Stihl FS 461 C-M - Kickout (Blade Thrust) with Metal Cutting Attachments (cont.); Using a Mowing Head

0458-838-8601-A
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English 5 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
￭ This kickout (blade thrust) may cause loss of control and
may result in serious or fatal injury to the operator or
bystanders. To reduce the risk of injury, extreme caution
should be used when cutting with the shaded area of any
rigid blade (see illustration).
￭ The greater the force of the kickout reaction, the more
difficult it becomes for the operator to control the unit.
Blade thrust is more likely to occur in areas where it is
difficult to see the material being cut.
￭ Many factors influence the occurrence and force of the
kickout reaction. These include cutting attachment speed,
the speed at which the cutting attachment contacts the
object, the location and angle of contact, the condition of
the cutting attachment, and how quickly the cutting
attachment is slowed, snagged or stopped, among other
factors.
– Use caution when working with the shaded areas of
any metal cutting attachment.
￭ To reduce the risk of personal injury from kickout and
blade thrust when using a rigid cutting attachment:
– Avoid cutting close to fences, sides of buildings, tree
trunks or other such objects when a metal cutting
blade is mounted. STIHL recommends using a nylon
line head for such jobs.
– Keep metal cutting attachments sharp.
– Keep bystanders at least 50 ft. (15 m) away from the
work area.
5.8.2 Using a Mowing Head
► When working, sweep the trimmer in a controlled manner,
parallel to the ground in front of you.
Mowing heads are to be used only on units equipped with a
line-limiting blade in the deflector in order to keep the line at
the proper length. When trimming along a fence, wall or
around trees, it is preferable to use a mowing head with
nylon line to reduce the risk of blade thrust or kickout,
damage to the cutting attachment, and to reduce damage to
the fence, wall or trees.
Using the unit with an overly long nylon cutting line
increases the load on the engine and reduces its operating
speed. This causes the clutch to slip continuously and
results in overheating and damage to important components
(e.g. clutch, polymer housing components). Such damage
could, among other things, cause the cutting attachment to
rotate at idle. Do not use with mowing line longer than the
recommended length. With a properly mounted deflector,
the built-in line limiting blade will automatically adjust the
line to its proper length.
0000-GXX-3800-A0