Echo HEDGE CLIPPER User guide

HEDGE CLIPPER SAFETY MANUAL
Misuse may result in serious or fatal injuries. You must read, under-
stand, and follow these safety instructions and the instructions in your
Operator’s Manual before operating a Hedge Clipper.
To locate your nearest Echo dealer, visit our website at www.echo-usa.com, or call 1-800-
432-ECHO (3246). Ask how to obtain a FREE Safety Video. Echo’s supplemental Safety
Video provides helpful safety and operating information.
Hedge Clipper blades are very sharp and can cause severe injuries,
even if engine is off and blades are not moving. Avoid contact with
blades. Wear gloves to protect hands. Place blade cover on blades
when transporting or storing unit.
DANGER!
DANGER!
89857008963
10/07
X7522240002

2
INTRODUCTION
WARNING
Thismanualdescribeshowtoprotectyourselfandothersfromhazardsrelatedtooperationof
a gasoline or electric-powered hedge clipper.
Beforeassembling,fueling,oroperatingyourhedgeclipper,youmustreadthisSafetyManual
andyourHedgeClipperOperator’sManual. Youmustalsounderstandandobeyallsafety
rules,precautions,andoperatinginstructions.
Youmustalsobealertatalltimes,andbephysicallycapableofhandlingandcontrollinga
powerhedgeclipperinavarietyofcuttingapplications. Ifyouareunabletohandlethehedge
clippersafely,orifyoufeelthatthecuttingtaskyouwishtoperformmayputyourself,your
property,orothersatrisk,pleasecallaprofessionallandscapemaintenancecompanyto
handlethejob.
EchohighlyrecommendsthatyouobtainandreviewthesupplementalEchoHedgeClipper
SafetyVideobeforeusingyourunit.ContactyourEchodealer foracopy,orformoreinforma-
tion,or call Echo at 1-800-432-ECHO. Youmay also visit Echo’s websiteat
www.Echo-USA.com.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................2
SAFETY SYMBOLS AND WARNINGS .....................................................................3
OPERATOR SAFETY................................................................................................6
ASSEMBLY .............................................................................................................11
FUELING .................................................................................................................12
STARTING...............................................................................................................15
OPERATION ............................................................................................................17
MAINTENANCE.......................................................................................................24
STORAGE................................................................................................................26
ELECTRIC HEDGE CLIPPERS..............................................................................27
DEFINITIONS ..........................................................................................................31

3
Theseimportantsafetysymbolsandwarningsareusedthroughoutthismanual,andmayalso
appearinyourOperator'sManual. Thesesymbolsandwarningsareprovidedtohelpmake
youawareofpotentialhazards,andtheprecautionsyoumusttaketoprotectyourselfand
othersfrominjury. Youmustreadthisinformationandunderstandthesesymbols,andobeythe
instructions. Thesesymbolsmayalsoappearonsafetylabelsasavisualremindertofollow
theseimportantprecautionswheneveryouaretransporting,fueling,operating,servicing,or
handling,orstoringyourhedgeclipper.
SAFETYSYMBOLSANDWARNINGS
Circle/Slash Prohibition Symbol
Thissymbolmeansthatthespecificactionshownis
prohibited. Ignoringtheseprohibitionscanresultin
seriousorfatalinjury.
Safety Alert Symbol
TheSafetyAlertsymbolisusedtoalertyoutopotential
personalinjuryhazards. Toavoidseriousorfatal
injuries,obeyallsafetymessagesthatfollowthissym-
bol.
Safety Alert Symbol/DANGER Signal Word
Thesafetyalertsymbolappearingwiththeword“Dan-
ger!”callsattentiontoahazardwhichwillresultindeath
orseriousinjuryifnotavoided.
Safety Alert Symbol/WARNING Signal Word
Thesafetyalertsymbolappearingwiththeword“Warn-
ing!”callsattentiontoahazardwhichcouldresultin
deathorseriousinjuryifnotavoided.
Safety Alert Symbol/CAUTION Signal Word
Thesafetyalertsymbolappearingwiththeword“Cau-
tion!”callsattentiontoahazardwhichmayresultin
minorormoderateinjuryifnotavoided.
NOTICE signal word only. (No safety alert symbol)
Theword"NOTICE”callsattentiontoasituationwhich
mayresultinpropertyorequipmentdamageifthe
informationthatisprovidedisnot followed.
DANGER
WARNING
CAUTION
NOTICE

4
Read Operator's and Safety Manuals
Readmanualscarefully,andfollowrulesforsafeopera-
tion. Failuretodosocouldresultinseriousorfatalinjury.
Wear Head, Eye, and Hearing Protection
Wearhead,hearing,eyeprotectionthatmeetANSI
requirements.
Wear Hand Protection
Wearheavydutyworkglovestoprotecthands
Sharp Blades Alert
Contactwithbladescanresultinamputationoffingers
Carbon Monoxide Hazard Alert
Donot operate indoors. Breathing CarbonMonoxide can
causeseriousorfatalinjuries.
Explosion Hazard Alert
Gasoline vapor can explode if exposed to sparks or open
flame.
Burn Hazard Alert
Contactwithhotsurfacescancauseseriousburns.
Fire Hazard Alert
Risk of fire from gasoline spills or leaks. Wipe up spills
immediately and dispose of wipes in an approved fire-
safecontainer.
Shock Hazard Alert
Unitnotinsulatedagainstelectricalcurrent. Avoidpower
lines.
Slip Hazard Alert
Wearslip-resistantfootweartoreduceriskoffalls.
SAFETYSYMBOLSANDWARNINGS

5
Operate Only With Handle Guard/Do Not Remove
Hand Guard (Double-sided Blades)
Donotoperatewithouthandguardinplace.
Operate Only With Handle Guard/Do Not Remove
Hand Guard (Single-sided Blades)
Donotoperatewithouthandguardinplace.
Stop Symbol
Indicatesthe“Stop”positionfortheengineignition
switch(StopSwitch).
Keep Bystanders 15 Feet Away
Keepbystanders at least5m(15feet) away when
operatinghedgeclippers.
Do Not Operate Near Electrical Lines
Donot operate closer than 15m (50 ft.) toelectrical
lines.
Flame Prohibition
Donotallowflamesorsparksnearfuelorfuelvapors.
No Smoking Prohibition
Donotsmokenearfuel.
SAFETYSYMBOLSANDWARNINGS

6
OPERATOR SAFETY
DANGER
Echohedgeclippersarepowerful,professional-grade
toolsdesignedtocutthroughbushes,hedges,shrubs,
andotherwoodygrowth. Whenusedproperly,these
hedgeclipperssavetime,reduceeffort,andmake
difficultlandscapingtaskseasy. Ifhandledcarelesslyor
usedimproperly,thesepowerfulcuttingtoolscancause
severeinjuryordeath.
Beforeusingthesehedgeclippers,youmust:
•ReadandunderstandthisSafetyManual
•ReadandunderstandtheOperator’sManualpro-
videdwithyourunit.
•Wearappropriateprotectiveequipment
•Makesureallotherswhouse thehedgeclippers
havereadandunderstandbothmanualsbefore
fuelingoroperatingthetool.
•Clearthe work area of bystanders and pets
•Cleartheworkareaofdebrisandotherworkhaz-
ards
•Makesureyouhavesafe,unobstructedfooting
•Make sure the material to be cut is free of hidden
hazards
•Safelypreparethefuel/oilmix
•Fuelyourunitsafely
•Storethefuelcontainersafely
PHYSICAL CONDITION
WARNING
Operatingthisunitwhileyouareimpairedcanresultin
seriouspersonalinjuryordeathtoyourselfandothers.
Neveroperatetheunitifyouarefatigued,orareunder
theinfluenceofalcohol,medication,oranyothersub-
stancesthatcanaffectyourjudgment,reflexes,vision,
orcoordination. Youmustbementallyalertandphysi-
callyabletooperatea hedge clipper safely.
OPERATORSAFETY

7
Ifyouareimpairedinanyway,orarephysicallyunable
tosafelyoperateandcontroltheunit,donotfuel,start,
orattempttousetheunit.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
WARNING
Operatingapowerhedgeclipperexposesyouto sharp,
fast-movingblades,powerfulcuttingaction,flyingde-
bris,sharp sticksandbranches,and otherworkarea
hazards. Thesehazardscancauseseriousinjurytoyou
andothersifyoudonottaketheprecautionsnecessary
toprotectyourself.
Tohelpprotectagainstinjurycausedbythesehazards,
youmustwearappropriatepersonalprotectiveequip-
ment:
Eye and Face Protection
WeareyeprotectionthatmeetsANSIZ87.1require-
ments. Foradditionalsafety,afull-faceshieldmaywe
wornoversafetygogglestoprovideprotectionfrom
sharpbranchesorflyingdebris.
Hearing/Ear Protection
EchohighlyrecommendswearingANSI-approved
hearingprotectionwheneveryouareoperatingtheunit.
Hearingprotectionpreventshearinglosscausedby
frequentorprolongedexposuretoenginenoise. Echo
recommendsearplugs,orforconstant,heavy-dutyuse,
wearearmuff-stylehearingprotection.
Combination Head/Eye/Face/Hearing Protection
Forcompleteeye/face/hearingprotection,theuseofa
combinationsafetyhelmet/earmuffs/faceshieldpro-
videshead,face,andhearingprotectionallinoneunit.
Designs
conformingtoANSI
Z87.1
Goggles
*Face Shield
*Danger: UseGoggles UnderFace
Shield
OPERATORSAFETY

8
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
Gloves
Wearsturdyworkglovestoprovideprotectionagainst
cutsandscratches.
WARNING
SharpBlades/PowerfulCuttingAction. Workglovesand
otherheavyworkclothingmaynotprovideprotection
againstseriousinjuryifcontactismadewithmoving
blades. Contactwith cuttingedgesofmoving bladeswill
causesevereinjuryoramputation. Keephands,fingers,
andallotherbodypartsawayfrommovingblades.
AlwaysmoveignitionswitchtoSTOPposition,allow
bladestostopmoving,anddisconnectsparkplug lead
fromspark plug before clearing jams or making blade
adjustments.
Leg Protection
Wearlongpantstoprotectlegsfromcutsandscratches
causedbysharpbranches.
Foot Protection
Wearsturdyshoesorwork boots to provide foot protec-
tion. Steel-toeshoes or boots provide extra protection
against dropped or falling objects. Make sure soles are
non-slipforsecurefooting.
General Clothing Safety
Neverwearties,looseclothing,orclothingwithstrings,
frills,ordanglingstraps.Keepclothingbuttonedor
zipped,andkeepshirttailstucked in. Never wear
danglingorhangingjewelrysuchasearringsorneck-
laces,oranyotheritemsthatcouldbecomeentangled
withbranchesorequipment,andbedrawnintotheair
intakegrid of the engine.
Work
Gloves
Boots
LongPants
Alwayswearproperclothingwhen
usingthehedge clipper.
Safety
Goggles
OPERATORSAFETY

9
DUST PROTECTION
Operatorswhoaresensitivetowooddustorother
commonairborneallergensmayneedtowearadust
masktopreventinhalingthesematerialswhilecutting.
Dustmaskscanprovideprotectionagainstsawdust,
plantdebris,andotherplantmattersuchaspollen.
Makesure the mask does not impair your vision, and
replacethemaskasneededtopreventairrestrictions.
PROTECTION AGAINST COLD OR VIBRATION
CAUTION
Prolongedexposuretocoldand/orvibrationmayresult
ininjury. Readandfollowallsafetyandoperation
instructionstominimizeriskofinjury. Failuretofollow
instructionsmayresultinpainfulwrist/hand/arminjuries.
Raynaud's Syndrome
AconditionknownasRaynaud’sSyndromecanoccur
fromexposuretocoldand/orvibration. Thiscondition
affectsthehandsandarms,causingtingling,burning,
numbness,andlossofcolorinthefingers. Theamount
ofexposureneededtotriggerthisisunknown,and
variesbyindividual.
Toprotectyourselffromthiscondition,takethefollowing
precautions:
•Keepyourbodywarm-payparticularattentionto
headandneck,handsandwrists,andfeetand
ankles.
•Avoidawkwardgripsontheunitthatmaycause
stress. Maintaincontrol,butdonotholdtheunitwith
anexcessivelytightgrip.
•Takeregularrestbreaks.
•Exerciseandstretchtostrengthenmuscles,andto
maintaincirculation. Keep exposuretovibrationat a
minimum.
•Ifyouexperiencediscomfort,redness,and/orswell-
ingofthefingers,followedbywhiteningorlossof
feeling,stopusingtheunit,andcontactadoctor.
OPERATORSAFETY

10
Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI)
Overuseofthemusclesandtendonsofthefingershands,arms,andshouldersmaycause
soreness,swelling,numbness,weakness,andpainintheseareas. Repetitivehand/wrist
movementcanputyouathighriskfordevelopingaRepetitiveStressInjury(RSI),suchas
CarpelTunnelSyndrome(CTS). CarpalTunnelSyndromeoccurswhenswellinginthewrist
putspressureonanerve,resultinginseverepain.
Toprotectyourselffromtheseconditions,takethefollowingprecautions:
•Avoidusing your wrist in a bent or twisted position.
Trytomaintainastraightwristposition.
•Avoidusingyourthumbandindexfingertogrip
things-useyourwholehand.
•Takeregularrestbreaks.
•Exerciseandstretchtostrengthenmusclesand
maintaincirculation.
•Keepexposuretovibrationataminimum.
•Reducethe speed and force of repetitive move-
ments.
•Ifyouexperiencetingling,numbness,orpaininthe
fingers,hands,wrists,orarms,stopusingtheunit
immediately,and contact a doctor. Early diagnosis
ofRSIcanhelppreventpermanentnerveand
muscledamage.
ASSEMBLY
WARNING
Hedge clipper blades are extremely sharp. Acci-
dental hand or body contact with blades can result
in severe cuts, even if the engine is off and blades
arenotmoving. Alwayswearsturdyworkgloveswhen
handlingthehedgeclipper,and donotallow bladesto
touchanypartofyourbody.
Ifyour hedgeclipperrequiresassemblybefore it canbe
used,youmustmakesureallguards,shields,and
protectivedevicesareproperlyinstalled. NEVERfuel,
start,oroperateyourunitwithoutallguardsandshields
inplace,orwithoutallprotectivedevicessuchasthrottle
lock-outleversworkingproperly.
Ifpartsaremissing,orifyouhaveaprobleminstalling
parts,contactyourEchoDealerforassistanceorcall
EchoConsumerProductSupportat1-800-673-1558.
OPERATORSAFETY

11
Afterassembly,checkyourunittomakesureguards,shields,protectivedevices,andallother
partsareproperlyandsecurelyassembledandworkingcorrectly. SeetheOperator’sManual
fordetailsaboutpartlocationsforyourunit.
•Makesureallrequiredhardwarehasbeenusedandisproperlytightened.
•Makesurethrottlelock-outleverresetswhenreleased.
•Makesurethrottletriggerreturnstonormalpositionwhenreleased.
•Makesurestopswitchfunctionsproperly
Blade Cover
Thehedge clipper blades arecovered by aremovable
protectivecovertopreventaccidentalcontactwith
sharpedges. Keep the protectivecover on the blades
untilyouarereadytoinstallthebladestiffener,make
bladeadjustments,oroperatethe hedgeclipper.Place
thebladecoveroverthebladesaftercuttingiscom-
pleted,andkeeptheblade coveronthebladeswhen
carrying,transporting,orstoringtheunit.
BladeStiffenerInstallation
WARNING
Echoprovides a blade stiffenerwith most hedge clip-
permodels. Thebladestiffenerisstronglyrecom-
mendedforuseinallhomeownerorlightdutycutting
applications. Incommercialcuttingapplications,or
whencuttingthick,densebranches,cuttingcapacity
maybeincreasedbycuttingwithoutthebladestiffener.
Useextremecarewhencuttingwithoutbladestiffener.
FollowinstructionsinOperator’sManualtoinstallor
removebladestiffener.
WARNING
Accidentalcontactwithbladescancauseserious
injury.AvoidALLbodilycontactwithcuttingedges.
Stabilizeunitbeforeworkingonblades.Useproperly
sizedmetricsocketwrenchesandminimum4inch
(100mm)longsocketwrenchextensiontokeephands
atasafedistancefrom bladeswheninstallingand
removingbladestiffener,orwheneveradjustingblade
tightness.
ASSEMBLY

12
IMPORTANT!
Newlocknutsmustbeusedeverytimeblade
stiffenerisinstalled,andbladeboltadjustment
instructionsmustbefollowedEXACTLY. Failureto
followinstructions,ortousenewlocknuts,may
damage blades or gearbox and result in rapid
bladewearandpoorcuttingperformance.
FUELING
DANGER
Explosion/Fire/BurnHazard. Gasolineisextremely
flammable. Vapors are explosive. Keep at least 50
feet(15m)awayfromheat,sparks,openflame,smok-
ingmaterials,staticelectricity,andallothersourcesof
ignitionwhenfuelingunit.
Gasolinevaporisheavierthanair,andcantravelalong
thegroundtonearbysourcesofignitionsuchaselec-
tricalmotors,pilotlights,andhotorrunningengines.
Vapors ignited by an ignition source can flash back to
thefuelcontainer,resultinginanexplosion,fire,seri-
ousorfatalinjuries,andextensivepropertydamage.
Followtheseimportantsafetyprecautionstominimize
riskof explosion orfire:
•ALWAYSuseanapprovedfuelcontainerwithtight-
fittingcaps.
•ALWAYSfollowpostedsafetyinstructionsforfilling
fuelcontainersatfillingstations.
•ALWAYSplacecontainertobefilledwithgasoline
onthegroundtopreventstaticbuild-upduring
filling.
•ALWAYSkeepthemetalfillingpumpnozzlein
contactwiththefuelcontainerwhiledispensingfuel
topreventbuildupanddischargeofstaticelectric-
ity.
•NEVERfillfuelcontaineronSUV/truckbedorin
trunkofcar.
•NEVERsmokenearfuel.
FUELING

13
•NEVERallowflamesorsparksnearfuel.
•ALWAYSloosenfuelcapsslowlytoallowpressure
intanksandcontainerstoescape
•ALWAYSuseextremecarewhenmixing,storing,or
handlingfuel.
•NEVERremovetankcaporrefuelaunitwhilethe
engineishotorrunning
•NEVERfillfueltanksindoors-ALWAYSfillfuel
tanksoutdoorsoveropenground.
•DONOToverfillfueltank-ALWAYSallowroomin
tankforexpansion. Filltanknomorethan95per-
centfull,orto“SafeFill Line”ifmarkedoncontainer.
•ALWAYS wipe up spills immediately, and dispose
offuel soaked wipessafely. Use a fireproofcon-
tainer designed for safe disposal.
•IMMEDIATELYchangeclothesiffuelspillsoncloth-
ing. Wetclothesdownwithwaterfirsttominimize
fire risk.
•ALWAYStightenfueltankcapsecurely-checkcap
fortightness.
•ALWAYSclosefuelcontainerimmediatelyafter
refueling.
•ALWAYScheckfuelsystemforleaksbeforeusing
unit- NEVERstartoroperate a unitwithleaks.
•ALWAYSmove at least 3m(10ft.)awayfrom
refuelinglocationbeforestartingengine.
•STOPUSINGUNITIMMEDIATELYandshutengine
ignitionoffifyousmellthestrongodorofgasoline.
Setunitdowninasafelocation,andallowtocool
beforecheckingforleaks.
•ALWAYSstorefuelcontainersinawellventilated,
unoccupiedbuilding,awayfromheat,sparks,open
flames,andothersourcesofignition.
Minimum
3meters
(10Feet)
FUELING

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Fuel Mix
WARNING
2-Strokeengineoilcontainspetroleumdistillatesand
otheradditivesthatmaybeharmfulifswallowed.
Heatedoilcanrelease vaporsthatcancauseflash fire,
orignite with explosiveforce. Readandfollowthe oil
manufacturer’sinstructions,andobserveallsafety
warningsandprecautionsforhandlingflammable
liquids.
•KEEPOUT OF REACHOF CHILDREN.
•Ifswallowed,donotinducevomiting. CALLPHYSI-
CIANORAPOISONCONTROLCENTERIMMEDI-
ATELY.
•AVOIDprolongedcontactwithskin.
•WEARSAFETYGLASSESwhenmixingorhan-
dling.
•AVOIDrepeatedorprolongedskincontact.
•AVOIDinhalingoilmistsorvapors.
•ALWAYSwipe up spillspromptly-spillsmay create
asliphazardifnotattended to
••
••
•NEVERstore oilinopenor unmarkedcontainers.
Also,followtheseimportantsafe-handlingprecautions
tominimizeriskofexplosionorfirewhenpreparing
fuel/oilmix:
••
••
•ALWAYSpreparefuel/oilmixinanapprovedfuel
container
••
••
•ALWAYSfollowmixinginstructionsinOperator’s
Manuals.
••
••
•ALWAYSmakesurefuelcontainercapsaretightly
securedbeforeshakingcontainertomixfueland
oil.
••
••
•ALWAYSstorefuelcontainersinasafelocation,
withcapsandventssealedtightly.
Formoredetailedsafety and first aid information, visit
theoilmanufacturer’swebsiteforacopyoftheMaterial
SafetyDataSheet,orcontacttheoilcompany.
FUELING

15
STARTING
DANGER
Thebladesonunitsthatrequirestartingatwide-open
throttle(throttletriggerfullydepressed)willstartmoving
immediatelywhentheenginestarts. Toavoidlossof
controlandseriousinjury,stayclearofblades,and
keepbladesawayfromobjectsthatcouldbecome
entangled. Releasethrottletriggerimmediatelywhen
enginestarts
TheOperator’sManualforyourunitprovidesspecific
startinginstructionsforyourmodelandtypeofengine.
Foryoursafety,followthesestartinginstructions,and
observethesafetyrulesprovided. Beforestartingthe
unit,makesureyouknowthelocationoftheunit’s
“STOP”switch,andknowhowtoperformanemer-
gencystopincaseofa switchmalfunction.(See“Stop-
ping”onnextpage.)
TheHedgeClipperbladesmust not move at idle,
otherwiseseriouspersonalinjurymayresult. Periodic
carburetoradjustmentmaybenecessarytoassure
bladesdo not move atidle. Ifblades move during idle,
shutunitoffimmediately,andreadjustcarburetor
accordingto“CarburetorAdjustment”instructionsand
idle speed specifications provided in your Operator’s
Manual. SeeyourEchodealer orcontactEchoCon-
sumerSupportforhelpifyouhaveanyquestions.
Followtheseimportantsafetyruleswhenstartingyour
unit:
•Neverstartorrunyourunitindoorsoranywhere
wherethereispooraircirculation. Indooroperation
producesdangerouslevelsofCarbonMonoxide,a
colorless and odorless poisonous gas. Carbon
Monoxide(CO)causesnauseaandotherflu-like
symptomsifbreathed. Prolongedexposure toCO
maycauselossofconsciousness,braindamage,
ordeath.
•NEVER start a hedge clipper near a gasoline
containerorspilledgasoline.
STARTING

16
•ALWAYSmove at least 3m(10ft.)awayfrom
refuelinglocationbeforestartingengine.
•ALWAYSremovebladecoverbeforestartingunit.
Keepblade cover nearby,and place coverback on
bladeswhenunitisoff andbladeshavestopped.
•NEVERstartanHCA(extendedshaft,articulating
blade)unitwhilebladeis in folded/locked position.
Makecuttingangleadjustmentfirst.
•ALWAYSstartthehedgeclipperflatontheground,
withbladesclearofallobstructions
•NEVER“dropstart”theunitorattempttostartthe
unitwhile it is resting onblade tips.
•ALWAYSgriptheunitfirmlywhenstartingtoprevent
lossofcontrolwhenpullingstarterhandle.
•ALWAYSholdtheunitsecurelywithbothhandsafter
itstarts,usingthefrontandrearhandles.
•MAINTAINasecure,two-handedgripatalltimes
whileunitisinuse.
•ALWAYSshutunitoffimmediatelyifitshakesor
vibratesexcesssivelywhenstarted. Tagunit,and
haveitcheckedbyanauthorizedservicecenter
before placing back in use.
STOPPING
The“STOP”switchstopstheunitbygroundingthe
ignitionandpreventingthesparkplugfromdischarging
aspark. IftheSTOPswitchmalfunctionsanddoesnot
stoptheunitwhenrequired,usethechoketostallthe
engineto a stop, andhaveyourEchodealerrepairthe
switchbeforeusingtheunitagain.
Usethis“EmergencyStoppingsequenceonlyifthe
STOPswitchmalfunctions:
•Releasetriggerandallow enginetoreturn toidle
and blades to stop.
STARTING
STOP
SWITCH
STOP
SWITCH

17
•Aftertheenginehas returnedtoidle andblades
havestopped,placetheunitonasafe,flatsurface,
clearofbladeobstructions.
•Keeponehandonthethrottlecontrolhandleassem-
blytomaintaincontroloftheunit,andmovethe
chokecontrollevertotheclosed,“COLDSTART”
(chokesymbol)positiontostalltheengine.
•Holdtheunitwithasecure,two-handedgrip,and
waitfortheenginetostalltoacompletestop.
•Aftertheenginestopsandbladeshavestopped
moving,disconnectthesparkpluglead,andtagthe
unittoidentifyitashavingabrokenSTOPswitch.
•Donotrestarttheunit. Havetheunitrepairedbefore
usingit again.
HEDGE CLIPPER OPERATION
DANGER
Hedgeclipperbladesareextremelysharp. Moving
bladeshavepowerfulcuttingaction. Contactwith
movingbladeswillcauseseriousinjury. Keephands,
feet,andallotherbodypartsawayfrombladesatall
times. Wearworkgloves,safetyglasses,hearing
protection,andprotectiveclothing.
Engineexhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,apoison-
ousgas. Breathingcarbonmonoxidecan cause loss of
consciousness,seriousinjury,ordeath. Startand
operateoutdoorsonly.
AllEchoequipmentfeaturesspark-arrestingmufflersas
standardequipment. Sparkarrestorspreventhot,
glowingparticlesof carbon from being dischargedfrom
themuffler. Operationwithoutadamaged,loose,or
missingsparkarrestorcanresultinfire.
OPERATION
CHOKE CLOSED
(COLD START POSITION)

18
OPERATION
TheexhaustproducedbyGasoline-poweredequipment
ishot,andcancauseburnsorignitenearbyflammable
materials. Neverblowengineexhaustagainstyour
bodyortowardflammablematerials.Themufflerand
surroundingareabecomeextremelyhotduringuse,and
cancauseseriousburnsiftouched.
Cutting
Tocut,holdthehedgeclipperfirmlywithtwohands,with
thumbswrappedaroundthehandlesforasecuregrip.
Squeezethethrottletriggerslowlytoacceleratethe
engine,andcarefullyfeedthebladesintothematerialto
becut.
Obeytheseimportantprecautionswhencutting:
•ALWAYS use two hands to operate your hedge
clipper. DONOToperatetheunitone-handed. Ifthe
hedge clipper slips out of your hands, DO NOT
attempt to catch the unit -- let the unit fall to the
ground. If you grasp the cutting blades, serious
personalinjurymayoccur. Reducethepossibilityof
slippingbyusingafirmgripwiththumbsand fingers
encirclingeachhandle.
•ALWAYScutusingastablestancewithbothfeeton
theground. Bealertforhazardssuchasslippery
surfaces,stairs,andlandscapingfeaturessuchas
rocks,edging,andotheritemsthatcanaffectstable
footing.
•ALWAYSwearappropriatepersonalprotective
equipmenttoprovideprotectiontoface,eyes,
hearing,andhands. Wearprotectiveclothingto
minimizeriskofcuts,scrapes,andburns.
•NEVERstandonaladder orothertemporaryplat-
form. Youcanfallorslip,andinjureyourselfor
others. Useashaft-mountedhedgeclippertoreach
tallbushesandshrubs.
Work
Gloves
Boots
LongPants
Alwayswearproperclothingwhen
usingthehedge clipper.
Safety
Goggles

19
•NEVERholdorallowotherstoholdthematerialyou
arecutting.
•ALWAYSkeepbothhandsontheunittocontrolthe
cuttingaction.
•ALWAYSkeepthemufflerexhaustdirectedaway
fromyourbody.
•NEVERtouchthemuffler,mufflercover,orsurround-
ingarea duringoperation. Allowtheunitto cool
downbeforeperforminganymaintenanceinthe
mufflerarea.
•NEVERallow flammable debrissuch as dried
leavesandstickstobuildupintheexhaustarea.
Heatfromoperationcan ignitethesematerials,and
causefire.
•ALWAYSkeepfingers,hands,andallotherbody
partsawayfromthecuttingbladesandcuttingarea.
•NEVERallowanyonetoreachintothecuttingarea
foranyreasonwhiletheunitisrunning.
•ALWAYSmaintain a direct lineof sight tothe hedge
clipperblades and thearea where cuttingis being
performed. Beawareof what lies in thepathof the
bladesat all times.
•ALWAYSmaintainaminimumsafetyzoneof15feet
(5meters)fromwhereyouareworking. Don’tallow
otherstoenterthesafetyzoneunlessyouhaveshut
thehedge clippers offandthebladeshavecom-
pletelystoppedmoving.
•NEVERfeedbladestowardyourbodywhencutting
-keep blades directed away fromyourselfatall
times.
•NEVERexceedthecuttingcapacityofthehedge
clippers- forcing the blades to cut materials thicker
thanthe hedge clipper isdesignedtohandlewill
resultinjams, bladedamage, andpooroverall
performance.
15 ft.
OPERATION
5 m

20
•ALWAYSuse a suitable tool such as a pruner or
chainsawtocutbrancheslargerthanthehedge
clipper's capacity.
•NEVERattempttocutmorethan6inchesoflength
fromahedgeor shrub in one cutting pass. Use
multiplepassesforcleaner,safercuts,andbetter
controloverbladeposition.
•NEVERcutinthedarkorwhenvisibilityofthecutting
area is poor. You must be able to see the blades
andcutting areaatalltimes
•ALWAYSbe alert forchanges in hedgeclipper
operationthatcouldsignalaproblem-sudden
vibration,unusualnoise,strongsmelloffuel,orpoor
cutting performance all require your immediate
attention. STOP THE UNIT IMMEDIATELY IF ANY
OF THESE PROBLEMS OCCUR, and correct the
problems before continuing.
DANGER
FUEL LEAKS POSE A RISK OF FIRE AND SERI-
OUS INJURY. Thestrongsmell of fuelmaybeanindi-
cationofa loose fuel tank cap,afuel system leak, or a
fuel spill. STOP THE UNIT IMMEDIATELY, AND
CHECK THE FUEL TANK CAP, FUEL TANK, FUEL
LINES, AND CARBURETOR AREA FOR LEAKS.
IF THE UNIT IS HOT, PLACE THE UNIT ON THE
GROUND IN A SAFE AREA AWAY FROM SPARKS,
OPEN FLAME, AND OTHER SOURCES OF IGNI-
TION, AND ALLOW THE UNIT TO COOL DOWN
BEFORE HANDLING OR DRAINING FUEL.
IF FUEL HAS LEAKED ONTO CLOTHING, AVOID
CONTACT WITH HEAT, SPARKS, OPEN FLAME,
SMOKING MATERIALS, STATIC ELECTRICITY,
AND ALL OTHER SOURCES OF IGNITION. WEAR-
ING FUEL-SOAKED CLOTHING CAN RESULT IN
SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURIES FROM BURNS.
POUR WATER ON CLOTHING IMMEDIATELY, AND
CHANGE INTO DRY CLOTHING AS SOON AS POS-
SIBLE.
OPERATION