Operating Chain Saw; Oiling Chain; Extension Cords; Chain Brake - Homelite EL16B Owner's Manual

HOMELITE EL18B
ELECTRIC CHAINSAW
OPERATING CHAIN
SAW
WARNING: Read and under-
stand this owner's manual be-
fore operating this saw. Make
certain you read and understand
all Safety Warnings. Improper use
of this chain saw can cause se-
vere injury or death from fire,
electrical shock, or body contact
with moving chain, or falling
wood.

EXTENSION CORDS

Use proper extension cord with this chain
saw. Use only extension cords marked for
outdoor use. Use an extension cord no less
2
than 1.5 mm (14SWG) at distances up to 30
meters (100 feet). The cord must be marked
with suffix W-A following the cord type
marking. Example : SJTW-A
Use an extension cord heavy enough to
carry the current your saw will draw. An
undersized cord will cause a voltage drop at
the saw, loss of power, and overheating.
Follow cord size requirements listed below.
Cord Length SWG Cord Size
25 feet
50 feet
100 feet
150 feet
Keep cord away from cutting area. Make
sure cord does not catch on branches or logs
during cutting. Inspect cords often. Replace
damaged cords.
The extension cord may come undone from
the power cord during use. To avoid this,
make a knot with the two cords as shown in
Figure 7 below.
Extension
Cord
Figure 7 - Tying Extension Cord and Power
Cord in Knot

OILING CHAIN

Always check oil level before using saw. To
oil chain, press oil cap. Oil will feed onto
guide bar and chain. Press oil cap at least
once before each cut. Check oil level often
by looking at oil sight level hole. Oil sight
level hole is on left side of saw, between
front handle and front hand guard.
Figure 8 - Pressing Oil Cap to Oil Chain
CUTTING WITH THE CHAIN
SAW
1. Connect saw to extension cord. Con-
nect extension cord to power supply.
2. Make sure section of log to be cut is
not laying on ground. This will keep
chain from touching ground as it cuts
through log. Touching ground with
moving chain will dull chain.
3. Use both hands to grip saw. Always use
left hand to grip front handle and right
16
hand to grip rear handle. Use firm grip.
16
Thumbs and fingers must wrap around
14
saw handles (see Figure 9).
12
Front Hand
Guard
Chain Saw
Figure 9 - Front Hand Guard, Switch
Power Cord
Lockout, and Trigger Location
4. Make sure your footing is firm. Keep
feet apart. Divide your weight evenly
on both feet. Stand slightly to left side
of saw. This keeps your body from be-
ing in direct line with chain.
5. When ready to make a cut, press in
switch lockout with right thumb and
squeeze trigger (see Figure 9). This will
turn saw on. Releasing trigger will turn
saw off. Make sure saw is running at
full speed before starting a cut.
6.
7.
8.
9.

CHAIN BRAKE

The chain brake quickly stops the saw chain.
Kickback causes the back of operator's left
hand to contact front hand guard (see Figure
10). When front hand guard moves forward,
the saw chain stops. This reduces the chance
of serious injury during kickback. When the
chain brake activates, release trigger at once.
Figure 10 - The chain brake quickly
stopping the saw chain
Switch Lockout
To reset chain brake, release trigger and
move front hand guard back into position.
You must release trigger first. If not, the saw
will start when you reset the front hand
guard.
Note: Test chain brake before each use.
Firmly grip saw with both hands. With saw
running, move front hand guard forward
Trigger
with back of left hand. Keep both hands on
the handles. Saw chain should stop. If chain
brake does not work, have saw repaired by
authorized service person.
8
When starting a cut, place moving
chain against wood. Hold saw firmly
in place to avoid possible bouncing or
skating (sideways movement) of saw.
Guide saw using light pressure. Do not
force saw. The motor will overload and
can burn out.
Remove saw from a cut with saw run-
ning at full speed. Stop saw by releas-
ing trigger. Do not use the chain brake.
Make sure chain has stopped before
setting saw down.
Practice until you can maintain a steady,
even cutting rate.
CAUTION: Do not use the
chain brake to stop and start your
saw. Quick repeated stops may
cause overheating of the chain
brake. Damage to the chain brake
will occur.
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