Poulan 4400 - Manual (Page 9)

OPERATING YOUR CHAIN SAW
i Wear your protective gear.
^ Before you start the engine, make sure the
saw chain is not contacting anything.
^ Keep all parts of your body away from the
saw chain when the engine is running.
► Hold the chain saw firmly with both hands
when the engine is running. Use a firm grip
with thumbs and fingers encircling the
chain saw handles.
» Do not let the nose of the guide bar contact
a log, branch, the ground, or any other ob­
struction, to help prevent kickback.
> Guard against kickback. Kickback is the
upward motion of the guide bar which
occurs when the saw chain at the nose of
the guide bar contacts an object. Kickback
can lead to dangerous loss of control of the
chain saw.
%
'Do not overreach. You might iose your
balance.
' Do not cut above shoulder height. Don’t
cut overhead, since you would have poor
control of the saw and the saw would be
too close to your face and body.
Use extreme caution when cutting small
size brush and saplings because slender
material may catch the saw chain and be
whipped toward you or puil you off
balance.
When cutting a limb that is under tension
be alert for springback, so that you will not
be struck by the limb when the tension in
the wood fibers is released.
Be sure that the saw chain stops moving
when the throttle control trigger is re­
leased.
After cutting, shut off the engine before
setting the saw down.
Let the saw cool in a non-combustible
area, not on dry leaves or paper.
Wipe off oil before storing the chain saw.
Do not store your chain saw in any room
with any type open flame heater or stove.
Store the saw in a locked area or in an area
away from children.
Follow manufacturer’s sharpening and
maintenance instructions for the saw
chain.
Always do your cutting at high engine
speed.
Avoid
Obstructions
CONTROLLING KICKBACK
by Lioyd Tuggle
KICKBACK may happen when the nose or tip of the moving chain touches an object while
the saw is operating. This contact may abruptly STOP the cutting action and in some cases
may cause a lightning fast reverse REACTION, kicking the saw tip up and back. KICKBACK
has caused some operators to lose control of the saw. The cutting chain can then cause
injury if it comes in contact with any part of the body.
As a chain saw user you can take several steps to keep your cutting free from accident or
injury due to kickback.
1. By simply UNDERSTANDING and knowing about kickback you take out the element of
SURPRISE. It's the SURPRISE that really contributes to accidents.
2. Make sure your HAND GUARD is securely fastened to the handlebar AT ALL TIMES.
3. Make sure the area in which you are cutting is FREE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS such as
other trees, branches, rocks, fences, stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid any obstructions that
your saw chain could hit while you are cutting through a particular log or branch.
4. Keep a good firm grip on the saw with BOTH hands. (Left hand completely around the
front handlebar with thumb under and the right hand completely around the rear
handle.) A FIRM GRIP can neutralize kickback and help you maintain COMPLETE
CONTROL of the saw. DON'T LET GO.
Your Poulan chain saw is a reliable and powerful cutting tool. Please use it safely and
carefully so that each cutting job is SUCCESSFUL AND SAFE. Controlling kickback is
really a partnership between you and Poulan. GOOD CUTTING.
Lloyd Tuggle, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Beaird-Poulan
Clear
Working
Good Firm
Grip With
Both Hands