Husqvarna 316EL Owners Manual - Page 27

ENGLISH Basic Working Techniques IMPORTANT! This information does not cover every specific situation. Circumstances may vary depending on the terrain, vegetation, type of wood, form and size of trees, etc. Consult your service dealer, foresty agent or local foresty schools for advice on specific woodcutting problems in your area. This will make you more efficient and your work safer. 2. Avoid stumbling on obstacles, such as stumps, roots, rocks, branches and fallen trees. 3. Watch out for holes and ditches. 4. Be extremely cautious when working on slopes or uneven ground. 5. Turn saw off before moving from one place to another. General rules. 1. Avoid cutting under adverse weather conditions, such as dense fog, heavy rain, bitter cold, high winds, etc. Adverse weather is often tiring to work in and creates potentially dangerous conditions such as slippery ground. High winds may force a tree to fall in an unexpected direction causing property damage or personal injury. REACTIVE FORCES PULLING CHAIN 6. If you are not copmletely sure a cutting situation is safe, or you require assistence, get help before continuing. Reactive Forces When you are cutting, the chain in the kerf forces your saw in a direction opposite to the chain movement. This is called a reactive force. One such reactive force previously covered is kickback. With any chain saw, the energy used to cut wood can be reversed and work against the operator. If a rotating chain suddenly jams or hits a solid object, reactive forces occur instantly and may make you lose control of the saw. 1. Be especially alert during limbing operations when it is easier to jam the chain or touch a limb by mistake. 2. Keep your feet firmly planted in a wide, balanced stance. 3. Keep the saw body close to your body to improve control and to reduce strain. 4. When cutting with the bottom chain, the reactive force will pull the saw away from you towards the wood you are cutting. The saw will control the feeding speed and sawdust will be thrown back at you. 5. When cutting with the top chain, the reactive force will push the saw towards you and away fron the wood you are cutting. PUSHING CHAIN 6. Cut with the bottom chain as much as possible. STOP WARNING! If you are cutting with a pushing chain and allow the saw to be pushed back far enough to engage the tip of the bar, a kickback may occur. See page 17. Be especially cautious regarding nearby objects when cutting with a pushing chain or «under up». The kickback zone will move INTO such objects during «under up» cutting, increasing the possibility of kickback. 25