Warning – Poulan Pro PP5000P User Manual

Page 4

Inspect entire unit before each use. Replace

damaged parts. Check for fuel leaks. Make

sure all fasteners are in place and securely

fastened.

Maintain unit according to recommended pro-

cedures.

Use only recommended Poulan PRO®

parts and accessories. Never use wire,

wire rope, string, flailing devices, etc.

Be sure chain stops moving when engine

idles (see CARBURETOR ADJUST-

MENTS section of powerhead manual).

Keep others away when making carburetor

adjustments.

Never start the unit with the clutch housing re-

moved. The clutch can fly off and cause seri-

ous injury.

Keep the handles driy, clean, and free of oil or

fuel mixture.

Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and fasteners

securely tightened.

Have all maintenance and service not ex-

plained in this manual performed by an autho-

rized service dealer.

OPERATE YOUR PRUNER SAFELY

Do not operate a pruner with one hand. Se-

rious injury to the operator, helpers, by-

standers or any combination of these per-

sons

may result from one-handed

operation. A pruner is intended for two-

handed use.

Operate the pruner only in a well-ventilated

outdoor area.

Do not operate pruner from a ladder or in a

tree.

Do not use a pruner to cut down trees or any

portion of the tree trunk.

Only use for pruning limbs or branches

overhead not greater than 4 inches (10 cm)

in diameter.

Never stand under the limb you are pruning.

Always position yourself out of the path of fal-

ling debris.

Do not cut small brush and saplings with the

pruner. Slender matter may catch in the chain

and be whipped toward you, pulling you off

balance.

Make sure the chain will not make contact

with any object while starting the engine.

Never try to start the unit when the guide

bar is in a cut.

Do not put pressure on the pruner at the end

of the cut. Applying pressure can cause you

to lose control when the cut is completed.

Do not run the unit at high speed when not

pruning.

If you strike or become entangled with a for-

eign object, stop the engine immediately and

check for damage. Have any damage re-

paired by an authorized service dealer before

attempting further operations.

Do not operate a pruner that is damaged, im-

properly adjusted, or not completely and se-

curely assembled. Always replace bar and

chain immediately if it becomes damaged,

broken or is otherwise removed.

Always stop the unit when work is delayed or

when walking from one cutting location to

another. Stop the engine before setting the

unit down.

Use only in daylight or good artificial light.

Use only for jobs explained in this manual (or

manuals for optional attachments).

KICKBACK

WARNING:

Avoid kickback which

can result in serious injury. Kickback is the

backward, upward or sudden forward motion

of the guide bar occurring when the chain

near the upper tip of the guide bar contacts

any object such as a log or branch, or when

the wood closes in and pinches the chain in

the cut. Contacting a foreign object in the

wood can also result in loss of control.
S

Rotational Kickback can occur when the

moving chain contacts an object at the upper

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 light-

ning fast, reverse reaction which kicks the

guide bar up and back toward the operator.

Pinch-Kickback can occur when the wood

closes in and pinches the moving chain in

the cut along the top of the guide bar and the

chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden

stopping of the chain results in a reversal of

the chain force used to cut wood and

causes the pruner to move in the opposite

direction of the chain rotation. The pruner is

driven straight back toward the operator.

Pull-In can occur when the moving chain

contacts a foreign object in the wood in the cut

along the bottom of the guide bar and the

chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stop-

ping pulls the pruner forward and away from

the operator and could easily cause the oper-

ator to lose control of the pruner.

REDUCE THE CHANCE OF

KICKBACK

Recognize that kickback can happen. With

a basic understanding of kickback, you can

reduce the element of surprise which con-

tributes to accidents.

Never let the moving chain contact any ob-

ject at the tip of the guide bar.

Keep the working area free from obstruc-

tions such as other trees, branches, rocks,

stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid any

obstruction that your chain could hit while

you are cutting. When cutting a branch, do

not let the guide bar contact branch or other

objects around it.

Keep your chain sharp and properly ten-

sioned. A loose or dull chain can increase

the chance of kickback occurring. Follow

manufacturer’s chain sharpening and

maintenance instructions. Check tension

at regular intervals with the engine stopped,

never with the engine running. Make sure

the bar clamp nut is securely tightened after

tensioning the chain.

Begin and continue cutting at full speed. If

the chain is moving at a slower speed, there

is greater chance of kickback occurring.

Cut one branch at a time.