3
ing checked regularly as chain saw noise
can damage hearing. Secure hair above
shoulder length.
S
Keep all parts of your body away from the
chain when the engine is running.
S
Keep children, bystanders, and animals a
minimum of 30 feet (10 meters) away from
the work area. Do not allow other people
or animals to be near the chain saw when
starting or operating the chain saw.
S
Do not handle or operate a chain saw
when you are fatigued, ill, or upset, or if you
have taken alcohol, drugs, or medication.
You must be in good physical condition
and mentally alert. Chain saw work is
strenuous. If you have any condition that
might be aggravated by strenuous work,
check with your doctor before operating a
chain saw.
S
Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad-
vance. Do not start cutting until you have a
clear work area, secure footing, and, if you
are felling trees, a planned retreat path.
OPERATE YOUR SAW SAFELY
S
Do not operate a chain saw with one hand.
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
Operate the chain saw only in a well-venti-
lated outdoor area.
S
Do not operate saw from a ladder or in a
tree, unless you are specifically trained to
do so.
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 securely assembled. Always
replace bar, chain, hand guard, 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 chain saw service performed by a
qualified service dealer with the exception
of the items listed in the maintenance sec-
tion of this manual. For example, if improp-
er tools are used to remove or hold the fly-
wheel when servicing the clutch, 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 saw in any way.
S
Keep the handles dry, clean, and free of oil
or fuel mixture.
S
Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and fas-
teners securely tightened.
S
Use only
Poulan or Poulan Pro
accesso-
ries and replacement parts as recom-
mended.
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 areas where fuel is mixed or poured.
There should be no smoking, open flames,
or work that could cause 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
Turn the engine off and let saw cool in a
non-combustible area, not on dry leaves,
straw, paper, etc. Slowly remove fuel cap
and refuel unit.
S
Store the unit and fuel in an area where fuel
vapors cannot reach sparks or open
flames from water heaters, electric motors
or switches, furnaces, etc.
KICKBACK
WARNING:
Kickback can occur
when the moving chain contacts an object at
the upper portion of the tip of the guide bar or
when the wood closes in and pinches the
saw chain in the cut. Contact at the upper
portion of the tip of the guide bar can cause
the chain to dig into the object, which stops
the chain for an instant. The result is a light-
ning fast, reverse reaction which kicks the
guide bar up and back toward the operator. If
the saw chain is pinched along the top of the
guide bar, the guide bar can be driven rapidly
back toward the operator. Either of these
reactions can cause loss of saw control
which can result in serious injury.
Guard
against kickback.
Rotational Kickback
is the rapid upward
and backward motion of the chain saw that
can occur when the moving saw chain near
the upper portion of the tip of the guide bar
contacts an object such as a log or a branch.
Pinch-Kickback and Pull-In
occur when
the chain is suddenly stopped by being
pinched, caught, or by contacting a foreign
object in the wood. This sudden stopping of
the chain results in a reversal of the chain
force used to cut wood and causes the saw
to move in the opposite direction of the chain
rotation. Pinch-Kickback drives the saw
straight back toward the operator.
Pull-In
pulls the saw away from the operator.
Either reaction can result in loss of control
and serious injury.
