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!

89857008963

10/07

X7522240002

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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