F.F. Group GBC 551C PRO, Original Instructions Manual

English   | 13

www.ffgroup-tools.com

GBC 540C PRO | GBC 551C PRO

the engine. It is recommended that you mix only 

the amount needed for the job that you are about 

to do, in order to keep only fresh mixture.

WARNING: 

Carefully open the tank top as pressure 

could have formed inside. 

Especially  formulated  2-stroke  oil  for  air  cooled 

2-stroke engines must be used. Do not use 2-stroke 

oil intended for water cooled engines. Never use 

poor quality of oil or 4-stroke engine oil. 

For best results and performance, the mixing ra

-

tio of gasoline to oil is 30:1.

Always use clean container for fuel before mixing 

the  fuel.  Mix  and  shake  the  fuel  mixture  thor

-

oughly,  before  filling  the  machine’s  fuel  tank. 

Do not use fuel mixture stored for more than 

a  month.  The  fuel  tank  of  the  machine  must  be 

emptied before storage. 

Always use a funnel to refuel the machine.

Do not overfill. Leave a minimum 5 mm of space 

between the top of the fuel-oil mixture and the 

inside edge of the tank to allow for expansion. It 

is recommended that you fill the fuel tank up to ¾ 

of its full potential.

WARNING: 

Always close the fuel tank cap firmly.

STARTING THE UNIT

1.  Move the ignition switch to "START" position.

2.  Give  a  gentle  push  on  the  primer  pump 

repeatedly  (7-10  times)  until  fuel  comes  into 

the primer pump (Fig. 1.8).

3. In case of a cold start: Pull the chock lever up to 

close choke (Fig. 1.12).

4.  Move  the  throttle  trigger  (Fig.  1.3)  and  keep 

it in position with the throttle lock (if present) 

(Fig. 1.5).

5.  Pull the recoil start (Fig. 1.9) until engine starts. 

If the recoil start is pulled repeatedly with the 

choke  on,  it  may  flood  the  engine  and  make 

starting difficult. If you have flooded the engine, 

remove the spark plug and gently pull the handle 

on the starter rope to eliminate any excess fuel. 

Then reposition a dry spark and retry.

WARNING: 

To  avoid  breaking  the  starter  rope,  do 

not pull the whole length of it or let it slide along 

the edge of the cable guide hole. Release the starter 

gradually, to avoid letting it fly back uncontrollably. 

6.  When  the  engine  is  started  and  idling  return 

the choke lever back to open choke.

7.  Disengage the throttle lock (if present) press

-

ing the throttle trigger briefly.

8.  Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes be

-

fore using. 

NOTE: 

When the engine is hot the choke should re

-

main at “RUN” position at all times.

OPERATING THE UNIT

The  cutting  head  rotates  in  a  counter  clockwise 

manner. The cut-off knife (Fig. 1.15) for the trim

-

mer line is situated on the right side of the debris 

shield (Fig. 1.14). 

For nearly all head line cutting, it is recommended 

to tilt the head line so that the contact is made on 

the part of the line circle that the line is moving 

away from you and the debris shield. This will re

-

sult in any debris to be diverted away from you. If 

cutting up to a barrier such as fence, wall or tree, 

approach from an angle such as to ricochet any 

flying debris away from you.

WARNING: 

Do not cut where you cannot see what 

the cutting tool is cutting.

Blade is used for cutting growth up to ¾” in diameter.

WARNING: 

Do not use the brush cutter for cutting 

trees which exceed  ½” to ¾” in diameter.

WARNING: 

Always be aware of blade thrust. Blade 

thrust is the reaction which may occur when the 

spinning blade contacts anything that cannot cut; 

causing the blade to stop for an instant and cause a 

force that could thrust the brush cutter away from 

the contacted obstacle.  

STOPPING THE UNIT

1.  Release  your  hand  from  the  throttle  control.  Al

-

low the engine to cool down by running in idle for 

2-3 minutes.

2.  If your unit is equipped with a spring loaded On/

Off switch, press and hold the button on “O” po

-

sition until the engine stops. Otherwise, push the 

switch to the “Off” position.

MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING

WARNING:

 Never do maintenance or cleaning with 

the unit running. Always work on a cool unit.

WARNING: 

Before cleaning or doing maintenance 

work,  disconnect  the  spark  plug  cap  and  read  the 

relevant instructions. Wear proper clothing and pro

-

tective gloves whenever your hands are at risk. 

Any adjustments or maintenance operations not de-

scribed in this manual must be carried out by your 

Dealer or a specialized Service Centre with the nec-

essary knowledge and equipment to ensure that the 

work  is  done  correctly  maintaining  the  machine’s 

original  safety  level.  Any  operations  performed  in 

unauthorized centers or by unqualified persons will 

totally invalidate the Warranty and all obligations 

and responsibilities of the Manufacturer.

Keep  all  nuts  and  screws  tight  to  be  sure  the  ma

-

chine  is  always  in  safe  working  condition.  Routine 

maintenance is essential for safety and for maintain-

ing a high-performance level. 

WARNING:

 Never use the machine with worn or 

damaged  parts.  Faulty  or  worn-out  parts  must  al

-

ways be replaced and not repaired. Only use original 

spare parts.

Items

Before each use

During each refuelling stop

After each use

Ever

y week or ever

y 10 hrs

of operation

Ever

y month or ever

y 50 hrs

of operation

Ever

y 12 months or ever

y 100

hrs of operation

Com-
plete 
unit

Visual 

Ispection

√

√

√

Clean

√

Frequency