OPERATING TIPS
• Check chain tension
before first use and
after 1 minute of operation.
See CHAIN
TENSION
in the ASSEMBLY
section.
• Out wood only.
Do not cut metal, plastics,
masonry, non-wood
building materials, etc.
• Stop the saw if the chain strikes
a foreign
object,
inspect
the saw and repair or re-
place parts as necessary.
• Keep the chain out of dirt end sand.
Even a
small amount of dirt wilt quickly dull a chain
and thus increase the possibility of kickback.
• Practice
cutting a few small logs using the
following techniques
to get the "feel" of us-
ing your
saw before
you begin
a major
sawing
operation.
•
Squeeze the throttle trigger and allow the
engine to reach full speed before cutting.
•
Begin
cutting
with
the
sew
frame
against the log.
•
Keep the engine at full speed the entire
time you are cutting.
•
Allowthechaintocutforyou.
Exertonly
light downward
pressure.
If you force
the cut, damage
to the bar, chain, or en-
gine can result.
•
Release
the throttle trigger as soon as
the cut is completed,
allowing
the en-
gine to idle.
If you run the sew at full
throtbe without a cutting load, unneces-
sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,
and engine.
It is recommended
that
the engine
not be operated
for lon-
ger than 30 seconds
at full throttle.
•
To avoid losing control when cut is com-
plete, do not put pressure on saw at end
of cut.
• Stop the engine
before
setting
the saw
down after cutting.
TREE
FELLING
TECHNIQUES
_, WAR NIN G:
Check for broken or dead
branches
which can fall while cutting causing
serious
injury.
Do not cut near buildings
or
electrical wires if you do not know the direction
of tree fail, nor cut at night since you will not be
aIe to see well, nor during bad weather such as
rain, snow, or strong winds, etc.
if the tree
makes
contact with any utility line, the utility
company should be notified immediately.
• Carefully
plan your sawing operation
in ad-
vance.
• Cleartheworkarea.
You needacieararee
all around the tree so you can have secure
footing.
• The chain
sew operator
should
keep on
the uphill side of the terrain as the tree is
likely to roll or slide downhill
after it is felled.
• Study the natural conditions that can cause
the tree to fall in a particular direction.
Natural
conditions
that can cause a tree to
fall in a particular
direction
include:
• The wind direction
and speed.
• The lean of the tree.
The lean of a tree
might
not be apparent
due to uneven
or
sloping terrain.
Use a plumb or level to de-
termine the direction
of tree lean.
• Weight and branches
on one side.
• Surrounding
trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. If thetrunk
is rotted,
it can snap and fall toward
the
operator.
Check for broken
or dead branches
which
can fal_ on you while cutting.
Make sure there is enough room for the tree to
fail. Maintain a distance of 2-1/2 tree lengths
from the nearest person or other objects.
En-
gine noise can drown out a warning call.
Remove
dirt, stones,
loose bark, nails, sta-
ples, and wire from the tree where cuts are to
be made.
Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diag-
onal to the line of fail.
.<2.
Plan a clear retreat
path
(}*"_
- Direction
of Fall
45 ° / ,_
_,/,e¢
FELLING
LARGE
TREES
(6 inches (15 ore) in diameter
or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large trees.
A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the de-
sired direction
of fall. After
a felling
cut is
made on the opposite
side of tree, the tree
will tend to fall into the notch.
NOTE:
If the tree has large buttress
roots,
remove them before making the notch.
If us-
ing saw to remove
buttress
roots, keep saw
chain from contacting
ground to prevent dull-
ing of the chain.
NOTCH
CUT
AND
FELLING
THE
TREE
• Make notch
cut by cutting
the top of the
notch first. Out through
1/3 of the diameter
of the tree. Next complete
the notch by cut-
ting the bottom
of the notch. See illustra-
tion. Once
the notch
is cut remove
the
notch of wood from the tree.
Final (felling) cut here, 2 inches
(5 cm) above center
of notch.
First cut
}
2';
I
/
I/
_ _.f
.._,ff
_
-'_:_
• After removing
the wood from the notch,
make the felling cut on the opposite side of
the notch. This is done by making e cut about
two inches (5 cm) higher than the center of
the notch. This will leave enough uncut wood
between the felling cut and the notch to form
a hinge. This hinge will help prevent the tree
from falling in the wrong direction.
11