Poulan PP400E Chainsaw User Manual


 
4
GUARD AGAINST KICKBACK
Follow all safety r ules t o help avoid kick-
back and ot her forces which c an result in
serious inj ur y.
Kickback Path
A
v
oid Obstructions
Clear The W orking Area
WARNING: Avoid kickback which
can result in serious injury. Kickback is
the backward, upward or sudden for-
ward motion of the guide bar occurring
when the saw chain nearthe uppertip of
the guide bar contacts any object such
as a log or branch, or when the wood
closes in and pinches the saw chain in
the cut. Contacting a foreign object in
the wood can also result in loss of chain
saw control.
S Rotationa l Ki ckb ack can occur when
the moving c hai n contacts an object at
the u pper tip of the guide bar. T his con-
tactcancausethechaintodigintothe
object, which stops the chain for a n
instant. The result is a lightning fast, re-
verse reacti on which kicks the guide bar
up and back toward the operat or.
S Pinch-Ki ckback can occur when the
the wood closes in and pinches the
movi n g saw chain in the cut along the
top o f the gu ide bar and the saw chain i s
suddenly stopped. This sudden stop-
ping of the c hai n result s in a reversal of
the chain f orce used to cut wood and
causes t he saw to move in the opposite
dir ecti on of t he chain rot at ion. The saw
is driven strai ght back toward the opera-
tor.
S Pull-I n can occur when the moving
chain contacts a forei gn obj ect in the
wood i n the cut al ong the bottom of the
guide bar and the saw chain is suddenly
stopped. This sudden stopping pull s the
saw for war d and away from the opera-
tor and could easi ly cause t he operator
to lose control of the sa w.
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
The foll owi ng pr ecauti ons should be f ol-
lowed t o minimize kickback:
S Recognize that kickback can happen.
Wit h a basic understanding of kickback,
you c an reduce the element of surpr ise
which contri but es to accident s.
S Never l et the moving c hain contact any
object at t he t i p of t he gui de bar.
S Keep working area free from obstruc-
tions such as other trees, br anches,
rocks, fen ces, stum ps, etc. Elim i na te o r
avoid any obstruct ion that your saw
chain could hit w hil e cutt i ng.
S When cutt i ng a branch, do not l et the
guide bar contact another br anch oroth-
er ob ject s around it.
S Keep saw chain sharp and proper ly
tensioned. A l oose or dul l chain can in-
crease the c ha nce of k ickback. Follow
manufacturer’s chain sharpening and
mai ntenance i nstr uctions. Che ck t e n-
sion at regul ar int erval s, but never wit h
engi ne r unn ing. Make sure bar clamp
nuts are securel y ti ghtened.
S Begin and continue cutting at ful l speed.
If the chain is moving at a slower speed,
there i s great er chance of kickback oc-
curri ng.
S Use extr em e c aut i on when re-ent er ing
acut.
S Do not att empt cut s star t i ng wi t h t he tip
of the bar (plunge cuts) .
S Wat ch for shifti ng logs or ot her objects
that could c lose a cut and pinch o r fal l
onto ch ain.
S Use the specifi ed Reduced-Kickback
Guide Bar and Low Kickback Chain.
Avoid Pinch- Ki ckback:
S Be extr emel y aware of sit uati ons o r ob-
str u ction s t hat can cause mate r ial to
pinch t he to p of or other wise stop the
chain.
S Do not cut mor e than one l og at a t im e.
S
Do not twist the saw as the bar is wi th-
drawn from an undercut when bucking.
A voi d P ul l-I n :
S Always begin c utt i ng wit h the saw at ful l
speed and the saw housing against
wood.
S Use wedges made of p l asti c or wood.
Never u se m etal to hold th e cut open.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
S A good, firm grip on the s aw with both
hands wil l hel p you maintai n control .
Don’ t let go. Grip the rear h and le with
your right hand whether you ar e right or
left handed. Wr ap the fi ngers of your left
hand over and ar ound the f r ont handle-
bar, an d your left t humb un der t he front
handlebar. Keep your lef t arm straight
with the elbow locked.