5
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Do not put pressure on the pruner at the end
of the cut. Applying pressure can cause you
to lose control when the cut is completed.
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Do not run the unit at high speed when not
pruning.
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If you strike or become entangled with a for-
eign object, stop the engine immediately and
check for damage. Have any damage re-
paired by an authorized service dealer before
attempting further operations.
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Do not operate a pruner that is damaged, im-
properly adjusted, or not completely and se-
curely assembled. Always replace bar and
chain immediately if it becomes damaged,
broken or is otherwise removed.
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Always stop the unit when work is delayed or
when walking from one cutting location to
another. Stop the engine before setting the
unit down.
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Use only in daylight or good artificial light.
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Use only for jobs explained in this manual.
KICKBACK
WARNING:
Avoid kickback which
can result in serious injury.
Kickback
is the
backward, upward or sudden forward motion
of the guide bar occurring when the chain
near the upper tip of the guide bar contacts
any object such as a log or branch, or when
the wood closes in and pinches the chain in
the cut. Contacting a foreign object in the
wood can also result in loss of control.
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Rotational Kickback
can occur when the
moving chain contacts an object at the upper
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 light-
ning fast, reverse reaction which kicks the
guide bar up and back toward the operator.
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Pinch-Kickback
can occur when the wood
closes in and pinches the moving chain in
the cut along the top of the guide bar and the
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 pruner to move in the opposite
direction of the chain rotation. The pruner is
driven straight back toward the operator.
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Pull-In
can occur when the moving chain
contacts a foreign object in the wood in the cut
along the bottom of the guide bar and the
chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stop-
ping pulls the pruner forward and away from
the operator and could easily cause the oper-
ator to lose control of the pruner.
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
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Recognize that kickback can happen. With
a basic understanding of kickback, you can
reduce the element of surprise which con-
tributes to accidents.
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Never let the moving chain contact any ob-
ject at the tip of the guide bar.
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Keep the working area free from obstruc-
tions such as other trees, branches, rocks,
stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid any
obstruction that your chain could hit while
you are cutting. When cutting a branch, do
not let the guide bar contact branch or other
objects around it.
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Keep your chain sharp and properly ten-
sioned. A loose or dull chain can increase
the chance of kickback occurring. Follow
manufacturer’s chain sharpening and
maintenance instructions. Check tension
at regular intervals with the engine stopped,
never with the engine running. Make sure
the bar clamp nut is securely tightened after
tensioning the chain.
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Begin and continue cutting at full speed. If
the chain is moving at a slower speed, there
is greater chance of kickback occurring.
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Cut one branch at a time.
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Use extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
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Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
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Watch for shifting of wood or other forces that
could close a cut and pinch or fall into chain.
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Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar and
Low--Kickback Chain specified for your unit.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
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Keep a good, firm grip on the pruner with both
hands when the engine is running and don’t
let go. A firm grip will help you reduce kick-
back and maintain control. Keep the fingers of
your left hand encircling and your left thumb
under the assist handle. Keep your right hand
completely around the throttle handle whether
your are right handed or left handed.
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Stand with your weight evenly balanced on
both feet.
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Stand slightly to the left side of the pruner to
keep your body from being in a direct line
with the cutting chain.
KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES
The following features are included on your
pruner to help reduce the hazard of kickback;
however, such features will not totally eliminate
this danger. As a pruner user, do not rely only
on safety devices. You must follow all safety
precautions, instructions, and maintenance in
this manual to help avoid kickback and other
forces which can result in serious injury.
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Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar, designed
with a small radius tip which reduces the
size of the kickback danger zone on the bar
tip.
