FS 55, FS 55 C, FS 55 R, FS 55 RC
English
7
– Turn off the engine. Hold the unit 
firmly and wait for the cutting 
attachment to come to a standstill.
– Check condition and tightness, look 
for cracks.
– Check sharpness.
– Replace damaged or dull cutting 
attachments immediately, even if 
they have only superficial cracks.
Clean grass and plant residue off the 
cutting attachment mounting at regular 
intervals – remove any build up of 
material from the cutting attachment and 
deflector.
To reduce the risk of injury, shut off 
the engine before replacing the cutting 
attachment.
Do not continue using or attempt to 
repair damaged or cracked cutting 
attachments by welding, straightening or 
modifying the shape (out of balance).
This may cause parts of the cutting 
attachment to come off and hit the 
operator or bystanders at high speed 
and result in serious or fatal injuries.
When using mowing heads
Equip the deflector with the additional 
components specified in the instruction 
manual.
Use only the deflector with properly 
mounted line limiting blade to ensure the 
mowing lines are automatically trimmed 
to the approved length.
To reduce the risk of injury, always 
turn off the engine before adjusting the 
nylon line of manually adjustable 
mowing heads
Using the unit with over-long nylon 
cutting lines reduces the motor's 
operating speed. The clutch then slips 
continuously and this causes 
overheating and damage to important 
components (e.g. clutch, polymer 
housing components) – and this can 
increase the risk of injury from the 
cutting attachment rotating while the 
engine is idling.
When using metal cutting tools
STIHL recommends the use of original 
STIHL metal cutting attachments. They 
are specifically designed to match your 
model and meet your performance 
requirements.
Metal cutting attachments rotate at very 
high speed. The forces that occur act on 
the machine, the attachment and the 
material being cut.
Sharpen metal cutting attachments 
regularly as specified.
Unevenly sharpened metal cutting 
attachments cause out-of-balance 
which can impose extremely high loads 
on the machine and increase the risk of 
breakage.
Dull or improperly sharpened cutting 
edges can put a higher load on the 
cutting attachment and increase the risk 
of injury from cracked or broken parts.
Inspect metal cutting attachments for 
cracks or warping after every contact 
with hard objects (e.g. stones, rocks, 
pieces of metal). To reduce the risk of 
injury, remove burrs and other visible 
build-ups of material (use a file) because 
they may become detached and be 
thrown at high speed during operation.
To reduce the above-mentioned risks 
when using a metal cutting attachment, 
never use a metal cutting attachment 
with a diameter larger than specified. It 
must not be too heavy. It must be 
manufactured from materials of 
adequate quality and its geometry must 
be correct (shape, thickness).
To reduce the risk of injury, a metal 
cutting attachment not manufactured by 
STIHL must not be heavier, thicker, 
have a different shape or a diameter 
larger than the largest metal cutting 
attachment approved by STIHL for this 
power tool model.
Vibrations
Prolonged use of the power tool may 
result in vibration-induced circulation 
problems in the hands (whitefinger 
disease).
No general recommendation can be 
given for the length of usage because it 
depends on several factors.
The period of usage is prolonged by:
– Hand protection (wearing warm 
gloves)
– Work breaks
The period of usage is shortened by:
– Any personal tendency to suffer 
from poor circulation (symptoms: 
frequently cold fingers, tingling 
sensations).
– Low outside temperatures.
– The force with which the handles 
are held (a tight grip restricts 
circulation).