SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
•Take the utmost care when cutting through branches or logs that are in tension. A log or branch that is in tension can suddenly spring back into its natural position before or after you cut it. If you stand on the wrong side or start cutting in the wrong place it may strike you or your chain saw, so that you lose control. Both situations could cause serious injury.
•Before moving your chain saw switch off the engine and lock the chain using the chain brake. Carry the chain saw with the bar and chain pointing backwards. Fit a guard to the bar before transporting the chain saw or carrying it for any distance.
•Never put a chain saw down while the engine is running unless you have it in clear view and the chain brake is on. Switch the engine off before leaving your chain saw for any length of time.
Basic cutting technique
General
•Always use full throttle when cutting!
•Reduce the speed to idle after every cut (running the engine for too long at full throttle without any load, i.e. without any resistance from the chain during cutting, can lead to serious engine damage).
•Cutting from above = Cutting on the pull stroke.
•Cutting from below = Cutting on the push stroke.
Cutting on the push stroke increases the risk of kickback. See instructions under the heading How to avoid kickback.
Terms
Cutting = General term for cutting through wood.
Limbing = Cutting branches off a felled tree.
Splitting = When the object you are cutting breaks off before the cut is complete.
There are five important factors you should consider before making a cut:
1 Make sure the cutting equipment will not jam in the cut.
2 Make sure the object you are cutting will not split.
3Make sure the chain will not strike the ground or any other object during or after cutting.
4 Is there a risk of kickback?
5Do the conditions and surrounding terrain affect how safely you can stand and move about?
Two factors decide whether the chain will jam or the object that you are cutting will split: the first is how the object is supported before and after cutting, and the second is whether it is in tension.
In most cases you can avoid these problems by cutting in two stages; from the top and from the bottom.You need to support the object so that it will not trap the chain or split during cutting.
WARNING! If the chain jams in the cut: stop
!the engine! Don’t try to pull the chain saw free. If you do you may be injured by the chain when the chain saw suddenly breaks free. Use a lever to open up the cut and free the chain saw.
The following instructions describe how to handle the commonest situations you are likely to encounter when using a chain saw.
Cutting
The log is lying on the ground.There is little risk of the chain jamming or the object splitting. However there is a risk that the chain will touch the ground when you finish the cut.
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