Husqvarna 455e, 455, 460 manual Tree felling technique, Safe distance, Felling direction

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WORKING TECHNIQUES

Tree felling technique

IMPORTANT! It takes a lot of experience to fell a tree. Inexperienced users of chain saws should not fell trees. Do not attempt any task that you feel unsure of!

Safe distance

The safe distance between a tree that is to be felled and anyone else working nearby is at least 2 1/2 tree lengths. Make sure that no-one else is in this ”risk zone” before or during felling.

Felling direction

The aim is to fell the tree in a position where you can limb and cross-cut the log as easily as possible. You want it to fall in a location where you can stand and move about safely.

Once you have decided which way you want the tree to fall you must judge which way the tree would fall naturally.

Several factors affect this:

Lean of the tree

Bend

Wind direction

Arrangement of branches

Weight of snow

Obstacles within the reach of the tree: for example, other trees, power lines, roads and buildings.

Look for signs of damage and rot in the stem, this makes it more probably that the tree will break and start to fall before you expect it to.

You may find you are forced to let the tree fall in its natural direction because it is impossible or dangerous to try to make it fall in the direction you first intended.

Another very important factor, which does not affect the felling direction but does affect your safety, is to make sure the tree has no damaged or dead branches that might break off and hit you during felling.

The main point to avoid is letting the tree fall onto another tree. It is very dangerous to remove a trapped tree and there is high accident risk. See instructions under the heading Freeing a tree that has fallen badly.

IMPORTANT! During critical felling operations, hearing protectors should be lifted immediately when sawing is completed so that sounds and warning signals can be heard.

Clearing the trunk and preparing your retreat

Delimb the stem up to shoulder height. It is safer to work from the top down and to have the tree between you and the saw.

Remove any undergrowth from the base of the tree and check the area for obstacles (stones, branches, holes, etc.) so that you have a clear path of retreat when the tree starts to fall.

Your path of retreat should be roughly 135 degrees away from the intended felling direction.

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3

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1Danger zone

2Retreat path

3Felling direction

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Contents 455e Rancher KEY to Symbols Symbols on the machineSymbols in the operator’s manual Contents Dear Customer IntroductionWhat is what on the chain saw? What is WHAT?General Safety Precautions Before using a new chain sawAlways use common sense Machine′s safety equipment Personal protective equipmentChain brake and front hand guard General Safety Precautions Throttle lockout Chain catcherRight hand guard Muffler Stop switchCutting equipment Vibration damping systemChain General rulesCutting equipment designed to reduce kickback BarSharpening your chain and adjusting depth gauge setting General information on sharpening cutting teethSharpening cutting teeth Rancher General advice on adjusting depth gauge settingAdjustment of depth gauge setting Tensioning the chainFilling with chain oil Lubricating cutting equipment455e Rancher Chain oilChecking wear on cutting equipment Checking chain lubricationChain drive sprocket Needle bearing lubricationBar 455e Rancher AssemblyFitting the bar and chain RancherFitting a spike bumper Fuel Fuel HandlingLong-term storage Fuel safetyFuelling Transport and storageWarm engine Starting and StoppingStarting and stopping Cold engineStopping General working instructions Basic safety rulesWorking Techniques Before useAlways use a fast cutting speed, i.e. full throttle Basic cutting technique GeneralTerms Cutting LimbingClearing the trunk and preparing your retreat Tree felling techniqueSafe distance Felling directionDirectional cuts FellingCutting trees and branches that are in tension General adviceFreeing a tree that has fallen badly Freeing a trapped treeHow to avoid kickback What is kickback?Cutting the trunk into logs Maintenance Carburettor adjustmentGeneral Checking the front hand guard Correctly adjusted carburettorHigh speed jet H Checking brake band wearChecking the brake trigger Muffler StarterChanging a broken or worn starter cord Fitting the starter Air filterTensioning the recoil spring Changing a broken recoil springNeedle bearing lubrication Adjustment of the oil pumpSpark plug Lubricating the bar tip sprocketCooling system Air Injection centrifugal cleaningTemperature 0C or colder Temperature -5C or colderDaily maintenance Weekly maintenance Monthly maintenance Maintenance scheduleTechnical data Technical DataSaw chain filing and file gauges Bar and chain combinationsApplies to Europe only EC-declaration of conformity´z+R9¶6x¨ Page 1150250-26 ´z+R9¶6x¨ ´z+R9¶6x¨