3
SCarefullyplan your sawing operation in ad-
vance. D o not start cutting until y ou have a
clearwork ar ea, secure footing, and, if you
are felling trees, a planned retreat path.
OPERATEYOUR SAW SAFELY
SDonot operate a chain saw with one hand.
Seriousinjury to the operat or,helpers , by-
standers or any combination ofthes eper-
sons may result from one-handed opera-
tion. A chain saw is intended for
two-handed use.
SOperatethe c hain saw only in a well-v enti-
lated outdoor area.
SDo not operate saw from a ladder or in a
tree.
SMakesure the chain will not mak e contact
with any object while starting the engine.
Never try to start the saw when the guide
bar is in a cut.
SDonot put pres sure on the saw at the end
of the cut. Applying pressure can cause
you to lose control when the cut is com-
pleted.
SStop the engine before setting the saw
down.
SDo not operate a chain saw that is dam-
aged, improperly adjusted, or not com-
pletely and securely assembled. Always
replace bar, chain, hand guard, or chain
brakeimmediately if it becomes damaged,
broken or is otherwise removed.
SWith the engine stopped, hand carry the
chainsaw with the muffler away from y our
body, and the guide bar and chain to the
rear,preferably c overed with a scabbard.
MAINTAIN YOUR SAW IN GOOD
WORKING ORDER
SHaveall chain saw servic e performed by a
qualifiedservic e dealer with the exception
ofthe items list ed in the maintenance sec-
tionof this manual. For ex ample, if improp-
ertools are us ed to remove or hold the fly-
wheelwhen serv icing the clutch, s tructural
damage to the flywheel can occur and
cause the flywheel to burst.
SMake certain the saw chain stops moving
when the throttle trigger is released. For
correction, refer to CARBURETOR AD-
JUSTMENTS.
SNever modify your saw in any way.
SKeepthe handles dry, clean, and free of oil
or fuel mixture.
SKeep fuel and oil caps, screws, and fas -
teners securely tightened.
SUseonly Poulan PR O accessories and re-
placement parts as recommended.
HANDLE FUEL WITH CAUTION
SDo not smoke while handling fuel or while
operating the saw.
SEliminateall sour ces of sparks or flame in
the areas where fuel is mixed or poured.
Thereshould be no smoking, open flames,
orwork that could cause spar ks. Allow en-
ginet o cool before refueling.
SMix and pour fuel in an outdoor area on
bare ground; store fuel in a cool, dry, well
ventilated place; and use an approved,
marked container for all fuel purposes.
Wipeup all fuel s pills before starting saw.
SMoveat least 10 feet (3 meters ) from fuel-
ings ite before starting engine.
STurn the engine off and let saw cool in a
non-combustible area, not on dry leaves,
straw,paper, etc. Slowly remove fuel cap
andr efuel unit.
SStorethe unit and fuel in an area where fuel
vapors cannot reach sparks or open
flamesfrom water heaters , electric motors
or switches, furnaces, etc.
KICKBACK
WARNING: Avoid k ickback which
canr esult in serious injury. Kickbackis the
backward,upward or sudden forward motion
of the guide bar occurring when the s aw
chainnear the upper tip oftheguide bar con-
tacts any object such as a log or branch, or
when the wood closes in and pinches the
sawchain in the cut. Contac ting a foreign ob-
ject in the wood can also result in loss of
chain saw control.
SRotationalK ickback canoccur when the
movingchain c ontacts an object at the up-
per tip of the guide bar. This contact can
cause the chain to dig into the object,
which stops the chain for an instant. The
result is a lightning fast, reverse reaction
which kicks the guide bar up and back to-
ward the operator.
SPinch-Kickback can occur when the the
wood closes in and pinches the moving
saw chain in the cut along the top of the
guide bar and the saw chain is suddenly
stopped. This sudden stopping of the
chain results in a revers al of the chain
force used to cut wood and causes the
sawto move in the opposite direction of the
chain rotation. The saw is driven straight
back toward the operator.
SPull-In can occur when the moving chain
contacts a foreign object in the wood in the
cutalong the bot tom of the guide bar and the
sawc hainis s uddenly stopped. This sudden
stopping pulls the saw forward and away
fromthe operator and co uld easily cause the
operator to lose control of the saw.
Avoid Pinch--Kickback:
SBe extremely aware of situations or ob-
structions that can cause material to pinch
the top of or otherwise stop the chain.
SDo not cut more than one log at a time.
SDo not twist the saw as the bar is with-
drawn from an undercut when bucking.
AvoidPu ll--In:
SAlways begin cutting with the engine at full
speedand the saw housing against w ood.
SUse wedges made of plastic or wood.
Never use metal to hold the cut open.
Kickback Path