Weed Eater WEED EATER PL500 User manual

PL500
Operator’sManual
ManualdelOperador
ManueldeL’utilisateur
WARNING:
ReadandfollowallSafetyRulesandOperatingInstructionsbeforeusingthisprod-
uct. Failuretodosocan resultinseriousinjury.
ADVERTENCIA:
Leaelmanualdeloperadorysigatodaslasadvertenciaseenstruccionesdesegu-
ridad.Elno hacerlo puede resultaren lesionesgraves.
AVERTISSEMENT:
Lirelemanueldel’utilisateuretbienrespectertouslesavertissementsettoutes
lesinstructionsdesécurité.Toutdéfautdelefairepourraitentraînerdesblessures
graves.
ENGLISHESPAÑOL
Please do notreturn unit toretailer.
Porfavor,no devuelva elaparatoal lugarde compra.
Veuilleznepas retournerl’outil au détaillant.
1-800-554-6723
www.weedeater.com
530087641 2/15/00
FRANÇAIS
FrigidaireHomeProducts,Augusta, GA30907
WCIOutdoorProducts, Inc.

2
SAFETYRULES
WARNING:When using gardening ap-
pliances,basicsafetyprecautionsshouldal-
waysbefollowedtoreducetheriskoffireand
seriousinjury.Read and followall instruc-
tions.
Thispowerunitcanbedangerous!Operator
isresponsibleforfollowingunitandmanual
instructionsandwarnings.ReadentireOper-
ator’sManualbeforeusingunit!Bethorough-
lyfamiliarwiththecontrolsandtheproperuse
oftheunit.Restricttheuseofthisunittoper-
sonswhoread,understand,and followunit
andmanualinstructionsandwarnings.Nev-
erallowchildren to operatethisunit.
S
a
f
e
t
y
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
o
n
t
h
e
u
n
i
t
Operator’sManual
DANGER:Neveruseblades,wire,orflail-
ingdevices.Thisunitisdesignedforlinetrim-
meruseonly.Useofanyotheraccessoriesor
attachmentswill increasethe risk ofinjury.
WARNING:Trimmerline throwsobjects
violently.You and others can beblinded/in-
jured.Wearsafetyglassesandlegprotection.
Keep bodyparts clearofrotating line.
SafetyGlassesorsimilareyeprotection
Boots
HazardZone
50 ft.
(15 m)
Keep children,bystanders,and animals50
feet(15meters)away.Ifapproachedstopunit
immediately.
Ifsituationsoccurwhich arenotcoveredin
thismanual,usecareandgoodjudgement.If
you need assistance,contactyour
Authorized ServiceDealerorcall
1-800-554-6723.
OPERATORSAFETY
SAlways wearsafetyeye protection.
SAlways wearlong pants,long sleeves,
boots,and gloves.Wearing safetyleg
guardsisrecommended.Do notgo
barefootorwearsandals.Stay clearof
spinning line.
SSecure hairaboveshoulderlength.Se-
cure orremovelooseclothing orclothing
withlooselyhangingties,straps,tassels,
etc.They canbe caughtinmovingparts.
SDonotoperatethisunitwhenyouaretired,
ill,upset,orundertheinfluenceofalcohol,
drugs,ormedication.
SWearhearingprotectionifyouusethisunit
formorethan 1-1/2 hoursperday.
SNeverstartorruninsideaclosedroomor
building.Breathingexhaustfumescankill.
SKeep handlesfree ofoil and fuel.
UNIT/MAINTENANCE SAFETY
SDisconnectthesparkplugbeforeperform-
ingmaintenanceexceptcarburetoradjust-
ments.
SLookforand replace damaged orloose
partsbeforeeachuse.Lookforandrepair
fuelleaksbeforeuse.Keepingoodworking
condition.
SReplacetrimmerhead partsthatare
chipped,cracked,broken,ordamagedin
anyotherwaybefore using the unit.
SMakesureunitisassembledcorrectlyas
showninthismanual.
SMakecarburetoradjustmentswithlower
endsupportedtopreventlinefromcontact-
ing anyobject.
SKeepothersawaywhenmakingcarburetor
adjustments.
SUse onlyrecommended Weed Eaterac-
cessoriesand replacementparts.
FUELSAFETY
SMixand pourfueloutdoors.
SKeep awayfromsparks orflames.
SUseacontainerapproved forfuel.
SDonotsmokeorallowsmokingnearfuelor
the unit.
SWipe up all fuelspills.
SMoveatleast10feet(3meters)awayfrom
fueling site beforestarting engine.
SStop engine and allowtocoolbeforere-
moving fuelcap.
CUTTINGSAFETY
SUseonlyfortrimming,mowing,andsweep-
ing.Do notuseforedging,pruning,or
hedge trimming.
SInspecttheareabeforeeachuse.Remove
objects(rocks,brokenglass,nails,wire,
etc.)whichcanbethrownbyorbecomeen-
tangled inline.Hardobjects candamage
the trimmerhead and be throwncausing
seriousinjury.
SKeepfirmfootingandbalance.Donotover-
reach.
SKeepallpartsofyourbodyawayfrommuf-
flerand spinning line.Keep enginebelow
waistlevel.Ahotmufflercancauseserious
burns.
SCutting on left sideof theshieldwillthrow
debrisawayfromthe operator.
TRANSPORTINGAND STOR-
AGE
SAllowtheenginetocool;secureunitbefore
storing ortransporting invehicle.

3
SEmptyfueltankbeforestoringortransport-
ingtheunit.Useupfuelleftinthecarburetor
by starting engine and letting itrun untilit
stops.
SStoreunitandfuelinanareawherefuelva-
porscannotreachsparksoropenflames
fromwaterheaters,electricmotorsor
switches, furnaces,etc.
SStoreunitsolinelimitercannotaccidentally
causeinjury.Unitcanbehungbythetube.
SStorethe unitoutof thereach ofchildren
Ifsituationsoccurwhich arenotcoveredin
thismanual,usecareandgoodjudgment.If
youneedassistance,call1-800-554-6723.
SPECIALNOTICE:Thisunitisnot
equippedwithatemperaturelimitingmuffler
andsparkarrestingscreenwhichmeetsthe
requirementsofCaliforniaCodes4442and
4443.All U.S. forestland and the statesof
California, Idaho,Maine,Minnesota,New
Jersey,Oregon,andWashingtonrequireby
lawthatmanyinternalcombustionenginesto
beequippedwithasparkarrestorscreen.If
you operateinalocalewheresuchregula-
tionsexist, you arelegallyresponsiblefor
installingandmaintainingtheoperatingcon-
ditionoftheseparts.Failuretodosoisaviola-
tionofthelaw. Ifasparkarrestorisrequired
inyourarea,contactyourAuthorizedService
Dealerforthe properkit.
SPECIALNOTICE:Exposuretovibra-
tionsthroughprolongeduseofgasolinepow-
eredhandtoolscouldcausebloodvesselor
nerve damage inthe fingers,hands,and
jointsofpeoplepronetocirculationdisorders
orabnormalswellings.Prolongeduseincold
weatherhasbeenlinkedtobloodvesseldam-
ageinotherwisehealthypeople.Ifsymptoms
occursuch asnumbness,pain,loss of
strength,changeinskincolorortexture,or
lossoffeelinginthefingers,hands,orjoints,
discontinuetheuseofthistoolandseekmed-
icalattention.Ananti-vibrationsystemdoes
notguaranteetheavoidanceof theseprob-
lems.Userswho operate powertoolsona
continualand regularbasismustmonitor
closelytheirphysicalconditionandthecondi-
tion of thistool.
ASSEMBLY
WARNING:Makesureunitisproperlyas-
sembled and all fastenersaresecure.
ADJUST THEHANDLE
SLoosenwingnutorplasticknobonhandle.
SRotatehandletouprightposition andtight-
en inacomfortable position between the
triggerand the safetylabelon the tube.
Tighten handlesecurely.
ATTACHINGTHE SHIELD
WARNING:The shieldmustbe properly
installed.Theshieldprovidespartialprotec-
tionfromtheriskofthrownobjectstotheoper-
atorandothersandisequippedwithalinelim-
iterwhichcutsexcessline.Thelinelimiter(on
undersideofshield)issharpandcancutyou.
SInsertbracketintosloton shield.
SPivotshielduntilboltpassesthroughholein
bracket.
SSecurelytighten wing nut.
SRemovepackingcoverfromthearborshaft
ifsoequipped.Threadtrimmerheadonto
shaft; tighten securelyagainstdustcup.
Slot
Shield
Bracket
W
i
n
g
N
u
t
DustCup
FUELYOURUNIT
Thisengine is certified to operate on un-
leaded gasoline.Gasoline mustbe mixed
withagoodquality2-cycleair-cooledengine
oil designed to be mixed ataratio of40:1.
Poulan/Weed Eaterbrand oil isrecom-
mended.(A40:1ratioisobtained bymixing
3.2 ouncesofoil with 1 gallon ofunleaded
gasoline).When mixing fuelfollowthe
instructionsprintedonthecontainer.Always
read and followthe safetyrulesunderFUEL
SAFETY.
STARTING
Starting Position
HOWTOSTOP YOUR UNIT
Pushandholdtheengine stopswitchinthe
STOPorOFF position until the unithasfully
stopped.Chokelever
PrimerBulb
Trigger
Muffler

4
HOWTOSTARTYOUR UNIT
WARNING:The trimmerhead will turn
whilestarting the engine.Ahotmufflercan
causeseriousburns.
COLDENGINE STARTING OR
STARTINGAFTER REFUELING
SSetunitonaflatsurface.
SSlowlypress the primerbulb6times.
SMovechokelevertoFULL CHOKEposi-
tion.
SSqueezethethrottletriggerfullyandhold
through all remaining steps.
SPull starter rope handlesharply6times.
SMovechokelevertoHALFCHOKEposi-
tion.
SPull starter rope handlenomorethan 6
pulls,until engine runs.
SAllowenginetorun10seconds,thenmove
chokelevertoOFF CHOKE position.
RESTARTINGAWARMENGINE
SMovechokelevertoOFFCHOKEposition.
SPull starterrope handleuntil engineruns.
SIf engine doesnotstartin 5 pulls, follow
instructionsinSTARTINGACOLDEN-
GINE.
USINGYOURUNIT
OPERATINGPOSITION
EyeProtectio
Long Pants
Heavy Shoes
ALWAYS WEAR:
Cut fromyour right toyourleft.
ADVANCINGTHECUTTINGLINE
Advancelinebytappingthebottomofthecut-
tingheadlightlyonthegroundwhileengineis
running at full speed.The metal line limiter
bladeattachedtotheshieldwillcutthelineto
the properlength.
REPLACINGTHELINE
SPushandholdtheenginestopswitchinthe
stop/off position until the unithasfully
stopped.
SDisconnect the sparkplug lead wire.
SRemovespoolbyfirmlypullingontapbut-
ton.
SClean entiresurface ofhub and spool.
SReplacewithapre-woundspool,orcuttwo
lengthsof12-1/2feetof.080”(2mm)diam-
eterWeed Eaterrbrand line.Neveruse
wire,rope,string,etc.,whichcanbreakoff
and become a dangerousmissile.
SInsertendsofthelineabout1/2inch(1cm)
intothe small holeonthe inside ofspool.
Small
Holes
Spool
Hub
Line inNotch
Line inNotch
Line exitholes
SWind the line evenlyand tightlyontothe
spool.Wind inthe directionof thearrows
found on the spool.
SPushthelineintothenotches,leaving3to5
inches(7-- 12 cm)unwound.
SInsertthe lineintothethe exitholesinthe
hub as showninthe illustration.
SAlign the notcheswiththe line exithole.
SPushspoolintohubuntilitsnapsintoplace.
SPullthelineextendingoutsideofthehubto
releaseit fromthe notch.
SERVICE
Werecommendallserviceandadjustments
notlistedinthismanualbeperformed byan
Authorized ServiceDealer.
CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENTS
Yourcarburetorisequippedwithlimitercaps.
Carburetoradjustmentisacomplicatedtask.
Werecommendthatyoutakeyourunittoan
AuthorizedServiceDealer.Damagewilloc-
curifyouturntheneedlesbeyondthelimiter
stops.
IGNITIONTIMING
The ignition timing isfixed,non-adjustable.
SPARK PLUG
ReplacethesparkplugyearlyusingaCham-
pionRCJ--8Yplug.Sparkpluggap is.025”.

5
TROUBLESHOOTING
Enginewill notstart.
SFueltankempty.
SEngineflooded.
SSparkplugnotfiring.
SFuelnotreachingcarburetor.
SCarburetor requiresadjustment.
Enginewill notidleproperly.
SAirfilterdirty.
SSparkplugfouled.
SCarburetor requiresadjustment.
Enginewill notaccelerate,lacks
power,ordiesunderaload.
Enginesmokesexcessively.
SAirfilterdirty.
SToo muchoilmixedwithgasoline.
SCarburetor requiresadjustment.
SCarburetor requiresadjustment.
SThrottletriggerscrewtoo tight.
Linedoesnotadvanceorbreakswhile
cutting.
SLineimproperlyroutedin head.
SLineimproperlywoundonspool.
SLinesizeincorrect.
Lineweldsontospool.
SLinesizeincorrect
SLineimproperlywoundonspool.
SCrowdinglineonmaterialbeingcut
.
Linepullsbackintohead
SToo littlelineoutsideofhead.
SLinesizeincorrect.
NEEDASSISTANCE?
NeedAssistance?
Call 1-800-554-6723.
NeedService Parts?
Contactyourdealerorplace ofpurchase.
LIMITEDWARRANTY
FrigidaireHomeProducts,DivisionWCI
OutdoorPowerProducts,Inc.warrantstothe
originalpurchaserthateachnewWeedEater
brandgasolinetoolorattachmentisfreefrom
defectsinmaterialand workmanship and
agreestorepairor replace underthiswar-
rantyanydefective gasoline productorat-
tachmentasfollowsfromtheoriginaldateof
purchase.
2YEARS-- PartsandLabor,when usedfor
household purposes.
90 DAYS -- Partsand Labor,when usedfor
commercial,professional,orincomeproduc-
ing purposes.
30DAYS --PartsandLabor,ifusedforrental
purposes.
Thiswarrantyisnottransferableanddoesnot
coverdamageorliabilitycausedbyimproper
handling,impropermaintenance,ortheuse
ofaccessoriesand/orattachmentsnotspe-
cificallyrecommendedbyFrigidaireHome
Productsforthistool.Additionally,thiswar-
rantydoesnotcovertune-ups,sparkplugs,
filters,cuttingline,orrotatingheadpartsthat
will wearand requirereplacementwithrea-
sonableuseduringthewarrantyperiod.This
warrantydoesnotcoverpredeliverysetupor
normaladjustmentsexplainedintheopera-
tor’smanual.
THISWARRANTYGIVES YOUSPECIFIC
LEGALRIGHTS,AND YOUMAY HAVE
OTHER RIGHTSWHICH VARYFROM
STATETOSTATE.
NOCLAIMSFOR CONSEQUENTIALOR
OTHER DAMAGES WILL BE ALLOWED,
AND THERE ARENO OTHEREXPRESS
WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EX-
PRESSLY STIPULATED HEREIN.
SOME STATES DONOTALLOWLIMITA-
TIONSONHOWLONGANIMPLIEDWAR-
RANTYLASTSORTHE EXCLUSIONOR
LIMITATIONSOFINCIDENTALORCON-
SEQUENTIALDAMAGES,SOTHEABOVE
LIMITATIONSOREXCLUSIONMAYNOT
APPLYTOYOU.
FrigidaireHomeProductspolicyistocon-
tinuouslyimproveitsproducts.Therefore,
FrigidaireHomeProductsreservesthe
righttochange,modify,ordiscontinuemod-
els,designs,specifications,andaccessories
ofall productsatanytimewithoutnoticeor
obligation to anypurchaser.
U.S.EPA
EMISSIONCONTROL
W
A
R
R
A
N
T
Y
S
T
A
T
E
M
E
N
T
YOUR WARRANTYRIGHTSAND OB-
LIGATIONS:The U.S.Environmental
Protection Agency and POULAN/WEED
EATER,DIVISIONOFWCIOUTDOOR
PRODUCTSarepleasedtoexplaintheemis-
sionscontrolsystemwarrantyonyourlawn
andgardenequipmentengine.Allnewutility
and lawn and garden equipmentengines
mustbedesigned,built,andequippedtomeet
the stringentanti--smog standards.POU-
LAN/WEEDEATERmustwarranttheemis-
sioncontrolsystemonyourlawnandgarden
equipmentenginefortheperiodsoftimelisted
belowprovidedtherehasbeennoabuse,ne-
glect,orimpropermaintenanceofyourlawn
andgardenequipmentengine.Youremission
controlsystemincludesparts such asthe
carburetorandtheignitionsystem.Wherea
warrantableconditionexits,POULAN/WEED
EATERwill repairyourlawn and garden
equipmentengine atno cost toyou.Ex-
pensescoveredunderwarrantyincludediag-
nosis,partsandlabor.MANUFACTURER’S
WARRANTYCOVERAGE:Ifanyemissions
relatedpartonyourengine(aslistedunder