Poulan 425 - Manual (Page 11)

C. CHAIN BRAKE
• This saw is equipped with a chain brake. The brake
is designed to stop the chain if a kick—back occurs.
• The inertia activated chain brake is activated if the
front hand guard is pushed forward, either manual­
ly or by centrifugal force. Figure 16 .
If the brake is already activated, it is disengaged by
pulhng the front hand guard back toward the front
handle as far as possible. Figure 16 .
When working with the saw, the chain brake must
be disengaged.
Disengaged
Front Handle*
Engaged
Figure 16
A WARING
The effectiveness of a chain brake in reducing op­
erator injuries has not yet been folly determined.
We cannot represent that a chain brake is an ef­
fective safety device to prevent or reduce the haz­
ard of injuries resulting from kickback. DO NOT
ASSUME THAT THE CHAIN BRAKE WILL PRO­
TECT YOU IN THE EVENT OF A KICKBACK. In­
stead, use the saw properly and carefolly to avoid
kickback.
Reduced—Kickback bars and Low-
Kickback chains reduce the hazard of kickback
and are recommended. Rep€urs on a
chain brake
should be made by an Authorized POULAN PRO
Service Dealer. Take your unit to the place of pur­
chase if purchased from a Servicilц; Dealer, or to
the nearest Authorized Master Servlise Dealer.
TYPES OF CUTTING
A. BASIC CUTTING TECHNIQUE
1 . IMPORTANT POINTS
Cut wood only. Do not cut metal; plastics; ma­
sonry; non-wood building materials; etc.
Stop the saw if the chain strikes a foreign
object.
Inspect the saw and repair or replace
parts as necessary.
Keep the chain out of d^ and sand. Even a
small amount of dirt will quickly duU a chain
and thus increase the possibility of kickback.
a.
b.
c.
b.
c.
d.
e.
A WARNING
Kickback can occur when the moving chain con­
tacts an object at the upper portion of the tip of
the'guide ibar or when the wood closes in and
pinches the saw chain in the cut. Contact at the
upper portion of the tip oftheguUie bar can cause
the chain to dig into the object and stop the chain
for an instant. The result is a lightning fast, re­
verse reaction which kicks the guide bar up and
bcwk toward the operator. If the saw chain is
pinched along the top of the guide bar, the guide
bar can be driven rapiddy back toward the opera­
tor, Either of these reactions can cause loss of saw
control which can result in serious iniurv,___________
g-
Begin cutting with the saw frame or spur
against the log. Figure 17 .
Keep the engine at frill throttle 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 engine can result.
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 cut­
ting load, unnecessary wear can occur to the
chain, bar, and engine.
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
after cutting.
UNDERSTANDING REACTIVE FORCES
Pinch-kickback and Pull-In occur when
the chain is suddenly stopped by being
pinched, cau^t, or by contacting a foreign
object in the wood. This stopping of the chain re­
sults in a reversal of the chain force used to cut wood
and causes the saw to move in the opposite direction
of chain rotation. Either reaction can result in loss
of control and serious injury.
• Pinch - Kickback—
— occurs when the chain on top of the bar is sud­
denly stopped.
— rapidly drives saw back toward the operator.
• Pull-In—
— occurs when the chain on the bottom of the bar is
suddenly stopped.
— pulls the saw rapidly forward.
PROCEDURE
Practice cutting a few small logs using the following
technique to get the “feel” of using your saw before
you begin a major sawing operation,
a. Accelerate engine to full throttle before
entering cut by squeezing the throttle trigger.
a.
b.
B. TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES
1. CAREFULLY PLAN YOUR SAWING
0PERAT10N.IN ADVANCE
Clear work area. Clear the arra all around
tree
where you can have secure footing.
Study the natural conditions that can cause
the tree to fall in a particular direction.
1. ) The WIND direction and speed.
2. ) The LEAN of the tree. The lean of a tree
might not be apparent due to uneven or slop­
ing terrain. Use a plumb or level to deter­
mine the direction of tree lean.
3. ) WEIGHTED with branches on one side.
4. ) Surrounding TREES and OBSTACLES.
Look for decay and rot, Ifthe trunk is rotted,
it can snap and fall toward the operator.
Check for broken or dead branches which
can fall on you while cutting.
% — 1 1 —
c.
d.