A muffler fitted with a catalytic converter is also designed to reduce harmful exhaust gases. In countries that have a warm and dry climate there is a significant risk of fire. We therefore fit certain mufflers with a spark arrestor mesh. Check whether the muffler on your machine is fitted with this kind of mesh. For mufflers it is very important that you follow the instructions on checking, maintaining and servicing your machine. 8 – English GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Never use a machine that has a faulty muffler. Regularly check that the muffler is securely attached to the machine. If the muffler on your machine is fitted with a spark arrestor mesh this must be cleaned regularly. A blocked mesh will cause the engine to overheat and may lead to serious damage. ! WARNING! Mufflers fitted with catalytic converters get very hot during use and remain so for some time after stopping.This also applies at idle speed. Contact can result in burns to the skin. Remember the risk of fire! ! ! Locking nut A locking nut is used to secure some types of cutting attachment. When fitting, tighten the nut in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the cutting attachment. To remove it, undo the nut in the same direction as the cutting attachment rotates. (CAUTION! The nut has a left-hand thread.) When loosening and tightening the saw blade nut, there is a risk of injury from the teeth of the saw blade.You should therefore always ensure that your hand is shielded by the blade guard when doing this. Always use a socket spanner with a shaft WARNING! The inside of the muffler contain chemicals that may be carcinogenic. Avoid contact with these elements in the event of a damaged muffler. WARNING! Bear in mind that: The exhaust fumes from the engine are hot and may contain sparks which can start a fire. Never start the machine indoors or near combustible material! that is long enough to allow this. The arrow in the diagram shows the area where you should operate the socket spanner when loosening or tightening the nut. The nylon lining inside the locking nut must not be so worn that you can turn it by hand. The lining should offer a resistance of at least 1.5 Nm. The nut should be replaced after it has been put on approx. 10 times. Cutting equipment This section describes how to choose and maintain your cutting equipment in order to: • Reduce the risk of blade thrust. • Obtain maximum cutting performance. • Extend the life of cutting equipment. IMPORTANT! Only use cutting attachments with the guards we recommend! See the chapter on Technical data. Refer to the instructions for the cutting attachment to check the correct way to load the cord and the correct cord diameter. Keep the teeth of the blade correctly sharpened! Follow our recommendations. Also refer to the instructions on the blade packaging. Maintain the correct blade setting! Follow our instructions and use the recommended file gauge. WARNING! Always stop the engine before ! doing any work on the cutting attachment. This continues to rotate even after the throttle has been released. Ensure that the cutting attachment has stopped completely and disconnect the HT lead from the spark plug before you start to work on it. WARNING! Using an incorrect cutting ! attachment or an incorrectly sharpened blade increases the risk of kickback. English – 9 GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Cutting equipment Saw blades are intended for cutting fibrous types of wood. Grass blades and grass cutters are intended for cutting coarse grass. A trimmer head is intended for trimming grass. General rules Only use cutting attachments with the guards we recommend! See the chapter on Technical data. Keep the teeth of the blade correctly sharpened! Follow our instructions and use the recommended file gauge. An incorrectly sharpened or damaged blade increases the risk of accidents. Keep the correct setting on the saw blade! Follow our instructions and use the recommended setting tool. An incorrectly set saw blade increases the risk of jamming and kickback, and damage to the saw blade. Check the cutting attachment for damage or cracks. A damaged cutting attachment should always be replaced. Sharpening grass cutters and grass blades • See the cutting attachment packaging for correct sharpening instructions. Sharpen blades and cutters using a single-cut flat file. • Sharpen all edges equally to maintain the balance of the blade. Sharpening the saw blade • See the cutting attachment packaging for correct sharpening instructions. A correctly sharpened blade is essential for working efficiently and to avoid unnecessary wear to the blade and clearing saw. ! WARNING! Always discard a blade that is bent, twisted, cracked, broken or damaged in any other way. Never attempt to straighten a twisted blade so that it can be reused. Only use original blades of the specified type. • Make sure that the blade is well supported when you file it. Use a 5.5 mm round file with a file holder. • The filing angle is 15°....