Husqvarna 345FR Owners Manual - Page 26

WORKING TECHNIQUES ! WARNING! Neither the operator of the machine nor anyone else may attempt to remove the cut material while the engine is running or the cutting equipment is • Work systematically to and fro across the area, clearing a width of around 4-5 m on each pass. This exploits the full reach of the machine in both directions and gives the operator a convenient and varied rotating, as this can result in serious working area to work in. injury. Stop the engine and cutting equipment before you remove material that has wound around the blade shaft as otherwise there is a risk of injury. The bevel gear can get hot during use and may remain so for a while afterwards. You could get burnt if you touch it. WARNING! Watch out for thrown objects. ! Always wear approved eye protection. Never lean over the cutting attachment guard. Stones, rubbish, etc. can be thrown up into the eyes causing • Clear a strip around 75 m long. Move your fuel can as blindness or serious injury. work progresses. Keep unauthorised persons at a distance. Children, animals, onlookers and helpers should be kept outside the safety zone of 15 m. Stop the machine immediately if anyone approaches. Never swing the machine around without first checking behind you to make sure noone is within the safety zone. • On sloping ground you should work along the slope. It is much easier to work along a slope than it is to work up and down it. • You should plan the strip so that you avoid going over ditches or other obstacles on the ground. You should also orient the strip to take advantage of wind conditions, so that cleared stems fall in the cleared area of the stand. WARNING! Sometimes branches or ! grass get caught between the guard and cutting attachment. Always stop the engine before cleaning. Working methods WARNING! Machines fitted with saw ! blades or grass blades can be thrown violently to the side when the blade comes into contact with a fixed object. This is called blade thrust. A blade thrust can be violent enough to cause the machine and/ or operator to be propelled in any direction, and possibly lose control of the machine. Blade thrust can occur without warning if the machine snags, stalls or binds. Blade thrust is more likely to occur in areas where it is difficult to see the material being cut. Avoid cutting with the area of the blade between the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Because of the speed of rotation of the blade, blade thrust can occur if you attempt to cut thick stems with this area of the blade. • Before you start clearing, check the clearing area, the type of terrain, the slope of the ground, whether there are stones, hollows etc. • Start at whichever end of the area is easiest, and clear an open space from which to work. 26 - English Forestry clearing using a saw blade • The risk of blade thrust increases with increasing stem size. You should therefore avoid cutting with the area of the blade between 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock.