OPERATOR'S MANUAL ELECTRIC CULTIVATOR RY46501A Your electric cultivator has been engineered and manufactured to Ryobi's high standard for dependability, ease of operation, and operator safety. When properly cared for, it will give you years of rugged, trouble-free performance. WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, the user must read and understand the operator's manual before using this product. Thank you for buying a Ryobi product. SAVE THIS MANUAL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE TABLE OF CONTENTS n Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 2 n General Safety Rules ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 n Specific Safety Rules....................................................................................................................................................... 4 n Symbols........................................................................................................................................................................ 5-6 n Electrical .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 n Features........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 n Assembly .................................................................................................................................................................... 9-11 n Operation.................................................................................................................................................................. 11-13 n Adjustments................................................................................................................................................................... 14 n Maintenance .................................................................................................................................................................. 15 n Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................................................................. 15 n Parts Ordering / Service ................................................................................................................................................ 16 INTRODUCTION This tool has many features for making its use more pleasant and enjoyable. Safety, performance, and dependability have been given top priority in the design of this product making it easy to maintain and operate. 2 GENERAL SAFETY RULES WARNING: READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL INSTRUCTIONS. Failure to follow all instructions listed below may result in electric shock, fire, and/or serious personal injury. n Wear heavy long pants, boots, and gloves. Avoid loose garments or jewelry that could get caught in moving parts of the machine or its motor. n Do not operate the equipment while barefoot or when wearing sandals or similar lightweight footwear. Wear protective footwear that will protect your feet and improve your footing on slippery surfaces. n Secure long hair so it is above shoulder level to prevent entanglement in any moving parts. n Do not operate the cultivator while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. n Do not put hands or feet near or under tines. n Exercise caution to avoid slipping or falling. n Avoid accidental starting. Be sure the switch trigger is not engaged before plugging in. n Never pick up or carry a machine while the tines are turning or the motor is running. n Keep machine in good working condition. n Check all nuts, bolts, and screws at frequent intervals for proper tightness to be sure the equipment is in safe working condition. n Keep the unit free of grass, leaves, or grease to reduce the chance of a fire hazard. n Do not use tool if switch does not turn it on or off. Any tool that cannot be controlled with the switch is dangerous and must be repaired. n Disconnect the plug from power source before making any adjustments, changing accessories, or storing the tool. Such preventive safety measures reduce the risk of starting the tool accidentally. n Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, unplug the cultivator and make certain all moving parts have stopped. n Never spray water directly into the motor compartment of the cultivator. n Service on the cultivator must be performed by qualified repair personnel only. Service or maintenance performed by unqualified personnel could result in injury to the user or damage to the product. n Use only identical replacement parts when servicing the cultivator. Use of unauthorized parts may create a risk of serious injury to the user, or damage to the product. READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS n Read the operator's manual carefully. Be thoroughly familiar with the controls and the proper use of the equipment. Know how to stop the unit and disengage the controls quickly. n Do not operate power tools in explosive atmospheres, such as in the presence of flammable liquids, gases, or dust. Power tools create sparks which may ignite the dust or fumes. n Double insulated tools are equipped with a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other). This plug will fit in a polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully in the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician to install a polarized outlet. Do not change the plug in any way. Double insulation eliminates the need for the three-wire grounded power cord and grounded power supply system. n Avoid body contact with grounded surfaces such as pipes, radiators, ranges, and refrigerators. There is an increased risk of electric shock if your body is grounded. n Don't expose power tools to rain or wet conditions. Water entering a power tool will increase the risk of electric shock. n Do not abuse the cord. Never use the cord to carry the tools or pull the plug from an outlet. Keep cord away from heat, oil, sharp edges, or moving parts. Replace damaged cords immediately. Damaged cords increase the risk of electric shock. n Use outdoor extension cords marked "W-A" or "W." These cords are rated for outdoor use and reduce the risk of electric shock. n Never allow children to operate the equipment. Never allow adults to operate the equipment without proper instruction. n Always wear safety glasses with side shields. Everyday glasses have only impact resistant lenses. They are NOT safety glasses. Following this rule will reduce the risk of eye injury. 3 SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES n Do not use near underground electric cables, telephone lines, pipes, or hoses. If in doubt, contact your utility or telephone company to locate underground services. n Make sure your extension cord is in good condition. When using an extension cord, be sure to use one heavy enough to carry the current your product will draw. A wire gauge size (A.W.G.) of at least 14 is recommended for an extension cord 50 feet or less in length. A cord exceeding 100 feet is not recommended. If in doubt, use the next heavier gauge. The smaller the gauge number, the heavier the cord. An undersized cord will cause a drop in line voltage resulting in loss of power and overheating. n Start the cultivator carefully according to instructions from a normal operating position and with feet well away from the tines. n If the unit strikes a foreign object, stop the motor, thoroughly inspect the machine for any damage, and repair the damage before restarting and operating the machine. n Never leave the operating position when the motor is running. n Unplug the unit before unclogging the tines and when making any repairs, adjustments, or inspections. n Do not overload the machine capacity by cultivating too deep in a single pass or at too fast a rate. n Be aware that the equipment may unexpectedly bounce upward or jump forward if the tines should strike buried obstacles such as large stones, roots, or stumps. n Never operate the equipment on a slope. n Use extreme caution when pulling the machine towards you. n Save these instructions. Refer to them frequently and use them to instruct others who may use this cultivator. If you loan someone this unit, loan them these instructions also. WARNING: Some dust created by power sanding, sawing, grinding, drilling, and other construction activities contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. Some examples of these chemicals are: · lead from lead-based paints, · crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry products, and · arsenic and chromium from chemically-treated lumber. Your risk from these exposures varies, depending on how often you do this type of work. To reduce your exposure to these chemicals: work in a well ventilated area, and work with approved safety equipment, such as those dust masks that are specially designed to filter out microscopic particles. 4 SYMBOLS Some of the following symbols may be used on this tool. Please study them and learn their meaning. Proper interpretation of these symbols will allow you to operate the tool better and safer. SYMBOL V A Hz W min Volts Amperes Hertz Watt Minutes NAME Voltage Current DESIGNATION/EXPLANATION Frequency (cycles per second) Power Time Type of current Type or a characteristic of current Rotational speed, at no load Double-insulated construction Revolutions, strokes, surface speed, orbits etc., per minute Do not expose to rain or use in damp locations. Alternating Current Direct Current no No Load Speed Class II Construction .../min Per Minute Wet Conditions Alert Read The Operator's Manual To reduce the risk of injury, user must read and understand operator's manual before using this product. Always wear safety goggles, safety glasses with side shields, or a full face shield when operating this product. Precautions that involve your safety. Keep all bystanders at least 50 ft. away. Eye Protection Safety Alert Keep Bystanders Away 50' 15m Cutting Hazard Hot Surface Keep feet and hands away from rotating tines. To reduce the risk of injury or damage, avoid contact with any hot surface. 5 SYMBOLS The following signal words and meanings are intended to explain the levels of risk associated with this product. SYMBOL SIGNAL MEANING Indicates an imminently hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury. Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. (Without Safety Alert Symbol) Indicates a situation that may result in property damage. DANGER: WARNING: CAUTION: CAUTION: SERVICE Servicing requires extreme care and knowledge and should be performed only by a qualified service technician. For service we suggest you return the product to your nearest AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER for repair. When servicing, use only identical replacement parts. WARNING: To avoid serious personal injury, do not attempt to use this product until you read thoroughly and understand completely the operator's manual. Save this operator's manual and review frequently for continuing safe operation and instructing others who may use this product. WARNING: The operation of any power tool can result in foreign objects being thrown into your eyes, which can result in severe eye damage. Before beginning power tool operation, always wear safety goggles, safety glasses with side shields, or a full face shield when needed. We recommend Wide Vision Safety Mask for use over eyeglasses or standard safety glasses with side shields. Always use eye protection which is marked to comply with ANSI Z87.1. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS 6 ELECTRICAL DOUBLE INSULATION Double insulation is a concept in safety in electric power tools, which eliminates the need for the usual threewire grounded power cord. All exposed metal parts are isolated from the internal metal motor components with protecting insulation. Double insulated tools do not need to be grounded. EXTENSION CORDS When using a power tool at a considerable distance from a power source, be sure to use an extension cord that has the capacity to handle the current the tool will draw. An undersized cord will cause a drop in line voltage, resulting in overheating and loss of power. Use the chart to determine the minimum wire size required in an extension cord. Only round jacketed cords listed by Underwriter's Laboratories (UL) should be used. When working outdoors with a tool, use an extension cord that is designed for outside use. This type of cord is designated with "WA ...