Warning – Poulan Pro PP5000P User Manual

Page 5

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.

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.
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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 man-

ufacturer’s chain sharpening and mainte-

nance 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.

Use extreme caution when re-entering a

previous cut.

Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip of

the bar (plunge cuts).

Watch for shifting of wood or other forces that

could close a cut and pinch or fall into chain.

Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar and

Low--Kickback Chain specified for your unit.

MAINTAIN CONTROL

Keep a good, firm grip on the pruner with

both hands when the engine is running and

don’t let go. A firm grip will help you reduce

kickback and maintain control. Keep the fin-

gers of your left hand encircling and your

left thumb under the assist handle. Keep

your right hand completely around the

throttle handle whether your are right hand-

ed or left handed.

Stand with your weight evenly balanced on

both feet.

Stand slightly to the left side of the pruner to

keep your body from being in a direct line

with the cutting chain.

KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES

The following features are included on your

pruner to help reduce the hazard of kickback;

however, such features will not totally eliminate

this danger. As a pruner user, do not rely only

on safety devices. You must follow all safety

precautions, instructions, and maintenance in

this manual to help avoid kickback and other

forces which can result in serious injury.
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Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar, designed

with a small radius tip which reduces the

size of the kickback danger zone on the bar

tip.