Husqvarna 525RK, 525RXT manual ABC of clearing

WORKING TECHNIQUES

The ABC of clearing

•Always use the correct equipment.

•Make sure the equipment is well adjusted.

•Follow the safety precautions.

•Organise your work carefully.

•Always use full throttle when starting to cut with the blade.

•Always use sharp blades.

•Avoid stones.

•Control the felling direction (take advantage of the wind).

!	WARNING! Neither the operator of the
	machine nor anyone else may attempt to
	remove the cut material while the engine
	is running or the cutting equipment is
	rotating, as this can result in serious
	injury.

Stop the engine and cutting equipment before you remove material that has wound around the blade shaft as otherwise there is a risk of injury. The bevel gear can get hot during use and may remain so for a while afterwards. You could get burnt if you touch it.

!	WARNING! Watch out for thrown objects.
	Always wear approved eye protection.
	Never lean over the cutting attachment
	guard. Stones, rubbish, etc. can be
	thrown up into the eyes causing
	blindness or serious injury.

Keep unauthorised persons at a distance. Children, animals, onlookers and helpers should be kept outside the safety zone of 15 metres. Stop the machine immediately if anyone approaches. Never swing the machine around without first checking behind you to make sure no-one is within the safety zone.

!	WARNING! Sometimes branches or
	grass get caught between the guard and
	cutting attachment. Always stop the
	engine before cleaning.

Working methods
!	WARNING! Machines fitted with saw
	blades or grass blades can be thrown
	violently to the side when the blade
	comes into contact with a fixed object.
	This is called blade thrust. A blade thrust
	can be violent enough to cause the
	machine and/or operator to be propelled
	in any direction, and possibly lose
	control of the machine. Blade thrust can
	occur without warning if the machine
	snags, stalls or binds. Blade thrust is
	more likely to occur in areas where it is
	difficult to see the material being cut.

Avoid cutting with the area of the blade between the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Because of the speed of rotation of the blade, blade thrust can occur if you attempt to cut thick stems with this area of the blade.

•Before you start clearing, check the clearing area, the type of terrain, the slope of the ground, whether there are stones, hollows etc.

•Start at whichever end of the area is easiest, and clear an open space from which to work.

•Work systematically to and fro across the area, clearing a width of around 4-5 m on each pass. This exploits the full reach of the machine in both directions and gives the operator a convenient and varied working area to work in.

•Clear a strip around 75 m long. Move your fuel can as work progresses.

•On sloping ground you should work along the slope. It is much easier to work along a slope than it is to work up and down it.

•You should plan the strip so that you avoid going over ditches or other obstacles on the ground. You should also orient the strip to take advantage of wind

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