Poulan 530088788 User Manual

Page 10

Stop the saw if the chain strikes a foreign

object. Inspect the saw and repair parts as

necessary.

Keep the chain out of dirt and sand. Even a

small amount of dirt will quickly dull a chain

and increase the possibility of kickback.

Practice cutting a few small logs us-

ing the following techniques to get

the “feel” of using your saw before

you begin a major sawing operation.

Squeeze the throttle trigger and al-

low the engine to reach full speed

before cutting.

Begin cutting with the saw frame

against the log.

Keep the engine at full speed the en-

tire time you are cutting.

Allow the chain to cut for you. Exert

only light downward pressure.

Release the throttle trigger as soon

as the cut is completed, allowing the

engine to idle. If you run the saw at

full throttle without a cutting load, un-

necessary wear can occur.

To avoid losing control when cut is

complete, do not put pressure on

saw at end of cut.

Stop the engine before setting the saw

down.

TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES

WARNING:

Check 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, at night since you will not

be able to see well, or during bad weather

such as rain, snow, or strong winds, etc.

Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad-

vance.

Clear the work area. You need a clear area

all around the tree so you can have secure

footing.

Study the natural conditions that can

cause the tree to fall in a particular direc-

tion.

Natural conditions that can cause a tree to

fall in a particular direction include:
S

The wind direction and speed.

The lean of the tree. The lean of a tree

might not be apparent due to uneven or

sloping terrain. Use a plumb or level to de-

termine the direction of tree lean.

Weight and branches on one side.

Surrounding trees and obstacles.

Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted,

it can snap and fall toward the operator.
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 objects. En-

gine noise can drown out a warning call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, sta-

ples, and wire from the tree where cuts are to

be made.

Direction of Fall

45_

Plan a clear retreat path

FELLING LARGE TREES

(6 inches in diameter or larger)

The notch method is used to fell large trees.

A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the de-

sired direction of fall. After a felling cut is

made on the opposite side of tree, the tree

will tend to fall into the notch.

NOTE

: If the tree has large buttress roots,

remove them before making the notch.

NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE

TREE

Make notch cut by cutting the top of the

notch first. Cut through

1/3

of the diameter

of the tree. Next complete the notch by cut-

ting the bottom of the notch. See illustra-

tion. Once the notch is cut remove the

notch of wood from the tree.

After removing the cutout of wood, make

the felling cut on the opposite side of the

notch. This is done by making a cut about

two inches higher than the center of the

notch. This will leave enough uncut wood

between the felling cut and the notch to

form a hinge. This hinge will help prevent

the tree from falling in the wrong direction.

Notch

First cut

Second cut

Final cut here 2 inches

above center of notch.

Opening

of felling

cut

Closing of

notch

Hinge holds tree on stump and helps

control fall

NOTE

: Before felling cut is complete, use

wedges to open the cut when necessary to

control the direction of fall. To avoid kickback