Electrolux POULAN PRO 295 User Manual

Operator’s Manual

Manual del Operador

Manuel de L’utilisateur

295

ENGLISH

R

ESPAÑOL

WARNING:

Read and follow all Safety Rules and Operating Instructions before
using this product. Failure to do so can result in serious injury.

ADVERTENCIA:

Lea el manual del operador y siga todas las advertencias e enstruc­ciones de seguridad. El no hacerlo puede resultar en lesiones graves.

AVERTISSEMENT:

Lire le manuel de l’utilisateur et bien respecter tous les avertissements
et toutes les instructions de sécurité. Tout défaut de le faire pourrait en­traîner des blessures graves.

Electrolux Home Products
North America
Div. of WCI Outdoor Products, Inc.
Augusta, GA 30907

CopyrightE1999 WCI Outdoor Products, Inc.

Div. of WCI Outdoor Products, Inc.

Electrolux Home Products

Mississauga, Ontario l5T 1K6

North America

530087764

4/16/99

FRANÇAIS

SAFETY RULES

WARNING:

spark plug wire and place wire where it can­not contact spark plug to prevent accidental
starting when setting up, transporting, ad­justing or making repairs except carburetor
adjustments.

Because a chain saw is a high-speed wood­cutting tool, special safety precautions must
be observed to reduce the risk of accidents.
Careless or improper use of this tool can
cause serious injury.

PLAN AHEAD

Read this manual carefully until you

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completely understand and can follow
all safety rules, precautions, and operat­ing instructions before attempting to use
the unit.
Restrict the use of your saw to adult us-

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ers whounderstand and can follow safe­ty rules, precautions, and operating in­structions found in this manual.

Hearing

Protection

Snug
Fitting

Clothing

Safety
Shoes

Wear protective gear. Always use steel-

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toed safety footwear with non-slip soles;
snug-fitting clothing; heavy-duty, non­slip gloves; eye protection such as non­fogging, vented goggles or face screen;
an approved safety hard hat; and sound
barriers (ear plugs or mufflers) to protect
your hearing. Regular users should
have hearing checked regularly as
chain saw noise can damage hearing.
Secure hair above shoulder length.
Keep all parts of your body away from

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the chain when the engine is running.
Keep children, bystanders, and animals

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a minimum of 30 feet (10 Meters) away
from the work area. Do not allow other
people or animals to be near the chain
saw when starting or operating the chain
saw.
Do not handle or operate a chain saw

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when you are fatigued, ill, or upset, or if
you have taken alcohol, drugs, or
medication. You must be in good physi-

Always disconnect

Safety Hat

Eye
Protection

Heavy Duty
Gloves

Safety Chaps

cal condition and mentally alert. Chain
saw work is strenuous. If you have any
condition that might be aggravated by
strenuous work, check with your doctor
before operating a chain saw.
Carefully plan your sawing operation in

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advance. Do not start cutting until you
have a clear work area, secure footing,
and, if you are felling trees, a planned re­treat path.

OPERATE YOUR SAW SAFELY

Do not operate a chain saw with one

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hand. Serious injury to the operator,
helpers, bystanders or any combination
of these persons may result from one­handed operation. A chain saw is in­tended for two-handed use.
Operate the chain saw only in a well-

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ventilated outdoor area.
Do not operate saw from a ladder or in a

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tree, unless you are specifically trained
to do so.
Make sure the chain will not make con-

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tact with any object while starting the en­gine. Never try to start the saw when the
guide bar is in a cut.
Do not put pressure on the saw at the

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end of the cut. Applying pressure can
cause you to lose control when the cut is
completed.
Stop the engine before setting the saw

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down.
Be alert for springback when cutting a

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limb that is under tension so you will not
be struck by the limb or saw when the
tension in the wood fibers is released.

MAINTAIN YOUR SAW IN GOOD
WORKING ORDER

Have all chain saw service performed by

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a qualified service dealer with the ex­ception of the items listed in the mainte­nance section of this manual. For exam­ple, if improper tools are used to remove
or hold the flywheel when servicing the
clutch, structural damage to the flywheel
can occur and cause the flywheel to
burst.
Make certain the saw chain stops mov-

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ing when the throttle trigger is released.
For correction, refer to “Carburetor Ad­justments.”
Never modify your saw in any way. Use

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only attachments supplied or specifical­ly recommended by the manufacturer.
Keep the handles dry, clean, and free of

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oil or fuel mixture.
With the engine stopped, hand carry the

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chain saw with the muffler away from
your body, and the guide bar and chain
to the rear, preferably covered with a
scabbard.
Keep fuel and oil caps, screws, and fas-

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teners securely tightened.
Use only Poulan or Poulan Pro accesso-

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ries and replacement parts as recom­mended.

2

HANDLE FUEL WITH CAUTION

Do not smoke while handling fuel or

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while operating the saw.
Eliminate all sources of sparks or flame

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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.
Mix and pour fuel in an outdoor area on

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bare ground; store fuel in a cool, dry, well
ventilated place; and use an approved,
marked container for all fuel purposes.
Wipe up all fuel spills before starting
saw.

Move at least 10 feet (3 meters) from

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fueling site before starting engine.
Turn the engine off and let saw cool in a

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non-combustible area, not on dry
leaves, straw, paper, etc. Slowly re­move fuel cap and refuel unit.
Store the unit and fuel in an area where

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fuel vapors cannot reach sparks or open
flames from water heaters, electric mo­tors or switches, furnaces, etc.

WARNING!

proper use can cause serious or even fatal injury.

Read and understand the Operator’s Manual before using the chain saw.

XX_ XX_

This chain saw can be dangerous! Careless or im-

Always use two hands when operating the chain saw.

WARNING!

ject should be avoided; tip contact may cause the guide
bar to move suddenly upward and backward, which may
cause serious injury.

Measured maximum kickback value, with and without
chain brake, for the bar and chain combination on the label.

Contacting the guide bar tip with any ob-

KICKBACK

WARNING:

when the moving chain contacts an object at
the upper portion of the tip of the guide bar or
when the wood closes in and pinches the
saw chain in the cut. Contact at the upper
portion of the tip of the guide bar can cause
the chain to dig into the object, which stops
the chain for an instant. The result is a light­ning fast, reverse reaction which kicks the
guide bar up and back toward the operator. If
the saw chain is pinched along the top of the
guide bar, the guide bar can be driven rapidly

Kickback can occur

back toward the operator. Either of these
reactions can cause loss of saw control
which can result in serious injury.

against kickback
Rotational Kickback

and backward motion of the chain saw that
can occur when the moving saw chain near
the upper portion of the tip of the guide bar
contacts an object such as a log or a branch.

Pinch-Kickback and Pull-In occur when the
chain is suddenly stopped by being pinched,
caught, or by contacting a foreign object in

is the rapid upward

3

Guard

the wood. This sudden stopping of the chain
results in a reversal of the chain force used to
cut wood and causes the saw to move in the
opposite direction of the chain rotation.
Pinch-Kickback drives the saw straight back
toward the operator. Pull-In pulls the saw
away from the operator. Either reaction can
result in loss of control and serious injury.

Avoid Pinch--Kickback:

Be extremely aware of situations or ob-

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structions that can cause material to
pinch the top of or otherwise stop the
chain.
Do not cut more than one log at a time.

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Do not twist the saw as the bar is with-

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drawn from an undercut when bucking.

Avoid Pull--In:

Always begin cutting with the engine at

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full speed and the saw housing against
wood.
Use wedges made of plastic or wood.

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Never use metal to hold the cut open.

Kickback Path

the engine stopped, never with the en­gine running. Make sure the bar clamp
nuts are securely tightened after ten­sioning the chain.
Begin and continue cutting at full speed.

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If the chain is moving at a slower speed,
there is greater chance of kickback oc­curring.
Cut one log at a time.

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Use extreme caution when re-entering a

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previous cut.
Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip

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of the bar (plunge cuts).
Watch for shifting logs or other forces

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that could close a cut and pinch or fall
into chain.
Use the Reduced--Kickback Guide Bar

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and Low--Kickback Chain specified for
your saw.

MAINTAIN CONTROL

Stand to the left of
the saw

Avoid Obstructions

Clear The Working Area

REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK

Recognize that kickback can happen.

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With a basic understanding of kickback,
you can reduce the element of surprise
which contributes to accidents.
Never let the moving chain contact any

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object at the tip of the guide bar.
Keep the working area free from ob-

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structions such as other trees,
branches, rocks, fences, stumps, etc.
Eliminate or avoid any obstruction that
your saw chain could hit while you are
cutting through a particular log or
branch.
Keep your saw chain sharp and properly

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tensioned. 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

Never reverse hand positions

Elbow locked

Thumb on underside of
handlebar

Keep a good, firm grip on the saw with

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both hands when the engine is running
and don’t let go. A firm grip will help you
reduce kickback and maintain control of
the saw. Keep the fingers of your left
hand encircling and your left thumb un­der the front handlebar . Keep your right
hand completely around the rear handle
whether your are right handed or left
handed. Keep your left arm straight with
the elbow locked.
Position your left hand on the front han-

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dlebar so it is in a straight line with your
right hand on the rear handle when mak­ing bucking cuts. Never reverse right
and left hand positions for any type of
cutting.

4

Stand with your weight evenly balanced

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on both feet.
Stand slightly to the left side of the saw to

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keep your body from being in a direct line
with the cutting chain.
Do not overreach. You could be drawn

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or thrown off balance and lose control of
the saw.
Do not cut above shoulder height. It is

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difficult to maintain control of saw above
shoulder height.

KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES

WARNING:

are included on your saw to help reduce the
hazard of kickback; however, such features
will not totally eliminate this dangerous reac­tion. As a chain saw user, do not rely only on
safety devices. You must follow all safety
precautions, instructions, and maintenance
in this manual to help avoid kickback and
other forces which can result in serious
injury.

Reduced-- Kickback Guide Bar, de-

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signed with a small radius tip which re­duces the size of the kickback danger
zone on the bar tip. A Reduced--Kick­back Guide Bar has been demonstrated
to significantly reduce the number and
seriousness of kickbacks when tested
in accordance with safety requirements
for gasoline powered chain saws as set
by ANSI B175.1.
Low--Kickback Chain, designed with a

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contoured depth gauge and guard link
which deflect kickback force and allow
wood to gradually ride into the cutter.
Low--Kickback Chain has met kickback
performance requirements when tested
on a representative sample of chain
saws below 3.8 cubic inch displacement
specified in ANSI B175.1.
Handguard, designed to reduce the

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chance of your left hand contacting the
chain if your hand slips off the front han­dlebar.
Position of front and rear handlebars,

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designed with distance between han­dles and “in-line” with each other. The
spread and “in-line” position of the
hands provided by this design work to­gether to give balance and resistance in
controlling the pivot of the saw back to­ward the operator if kickback occurs.

Reduced Kickback Symmetrical Guide Bar

Symmetrical Guide Bar

The following features

Small Radius Tip

Large Radius Tip

Contoured Depth Gauge

Elongated Guard Link

Deflects
Kickback Force
And Allows Wood

Low---Kickback

Chain

Chain With High Kickback Potential

ANSI B175.1-1991

Standard for Powered Tools -- Gasoline
Powered Chain Saw -- Safety Require-

To Gradually
Ride Into Cutter

Can Obstruct Material

“American National

ments.”

CHAIN BRAKE AND
CKA ANGLE

WARNING:

chain brake in reducing operator injuries has
not yet been fully determined. We cannot
represent that a chain brake is an effective
safety device to prevent or reduce the haz­ard of injuries resulting from kickback.

NOT ASSUME THAT THE CHAIN
BRAKE WILL PROTECT YOU IN THE
EVENT OF A KICKBACK.

the saw properly and carefully to avoid kick­back. Reduced --Kickback bars and Low-­Kickback chains reduce the hazard of kick­back and are recommended. Repairs on a
chain brake should be made by an Autho­rized

POULAN PRO

your unit to the place of purchase if pur­chased from a Servicing Dealer, or to the
nearest Authorized Master Service Dealer.

WARNING:

angle (CKA) listed on your saw and listed in
the CKA table below represents angle of
kickback your bar and chain combinations
will have when tested in accordance with
CSA and ANSI standards. When purchasing
replacement bar and chain, considerations
should be given to the lower CKA values.
Lower CKA values represent safer angles to
the user, higher values indicate more angle
and higher kick energies. Computed angles
represented in the non-activated column in­dicate total energy and angle associated
without activation of the chain brake during
kickback. Activated angle represents chain
stopping time relative to activation angle of
chain break and resulting kick angle of saw.
In all cases lower CKA values represent a
safer operating environment for the user.

Tip contact in some cases may

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cause a lightning fast reverse
REACTION, kicking the guide bar
up and back toward the operator.

The effectiveness of a

Instead, use

Service Dealer. Take

Computed kickback

5

DO