Tanaka TCS33EB14 Handling Instructions - Page 12

WARNING KICKBACK DANGER (Fig. 15) One of the most severe dangers when working with a chain saw is the possibility of kickback. Kickback may occur when the upper tip of the guide bar touches an object, or when the wood closes in and pinches the saw chain in the cut. Tip contact in some cases may cause a lightning fast reverse reaction, kicking the guide bar up and back toward you. Pinching the saw chain along the top of the guide bar may also push the guide bar rapidly back towards you. Either of these reactions may cause you to lose control of the saw which could result in serious personal injury. Even though your saw has safety built into its design, you should not rely on these safety features exclusively. Know where your bar tip is at all times. Kickback does occur if you allow the kickback zone (17) of the bar to touch an object. Do not use that area. Kickback from pinching is caused by a cut closing and pinching the upper side of the guide bar. Study your cut and make sure it will open as you cut through. Maintain control when the engine is running by always keeping a firm grip on the saw with your right hand on the rear handle, your left hand on the front handle and your thumbs and fingers encircling the handles. Always hold the saw with both hands during operation and cut at high engine speed. WARNING ○ Do not overreach or cut above shoulder height. ○ Use extra caution when felling, and do not use the saw in a nose- high position or above shoulder height. CHAIN CATCHER The chain catcher is located on the power head just below the chain to further prevent the possibility of a broken chain striking the chain saw user. WARNING Do not stand in-line with chain when cutting. BASIC TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING FELLING, LIMBING AND BUCKING CUTS The intention of the following information is to provide you with the general introduction to wood cutting techniques. WARNING ○ This information does not cover all specific situations, which may depend on differences in terrain, vegetation, kind of wood, form and size of trees, etc. Consult your servicing dealer, forestry agent or local forestry schools for advice on specific woodcutting problems in your area. This will make your work more efficient and safer. ○ Avoid cutting in 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 the tree to fall in an unexpected direction causing property damage or personal injury. CAUTION Never use a chain saw to pry or for any purpose for which it is not intended. WARNING ○ Avoid stumbling on obstacles such as stumps, roots, rocks, branches and fallen trees. Watch out for holes and ditches. Be extremely cautious when working on slopes or uneven ground. Shut off the saw when moving from one work place to another. Always cut at wide open throttle. A slow moving chain can easily catch and force the saw to jerk. ○ Never use the saw with only one hand. You cannot control the saw properly and you may lose control and injure yourself severely. Keep the saw body close to your body to improve control and reduce strain. When cutting with the bottom part of the 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 directed towards you. (Fig. 16) ○ When cutting with the upper part of the chain the reactive force will push the saw towards you and away from the wood you are cutting. (Fig. 17) 12 ○ There is a risk of kickback if the saw is pushed far enough so that you begin to cut with the nose of the bar. The safest cutting method is to cut with the bottom part of the chain. Sawing with the upper part makes it much more difficult to control the saw and increases the risk of kickback. ○ In case the chain locked, immediately release the throttle lever. If the throttle lever keeps rotating at high speed with the chain locked, the clutch will overheat causing trouble. NOTE Always keep the spiked bumper face to a tree, because the chain may suddenly be drawn into a tree. FELLING Felling is more than cutting down a tree. You must also bring it down as near to an intended place as possible without damaging the tree or anything else. Before felling a tree, carefully consider all conditions which may effect the intended direction, such as: Angle of the tree. Shape of the crown. Snow load on the crown. Wind conditions. Obstacles within tree range (e.g., other trees, power lines, roads, buildings, etc.). WARNING ○ Always observe the general conditions of the tree. Look for decay and rot in the trunk which will make it more likely to snap and start to fall before you expect it. ○ Look for dry branches, which may break and hit you when you are working. Always keep animals and people at least twice the tree length away while felling. Clear away shrubs and branches from around the tree. Prepare a path of retreat away from the felling direction. BASIC RULES FOR FELLING TREES Normally the felling consists of two main cutting operations, notching and making the felling cut. Start making the upper notch cut on the side of the tree facing the feeling direction. Look through the kerf as you saw the lower cut so you do not saw too deep into the trunk. The notch should be deep enough to create a hinge of sufficient width and strength. The notch opening should be wide enough to direct the fall of the tree as long as possible. Saw the felling cut from the other side of the tree between one and two inches (3-5 cm) above the edge of the notch. (Fig. 18) 18. Felling direction 19. 45° minimum notch opening 20. Hinge 21. Felling cut Never saw completely through the trunk. Always leave a hinge. The hinge guides the tree. If the trunk is completely cut through, you lose control over the felling direction. Insert a wedge or a felling lever in the cut well before the tree becomes unstable and starts to move. This will prevent the guide bar from binding in the felling cut if you have misjudged the falling direction. Make sure no people have come into the range of the falling tree before you push it over. FELLING CUT, TRUNK DIAMETER MORE THAN TWICE GUIDE BAR LENGTH Cut a large, wide notch. Then cut a recess into the center of the notch. Always leave a hinge on both sides of the center cut. (Fig. 19) Complete the felling cut by sawing around the trunk as in the Fig. 20. WARNING These methods are extremely dangerous because they involve the use of the nose of guide bar and can result in kickback. Only properly trained professionals should attempt these techniques. LIMBING Limbing is removing the branches from a feller tree. WARNING A majority of kickback accidents occur during Iimbing. Do not use the nose of the guide bar. Be extremely cautious and avoid contacting the log, other limbs or objects with the nose of the guide bar. Be extremely cautious of limbs under tension. They can spring back towards you and cause loss of control resulting in injury. (Fig. 21)