Operation; Preparation For Cutting; Limbing And Pruning - Ryobi APR04A Operator's Manual

WARNING:
Do not allow familiarity with this product to make you
careless. Remember that a careless fraction of a second is
sufficient to inflict serious injury.
WARNING:
Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with
side shields when operating power tools. Failure to do
so could result in objects being thrown into your eyes
resulting in possible serious injury.
WARNING:
Do not use any attachments or accessories not
recommended by the manufacturer of this product. The
use of attachments or accessories not recommended can
result in serious personal injury.
WARNING:
Wear eye protection which is marked to comply with
standards, as well as hearing and head protection, when
operating the pruner. Failure to heed this warning could
result in serious personal injury.
APPLIcATIONS
You may use this product for the purposes listed below:
 Limbing
 Pruning

PREPARATION FOR cUTTING

 Wear non-slip gloves for maximum grip and protection.
 Maintain a proper grip on the unit whenever the engine is
running. Use your right hand to firmly grip the rear handle
while your left hand has a firm grip on the front handle.
 Hold unit firmly with both hands. Always keep your left
hand on the front handle and your right hand on the rear
handle, so your body is to the left of the chain line. Never
use a left-handed (cross-handed) grip, or any stance that
places your body or arm across the chain line.
 Never stand directly under the limb you are cutting.
 Always wear shoulder strap for increased safety and to
support the pruner.
 Be certain the knob is fully tightened before operating
equipment; check it periodically for tightness during use
to avoid serious injury.

OPERATION

BASIc cUTTING PROcEdURE
See Figures 5 - 6.
Follow these steps to prevent damage to tree or shrub
bark. Do not use a back-and-forth sawing motion.
 Accelerate the engine to full throttle just before entering
the cut by squeezing the throttle trigger. Keep the engine
at full throttle the entire time you are cutting.
 Make a shallow first cut (1/4 of limb diameter) on the
underside of the limb close to the main limb or trunk.
 Make a second cut from the top side of the limb outboard
from the first cut.
 Make a final cut close to trunk.
NOTE: For second and final cuts (from top of limb or
branch), hold front cutting guide against the limb being
cut. This will help steady the limb and make it easier to
cut. Allow chain to cut for you; exert only light downward
pressure. If you force the cut, damage to the bar, chain,
or engine can result.
 Release the trigger as soon as the cut is completed, allow-
ing the engine to idle. If you run the pruner at full throttle
without a cutting load, unnecessary wear or damage can
occur to the chain, bar, and engine.
Failure to follow proper cutting procedures will result in the
bar and chain binding and becoming pinched or trapped in
the limb. If this should happen:
 Stop the engine.
 Loosen the knob on the coupler.
 Depress the button on the shaft; twist and pull the shafts
to separate the pruner from the power head.
 If the limb can be reached from the ground, lift the limb
while holding the attachment. This should release the
"pinch" and free the pruner.
 If the pruner is still trapped, call a professional for assis-
tance.
 Check the chain tension frequently when operating the
unit. Refer to chain Tension in the Maintenance section
of this manual.

LIMBING ANd PRUNING

See Figures 7 - 8.
This unit is designed for trimming small branches and limbs
up to 6 in. in diameter. For best results, observe the follow-
ing precautions:
 Plan the cut carefully. Be aware of the direction in which
the branch will fall.
 Branches may fall in unexpected directions. Do not stand
directly under the branch being cut.
 The most typical cutting application is to position the unit
at an angle of 60° or less, depending on the specific situa-
tion. As the angle of the pruner shaft to ground increases,
the difficulty of making the first cut (from the underside of
limb) increases.
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