Warning – Poulan P3516PR User Manual

Page 11

OPERATING TIPS

Check chain tension before first use and

after 1 minute of operation. See CHAIN

TENSION in the ASSEMBLY section.

Cut wood only. Do not cut metal, plastics,

masonry, non-wood building materials, etc.

Stop the saw if the chain strikes a foreign

object. Inspect the saw and repair or re-

place parts as necessary.

Keep the chain out of dirt and sand. Even a

small amount of dirt will quickly dull a chain

and thus increase the possibility of kickback.

Practice cutting a few small logs using the

following techniques to get the “feel” of us-

ing your saw before you begin a major

sawing operation.
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Squeeze the throttle trigger and allow the

engine to reach full speed before cutting.

Begin cutting with the saw frame

against the log.

Keep the engine at full speed the entire

time you are cutting.

Allow the chain to cut for you. Exert only

light downward pressure. If you force

the cut, damage to the bar, chain, or en-

gine can result.

Release the throttle trigger as soon as

the cut is completed, allowing the en-

gine to idle. If you run the saw at full

throttle without a cutting load, unneces-

sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,

and engine. It is recommended that

the engine not be operated for lon-

ger than 30 seconds at full throttle.

To avoid losing control when cut is com-

plete, do not put pressure on saw at end

of cut.

Stop the engine before setting the saw

down after cutting.

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, nor cut at night since you

will not be ale to see well, nor during bad

weather such as rain, snow, or strong winds,

etc. If the tree makes contact with any utility

line, the utility company should be notified im-

mediately.
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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.

The chain saw operator should keep on

the uphill side of the terrain as the tree is

likely to roll or slide downhill after it is felled.

Study 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:
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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.

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 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.

Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diag-

onal to the line of fall.

Direction of Fall

45_

Plan a clear retreat path

FELLING LARGE TREES

(6 inches (15 cm) 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. If us-

ing saw to remove buttress roots, keep saw

chain from contacting ground to prevent dull-

ing of the chain.

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.

Notch

First cut

Second cut

Final (felling) cut here, 2 inches

(5 cm) above center of notch.

Hinge

After removing the wood from the notch,

make the felling cut on the opposite side of

the notch. This is done by making a cut about

two inches (5 cm) 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.