Stihl FS 450 Instruction Manual - Page 17

English / USA Using the circular saw blade Circular saw blades are suitable for thinning brush and cutting small trees up to a diameter of 4 cm (1 9/16"). Do not attempt to cut trees with larger diameters, since the blade may catch or jerk the clearing saw forward. This may cause damage to the blade or loss of control of the clearing saw which may result in serious injury. 000BA016 KN 000BA012 KN When the clearing saw with circular saw blade is used to cut down small trees, STIHL recommends that the standard deflector be removed and replaced by the special "stop" (see chapter "circular saw blade" for mounting instructions). This stop helps to keep the clearing saw positioned against the tree during the cutting process. Inexperienced users should place the left side of the stop against the tree trunk before beginning to cut. This will keep the clearing saw against the tree during the cutting operation and will reduce the risk of loss of control and possible kickout (described in the following section). !Warning! In order to reduce the risk of injury from thrown objects or from operator contact with the cutting tool, be sure to remount the standard deflector for all other uses. Before starting the cut, accelerate the engine up to full throttle. Perform cut with uniform pressure. STIHL recommends that the circular saw blade be applied to the right of the tree, using the non-shaded area of the blade. !Warning! The risk of kickout is highest when cutting in the darker shaded area. To reduce the risk of kickout and resulting injury, do not use this area of the circular saw blade for cutting trees or shrubs. Special techniques using the lighter shaded areas of the blade to cut shrubs and trees should only be used by experienced operators with specialized training in use and control of the clearing saw. 16 FS 300, FS 350, FS 400, FS 450, FS 480