Poulan 545117551e User Manual - Page 5

S Pinch-Kickback can occur when the wood closes in and pinches the moving chain in the cut along the top of the guide bar and the chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stopping of the chain results in a reversal of the chain force used to cut wood and causes the pruner to move in the opposite direction of the chain rotation. The pruner is driven straight back toward the operator. S Pull-In can occur when the moving chain contacts a foreign object in the wood in the cut along the bottom of the guide bar and the chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stopping pulls the pruner forward and away from the operator and could easily cause the operator to lose control of the pruner. REDUCE THE CHANCE OF KICKBACK S Recognize that kickback can happen. With a basic understanding of kickback, you can reduce the element of surprise which contributes to accidents. S Never let the moving chain contact any ob- ject at the tip of the guide bar. S Keep the working area free from obstructions such as other trees, branches, rocks, stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid any obstruction that your chain could hit while you are cutting. When cutting a branch, do not let the guide bar contact branch or other objects around it. S Keep your chain sharp and properly tensioned. A loose or dull chain can increase the chance of kickback occurring. Follow manufacturer's chain sharpening and maintenance instructions. Check tension at regular intervals, but never with the motor running. Make sure the bar clamp nut is se- curely tightened after tensioning the chain. S Begin and continue cutting at full speed. If the chain is moving at a slower speed, there is greater chance of kickback occurring. S Cut one branch at a time. S Use extreme caution when re-entering a previous cut. S Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip of the bar (plunge cuts). S Watch for shifting of wood or other forces that could close a cut and pinch or fall into chain. S Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar and Low--Kickback Chain specified for your unit. MAINTAIN CONTROL S Keep a good, firm grip on the pruner with both hands when the unit is running and don't let go. A firm grip will help you reduce kickback and maintain control. Keep the fingers of your left hand encircling and your left thumb under the assist handle. Keep your right hand completely around the trigger handle whether your are right handed or left handed. S Stand with your weight evenly balanced on both feet. S Stand slightly to the left side of the pruner to keep your body from being in a direct line with the cutting chain. KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES WARNING: The following features are included on your pruner to help reduce the hazard of kickback; however, such features will not totally eliminate this danger. As a pruner user, do not rely only on safety devices. You must follow all safety precautions, instructions, and maintenance in this manual to help avoid kickback and other forces which can result in serious injury. S Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar, designed with a small radius tip which reduces the size of the kickback danger zone on the bar tip. Reduced Kickback Symmetrical Guide Bar Small Radius Tip Symmetrical Guide Bar Large Radius Tip S Low--Kickback Chain, designed with a contoured depth gauge and guard link which deflect kickback force and allow wood to gradually ride into the cutter. A low kickback chain has met kickback performance requirements when tested on the representative sample of the chain saws specified in ANSI B175.1. Contoured Depth Gauge Low--- Kickback Chain Elongated Guard Link Deflects kickback force and allows wood to gradually ride into cutter Can Obstruct Material Not a Low--- Kickback Chain LINE TRIMMER SAFETY DANGER: Never use blades with line trimmer attachment. Never use flailing devices with any attachment. This attachment (when used with supplied line trimmer attachment) is designed for line trimmer use only. Use of any other accessories with line trimmer attachment will increase the risk of injury. 5