Columbia 260 series, Operator'S Manual

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 2 — i

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11.  Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating parts. Keep 

clear of discharge area at all times as the rotating spindle 

and trimmer lines can cause injury.

12.  Never operate the string trimmer without proper shields, 

guards, control lever or other safety protective devices in 

place and working.

13.  Never operate the string trimmer with damaged safety 

devices. Failure to do so, can result in personal injury.

14.  Many injuries occur as a result of the string trimmer being 

pulled over the foot during a fall caused by slipping or 

tripping. Do not hold on to the string trimmer if you are 

falling; release the handle immediately. 

15.  Never pull the string trimmer back toward you while you 

are walking. If you must back the string trimmer away from 

a wall or obstruction first look down and behind to avoid 

tripping and then follow these steps:

a.  Step back from string trimmer to fully extend your 

arms.

b.  Be sure you are well balanced with sure footing.
c.  Pull the string trimmer back slowly, no more than 

half way toward you.

d.  Repeat these steps as needed.

16.  Do not operate the string trimmer while under the 

influence of alcohol or drugs.

17.  Do not engage the self-propelled mechanism on machines 

so equipped while starting engine.

17.  The control lever is a safety device. Never attempt to 

bypass its operation. Doing so makes the safety device 

inoperative and may result in personal injury through 

contact with the rotating trimmer line. The control lever 

must operate easily in both directions and automatically 

return to the disengaged position when released.

18.  Never operate the string trimmer in wet grass. Always 

be sure of your footing.  A slip and fall can cause serious 

personal injury. If you feel you are losing your footing, 

release the control lever immediately and the spindle will 

stop rotating within three seconds.

19.  Operate only in daylight or good artificial light. Walk, never 

run.

20.  Stop the spindle when crossing gravel drives, walks or 

roads.

21.  If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop 

the engine and check immediately for the cause. Vibration 

is generally a warning of trouble.

22.  Shut the engine off and wait until the spindle comes to 

a complete stop before cleaning the discharge area. The 

spindle continues to rotate for a few seconds after the 

control lever is released. Never place any part of the body 

in the trimmer line area until you are sure the spindle has 

stopped rotating.

23.  Never operate string trimmer without proper trail shield, 

discharge cover, control lever or other safety protective 

devices in place and working. Never operate string trimmer 

with damaged safety devices. Failure to do so can result in 

personal injury.

24.  Muffler and engine become hot and can cause a burn. Do 

not touch.

25.  Only use parts and accessories made for this machine by 

the manufacturer. Failure to do so can result in personal 

injury.

26.  When starting engine, pull cord slowly until resistance 

is felt, then pull rapidly. Rapid retraction of starter cord 

(kickback) will pull hand and arm toward engine faster than 

you can let go. Broken bones, fractures, bruises or sprains 

could result.

27.  If situations occur which are not covered in this manual, 

use care and good judgement. Contact Customer Support 

for assistance or the name of the nearest service dealer.

Slope Operation

Slopes are a major factor related to slip and fall accidents, which 

can result in severe injury. Operation on slopes requires extra 

caution. If you feel uneasy on a slope, do not trim on it. For your 

safety, use the slope gauge included as part of this manual to 

measure slopes before operating this machine on a sloped or 

hilly area. If the slope is greater than 15 degrees, do not trim on it.

Do:

1. 

Trim across the face of slopes; never up and down. Exercise 

extreme caution when changing direction on slopes.

2. 

Watch for holes, ruts, rocks, hidden objects, or bumps 

which can cause you to slip or trip. Tall grass can hide 

obstacles.

3. 

Always be sure of your footing. A slip and fall can cause 

serious personal injury. If you feel you are losing your 

balance, release the control lever immediately and the 

spindle will stop rotating within three (3) seconds.

Do Not:

1. 

Do not trim near drop-offs, ditches or embankments, you 

could lose your footing or balance.

2. 

Do not trim slopes greater than 15 degrees as shown on 

the slope gauge.

3. 

Do not trim on wet grass. Unstable footing could cause 

slipping.

Children

Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the 

presence of children. Children are often attracted to the string 

trimmer and the trimming activity. They do not understand the 

dangers. Never assume that children will remain where you last 

saw them.
1. 

Keep children out of the trimming area and under watchful 

care of a responsible adult other than the operator.

2. 

Be alert and turn string trimmer off if a child enters the 

area.

3. 

Before and while moving backwards, look behind and 

down for small children.