Poulan PP446 Operate Your Pruner Safely, Maintain Your Pruner in Good Working Order, Kickback

SDo not handle or operate a pruner when you are fatigued, ill, or upset, or if you have taken alcohol, drugs, or medication. You must be in good physical condition and mentally alert. If you have any condition that might be aggravated by strenuous work, check with doctor before operating a pruner.

S Carefully plan your pruning operation in advance. Do not start cutting until you have a clear work area, secure footing, and a planned retreat path.

If situations occur which are not covered in this manual, use care and good judgment. If you need assistance, contact your authorized service dealer or call 1-800-554-6723.

OPERATE YOUR PRUNER SAFELY

S Do not operate a pruner with one hand. Serious injury to the operator, helpers, bystanders or any combination of these persons may result from one-handed operation. A pruner is intended for two-handed use.

SOperate the pruner only in a well-ventilated

outdoor area.

SDo not operate pruner from a ladder or in a

tree.

SDo not use a pruner to cut downtrees or any

portion of the tree trunk.

SOnly use for pruning limbs or branches not greater than 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.

SNever stand under the limb you are pruning.

Always position yourself out of the path of falling debris.

SDo not cut small brush and saplings with the pruner. Slender matter may catch in the chain and be whipped toward you, pulling

you off balance.

SMake sure the chain will not make contact with any object while starting the engine. Never try to start the unit when the guide bar is in a cut.

SDo not put pressureon the prunerat the end of the cut. Applying pressure can cause you

to lose control when the cut is completed.

SDo not run the unit at high speed when not pruning.

S If you strike or become entangled with a foreign object, stop the engine immediately and check for damage. Have any damage repaired by an authorized service dealer before attempting further operations.

SDo not operate a pruner that is damaged, improperly adjusted, or not completely and securely assembled. Always replace bar and chain immediately if it becomes

damaged, broken or is otherwise removed.

SAlways stop the unit when work is delayed or when walking from one cutting location to another. Stop the engine before setting the unit down.

SUse only in daylight or good artificial light. S Use only for jobs explained in this manual (or manuals for optional attachments).

MAINTAIN YOUR PRUNER IN GOOD WORKING ORDER

SHave all service performed by a qualified service dealer with the exception of the items listed in the maintenance section of this manual.

SMake certain the chain stops moving when the throttle trigger is released. For

correction, refer to CARBURETOR ADJUSTMENTS.

SNever modify your unit in any way.

SKeep the handles dry, clean, and free of oil or fuel mixture.

S Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and fasteners securely tightened.

S Make carburetor adjustments with lower end supported to prevent chain from contacting any object.

SKeep others away when making carburetor

adjustments.

S Use only Poulan PROR accessories and replacement parts as recommended.

HANDLE FUEL WITH CAUTION

SDo not smoke while handling fuel or while operating the pruner.

SEliminate all sources of sparks or flame in the areas where fuel is mixed or poured. There should be no smoking, open flames, or work that could cause sparks. Allow

engine to cool before refueling.

SMix and pour fuel in an outdoorarea on bare ground; store fuel in a cool, dry, well ventilated place; and use an approved, marked container for all fuel purposes.

Wipe up all fuel spills before startingengine.

SMove at least 10 feet (3 meters) from fueling

site before starting engine.

S Turn the engine off and let unit cool in a non-combustible area, not on dry leaves, straw, paper, etc. Slowly remove fuel cap and refuel unit.

SStore the unit and fuel in an area where fuel vapors cannot reach sparks or openflames from water heaters, electric motors or switches, furnaces, etc.

KICKBACK

WARNING: Avoid kickback which can result in serious injury. Kickback is the backward, upward or sudden forward motion of the guide bar occurring when the chain near the upper tip of the guide bar contacts any object such as a log or branch, or when the wood closes in and pinches the chain in the cut. Contacting a foreign object in the wood can also result in loss of control.

S Rotational Kickback can occur when the moving chain contacts an object at the upper tip of the guide bar. This contact can cause the chain to dig into the object, which stops the chain for an instant. The result is a lightning fast, reverse reaction which kicks the guide bar up and back toward the operator.

SPinch-Kickbackcan occur when the wood closes in and pinches the moving chain in the cut along the top of the guide bar andthe chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stopping of the chain results in a reversal of the chain force used to cut wood and causes the pruner to move in the opposite direction of the chain rotation. The pruner is

driven straight back toward the operator. S Pull-Incan occur when the moving chain

contacts a foreign object in the wood in the cut along the bottom of the guide bar and the

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