Poulan 2001-03 operating instructions Kickback Safety Features, Chain Brake

Elbow locked

Thumb on underside of handlebar

SKeep a good, firm grip on the saw with both hands when the engine is running and don’t let go. A firm grip will help you reduce kickback and maintain control of the saw. Keep the fingers of your left hand encir- cling and your left thumb under the front handlebar. Keep your right hand com- pletely around the rear handle whether your are right handed or left handed. Keep your left arm straight with the elbow locked.

SPosition your left hand on the front handle- bar so it is in a straight line with your right hand on the rear handle when making bucking cuts. Never reverse right and left hand positions for any type of cutting.

SStand with your weight evenly balanced on both feet.

SStand slightly to the left side of the saw to keep your body from being in a direct line with the cutting chain.

SDo not overreach. You could be drawn or thrown off balance and lose control of the saw.

SDo not cut above shoulder height. It is diffi- cult to maintain control of saw above shoulder height.

KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES

WARNING: The following features are included on your saw to help reduce the hazard of kickback; however, such features will not totally eliminate this danger. As a chain saw user, do not rely only on safety de- vices. You must follow all safety precau- tions, instructions, and maintenance in this manual to help avoid kickback and other forces which can result in serious injury.

SReduced--Kickback Guide Bar, designed with a small radius tip which reduces the size of the kickback danger zone on the bar tip. A Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar has been demonstrated to significantly re- duce the number and seriousness of kick- backs when tested in accordance with safety requirements for gasoline powered chain saws as set by ANSI B175.1.

Reduced Kickback Symmetrical Guide Bar

Small Radius Tip

Symmetrical Guide Bar

Large Radius Tip

S Low--Kickback Chain, designed with a contoured depth gauge and guard link which deflect kickback force and allow wood to gradually ride into the cutter. Low-- Kickback Chain has met kickback per- formance requirements when tested on a representative sample of chain saws be- low 3.8 cubic inch displacement specified in ANSI B175.1.

Contoured Depth Gauge

		Elongated Guard Link
	Deflects
Low---Kickback	Kickback Force
	And Allows Wood
Chain
	To Gradually
	Ride Into Cutter
			Can Obstruct Material

Not a Low---Kickback Chain

SFront Hand Guard, designed to reduce the

chance of your left hand contacting the chain if your hand slips off the front handle- bar.

SPosition of front and rear handlebars, de- signed with distance between handles and “in-line” with each other. The spread and “in-line” position of the hands provided by this design work together to give balance and resistance in controlling the pivot of the saw back toward the operator if kick- back occurs.

CHAIN BRAKE

SChain Brake, designed to stop the chain in the event of kickback.

WARNING: WE DO NOT REP- RESENT AND YOU SHOULD NOT AS- SUME THAT THE CHAIN BRAKE WILL PROTECT YOU IN THE EVENT OF A KICKBACK. Kickback is a lightning fast ac- tion which throws the bar and rotating chain back and up toward the operator. Kickback can be caused by allowing contact of the bar tip in the danger zone with any hard object. Kickback can also be caused by pinching the saw chain along the top of the guide bar. This action may push the guide bar rapidly back toward the operator. Either of these events may cause you to lose control of the saw which could result in serious injury or even death. DO NOT RELY UPON ANY OF THE DEVICES BUILT INTO YOUR SAW. YOU SHOULD USE THE SAW PROPERLY AND CAREFULLY TO AVOID KICKBACK. Re- duced--kickback guide bars and low--kick- back saw chains reduce the chance and magnitude of kickback and are recom- mended. Your saw has a low kickback chain

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