Stihl FS 251 R Notice D'emploi page 15

5 IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
ately, even if damage appears to be limited
to superficial cracks.
► Never use a trimmer / brushcutter with a
loose or damaged cutting attachment.
■ The muffler and other parts of the engine (e.g.
fins of the cylinder, spark plug) become hot
during operation and remain hot for a while
after stopping the engine. To reduce the risk of
burn injury:
► Allow the engine to cool before inspecting,
transporting or storing the trimmer / brush‐
cutter. Avoid contacting the muffler while it
is still hot following operation.
► Keep the area around the muffler clean.
Remove excess lubricant and all debris
such as pine needles, branches or leaves.
► Allow the trimmer / brushcutter to cool on
concrete, metal, bare ground or solid wood
away from any combustible substances.
► Do not continue work with a damaged or
improperly mounted cylinder housing or a
damaged/deformed muffler shell. It may
interfere with the cooling process of the
muffler.
■ The muffler of this trimmer / brushcutter is fur‐
nished with a spark arresting screen. If your
gas/oil mix ratio is correct (i.e., not too rich),
this screen will normally stay clean as a result
of the heat from the muffler and need no serv‐
ice or maintenance. To reduce the risk of fire
from the emission of hot particles:
► Never operate your trimmer / brushcutter
with a missing or damaged spark arresting
screen.
► If you experience loss of performance and
suspect a clogged screen, have your muf‐
fler serviced. Some state or federal laws or
regulations may require a properly main‐
tained spark arrester for certain uses.
■ In California, it is a violation of § 4442 or
§ 4443 of the Public Resources Code to use
or operate gasoline-powered tools on forest-
covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land
unless the engine's exhaust system is equip‐
ped with a complying spark arrester that is
maintained in effective working order. The
owner/operator of this product is responsible
for properly maintaining the spark arrester.
Other states or governmental entities/agen‐
cies, such as the Canadian Forest Service,
may have similar requirements.
► Do not use your trimmer / brushcutter
around flammable materials or around veg‐
etation or brush when there is a risk of fire
or wildfire.
0458-853-8201-A
► Contact your local fire authorities or the
Canadian Forest Service if you have any
question about laws or regulations relating
to fire protection requirements.
DANGER
■ To reduce risk of electrocution:
► Never operate this trimmer in the
vicinity of any wires or cables that
may be carrying electric current.
Look carefully for concealed wires
before starting work.
► Do not rely on the trimmer's insula‐
tion against electric shock, even
when holding the power tool by insu‐
lated gripping surfaces.
5.8 Working with the Cutting
Attachments
5.8.1 Kickout (Blade Thrust) with All Metal
Cutting Attachments
WARNING
Kickout (blade thrust) is the sudden
and uncontrolled movement of the cut‐
ting head toward the operator's right or
rear that can occur when the shaded
areas (especially the darkly shaded
area) of a rotating blade contact a solid
rigid object like a tree, rock, bush or
wall. The cutting attachment may be
thrown to the right or to the rear (black
arrow) any time the rapid rotation of
the blade is stopped, slowed, snagged
or bound in an object that it doesn't
immediately cut.
■ 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 dark 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.
English
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