
toes. bend over. lean to one side or the other tO operate
the unit.
Page 4

7
1
€===_
Fig. 9
REF,
1
s2
3
4
5
6
7
PART NO.
2345
1930-1
1924-63
2923
2920
2911-O3
270t
3
r 4
12 11 10
\\\
"5
ELECTRIC WEEDWACKER MODEL 257.797600 PARTS LIST
DESCRIPTION QTY, REF. PART NO. DESCRIPTION QTY,
Power Cord 1 8 2927-05 Blade Retainer
Switch | 9 85777 Spool _ Line I
Hand;eo L,H_ and R.H. 110 2649-15 Ro/aling Head 1
Harness 1 1 t 00-O61 Motor t
Tube, Hand|e 1 t2 1938 Screw, P.H. 8-18 x 5/8 Long,
Housing, L.H. and RH, 1 Hi Lo Thread 13
Hang Hook 1 ,13,, 88-024 Owners Manual (not: shown} 1
DOUBLE INSULATED -- WHEN SERVICING US[ ONLY iDENTICAL REPLACEMENT PARTS _

owner's
manual
.... MODEL NO. _
257.797600
Sears
NATION WIDE
SERVICE
1sat
YOUR SERVICE,
How to Order Repair Parts
The Model Number wifl be found on ap_ate attached to your
Weedwaeker cover housing. Always mention the Mqdel Number
when requesting service or repair parts for your Craftsman
Weedwack_.
All parts Ifsted-herein may be ordered from any SEARS,
ROEBUCK AND CO. or SIMPSONS-SEARS LIMITED retail
or catalog store.
WHEN ORDERING REPAIR PARTS, ALWAYS GIVE THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
1, PART NUMBER
2. PART DESCRIPTION
3. MODEL NUMBER -- _7,797600
4. NAME OF ITEM -- ELE_CTRIC BLADELESS GRAS_;
TRIMMER DOUBLE INSULATED
USEONLY SEARS REPLACEMENT PARTS.
If the parts you need are not stocked locally, your order will
be efectronicaIly transmitted to a Sears Repair Parts Distri°
5ution Center for expedited handling,
_** FULLONEYeAn wA._,_,,_,_ c_ CRA_SMAN '_
_* ELECTRIC WEEDWACKER 2.57.797600
e_eif this Craftsman Electric Weedwacker fails to give complete saris-
e_. faction! within one year from the date of purchase, return it to the
_nearest Sears store throughout the United States and Sears will repair 4,
._, or replace it free of charge. "y
_ If any of these Craftsman EteetdC Weedwackers is used for commercial
4or rental purposes, this warranty applies for only 90 days from the date _,
_of purchase.
%. The warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may atsO have other
,_.%r_ghts which vary from state to state, e.%
,_=4' SEARS. ROEBUCKAND CO.._,
_:i. Sears Tower .___
Sold by SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO. Chicago, ]L. 60684 U.S.A.
and SE_IPSONS-SEARS LIMITED, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
ORM 88-024 .PO47g pRINTED IN U SA
•%,