PL 200
Operator’s Manual
Manual del Operador
Manuel de L’utilisateur
WARNING:
ReadandfollowallSafetyRulesandOperatingInstructionsbeforeusingthisprod-
uct. Failure to do so can result in serious injury.
ADVERTENCIA:
Leaelmanualdeloperadorysigatodaslasadvertenciaseenstruccionesdesegu-
ridad. El no hacerlo puede resultar en lesiones graves.
AVERTISSEMENT:
Lirelemanueldel’utilisateuretbienrespectertouslesavertissementsettoutes
lesinstructionsdesécurité.Toutdéfautdelefairepourraitentraînerdesblessures
graves.
ENGLISH
ESPAÑOL
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
www.weedeater.com
530087644 2/15/00
FRANÇAIS
Frigidaire Home Products, Augusta, GA 30907
WCI Outdoor Products, Inc.
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SAFETY RULES
WARNING: When using gardening ap-
pliances,basicsafetyprecautionsshouldal-
waysbefollowedtoreducetheriskoffireand
serious injury. Read and follow all instruc-
tions.
Thispowerunitcanbedangerous!Operator
is responsible for followingunit andmanual
instructionsandwarnings.ReadentireOper-
ator’sManualbeforeusingunit!Bethorough-
lyfamiliarwiththecontrolsandtheproperuse
oftheunit.Restricttheuseofthisunittoper-
sons whoread, understand,and followunit
andmanualinstructionsandwarnings.Nev-
er allow children to operate this unit.
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Operator’s Manual
DANGER:Neveruseblades,wire, orflail-
ingdevices.Thisunitisdesignedforlinetrim-
meruseonly.Useofanyotheraccessoriesor
attachments will increase the risk of injury.
WARNING: Trimmer line throws objects
violently. You and others can beblinded/in-
jured.Wearsafetyglassesandlegprotection.
Keep body parts clear of rotating line.
SafetyGlasses orsimilar eyeprotection
Boots
Hazard Zone
50 ft.
(15 m)
Keep children, bystanders,and animals50
feet(15meters)away.Ifapproachedstopunit
immediately.
Ifsituations occurwhich arenot coveredin
thismanual,usecareandgoodjudgement.If
you need assistance, contact your
Authorized Service Dealer or call
1-800-554-6723.
OPERATOR SAFETY
S Always wear safety eye protection.
S Always wear long pants, long sleeves,
boots, and gloves. Wearing safety leg
guardsisrecommended.Donotgobare-
footorwearsandals.Stayclearofspinning
line.
S Secure hair above shoulder length. Se-
cure orremove looseclothing orclothing
withlooselyhangingties, straps,tassels,
etc.They canbe caughtin movingparts.
S Donotoperatethisunitwhenyouaretired,
ill, upset,orundertheinfluenceofalcohol,
drugs, or medication.
S Wearhearingprotectionifyouusethisunit
for more than 1-1/2 hours per day.
S Neverstartorruninsideaclosedroomor
building.Breathingexhaustfumescankill.
S Keep handles free of oil and fuel.
UNIT / MAINTENANCE SAFETY
S Disconnectthesparkplugbeforeperform-
ingmaintenanceexceptcarburetoradjust-
ments.
S Look for and replace damaged or loose
partsbeforeeachuse.Lookforandrepair
fuelleaksbeforeuse.Keepingoodworking
condition.
S Replace trimmer head parts that are
chipped,cracked,broken,ordamagedin
any other way before using the unit.
S Makesureunitisassembledcorrectlyas
shown in this manual.
S Make carburetor adjustments with lower
endsupportedtopreventlinefromcontact-
ing any object.
S Keepothersawaywhenmakingcarburetor
adjustments.
S Use only recommended Weed Eaterac-
cessories and replacement parts.
FUEL SAFETY
S Mix and pour fuel outdoors.
S Keep away from sparks or flames.
S Use a container approved for fuel.
S Donotsmokeorallowsmokingnearfuelor
the unit.
S Wipe up all fuel spills .
S Moveatleast10feet(3meters)awayfrom
fueling site before starting engine.
S Stop engine and allow to cool before re-
moving fuel cap.
CUTTING SAFETY
S Useonlyfortrimming,mowing,andsweep-
ing.Donotuseforedging,pruningorhedge
trimming.
S Inspecttheareabeforeeachuse.Remove
objects (rocks, brokenglass, nails,wire,
etc.)whichcanbethrownbyorbecomeen-
tangled in line. Hardobjects candamage
the trimmer head and be throwncausing
serious injury.
S Keepfirmfootingandbalance.Donotover-
reach.
S Keepallpartsofyourbodyawayfrommuf-
fler and spinning line. Keep enginebelow
waistlevel.Ahotmufflercancauseserious
burns.
S Cutting on left sideof theshield willthrow
debris away from the operator.
TRANSPORTING AND
STORAGE
S Allowtheenginetocool;secureunitbefore
storing or transporting in vehicle.
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S Emptythefueltankbeforestoringortrans-
portingtheunit.Useupfuelleftinthecarbu-
retorbystartingengineandlettingitrunun-
til it stops.
S Storeunitandfuelinanareawherefuelva-
porscannotreachsparksoropenflames
from water heaters, electric motors or
switches, furnaces, etc.
S Storeunitsolinelimitercannotaccidentally
causeinjury.Unitcanbehungbythetube.
S Store the unit out of thereach ofchildren
Ifsituations occurwhich arenot coveredin
thismanual,usecareandgoodjudgment.If
youneedassistance, call1-800-554-6723.
SPECIAL NOTICE: This unit is not
equippedwithatemperature limitingmuffler
andsparkarrestingscreenwhichmeetsthe
requirementsof CaliforniaCodes 4442and
4443. All U.S. forest land and the states of
California, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New
Jersey,Oregon,andWashingtonrequireby
lawthatmanyinternalcombustionenginesto
beequippedwithasparkarrestorscreen.If
you operate in a localewhere suchregula-
tions exist, you are legally responsible for
installingandmaintainingtheoperatingcon-
ditionoftheseparts.Failuretodosoisaviola-
tionofthelaw. Ifasparkarrestorisrequired
inyourarea,contactyourAuthorizedService
Dealer for the proper kit.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Exposuretovibra-
tionsthroughprolongeduseofgasolinepow-
eredhandtoolscouldcausebloodvesselor
nerve damage in the fingers, hands, and
jointsofpeoplepronetocirculationdisorders
orabnormalswellings.Prolongeduseincold
weatherhasbeenlinkedtobloodvesseldam-
ageinotherwisehealthypeople.Ifsymptoms
occur such as numbness, pain, loss of
strength,changeinskin coloror texture,or
lossoffeelinginthefingers,hands,orjoints,
discontinuetheuseofthistoolandseekmed-
icalattention.Ananti-vibrationsystemdoes
notguaranteetheavoidanceof theseprob-
lems. Users who operate power tools ona
continual and regular basis must monitor
closelytheirphysicalconditionandthecondi-
tion of this tool.
ASSEMBLY
WARNING:Makesureunitisproperlyas-
sembled and all fasteners are secure.
ADJUST THE HANDLE
S Loosenwingnutorplasticknobonhandle.
S Rotatehandletouprightposition andtight-
en in a comfortable position between the
trigger and the safety label on the tube.
Tighten handle securely.
ATTACHING THE SHIELD
WARNING: The shield must be properly
installed.Theshieldprovidespartialprotec-
tionfromtheriskofthrownobjectstotheoper-
atorandothersandisequippedwithalinelim-
iterwhichcutsexcessline.Thelinelimiter(on
undersideofshield)issharpandcancutyou.
S Insert bracket into slot on shield.
S Pivotshielduntilboltpassesthroughholein
bracket.
S Securely tighten wing nut.
S Removepackingcoverfromthearborshaft
ifsoequipped.Threadtrimmer headonto
shaft; tighten securely against dust cup.
Bracket
Shield
Slot
FUELING
This engine is certified to operate on un-
leaded gasoline. Gasoline must be mixed
withagoodquality2-cycleair-cooledengine
oil designed to be mixed at a ratio of 40:1.
Poulan/Weed Eater brand oil is recom-
mended.(A 40:1ratio isobtained bymixing
3.2 ounces of oil with 1 gallon of unleaded
gasoline). When mixing fuel follow the
instructionsprintedonthecontainer.Always
read and followthe safetyrules underFUEL
SAFETY.
STARTING
Starting Position
HOW TO STOP YOUR UNIT
Pushandhold theengine stopswitch inthe
STOP or OFF position until the unit has fully
stopped.
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Primer Bulb
Trigger
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HOW TO START YOUR UNIT
WARNING: The trimmer head will turn
while starting the engine. A hot muffler can
cause serious burns.
COLD ENGINE STARTING OR
STARTING AFTER REFUELING
S Set unit on a flat surface.
S Slowly press the primer bulb 6 times.
S Movechokelever toFULL CHOKEposi-
tion.
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S Squeeze thethrottle triggerfully andhold
through all remaining steps.
S Pull starter rope handle sharply 6 times.
S MovechokelevertoHALF CHOKEposi-
tion.
S Pull starter rope handle no more than 6
pulls, until engine runs.
S Allowenginetorun10seconds,thenmove
choke lever to OFF CHOKE position.
RESTARTING A WARM ENGINE
S MovechokelevertoOFFCHOKEposition.
S Pull starterrope handleuntil engineruns.
S If engine does not start in 5 pulls, follow
instructions in STARTING A COLD EN-
GINE.
OPERATION
OPERATING POSITION
Eye Protectio
Long Pants
Heavy Shoes
ALWAYS WEAR:
Cut from your right to your left.
ADVANCING THE CUTTING
LINE
Advancelinebytappingthebottomofthecut-
tingheadlightlyonthegroundwhileengineis
running at full speed. The metal line limiter
bladeattachedtotheshieldwillcutthelineto
the proper length.
REPLACING THE LINE
S Pushandholdtheenginestopswitchinthe
stop/off position until the unit has fully
stopped.
S Disconnect the spark plug lead wire.
S Removespoolbyfirmlypullingontapbut-
ton.
S Clean entire surface of hub and spool.
S Replacewithapre-woundspool,orcuttwo
lengthsof12-1/2feetof.080”(2mm)diam-
eter Weed Eater r brand line. Neveruse
wire,rope,string,etc.,whichcanbreakoff
and become a dangerous missile.
S Insertendsofthelineabout1/2inch(1cm)
into the small hole on the inside of spool.
Small
Holes
Spool
Hub
Line in Notch
Line in Notch
Line exit holes
S Wind the line evenly and tightly onto the
spool. Wind in the directionof thearrows
found on the spool.
S Pushthelineintothenotches,leaving3to5
inches (7 -- 12 cm) unwound.
S Insertthe lineinto thethe exitholes inthe
hub as shown in the illustration.
S Align the notches with the line exit hole.
S Pushspoolintohubuntilitsnapsintoplace.
S Pullthelineextendingoutsideofthehubto
release it from the notch.
SERVICE
Werecommendallserviceandadjustments
notlistedinthismanual beperformed byan
Authorized Service Dealer.
TROUBLESHOOTING CHART
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 Air filter dirty.
S Spark plug fouled.
S Carburetor requires adjustment.
Engine will not accelerate, lacks
power, or dies under a load.
Engine smokes excessively.
S Air filter dirty.
S Too much oil mixed with gasoline.
S Carburetor requires adjustment.
S Carburetor requires adjustment.
S Throttle trigger screw too tight.
Line does not advance or breaks while
cutting.
S Line improperly routed in head.
S Line improperly wound on spool.
S Line size incorrect.
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.
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CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENTS
Yourcarburetorisequippedwithlimitercaps.
Damagewilloccurifyouturntheneedlesbe-
yondthelimiterstops.Carburetoradjustment
is a complicated task.We recommendthat
youtakeyourunit toan AuthorizedService
Dealer.
IGNITION TIMING
The ignition timing is fixed, non-adjustable.
SPARK PLUG
ReplacethesparkplugyearlyusingaCham-
pionRCJ--8Y plug.Spark pluggap is.025”.
NEED ASSISTANCE?
Need Assistance?
Call 1--800--554--6723
Need Service Part?
Contact your dealer.
LIMITED WARRANTY
Frigidaire Home Products, DivisionWCI
OutdoorPowerProducts,Inc.warrantstothe
originalpurchaserthateachnewWeedEater
brandgasolinetoolorattachmentisfreefrom
defects in material and workmanship and
agrees to repair or replace under thiswar-
ranty any defective gasoline product orat-
tachmentasfollowsfromtheoriginaldateof
purchase.
2YEARS-- PartsandLabor,when usedfor
household purposes.
90 DAYS -- Partsand Labor,when usedfor
commercial,professional,orincomeproduc-
ing purposes.
30DAYS --PartsandLabor,ifusedforrental
purposes.
Thiswarrantyisnottransferableanddoesnot
coverdamageorliabilitycausedbyimproper
handling,impropermaintenance,ortheuse
ofaccessoriesand/orattachmentsnotspe-
cificallyrecommendedbyFrigidaireHome
Productsforthistool.Additionally,thiswar-
rantydoesnotcovertune-ups,sparkplugs,
filters,cuttingline,orrotatingheadpartsthat
will wearand requirereplacement withrea-
sonableuseduringthewarrantyperiod.This
warrantydoesnotcoverpredeliverysetupor
normaladjustmentsexplainedin theopera-
tor’s manual.
THIS WARRANTYGIVES YOUSPECIFIC
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.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITA-
TIONSONHOWLONGANIMPLIEDWAR-
RANTY LASTS OR THE EXCLUSIONOR
LIMITATIONS OF INCIDENTAL ORCON-
SEQUENTIALDAMAGES,SOTHEABOVE
LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION MAYNOT
APPLY TO YOU.
FrigidaireHomeProducts’policyistocon-
tinuously improve its products. Therefore,
Frigidaire Home Products reserves the
righttochange,modify,ordiscontinuemod-
els,designs,specifications,andaccessories
of all products at any timewithout noticeor
obligation to any purchaser.
U.S. EPA
EMISSION CONTROL
W
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YOUR WARRANTY RIGHTS AND OB-
LIGATIONS: The U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency and POULAN/WEED
EATER, DIVISION OF WCI OUTDOOR
PRODUCTSarepleasedtoexplaintheemis-
sionscontrolsystemwarrantyonyourlawn
andgardenequipmentengine.Allnewutility
and lawn and garden equipment engines
mustbedesigned,built,andequippedtomeet
the stringent anti--smog standards. POU-
LAN/WEEDEATERmustwarranttheemis-
sioncontrolsystemonyourlawnandgarden
equipmentenginefortheperiodsoftimelisted
belowprovidedtherehasbeennoabuse,ne-
glect,orimpropermaintenanceofyourlawn
andgardenequipmentengine.Youremission
control system includes parts such as the
carburetorandtheignitionsystem.Wherea
warrantableconditionexits,POULAN/WEED
EATER will repair your lawn and garden
equipment engine at no cost to you. Ex-
pensescoveredunderwarrantyincludediag-
nosis,partsandlabor.MANUFACTURER’S
WARRANTYCOVERAGE:Ifanyemissions
relatedpart onyour engine(as listedunder
EmissionsControlWarrantyPartsList)isde-
fective or a defectin thematerials orwork-
manship of theengine causesthe failureof
suchanemissionrelatedpart,thepartwillbe
repaired or replaced by POULAN/WEED
EATER.OWNER’SWARRANTYRESPON-
SIBILITIES:Asthelawnand gardenequip-
mentengineowner,youare responsiblefor
theperformanceoftherequiredmaintenance
listed in your Owner’s Manual. POULAN/
WEEDEATERrecommendsthatyouretain
all receipts covering maintenance on your
lawnandgardenequipmentengine,butPOU-
LAN/WEED EATER cannot deny warranty
solelyforthelackofreceiptsorforyourfailure
to ensurethe performanceof allscheduled
maintenance. Asthelawnandgardenequip-
mentengineowner,youshouldbeawarethat
POULAN/WEEDEATERmaydenyyouwar-
rantycoverageifyourlawnandgardenequip-
ment engine or a part of it has failed dueto
abuse,neglect,improper maintenance,un-
approved modifications,or theuse ofparts
notmadeorapprovedbythe originalequip-
mentmanufacturer. Youareresponsiblefor
6
presentingyourlawnandgardenequipment
enginetoaPOULAN/WEED EATERautho-
rizedrepaircenterassoonasaproblemex-
ists.Warrantyrepairsshouldbecompletedin
areasonableamountof time,not toexceed
30days.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregarding
yourwarrantyrightsandresponsibilities,you
shouldcontactyournearestauthorizedser-
vicecenterorcallPOULAN/WEEDEATERat
1--800--554--6723. WARRANTY COM-
MENCEMENTDATE:The warrantyperiod
beginsonthedatethelawnandgardenequip-
ment engine is purchased. LENGTH OF
COVERAGE:Thiswarrantyshallbeforape-
riodof twoyears fromthe initialdate ofpur-
chase. WHAT ISCOVERED: REPAIROR
REPLACEMENTOFPARTS.Repairorre-
placementofanywarrantedpartwillbeper-
formed at no charge tothe ownerat anap-
proved POULAN/WEED EATER servicing
center.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregarding
yourwarrantyrightsandresponsibilities,you
shouldcontactyournearestauthorizedser-
vicecenterorcallPOULAN/WEEDEATERat
1--800--554--6723 WARRANTY PERIOD:
Anywarrantedpartwhichisnotscheduledfor
replacement as required maintenance, or
whichisscheduledonlyforregularinspection
to theeffect of“repair orreplace asneces-
sary”shallbewarrantedfor2years.Anywar-
ranted partwhich isscheduled forreplace-
ment as required maintenance shall be
warrantedfortheperiodoftimeuptothefirst
scheduled replacement point for that part.
DIAGNOSIS: The owner shall not be
charged fordiagnostic laborwhich leadsto
thedeterminationthatawarrantedpartisde-
fectiveifthediagnosticworkisperformedat
anapprovedPOULAN/WEEDEATERserv-
icing center. CONSEQUENTIAL DAM-
AGES: POULAN/WEED EATERmay beli-
able for damages to other engine
componentscausedbythefailureof awar-
ranted part still under warranty. WHAT IS
NOT COVERED: All failures caused by
abuse,neglect,orimpropermaintenanceare
not covered. ADD--ON OR MODIFIED
PARTS:Theuseofadd--onormodifiedparts
canbegroundsfordisallowingawarrantyclaim.
POULAN/WEEDEATERisnotliabletocover
failuresofwarrantedpartscausedbytheuse
ofadd--onormodifiedparts.HOWTOFILEA
CLAIM:Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregarding
yourwarrantyrightsandresponsibilities,you
shouldcontactyournearestauthorizedser-
vicecenterorcallPOULAN/WEEDEATERat
1--800--554--6723.WHERE TO GETWAR-
RANTYSERVICE:Warrantyservicesorre-
pairsshallbeprovidedatallPOULAN/WEED
EATERservicecenters.call:1--800--554--6723
MAINTENANCE,REPLACEMENTANDRE-
PAIROFEMISSIONRELATEDPARTS:Any
POULAN/WEEDEATERapprovedreplace-
mentpartusedintheperformanceofanywar-
rantymaintenanceorrepaironemissionre-
latedpartswillbeprovidedwithoutchargeto
theownerifthepartisunderwarranty.EMIS-
SION CONTROL WARRANTY PARTS
LIST: Carburetor, Ignition System: Spark
Plug(covereduptomaintenanceschedule),
Ignition Module. MAINTENANCE STATE-
MENT:Theownerisresponsiblefortheper-
formanceofallrequiredmaintenanceasde-
fined in the owner’s manual.
/