Hi Jewel, These string cutters are very approximate machines particularly for the blind but for everyone really.
Usually one uses them along a fence or foundation or some other edge where vegetation tends to grow a little wild. Behind my fence there is a lane but also about three maybe four feet to the gravel which grows grass and weeds much better than any cultivated land can grow anything and even through my generous use of Roundup. My trimmer has two strings at opposite sides of the bottom spindle, usually I work walking backward so I can orient myself and where I want the business end of the machine doing it's damage. I press the trigger getting up some speed then swing the thing into the vegetation from the lane toward the fence in an arc at about what I expect is a couple of inches above the ground then back and forth as I slowly progress backward along the lane and my fence. Often I make another pass fairly close to the fence, here I tend to use up a lot of string as I probably hit the fence more than I would if I could see but the line is fairly cheap. With a good pair of boots one can safely use a toe to confirm the height and location of the end of the machine but it isn't necessarily all that convenient to move about with a toe all that way out there. There is a lower 'D' handle which can be slid up or down the pole so one can sort of adjust it into a position familiar with your elbow slightly bent to help judge the height and distance of the business end. Often you dip a little and the machine grabs either the vegetation or the ground and swings away very quickly. This doubtless happens to sighted people too though maybe not quite so often. I have built sort of wooden curbs around many of my gardens intending that running the wheel of the lawn mower would keep a tidy edge, it doesn't quite do it so I am considering making a little sleigh sort of thing to hold the trimmer at the correct height and distance to allow a quick pass along these edges and thus preserve my back from bending and snipping by hand. The thing is that if the machine isn't turning fast enough to chew up the vegetation it is attacking it will, instead wrap it around the spinning hub and stall the machine making clearing it very difficult. Hope this helps. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: Jewel Blanch To: bhm Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 12:11 AM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Petrol line trimmer The article on how to operate a petrol line trimmer says to start the line going a little before it strikes the scrub/weeds/grass that is to be cut. How can a blind operator determine where the correct point is? Stop the motor, or slip it out of gear if that is possible, and feel where the cutter is in relation to that which is to be cut? Jewel [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
