5
MAINTAIN YOUR PRUNER IN GOOD
WORKING ORDER
S Have all service performed by a qualified
service dealer with the except ion of the
items listed in the maintenance section of
this manual.
S Make certain the chai n stops m oving when
the thrott le trigger is released . For correction,
refer t o I DLE SPEED ADJUSTMENT.
S Never modify your unit in any way.
S Keep the handles dry, clean, and f ree of oil
or fuel mixture.
S Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and
fasteners securely tightened.
S Make idle speed adjustments with lower
end supported to prevent chain from
contacting any object.
S Keep others away when making idle speed
adjustments.
S Use only Poul an PRO accessori es and
replace ment parts as reco mmended.
HANDLE FUEL WITH CAUTION
S Do not smoke while handling fuel or while
operating th e pruner .
S Eliminate all sources of sparks or flam e in
the areas where fuel is mixed or poured.
There should be no smoking, open flames,
or work that could cause sparks. Allow
engine to cool before refueling.
S Mix andpour fuelinan out do orarea onbare
ground; st ore fuel in a cool, dry, well
ventilated place; and use an approved,
marked container for all fuel purposes.
Wipeupall fuelspills beforestartingengine.
S Move atleast 10feet (3meters) fromfueling
site before starting engine.
S Turn the engine off and let unit cool in a
non-combustible area, not on dry leaves,
straw, paper, etc. Slowly remove fuel cap
and refuel unit.
S Store the unit andfuel in anarea wherefuel
vaporscannot reach sparks oropenflames
from water heaters, electric motors or
swit ches, furnaces, etc.
KICKBACK
WARNING: Avoid kickback which
can result in serious injury . Kickback is the
backward, upward or sudden forward motion
of the guide bar occurring when the chain
near the upper tip of the guide bar contacts
any object such as a log or branch, or when
the wood closes in and pinches the chain in
the cut. Contacting a foreign object in the
wood can also result in loss of control.
S Rota tiona l Kic kback can occur wh e n t h e
moving chain contact s an object at the upper
tip of the gu ide bar . This contact can cause
the cha in to dig into the object , which stops
the chain for an instant. The re sult is a
lightning fast, reversereact ion which kicks t he
guide bar up and back toward the operator.
S Pinch-Kickback canoccur when thewood
closes in and pinches the moving chain in
thecutalongthe top ofthe guidebar a ndthe
chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden
stopping o fthe chain results in areve rsal of
the chain force used to cut wood and
causes the pruner to move in the opposite
direction ofthechain rotation. Thepruneris
driven straight back toward t he operator.
S Pull-In can occur when the m ovin g chain
contacts aforeign object inth e woodinthe cut
along the botto m of the guide bar and the
chain is suddenl y stopped. This sudd en
stoppin g pulls t he p runer forward and aw ay
from the opera tor and could easily cause the
operator to lose control of the pruner .
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
S Recognizethat kickback canhappen. With
a bas ic understanding ofkickback, you can
reduce the element of surprise which
contributes to accidents.
S Never let the moving chain contact any
object at the tip of the guide bar.
S Keep the working area free from
obstructions suchas othertrees,branches,
rocks, stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid any
obstruction that your chain could hit while
you are cutting. When cu tting a branch,do
not letthe guidebar contact branch or other
objects around it.
S Keep your chain sharp and properly
tensioned. A loose or dull chain can
increase the chance of kickback occu rring.
Follow ma nufacturer’s chain sharpening
and maintenance instructions. Check
tension at regular intervals with the engine
stopped, never with the engine running.
Make sure the bar clamp nut is securely
tightened after tensioning the chain.
S Begin and continue cutting at full speed. If
the chainismovingat aslowerspeed,there
is greater chance of kickback occurring.
S Cut one branch at a time.
S Use e xtreme caution when re-entering a
previous cut.
S Do not attempt cuts st arting with the tip of
the bar (plunge cuts).
S Watch for shifting of wood or other forces that
could cl ose a cut and pinch or fall i nto chain.
S Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar a nd
Low--Kickback Cha in specified f or your unit.
MAINTAIN CONTR OL
S Keep a good, firm grip on the pruner with
both hands when theengine is runningand
don’t let go. A firm grip will help y ou reduce
kickback and maintain control. Keep the
fingers of your left hand encircling andyour
