3
S Carefully planyour sawing oper ationin ad-
vance. Donot start cutting unti lyou havea
clear work area,securefooting,and, if you
are felling trees, a planned retreat path.
OPERATE YOUR SAW SAFELY
S Do notoperatea chain saw with onehand.
Serious injury to the operator, helpers, by-
standers or any combination of these per-
sons may result from one-handed opera-
tion. A chain saw is intended for
two-handed use.
S Operatethe chain saw only in a w ell-venti-
lated outdoor area.
S Do not operate saw from a ladder or in a
tree.
S Make sure the chain will not make contact
with any object while starting the engine.
Never try to start the saw when the guide
bar is in a cut.
S Do not put pressure on the saw at the end
of the cut. Applying pressure can cause
you to lose control when the cut is com-
pleted.
S Stop the engine before setting the saw
down.
S Do not operate a chain saw that is dam-
aged, improperly adjusted, or not com-
pletely and s ecurely assembled. Always
replace bar, chain, hand guar d, or chain
brake immediately if it becomes damaged,
broken or is otherwise removed.
S With the engine stopped, hand carry the
chain saw with the muffler away from your
body, and the guide bar and chain to the
rear, preferably covered with a scabbard.
MAINTAIN YOUR SAW IN GOOD
WORKING ORDER
S Have all c hainsaw service performed b ya
qualified service dealer with the exception
of the i tems listed in the maintenance sec-
tionof this m anual. Forexample, ifimprop-
er tools are used toremove or hold the fly-
wheel whenservicing theclutch, structural
damage to the flywheel can occur and
cause the flywheel to burst.
S Make certain the saw chain stops moving
when the throttle trigger is released. For
correction, refer to CARBURETOR AD-
JUSTMENTS.
S Never modify your s aw in any way.
S Keep thehandles dry,clean, andfree ofoil
or fuel mixture.
S Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and fas-
teners securely t ightened.
S Use only Poulan PROR accessories and
replacement parts as recommended.
HANDLE FUEL WITH CAUTION
S Do not smoke while handling fuel or while
operating the saw.
S Eliminate all sources of sparks or flame in
the a reas w here fuel is mixed or poured.
There should be nosmoking, openflames,
or w orkthat c ouldcause sparks. Allow en-
gine to cool before refueling.
S Mix and pour fuel in an outdoor area on
bare ground; store fuel in a cool, dry, well
ventilated place; and use an approved,
marked container for all fuel purposes.
Wipe up all fuel spills before starting saw.
S Move at least 10 feet (3 meters) from fuel-
ing site before starting engine.
S T urn the engine off and let saw cool in a
non-combustible area, not on dry leaves,
straw, paper, etc. Slowly re move fuel cap
and refuel unit.
S Storetheunitandfuel inanareawherefuel
vapors cannot reach sparks or open
flames from waterheaters, electric motors
or switches, furnaces, etc.
KICKBACK
WARNING:
Avoid k ickback which
can result in serious injury. Kickback is the
backward,upwardorsuddenforwardmotion
of the guide bar occurring when the saw
chain nearthe uppertip of theguide barcon-
tacts any object such as a log or branch, or
when the wood closes in and pinches the
saw chain in thecut.Contactinga foreignob-
ject in the wood can also result in loss of
chain saw control.
S RotationalKickbackcan occur when the
moving chain contacts an objectat the up-
per 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 lightning fast, reverse reaction
which kicks the guide bar up and back to-
ward the operator.
S Pinch-Kickback can occur when the the
wood closes in and pinches the moving
saw chain in the cut along the top of the
guide bar and the saw 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
sawtomovein theoppositedirection ofthe
chain rotation. The saw is driven straight
back toward the operator.
S Pull-In can occur wh en the moving chain
contacts a foreign object in th e w ood in the
cut along the b ottom of the guide bar and the
sa w ch ain is sudd e nly stoppe d. T his sudden
stopping pulls the saw forward and away
from the ope rator and could easily c ause the
operator to lose control o f t he saw .
Avoid Pinch--Kickback:
S Be extremely aware of situations or ob-
structions that can cause m aterial topinch
the top of or otherwise stop the chain.
S Do not cut more than one log at a time.
S Do not twist the saw as the bar is with-
drawn from an undercut when bucking.
Avoid Pull--In:
S Always begin cutting with theengine atfull
speed andthe saw housing against wood.
S Use wedges made of plastic or wood.
Never use metal to hold the cut open.
Kickback Path