Poulan Pro PP5000P - Manual (Page 4)

4
S Inspect entire unit before each use. Replace
damaged parts. Check for fuel leaks. Make
sure all fasteners are in place and securely
fastened.
S Maintain unit according to recommended pro-
cedures.
S Use only recommended Poulan PRO®
parts and accessories. Never use wire,
wire rope, string, flailing devices, etc.
S Be sure chain stops moving when engine
idles (see CARBURETOR ADJUST-
MENTS section of powerhead manual).
S Keep others away when making carburetor
adjustments.
S Never start the unit with the clutch housing re-
moved. The clutch can fly off and cause seri-
ous injury.
S Keep the handles driy, clean, and free of oil or
fuel mixture.
S Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and fasteners
securely tightened.
S Have all maintenance and service not ex-
plained in this manual performed by an autho-
rized service dealer.
OPERATE YOUR PRUNER SAFELY
S Do not operate a pruner with one hand. Se-
rious injury to the operator, helpers, by-
standers or any combination of these per-
sons may result from one-handed
operation. A pruner is intended for two-
handed use.
S Operate the pruner only in a well-ventilated
outdoor area.
S Do not operate pruner from a ladder or in a
tree.
S Do not use a pruner to cut down trees or any
portion of the tree trunk.
S Only use for pruning limbs or branches
overhead not greater than 4 inches (10 cm)
in diameter.
S Never stand under the limb you are pruning.
Always position yourself out of the path of fal-
ling debris.
S Do not cut small brush and saplings with the
pruner. Slender matter may catch in the chain
and be whipped toward you, pulling you off
balance.
S Make sure the chain will not make contact
with any object while starting the engine.
Never try to start the unit when the guide
bar is in a cut.
S Do not put pressure on the pruner at the end
of the cut. Applying pressure can cause you
to lose control when the cut is completed.
S Do not run the unit at high speed when not
pruning.
S If you strike or become entangled with a for-
eign object, stop the engine immediately and
check for damage. Have any damage re-
paired by an authorized service dealer before
attempting further operations.
S Do not operate a pruner that is damaged, im-
properly adjusted, or not completely and se-
curely assembled. Always replace bar and
chain immediately if it becomes damaged,
broken or is otherwise removed.
S Always stop the unit when work is delayed or
when walking from one cutting location to
another. Stop the engine before setting the
unit down.
S Use only in daylight or good artificial light.
S Use only for jobs explained in this manual (or
manuals for optional attachments).
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
Rotational Kickback can occur when the
moving chain contacts an object at the upper
tip of the guide bar. This contact can cause
the chain to dig into the object, which stops
the chain for an instant. The result is a light-
ning fast, reverse reaction which kicks the
guide bar up and back toward the operator.
S Pinch-Kickback can occur when the wood
closes in and pinches the moving chain in
the cut along the top of the guide bar and the
chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden
stopping of the chain results in a reversal of
the chain force used to cut wood and
causes the pruner to move in the opposite
direction of the chain rotation. The pruner is
driven straight back toward the operator.
S Pull-In can occur when the moving chain
contacts a foreign object in the wood in the cut
along the bottom of the guide bar and the
chain is suddenly stopped. This sudden stop-
ping pulls the pruner forward and away from
the operator and could easily cause the oper-
ator to lose control of the pruner.
REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK
S Recognize that kickback can happen. With
a basic understanding of kickback, you can
reduce the element of surprise which con-
tributes to accidents.
S Never let the moving chain contact any ob-
ject at the tip of the guide bar.
S Keep the working area free from obstruc-
tions such as other trees, branches, rocks,
stumps, etc. Eliminate or avoid any
obstruction that your chain could hit while
you are cutting. When cutting a branch, do
not let the guide bar contact branch or other
objects around it.
S Keep your chain sharp and properly ten-
sioned. A loose or dull chain can increase
the chance of kickback occurring. Follow
manufacturer’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 chain is moving at a slower speed, there
is greater chance of kickback occurring.
S Cut one branch at a time.