Operating Tips; Tree Felling Techniques - Craftsman 358.350200 Instruction Manual

placed onthe ground with the engine
running.
Place the saw onfirm ground. Grip t he
rear h andle with your right h and a nd
the front handte with your l eft h and.
Apply f utt t hrottle byfull d epressing the
throttle trigger. Activate the chain b rake
byturning your l eft w rist against the
hand g uard w ithout releasing your g rip
around the front h andle. The chain
should stop immediately.
Inertia a ctivating function
c ontrol
_IJWARNING: When performing the
following procedure, the engine must
be turned off.
Grip the rear handle with your right
hand and the front handle with your left
hand. Hold the chain saw approxi-
mately 14" (35 cm) above a stump or
other wooden surface. Release your
grip on the front handle and use the
weight of the saw to tet the tip of the
guide bar fall forward and contact the
stump. When the tip of the bar hits the
stump, the brake should activate.
OPERATING TIPS
• Check chain tension before first use
and after 1 minute of operation. See
CHAIN TENSION in the MAINTENANCE
section.
• Cut wood onty. Do not cut metal,
plastics, masonry, non-wood buitding
materials, etc.
• Stop the saw if the chain strikes a
foreign object. Inspect the saw and
repair parts as necessary.
• Keep the chain out of dirt and sand.
Even a small amount of dirt will
quickly dull a chain and increase the
possibility of kickback.
• Practice cutting a few small logs us-
ing the following steps. This will help
you get the "feel" of using your saw
before you begin a major sawing op-
eration.
• Squeeze the throttle trigger and al-
low the engine to reach full speed
before cutting.
• Begin cutting with the saw frame
against the tog.
• Keep the engine at full speed the
entire time you are cutting.
• Atiow the chain to cut for you. Exert
only light downward pressure.
•ReIease the throttle trigger as soon
as the cut is completed, allowing
the engine to idle. tf you run the
saw at full throttle without a cutting
load, unnecessary wear can occur.
• To avoid losing controt when cut is
complete, do not put pressure on
saw at end of cut.
• Stop the engine before setting the
SaW down*
TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES
dlI_WARNING: Check for broken or
dead branches which can fail while
cutting causing serious injury. Do not
cut near buildings or electrical wires if
you do not know the direction of tree
fall, nor cut at night since you wiit not
be able to see wett, nor during bad
weather such as rain, snow, or strong
winds, etc.
• Carefully plan your sawing operation
in advance.
• Clear the work area. You need a
clear area all around the tree so you
can have secure footing.
• The chain saw 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, such conditions 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 determine the di-
rection of tree lean.
• Weight and branches on one side.
• Surrounding trees and obstacles.
• Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is
rotted, it can snap and fall toward the
operator.
• Make sure there is enough room for
the tree to fall. Maintain a distance of
2-1/2 tree lengths from the nearest
person or other objects. Engine
noise can drown out a warning call
• Remove dirt, stones, loose bark,
nails, staples, and wire from the tree
where cuts are to be made.
_'_. Plan a clear retreat path
9-_ -O _'- Direction of falt
10