STIHL FS 55 Trimmer Owners Manual

STIHL FS 55 Instruction Manual Manual de instrucciones Warning! Read and follow all safety precautions in Instruction Manual ­ improper use can cause serious or fatal injury. Advertencia! Lea y siga todas las precauciones de seguridad dadas en el manual de instrucciones ­ el uso incorrecto puede causar lesiones graves o mortales. English / USA Contents Allow only persons who understand this manual to operate your trimmer/ brushcutter. To receive maximum performance and satisfaction from your STIHL trimmer/ brushcutter, it is important that you read and understand the maintenance and safety precautions, starting on page 3, before using your trimmer/brushcutter.

Contact your STIHL dealer or the STIHL distributor for your area if you do not understand any of the instructions in this manual. Printed on chlorine-free paper. Printing inks contain vegetable oils; paper can be recycled. Guide to Using this Manual 2 Safety Precautions and Working Techniques . 3 Approved Combinations of Mowing Tool, Deflector, Handle and Harness . 18 Mounting the Bike Handle 20 Mounting the Loop Handle . 21 Fitting the Carrying Eye 22 Mounting the Deflector . 23 Mounting the Cutting Tools . 23 Fuel 28 Fueling 29 Fitting the Harness . 29 Balancing the Brushcutter 30 Starting / Stopping 31 Operating Instructions 35 Cleaning the Air Filter . 35 Motor Management 36 Adjusting the Carburetor 36 Checking the Spark Plug 38 Rewind Starter 39 Storing the Machine . 39 Lubricating the Gearbox . 39 Sharpening Metal Cutting Tools . 40 Inspections and Maintenance by STIHL Service . 41 Maintenance Chart . 42 Parts and Controls . 43 Specifications . 45 Special Accessories . 46 Maintenance and Repairs 47 STIHL Incorporated Federal Emission Control Warranty Statement 48 STIHL Incorporated California Exhaust and Evaporative Emissions Control Warranty Statement . 50 Trademarks 52 BA_SE_012_006_01_13.fm !Warning! Because a trimmer/brushcutter is a highspeed cutting tool some special safety precautions must be observed to reduce the risk of personal injury. Careless or improper use may cause serious or even fatal injury. Make sure your unit is equipped with the proper deflector, handle and harness for the type of cutting attachment being used. Always wear proper eye protection. STIHL’s philosophy is to continually improve all of its products. As a result, engineering changes and improvements are made from time to time. If the operating characteristics or the appearance of your trimmer/brushcutter differs from those described in this manual, please contact your STIHL dealer for information and assistance. ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG, 2007 0458 233 8621 C. M15. K7. CP. Printed in USA STIHl FS 55 1 English / USA Guide to Using this Manual Pictograms All the pictograms attached to the machine are shown and explained in this manual. The operating and handling instructions are supported by illustrations. In addition to the operating instructions, this manual may contain paragraphs that require your special attention. Such paragraphs are marked with the symbols described below: Warning where there is a risk of an accident or personal injury or serious damage to property. Caution where there is a risk of damaging the machine or its individual components. Note or hint which is not essential for using the machine, but may improve the operator’s understanding of the situation and result in better use of the machine. Note or hint on correct procedure in order to avoid damage to the environment. Equipment and features This instruction manual may refer to several models with different features. Components that are not installed on all models and related applications are marked with an asterisk (*). Such components may be available as special accessories from your STIHL dealer. Symbols in text The individual steps or procedures described in the manual may be marked in different ways: : A bullet marks a step or procedure without direct reference to an illustration. Engineering improvements STIHL’s philosophy is to continually improve all of its products. As a result, engineering changes and improvements are made from time to time. If the operating characteristics or the appearance of your machine differ from those described in this manual, please contact your STIHL dealer for assistance. Therefore some changes, modifications and improvements may not be covered in this manual. A description of a step or procedure that refers directly to an illustration may contain item numbers that appear in the illustration. Example: Loosen the screw (1) Lever (2). 2 FS 55 English / USA Safety Precautions and Working Techniques Because a trimmer/ brushcutter is a highspeed, fast-cutting power tool sometimes equipped with sharp cutting blades, special safety precautions must be observed to reduce the risk of personal injury. It is important that you read, fully understand and observe the following safety precautions and warnings. Read the instruction manual and the safety precautions periodically. Careless or improper use may cause serious or fatal injury. The terminology utilized in this manual when referring to the power tool reflects the fact that different types of cutting attachments may be mounted on it. The term “trimmer ” is used to designate an FS unit that is equipped with a nylon line head or a head with flexible plastic blades (i.e., the PolyCut head). A “brushcutter ” designates a unit equipped with a rigid metal blade. Many FS models may be used as either a trimmer or a brushcutter – therefore, the power tool is referred in this manual as a “trimmer/brushcutter. ” Some smaller and/or lightweight FS models may only be used as a trimmer, i.e., they may not be used with metal blades. !Warning As more fully explained later in these Safety Precautions, to reduce the risk of personal injury, make sure your unit is equipped with the proper handle, harness and deflector for the type of cutting attachment you are using. Use only cutting attachments that are specifically authorized by STIHL for use on your FS model.