HOMELITE EL18B
ELECTRIC CHAINSAW
OPERATING CHAIN SAW
WARNING: Read and under- stand this owner’s manual be- fore operating this saw. Make certain you read and understand all Safety Warnings. Improper use of this chain saw can cause se- vere injury or death from fi re, electrical shock, or body contact with moving chain, or falling wood.
EXTENSION CORDS
Use proper extension cord with this chain saw. Use only extension cords marked for outdoor use. Use an extension cord no less than 1.5 mm2 (14SWG) at distances up to 30 meters (100 feet). The cord must be marked with suffix
Use an extension cord heavy enough to carry the current your saw will draw. An undersized cord will cause a voltage drop at the saw, loss of power, and overheating. Follow cord size requirements listed below.
Cord Length | SWG Cord Size |
25 feet | 16 |
50 feet | 16 |
100 feet | 14 |
150 feet | 12 |
Keep cord away from cutting area. Make sure cord does not catch on branches or logs during cutting. Inspect cords often. Replace damaged cords.
The extension cord may come undone from the power cord during use. To avoid this, make a knot with the two cords as shown in Figure 7 below.
Extension | Chain Saw | |
Power Cord | ||
Cord | ||
|
Figure 7 - Tying Extension Cord and Power Cord in Knot
OILING CHAIN
Always check oil level before using saw. To oil chain, press oil cap. Oil will feed onto guide bar and chain. Press oil cap at least once before each cut. Check oil level often by looking at oil sight level hole. Oil sight level hole is on left side of saw, between front handle and front hand guard.
Figure 8 - Pressing Oil Cap to Oil Chain
CUTTING WITH THE CHAIN SAW
1.Connect saw to extension cord. Con- nect extension cord to power supply.
2.Make sure section of log to be cut is not laying on ground. This will keep chain from touching ground as it cuts through log. Touching ground with moving chain will dull chain.
3.Use both hands to grip saw. Always use left hand to grip front handle and right hand to grip rear handle. Use firm grip. Thumbs and fingers must wrap around saw handles (see Figure 9).
Front Hand | Switch Lockout |
Guard |
|
Trigger
Figure 9 - Front Hand Guard, Switch Lockout, and Trigger Location
4.Make sure your footing is firm. Keep feet apart. Divide your weight evenly on both feet. Stand slightly to left side of saw. This keeps your body from be- ing in direct line with chain.
5.When ready to make a cut, press in switch lockout with right thumb and squeeze trigger (see Figure 9). This will turn saw on. Releasing trigger will turn saw off. Make sure saw is running at full speed before starting a cut.
6.When starting a cut, place moving chain against wood. Hold saw firmly in place to avoid possible bouncing or skating (sideways movement) of saw.
7.Guide saw using light pressure. Do not force saw. The motor will overload and can burn out.
8.Remove saw from a cut with saw run- ning at full speed. Stop saw by releas- ing trigger. Do not use the chain brake. Make sure chain has stopped before setting saw down.
9.Practice until you can maintain a steady, even cutting rate.
CHAIN BRAKE
The chain brake quickly stops the saw chain. Kickback causes the back of operator’s left hand to contact front hand guard (see Figure 10). When front hand guard moves forward, the saw chain stops. This reduces the chance of serious injury during kickback. When the chain brake activates, release trigger at once.
Figure 10 - The chain brake quickly stopping the saw chain
To reset chain brake, release trigger and move front hand guard back into position. You must release trigger first. If not, the saw will start when you reset the front hand guard.
Note: Test chain brake before each use. Firmly grip saw with both hands. With saw running, move front hand guard forward with back of left hand. Keep both hands on the handles. Saw chain should stop. If chain brake does not work, have saw repaired by authorized service person.
CAUTION: Do not use the chain brake to stop and start your saw. Quick repeated stops may cause overheating of the chain brake. Damage to the chain brake will occur.
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