Poulan Pro 1950LE Instruction Manual page 4

Avoid O bstructions
Clear The Working Area
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
• Recognize thatkickback canhappen.
With abasic u nderstanding ofkickback,
youcan reduce theelement ofsurprise
which c ontributes toaccidents.
• Never let t he moving chain c ontact any o b-
ject a tthe tipofthe guide b ar.
• Keep t he working area f ree from obstruc-
tions s uch a s other trees, branches, rocks,
fences, stumps, etc.Eliminate oravoid
any obstruction that y our saw chain c ould
hitwhile y ou are cutting. When c utting a
branch, donotletthe guide barcontact
branch orother objects around it.
• Keep y our saw chain s harp a nd properly
tensioned. Aloose o rdull c hain c an in-
crease the chance ofkickback occurring.
Follow m anufacturer's chain sharpening
and maintenance instructions. Check ten-
sion atregular intervals with theengine
stopped, never with theengine running.
Make s ure thechain b rake n uts arese-
curely tightened after tensioning the chain.
• Begin a nd continue cutting atfull s peed. If
thechain ismoving ata slower speed,
there i sgreater chance ofkickback occur-
ring.
• Cut o ne log atatime.
• Use
extreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
• Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
• Watch for shifting logs or other forces that
could close a cut and pinch or fall into
chain.
• Use the Reduced-Kickback Guide Bar
and Low-Kickback Chain specified for
your saw.
MAINTAIN CONTROL
Stand to the
hand positions
[
k handlebar
Elbow locked
Thumb on underside of
handlebar
• Keep a good, firm grip on the saw with both
hands when the engine is running and
don't let go. A firm grip will help you reduce
kickback and maintain control of the saw.
Keep the fingers of your left hand encir-
cling and your left thumb under the front
handlebar. Keep your right hand com-
pletely around the rear handle whether
your are right handed or left handed. Keep
your left arm straight with the elbow
looked.
• Position your left hand on the front handle-
bar so it is in a straight line with your right
hand on the rear handle when making
bucking cuts. Never reverse right and left
hand positions for any type of cutting.
• Stand with yoor weight evenly balanced on
both feet.
• Stand slightly to the left side of the saw to
keep your body from being in a direct line
with the cutting chain.
• Do not overreach. You could be drawn or
thrown off balance and lose control of the
saw.
• Do not cut above shoulder height. It is diffi-
cult to maintain control of saw above
shoulder height.
KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES
_WARNING: Thefollowingfeatures
are included on your saw to help reduce the
hazard of kickback; however, such features
will not totally eliminate this danger. As a
chain saw user, do not rely only on safety de-
vices. You must follow all safety precau-
tions, instructions, and maintenance in this
manual to help avoid kickback and other
forces which can result in serious injury.
• Reduced-Kickback Guide Bar, designed
with e small radius tip which reduces the
size of the kickback danger zone on the
bar tip. A Reduced-Kickback Guide Bar
has been demonstrated to significantly re-
duce the number and seriousness of kick-
backs when tested in accordance with
safety requirements for gasoline powered
chain saws as set by ANSI B175.1.