Poulan 1999-04 User Manual - Page 10

10

CUTTING METHODS

IMPORTANT POINTS

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Cut wood only. Do not cut metal, plastics,

masonry, non-wood

building

materials,

etc.

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Stop the saw if the chain strikes a foreign

object. Inspect the saw and repair parts as

necessary.

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Keep the chain out of dirt and sand. Even a

small amount of dirt will quickly dull a chain

and increase the possibility of kickback.

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Practice cutting a few small logs using the

following techniques to get the “feel” of us-

ing your saw before you begin a major

sawing operation.

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Squeeze the throttle trigger and allow the

engine to reach full speed before cutting.

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Begin cutting with the saw frame against

the log.

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Keep the engine at full speed the entire

time you are cutting.

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Allow the chain to cut for you. Exert only

light downward pressure.

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Release the throttle trigger as soon as the

cut is completed, allowing the engine to

idle. If you run the saw at full throttle with-

out a cutting load, unnecessary wear can

occur.

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To avoid losing control when cut is com-

plete, do not put pressure on saw at end of

cut.

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Stop the engine before setting the saw

down.

TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES

WARNING:

Do not cut near build-

ings or electrical wires if you do not know the

direction of tree fall, at night since you will not

be able to see well, or during bad weather

such as rain, snow, or strong winds. as fall is

unpredictable.

Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad-

vance. You need a clear area all around the

tree so you can have secure footing. Check

for broken or dead branches which can fall

on you causing serious injury.

Natural conditions that can cause a tree to

fall in a particular direction include:

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The wind direction and speed.

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The lean of the tree.

The lean of a tree

might not be apparent due to uneven or

sloping terrain. Use a plumb or level to de-

termine the direction of tree lean.

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Weight and branches on one side.

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Surrounding trees and obstacles.

Look for decay and rot

. If the trunk is rotted,

it can snap and fall toward the operator.

Make sure there is enough room for the tree

to fall.

Maintain a distance of

2-1/2

tree

lengths from the nearest person or other ob-

jects. Engine noise can drown out a warning

call.

Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, sta-

ples, and wire from the tree where cuts are to

be made.

Direction of Fall

45

_

Plan a clear retreat path

FELLING LARGE TREES

(6 inches in diameter or larger)

The notch method is used to fell large trees.

A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the de-

sired direction of fall.

After a felling cut is

made on the opposite side of tree, the tree

will tend to fall into the notch.

NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE TREE

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Make notch cut by cutting the top of the

notch first. Cut through

1/3

of the diameter

of the tree. Next complete the notch by cut-

ting the bottom of the notch. See illustra-

tion. Once the notch is cut remove the

notch of wood from the tree.

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After removing the cutout of wood, make

the felling cut on the opposite side of the

notch. This is done by making a cut about

two inches higher than the center of the

notch. This will leave enough uncut wood

between the felling cut and the notch to

form a hinge. This hinge will help prevent

the tree from falling in the wrong direction.

Notch

First cut

Second cut

Final cut here. 2 inches abov

center of notch.

Opening

of felling

cut

Closing of

notch

Hinge holds tree on stump and helps

control fall

Poulan 1999-04 User Manual - Page 10

Cutting Methods

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