11

Disengaged

Engaged

Braking function control

CAUTION: The chain brake must be
checked several times daily. The en gine must
be running when performing this procedure.
This is the only instance when the saw should
be placed on the ground with the engine run-
ning.
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.

Inertia activating function control

WARNING: When performing the
following procedure, the engine must be
turned off.
Gripthe rear handlewith your right handand
thefront handle with y ourleft hand. Hold the
chains aw approximately 14” (35 cm) abov e
a stump or other wooden surface. Release
your grip on the front handle and use the
weight of the saw to let the top of the guide
bar fall forward and contact the stump.
When the tip of the bar hits the stump, the
brake should activate.
CUTTING METHODS

IMPORTANTPOINTS

SCheck chain tension before first use and
after 1 minute of operation. SeeC HAIN
TENSIONin the ASSEMBLY section.
SCut wood only. Do not cut metal, plas tics,
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. If the chain
jumps off the guide bar,inspect the chain
fordamaged drive linksbefore reinstalling.
Burrs on drive links, which prevent them
from entering the groove of the guide bar,
can be removed with a flat file.
SKeep the chain out of dirt and sand. Even a
smallamount of dir t will dull a chain, increase
thepos sibility of kickback , and require chain
sharpening or replacement.
SPractice cutting a few small logs us ing the
followingtechniques toget 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. Exertonly
light downward pressure. If you f orce
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 s aw at full
throttlewithout a cuttingload, unneces-
sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,
andengine.
SToavoidlosing control w hen cut is com-
plete,do not put pressure on saw atend
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 c utting
causingserious injury. Do not cut nearbuild-
ingsor elec trical wires if you donot know the
directionof tree fall, nor cut at night since you
will not be able to see well, nor during bad
weathersuch as rain,snow, or strong winds ,
etc. If the tr ee makes contact with any utility
line, the utility company should be notified
immediately.
SCarefullyplan your sawingoperation in ad-
vance.
SClearthe work area. Youneed a clear area
allaround the tree so youcan have secur e
footing.
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. Thelean of a tree
might not be apparent due to uneven or
slopingterrain. Use a 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. Ifthe 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 fromthe tree where cuts areto
bemade.
Plana clear r etreat path to the rear and diag-
onalt o the line of fall.