Makita EA3200S Operator's Manual page 13

Pushback:
Pushback o ccurs w hen t he c hain o n t he t op o f t he b ar
is suddenly stopped when it is pinched, caught or en-­
counters a f oreign o bject i n t he w ood. The r eaction o f t he
chain d rives t he s aw s traight b ack t oward t he o perator
causing l oss o f s aw c ontrol. P ushback f re-­quently o ccurs
when t he t op o f t he b ar i s u sed f or c utting ( fig. 1 4).
To a void p ushback
1. Be alert to forces or situations that may cause mate-­
rial to pinch the top of the chain.
2. Do not cut more than one log at a time.
3. Do not twist the saw when withdrawing the bar
from a p lunge c ut o r u nder b uck c ut ( figures 2 5 t o
27 and 33, pages 15 and 17), because the chain
can pinch.
Pull-­in:
Pull-­in o ccurs w hen t he c hain o n t he b ottom o f t he b ar
is suddenly stopped. T he chain on the bottom of the
bar stops when it is pinched, caught or encounters a
foreign o bject i n t he w ood ( see fi g. 1 5). T he r eaction o f
the chain pulls the saw forward, causing the operator
to lose control.
Pull-­in frequently occurs when the spike bar of the
saw is not held securely against the tree or limb and
when the chain is not rotating at full speed before it
contacts the wood.
WARNING!
Use e xtreme c aution w hen c utting s mall s ize b rush
and saplings which may easily catch the chain and
pull y ou o ff b alance.
To a void p ull-­in
1. Always start a cut with the chain rotating at full speed
and t he s pike b ar i n c ontact w ith t he w ood.
2. Pull-­in may also be prevented by using plastic
wedges to open the kerf or cut.
Cutting t echniques
Felling
Felling is cutting down a tree.
Before felling a tree, consider carefully all conditions
which m ay a ffect t he d irection o f f all, i ncluding:
The intended direction of the fall.
14 The neutral lean of the tree.
Any u nusually h eavy l imb s tructure.
Surrounding t rees a nd o bstacles.
The wind direction and speed.
Always observe the general condition of the tree.
Look for decay and rot in the trunk. If it is rotted
inside, it could snap and fall toward the operator
while b eing c ut.
Also l ook f or b roken o r d ead b ranches w hich c ould
vibrate l oose a nd f all o n t he o perator. W hen f elling
on a s lope, t he o perator s hould s tand o n t he u p-­hill
side.
When felling in the vicinity of roads, railways and
power l ines, e tc., t ake e xtra p recautions ( see fi g. 1 6).
Inform the police, utility company or railway authority
before b eginning t o c ut.
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WARNING!
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