Craftsman 358.362181 Operator's Manual page 11

• Cut w ood o nly. Donot c ut m etal, plas-
tics, masonry, non-wood building ma-
terials, etc.
• Stop t he saw ifthe chain s trikes a
foreign object. Inspect thesaw and
repair orreplace parts a snecessary.
• Keep t he chain o ut o fdirt a nd sand.
Even a small amount ofdirt w ill q uickly
dull achain a nd thus increase the
possibility ofkickback.
• Practice cutting afew small logs us-
ing the following techniques toget
the "feel" ofusing y our s aw before
you begin a major sawing operation.
• Squeeze the throttle trigger and allow
the engine toreach full s peed b efore
cutting.
• Begin c utting w ith thesaw frame
against the log.
• Keep t heengine atfull s peed t he
entire t ime you are cutting.
• Allow the chain t ocut f oryou. Exert
only light downward pressure.
Ifyou force t he cut, d amage tothe
bar, chain, orengine can result.
• Release the throttle trigger assoon
asthecutis completed, allowing
the engine toidle. I fyou r un the saw
atfull t hrottle without acutting load,
unnecessary wear can occur tothe
chain, bar, a ndengine. Tomaxi-
mize operating efficiency, donot
runthe engine forlonger than 30
seconds atatime atfullthrottle,
• To avoid l osing c ontrol when c ut i s
complete, donotputpressure on
saw atend ofcut.
• Stop t he engine before setting the
saw down a fter c utting.
TREE F ELLING TECHNIQUES
_,WARNING: Check for broken or
dead branches which can fall while cut-
ting 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 will not be ale to
see well, nor during bad weather such
as rain, snow, or strong winds, etc.
If the tree makes contact with any utility
line, the utility company should be noti-
fied immediately.
• 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 di-
rection.
Natural conditions that can cause a tree
to fall in a particular direction include:
• The wind direction and speed.
• The lean ofthe tree. The lean of a
tree might not be apparent due to un-
even or sloping terrain. Use a plumb
or level to determine the direction 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. Check for broken or dead
branches which can fall on you while
cutting. Make sure there is enough
room for the tree to fall. Maintain a dis-
tance of 2-1/2tree lengths from the near-
est 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 to the rear
and diagonal to the line of fall.
_k_.x_e Plan a clear retreat path
{ _-'_- Direction of Fail
45" /_
"_/,e¢
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches (15 cm) in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large
trees. A notch is cut on the side of the
tree in the desired direction of fall. After
a felling cut is made on the opposite
side of tree, the tree will tend to fall into
the notch.
NOTE: If the tree has large buttress
roots, remove them before making the
notch. If using saw to remove buttress
roots, keep saw chain from contacting
ground to prevent dulling of the chain.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE
TREE
• Make notch cut by cutting the top of
the notch first. Cut through 1/3of the
diameter of the tree. Next complete
the notch by cutting the bottom of the
notch. See illustration. Once the
notch is cut remove the notch of
wood from the tree.
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