11
SIf the brake is already activated, it is
disengagedby pulling the front hand guard
back toward the front handle as far as
possible.
SWhencutting with the s aw,the chain brake
must be disengaged.
Engaged
Disengaged
Brakingfunction control
CAUTION: The chain brake must be
checked several times daily. The engine
mustbe running when perfor ming this proce-
dure. This is the only instance when the saw
shouldbe plac ed on the ground with the en-
giner unning.
Place the saw on firm ground. Grip the rear
handlewith your right hand and t he front han-
dle with your left hand. Apply full throttle by
fully depressing the throttle trigger. Activate
the chain brake by turning your left wrist
against the hand guard without releasing
your grip around the front handle. The chain
should stop immediately.
Inertiaactivating function control
WARNING: When performing the
following procedure, the engine must be
turned off.
Gripthe rear handle with y our right hand and
thefront handle with y ourleft hand. Hold the
chainsaw approx imately 14″(35 cm) above
a stump or other wooden surface. Release
your grip on the front handle and use the
weightof the saw to let the tip of the guide bar
fallforward and contact t he stump. When the
tipof the bar hits the s tump, the brake should
activate.
OPERATINGTIPS
SCheck chain tension before first use and
after 1 minute of operation. See CHAIN
TENSIONin the ASSEMBLY section.
SCut wood only. Do not cut metal, plastics ,
masonry,non-wood building materials, etc.
SStop the saw if the chain strikes a foreign
object. Inspect the saw and repair or re-
place parts as necessary.
SKeep the chain out of dirt and sand. Even a
small amount of dirt will quickly dull a c hain
andthus increase the possibility of k ickback.
SPractice cutting a few small logs us ing the
followingtechniques to get the “feel” of us-
ing your saw before you begin a major
sawing operation.
SSqueeze the throttle trigger and allow the
engine to reach full speed before cutting.
SBegin cutting with the saw frame
against the log.
SKeepthe engine at full speed the entir e
timey ou are cutting.
SAllowthe chain to cut for you. Exert only
light downward pressure. If you forc e
thecut, damage to the bar, chain, or en-
ginec an result.
SRelease the throttle trigger as soon as
the cut is completed, allowing the en-
gine to idle. If you run the saw at full
throttlewithout a cutting load, unneces -
sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,
and engine. It is recommended that
the engine not be operatedfor lon-
ger than 30 seconds at full throttle.
SToavoidlosing control w hen cut is com-
plete,do not put pressure on saw at end
of cut.
SStop the engine before setting the saw
down after cutting.
TREE FELLINGTECHNIQUES
WARNING: Chec k for broken or
dead branches which can fall while cutting
causing serious injury. Do not cut near build-
ings or electrical wires if you do not know the
direction of tree fall, nor cut at night since you
will not be ale to see well, nor during bad
weather such as rain, snow, or s trong winds,
etc. If the tree makes contac tw ith any utility
line, the utility company should be notified im-
mediately.
SCarefullyplan your sawing operation in ad-
vance.
SClear the work area. You need a clear area
all around the tree so you can hav e secure
footing.
SThe chain saw operator should keep on
the uphill side of the terrain as the tree is
likelyto roll or slide downhill after it is felled.
SStudy the natural conditions that can cause
the tree to fall in a particular direction.
Natural conditions that can cause a tree to
fall in a particular direction include:
SThew ind direction and speed.
SThe lean of the tree. The lean of a tree
might not be apparent due to uneven or
slopingterrain. Usea plumb or level to de-
termine the direction of tree lean.
SWeightand branc hes on one side.
SSurrounding trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted,
it can snap and fall toward the operator.
Check for broken or dead branches which
can fall on you while cutting.
Make sure there is enough room for the tree to
fall. Maintain a distance of 2-1/2 tree lengths
from the nearest person or other objec ts. En-
gine noise can drown out a warning call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, s ta-
ples,and wire from the tree where cuts are to
bemade.
Plana clear r etreat path to the rear and diag-
onalt o the line of fall.
Direction of Fall
45_
Plana clear retreat path