Please do not return unit to retailer.
Por favor, no devuelva el aparato al lugar de compra.
Veuillez ne pas retourner l’outil au détaillant.
1-800-554-6723
Operator’s Manual
Manual del Operador
Manuel de L’utilisateur
PL 500
WARNING:
ReadandfollowallSafetyRules andOperatingIns tructions beforeus ingthis prod-
uct. Failure to do s o can res ult in s erious injury.
ADVERTENCIA:
Leaelmanualdeloperadorys igatodas las advertencias eens trucciones des egu-
ridad. El no hacerlo puede res ultar en les iones graves .
AVERTISSEMENT:
Lire le manuel de l’utilis ateur et bien res pecter tous les avertis s ements ettoutes
les ins tructions de s écurité.Toutdéfautde lefaire pourraitentraînerdes bles s ures
graves .
Frigidaire Home Products, Augusta, GA 30907
WCI Outdoor Products , Inc.
530087641
2/15/00
S Emptyfueltankbefores toringortrans port-
ingthe unit.Us e upfuelleftinthecarburetor
by s tarting engine and letting it run until it
s tops .
S Store unitandfuelinan area where fuelva-
pors cannot reach s parks or openflames
from water heaters , electric motors or
s witches , furnaces , etc.
S Store units oline limitercannotaccidentally
caus e injury.Unit canbe hungby the tube.
S Store the unit out of the reach of children
If s ituations occur which are not covered in
this manual, us e care and good judgment. If
you need as s is tance, call 1-800-554-6723.
iterwhichcuts exces s line.Theline limiter(on
unders ide ofs hield)is s harpandcancutyou.
S Ins ert bracket into s lot on s hield.
S Pivots hielduntilboltpas s es throughholein
bracket.
S Securely tighten wing nut.
S Removepackingcoverfromthearbors haft
if s o equipped. Thread trimmer head onto
s haft; tighten s ecurely agains t dus t cup.
Wing Nut
Bracket
Slot
SPECIAL NOTICE: This unit is not
equipped with a temperature limiting muffler
ands parkarres ting s creenwhich meets the
requirements of California Codes 4442 and
4443. All U.S. fores t land and the s tates of
California, Idaho, Maine, Minnes ota, New
J ers ey,Oregon, andWas hington require by
lawthatmanyinternalcombus tionengines to
be equipped with a s park arres tor s creen.If
you operate in a locale where s uch regula-
tions exis t, you are legally res pons ible for
ins talling and maintaining the operatingcon-
ditionofthes e parts .Failure todos ois aviola-
tion of the law. If a s parkarres tor is required
inyourarea,contactyourAuthorizedService
Dealer for the proper kit.
Dus t Cup
Shield
FUEL YOUR UNIT
SPECIAL NOTICE: Expos ure to vibra-
tions throughprolongedus e ofgas olinepow-
ered hand tools could caus e blood ves s elor
nerve damage in the fingers , hands , and
joints ofpeople prone tocirculationdis orders
orabnormals wellings .Prolongedus e incold
weatherhas beenlinkedtobloodves s eldam-
age inotherwis e healthypeople.Ifs ymptoms
occur s uch as numbnes s , pain, los s of
s trength, change in s kin color or texture, or
los s of feeling in the fingers ,hands , orjoints ,
dis continue the us e ofthis toolands eekmed-
ical attention. An anti-vibration s ys temdoes
not guarantee the avoidance of thes e prob-
lems . Us ers who operate power tools on a
continual and regular bas is mus t monitor
clos elytheirphys icalconditionandthecondi-
tion of this tool.
This engine is certified to operate on un-
leaded gas oline. Gas oline mus t be mixed
witha good quality2-cycle air-cooledengine
oil des igned to be mixed at a ratio of 40:1.
Poulan/Weed Eater brand oil is recom-
mended. (A 40:1 ratio is obtained by mixing
3.2 ounces of oil with 1 gallon of unleaded
gas oline). When mixing fuel follow the
ins tructions printedonthe container.Always
read and follow the s afety rules under FUEL
SAFETY.
STARTING
Starting Pos ition
ASSEMBLY
WARNING: Make s ure unitis properlyas -
s embled and all fas teners are s ecure.
HOW TO STOP YOUR UNIT
ADJUST THE HANDLE
Pus h and hold the engine s top s witch in the
STOP or OFF pos ition until the unit has fully
s topped.
S Loos enwingnutor plas tic knob onhandle.
S Rotate handle toupright pos ition andtight-
en in a comfortable pos ition between the
trigger and the s afety label on the tube.
Tighten handle s ecurely.
Choke lever
ATTACHING THE SHIELD
Trigger
WARNING: The s hield mus t be properly
ins talled. The s hield provides partialprotec-
tionfromtheris kofthrownobjects totheoper-
atorandothers andis equippedwitha linelim-
Primer Bulb
Muffler
3
S Clean entire s urface of hub and s pool.
S Replace witha pre-wounds pool,orcuttwo
lengths of12-1/2 feetof.080”(2 mm)diam-
eter Weed Eaterr brand line. Never us e
wire,rope,s tring,etc., whichcan breakoff
and become a dangerous mis s ile.
HOW TO START YOUR UNIT
WARNING: The trimmer head will turn
while s tarting the engine. A hot muffler can
caus e s erious burns .
COLD ENGINE STARTING OR
S Ins ertends ofthe line about 1/2inch (1cm)
into the s mall hole on the ins ide of s pool.
STARTING AFTER REFUELING
S Set unit on a flat s urface.
S Slowly pres s the primer bulb 6 times .
S Move choke lever to FULL CHOKE pos i-
tion.
Spool
Small
Holes
S Squeeze the throttle trigger fully and hold
through all remaining s teps .
S Pull s tarter rope handle s harply 6 times .
S Move choke lever to HALF CHOKE pos i-
tion.
S Pull s tarter rope handle no more than 6
pulls , until engine runs .
S Allowengine torun10s econds ,thenmove
choke lever to OFF CHOKE pos ition.
Line exit holes
Line in Notch
RESTARTING A WARM ENGINE
S MovechokelevertoOFFCHOKEpos ition.
S Pull s tarter rope handle until engine runs .
S If engine does not s tart in 5 pulls , follow
ins tructions in STARTING A COLD EN-
GINE.
Line in Notch
Hub
S Wind the line evenly and tightly onto the
s pool. Wind in the direction of the arrows
found on the s pool.
USING YOUR UNIT
S Pus hthe line intothe notches ,leaving3to5
inches (7 - 12 cm) unwound.
OPERATING POSITION
ALWAYS WEAR:
Eye Protectio
S Ins ert the line into the the exit holes in the
hub as s hown in the illus tration.
S Align the notches with the line exit hole.
S Pus hs poolintohubuntilits naps intoplace.
S Pull the line extendingouts ide ofthe hubto
releas e it from the notch.
Long Pants
Heavy Shoes
SERVICE
We recommend alls ervice andadjus tments
not lis ted in this manual be performed by an
Authorized Service Dealer.
Cut from your right to your left.
ADVANCING THE CUTTING LINE
CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENTS
Yourcarburetoris equippedwithlimitercaps .
Carburetoradjus tmentis a complicatedtas k.
We recommend that youtake yourunit toan
Authorized Service Dealer. Damage will oc-
cur if you turn the needles beyond the limiter
s tops .
Advance line bytappingthe bottomofthecut-
tingheadlightly onthe groundwhile engine is
running at full s peed. The metal line limiter
blade attached to the s hieldwill cutthe line to
the proper length.
REPLACING THE LINE
S Pus handholdthe engine s tops witch inthe
s top/off pos ition until the unit has fully
s topped.
S Dis connect the s park plug lead wire.
S Remove s pool by firmly pulling on tapbut-
ton.
IGNITION TIMING
The ignition timing is fixed, non-adjus table.
SPARK PLUG
Replace the s parkplugyearlyus ingaCham-
pion RCJ -8Y plug. Spark plug gap is .025”.
4
This warrantyis nottrans ferableanddoes not
coverdamage orliabilitycaus edbyimproper
handling, improper maintenance, or the us e
ofacces s ories and/orattachments nots pe-
cifically recommendedby Frigidaire Home
Products for this tool. Additionally, this war-
ranty does not covertune-ups , s parkplugs ,
filters , cutting line,or rotatinghead parts that
will wear and require replacement with rea-
s onable us e duringthe warrantyperiod.This
warrantydoes notcoverpredeliverys etupor
normal adjus tments explained in the opera-
tor’s manual.
THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC
LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY HAVE
OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM
STATE TO STATE.
NO CLAIMS FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR
OTHER DAMAGES WILL BE ALLOWED,
AND THERE ARE NO OTHER EXPRESS
WARRANTIES EXCEPT THOSE EX-
PRESSLY STIPULATED HEREIN.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Engine will not start.
S Fuel tank empty.
S Engine flooded.
S Spark plug not firing.
S Fuel not reaching carburetor.
S Carburetor requires adjustment.
Engine will not idle properly.
S Carburetor requires adjustment.
S Throttle trigger screw too tight.
Engine will not accelerate, lacks
power, or dies under a load.
S Air filter dirty.
S Spark plug fouled.
S Carburetor requires adjustment.
Engine smokes excessively.
S Air filter dirty.
S Too much oil mixed with gasoline.
S Carburetor requires adjus tment.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITA-
TIONS ONHOWLONG AN IMPLIEDWAR-
RANTY LASTS OR THE EXCLUSION OR
LIMITATIONS OF INCIDENTAL OR CON-
SEQUENTIALDAMAGES,SO THEABOVE
LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU.
Line does not advance or breaks while
cutting.
S Line improperly routed in head.
S Line improperly wound on spool.
S Line size incorrect.
Frigidaire Home Products policyis tocon-
tinuous ly improve its products . Therefore,
Frigidaire Home Products res erves the
right to change, modify, or dis continue mod-
els ,des igns ,s pecifications ,andacces s ories
of all products at any time without notice or
obligation to any purchas er.
Line welds onto spool.
S Line size incorrect
S Line improperly wound on spool.
S Crowding line on material being cut.
Line pulls back into head
S Too little line outside of head.
S Line size incorrect.
U.S. EPA
EMISSION CONTROL
WARRANTY STATEMENT
NEED ASSISTANCE?
Need As s is tance?
Call 1-800-554-6723.
Need Service Parts ?
Contact your dealer or place of purchas e.
YOUR WARRANTY RIGHTS AND OB -
LIGATIONS: The U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency and POULAN/WEED
EATER, DIVISION OF WCI OUTDOOR
PRODUCTS arepleas edtoexplaintheemis -
s ions control s ys tem warrantyon yourlawn
and garden equipment engine. All new utility
and lawn and garden equipment engines
mus tbe des igned,built,andequippedtomeet
the s tringent anti-s mog s tandards . POU-
LAN/WEED EATER mus t warrant the emis -
s ioncontrols ys temonyourlawnandgarden
equipmentengine forthe periods oftimelis ted
belowprovidedthere has beennoabus e,ne-
glect, or improper maintenance of yourlawn
andgardenequipmentengine.Youremis s ion
control s ys tem includes parts s uch as the
carburetor and the ignitions ys tem. Where a
warrantableconditionexits ,POULAN/WEED
EATER will repair your lawn and garden
equipment engine at no cos t to you. Ex-
pens es coveredunderwarrantyincludediag-
nos is ,parts andlabor.MANUFACTURER’S
WARRANTYCOVERAGE:Ifanyemis s ions
related part on your engine (as lis ted under
LIMITED WARRANTY
Frigidaire Home Products , Divis ion WCI
OutdoorPowerProducts ,Inc.warrants tothe
originalpurchas erthateachnewWeedEater
brandgas oline toolorattachmentis freefrom
defects in material and workmans hip and
agrees to repair or replace under this war-
ranty any defective gas oline product or at-
tachment as follows from the original date of
purchas e.
2 YEARS - Parts and Labor, when us ed for
hous ehold purpos es .
90 DAYS - Parts and Labor, when us ed for
commercial,profes s ional,orincomeproduc-
ing purpos es .
30 DAYS -Parts andLabor, ifus ed forrental
purpos es .
5
Emis s ions ControlWarrantyParts Lis t)is de-
fective or a defect in the materials or work-
mans hip of the engine caus es the failure of
s uchanemis s ionrelatedpart, the part willbe
repaired or replaced by POULAN/WEED
EATER.OWNER’S WARRANTYRESPON-
SIBILITIES: As the lawn and garden equip-
ment engine owner, you are res pons ible for
theperformanceofthe requiredmaintenance
lis ted in your Owner’s Manual. POULAN/
WEED EATER recommends that you retain
all receipts covering maintenance on your
lawnandgardenequipmentengine,butPOU-
LAN/WEED EATER cannot deny warranty
s olelyforthe lackofreceipts orforyourfailure
to ens ure the performance of all s cheduled
maintenance. As the lawnandgardenequip-
mentengine owner,yous houldbe awarethat
POULAN/WEEDEATER maydenyyouwar-
rantycoverageifyourlawnandgardenequip-
ment engine or a part of it has failed due to
abus e, neglect, improper maintenance, un-
approved modifications , or the us e of parts
not made or approved by the original equip-
ment manufacturer. Youare res pons ible for
pres entingyour lawnand gardenequipment
engine to a POULAN/WEED EATER autho-
rized repaircenter as s oon as a problemex-
is ts .Warrantyrepairs s houldbe completedin
a reas onable amount of time, not to exceed
30days . Ifyouhaveanyques tions regarding
yourwarrantyrights andres pons ibilities ,you
s houldcontactyourneares t authorizeds er-
vice centerorcallPOULAN/WEEDEATERat
1-800-554-6723. WARRANTY COM-
MENCEMENT DATE: The warranty period
begins onthe datethe lawnandgardenequip-
ment engine is purchas ed. LENGTH OF
COVERAGE: This warrantys hallbeforape-
riod of two years from the initial date of pur-
chas e. WHAT IS COVERED: REPAIR OR
REPLACEMENT OF PARTS. Repair or re-
placement of any warranted part will be per-
formed at no charge to the owner at an ap-
proved POULAN/WEED EATER s ervicing
center. If you have any ques tions regarding
yourwarrantyrights andres pons ibilities ,you
s houldcontactyourneares t authorizeds er-
vice centerorcallPOULAN/WEEDEATERat
1-800-554-6723 WARRANTY PERIOD:
Anywarrantedpartwhichis nots cheduledfor
replacement as required maintenance, or
whichis s cheduledonlyforregularins pection
to the effect of “repair or replace as neces -
s ary”s hallbe warrantedfor2years .Anywar-
ranted part which is s cheduled for replace-
ment as required maintenance s hall be
warranted for the period oftime upto the firs t
s cheduled replacement point for that part.
DIAGNOSIS: The owner s hall not be
charged for diagnos tic labor which leads to
the determinationthata warrantedpart is de-
fective if the diagnos tic workis performedat
anapprovedPOULAN/WEED EATER s erv-
icing center. CONSEQUENTIAL DAM-
AGES: POULAN/WEED EATER may be li-
able for damages to other engine
components caus ed by the failure of a war-
ranted part s till under warranty. WHAT IS
NOT COVERED: All failures caus ed by
abus e,neglect,orimpropermaintenanceare
not covered. ADD -ON OR MODIFIED
PARTS: The us e ofadd-onormodifiedparts
canbegroundsfordis allowingawarrantyclaim.
POULAN/WEEDEATER is notliable tocover
failures ofwarrantedparts caus edbytheus e
ofadd-onormodifiedparts .HOWTO FILEA
CLAIM: Ifyouhave anyques tions regarding
yourwarrantyrights andres pons ibilities ,you
s houldcontactyourneares t authorizeds er-
vice centerorcallPOULAN/WEEDEATERat
1-800-554-6723. WHERE TO GET WAR -
RANTYSERVICE: Warrantys ervices orre-
pairs s hallbe providedatallPOULAN/WEED
EATERs ervicecenters .call:1-800-554-6723
MAINTENANCE,REPLACEMENTANDRE-
PAIROFEMISSIONRELATEDPARTS:Any
POULAN/WEEDEATER approvedreplace-
mentpartus edinthe performanceofanywar-
ranty maintenance or repairon emis s ionre-
lated parts willbe providedwithout charge to
the ownerifthe partis underwarranty. EMIS -
SION CONTROL WARRANTY PARTS
LIST: Carburetor, Ignition Sys tem: Spark
Plug(covereduptomaintenance s chedule),
Ignition Module. MAINTENANCE STATE-
MENT: The owneris res pons ible for the per-
formance ofall requiredmaintenance as de-
fined in the owner’s manual.
6
|