Poulan PRO 400E User Manual

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Instruction Manual

Manual de Instrucciones

Manuel d’Instructions

PP400E

ENGLISH ESPAÑOL

R

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 de instrucciones y siga todas las advertencias e
instrucciones de seguridad. El no hacerlo puede resultar en lesiones
graves.

AVERTISSEMENT:

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

Poulan PRO
1030 Stevens Creek Road
Augusta, GA 30907

850 Matheson Blvd. West

Mississauga, Ontario L5V 0B4

545186756 Rev. 2 3/15/09 BRW

Poulan PRO

FRANÇAIS

SAFETY RULES

WARNING: When using electric

gardening appliances, basic safety pre­cautions must always be followed to re­duce the risk of fire, electric shock, and
serious injury. Read and follow all
instructions.

WARNING: Always disconnect

power source when making repairs, ad­justment s, and when changing accesso­ries and attachments such as saw bar,
chain or guards.
Because a chain saw is a high-speed
woodcutting tool, special precautions
must be observed to reduce risk of acci­dents. Careless or improper use of this
tool can cause serious injury.

PLAN AHEAD

S Restrict the use of your saw to adult us-

ers who understand and can follow the
safety rules, precautions, and operating
instructions found in this manual.

S Dress properly. Wear protective gear.

Always use steel-toed safety footwear
with non-slip soles; snug-fitting cloth­ing; heavy-duty, non-slip gloves; eye
protection such as non-fogging,
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 s aw noise c an damage
hearing.

S Secure hair above shoulder length. Do

not wear loose clothing or jewelry; they
can get caught in moving parts.

Hearing

Protection

Snug
Fitting
Clothing

Safety
Shoes

S Keep all parts of your body away from

the chain when saw is running.

S Keep children away. Do not let visitors

contact chain saw or extensi on cord. All
visitors should be kept at least 30 feet
(10 meters) away from work area.

S Do not handle or operate a chain saw

when you are fatigued, ill, upset, or if you
have taken alcohol, drugs, or medica-

Safety Hat

Eye
Protection

Heavy Duty
Gloves

Safety Chaps

tion. Y ou must be in good physical con­dition and mentally alert. If you have any
condition that might be aggravated by
strenuous work, check with doctor be­fore operating. Watch what you are do­ing. Use common sense.

S Do not start cutting until you have a clear

work area, secure footing, and especial­ly if you are felling a tree, a retreat path.
Keep work area clean.

OPERATE YOUR SAW SAFELY

S Do not operate with one hand. Serious

injury to the operator, helpers, or by­standers may resul t from one-handed
operation. A chain saw is intended for
two-handed use.

S Do not operate saw from a ladder or in a

tree.

S Make sure the chain will not make con-

tact with any object whil e starting the
saw. Never start the saw when the
guide bar is in a cut.

S Do not force chain saw. It will do the job

better and safer at the rate for which it
was intended.

S Do not put pressure on the saw, espe-

cially at the end of the cut. Doing so can
cause you to lose control whenthe cut is
completed.

S Stop the saw before setting it down.
S Hand carry saw only when motor is

stopped. Carr y the chain saw by the
front handle with the saw stopped, finger
off the switch, the guide bar and saw
chain to the rear.

S Use the right tool, cut wood only. Don’t

use chain saw for purpose not intended;
for example, don’t use chain saw for cut­ting plastic, masonry,non-wood building
materials.

S Do not operate a chain saw that is dam-

aged, improperly adjusted, or not com­pletely and securely assembled. Al­ways replace bar, chain, hand guard, or
other parts immedia tely if they become
damaged, broken, or are otherwise re­moved.

S Inspect chain saw cords periodically

and if damaged, have repaired by an
authorized service dealer.

MAINTAIN YOUR SAW IN GOOD
WORKING ORDER

S Have all chain saw service performed

by an authorized service dealer except
the items listed in the

MAINTENANCE

section of this manual.

S Make certain saw chain stops moving

when trigger switch is released.

2

S Keep the handles dry and clean and

free from oil and grease.

S Keep oil cap and fasteners securely

tightened.

S Nonconforming replacement compo-

nents or the removal of safety devices
may cause damage to the unit and pos­sible injury to the operator or bystand­ers. Use only Poulan PRO accessories
and replacement parts as recom­mended. Never modify your saw.

S Maintain chain saw with care.
S Keep unit sharp and clean for better and

safer performance.

S Follow instructions for lubricating and

changing accessories.

S Unplug the chain saw from the power

source when not in use, before servic­ing, and when changing accessories
and attachments, such as saw chain
and guard.

S Check for damaged parts. Before fur-

ther use of the chain saw, a guard or
other part that is damaged should be
carefully checked to determine that it will
operate properly and perform its in­tended function. Check for alignment of
moving parts, binding of moving parts,
breakage of parts, mounting and any
other conditions that may affect its op­eration. A guard or ot her part that is
damaged should be properly repaired
or r eplaced by an authorized ser vice
dealer unless otherwise indicated else­where in the instruction manual.

S When not in use, chain saws should be

stored in a dry, high or locked-up place
out of the reach of children.

S When storing saw, unplug and use a bar

sheath or carrying case.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

WARNING: Avoid a dangerous

environment. Toreduce the risk of elec­trical shock, do not use in rain, in damp
or wet locations, or around swimming
pools, hot tubs, etc. Do not expose to
snow, rain, or water to avoid the possibil­ity of electrical shock. Do not handle ex­tension cord or plug with wet hands.
S Use a voltage supply as shown on the

nameplate of the unit.

S Avoid dangerous situat ions. Do not use

in the presence of flammable liquids or
gases to avoid creating a fire or explo­sion and/or causing damage to unit.

S To reduce the risk of electrical shock,

this appliance has a polarized plug (one
blade is wider than the other) and will re­quire the use of a polarized extension
cord. The appliance plug will fit into a po­larized extension cord only one way. If

the plug does not fit fully into the exten­sion cord, reverse the plug. If the plug
still does not fit, obtain a correct polar­ized extension cord. A polarized exten­sion cord will require the use of a polar­ized wall outlet. This plug will fit into the
polarized wall outlet only one way. If
plug does not fit fully into the wall outlet,
reverse the plug. If the plug still does not
fit, contact a qualified electrician to install
the proper wall outlet.Do not change the
equipment plug, extension cord recep­tacle, or extension cord plug in any way.

S T o reduce risk of electrical shock, use

extension cords specifically marked as
suitable for outdoor appliances. The
electrical rating of the cord must not be
less than the rating of unit. The cord
must be marked with suffix “W--A” (in
Canada, “W ”). Use a polarized cor d.
Make sure your extension cord is in
good condition. Inspect extension cord
before use and replace if damaged. Do
not use a damaged cord. Cord insula­tion must be intact with no cracks or de­teriorati on. Plug connectors must be
undamaged. An undersized extension
cord will cause a drop in line voltage re­sultingin loss of power and overheating.
If in doubt, use the next heavier gauge.
The lower the gauge number,the heavi­er the cord (see

in the OPERATION section). Do

CORD

SELECT AN EXTENSION

not use multiple cords.

S Do not abuse cord. Never carry the unit

by the extensio n cord or yank extensi o n
cord to disconnect unit.

S Secure extension cord to power cord to

prevent disconnection from unit.

S Do not use the unit if the switch does not

turn the unit on and off properly , or if the
lockout does not work. Repairs to the
switch must be made by an authorized
service dealer .

S Keep extension cord clear of operator

and obstacles at all times. Position cord
so that it will not be caught on branches.
Do not expose cords to heat, oil, water,
or sharp edges.

S T o avoid the possibility of electric shock,

avoid body contact with any grounded
conductor, such as metal fences or
pipes.

S Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)

protection should be provided on circuit
or outlet to be used. R eceptacles are
available having built-in GFCI protection
and may be used for this measure of
safety . Inspect chain saw cords periodi­cally and if damaged, have repaired by
an authorized service dealer.

3

GUARD AGAINST KICKBACK

A

v

Follow all safety rules to help avoid kick­back and other forces which can result in
serious injury.

Clear The Working Area

Kickback Path

oid Obstructions

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 saw 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 saw chain in
the cut. Contacting a foreign object in
the wood can also result in loss of chain
saw control.
S Rotational Kickback can occur when

the moving chain contacts an object at
the upper tip of the guide bar. This con­tactcancausethechaintodigintothe
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.

S Pinch-Kickback can occur when the

the wood closes in and pinches the
moving saw chain in the cut along the
top of the guide bar and the saw 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 saw to move in the opposite
direction of the chain rotation. The saw
is driven straight back toward the opera­tor.

S Pull-In can occur when t he moving

chain contacts a foreign object in the
wood in the cut along the bottom of the
guide bar and the saw chain is suddenly
stopped. This sudden stopping pulls the
saw forward and away from the opera­tor and could easily cause the operator
to lose control of the saw.

REDUCE THE CHANCE OF
KICKBACK

The following precautions should be fol­lowed to minimize kickback:

S Recognize that kickback can happen.

With a basic understanding of kickback,
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 working area free from obstruc-

tions such as other trees, branches,
rocks, fences, stumps, etc. Eliminate or
avoid any obstruction that your saw
chain could hit while cutting.

S When cutting a branch, do not let the

guide bar contact another branch or oth­er objects around it.

S Keep saw chain sharp and properly

tensioned. A loose or dull chain can in­crease the chance of kickback. Follow
manufacturer’s chain sharpening and
maintenance i nstruction s. Check ten­sion at regular intervals, but never with
engine running. Make sure bar clamp
nuts are securely tightened.

S Begin and continue cutting at fullspeed.

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

S Use extreme caution when re-entering

acut.

S Do not attempt cuts starting with the tip

of the bar (plunge cuts).

S Watch for shifting logs or other objects

that could close a cut and pinch or fall
onto chain.

S Use the specified Reduced-Kickback

Guide Bar and Low Kickback Chain.

Avoid Pinch-Kickback:

S Be extremely aware of situations or ob-

structi on s t ha t can cause material to
pinch the top of or otherwise stop the
chain.

S Do not cut more than one log at a time.
S

Do not twist the saw as the bar is with­drawn from an undercut when bucking.

Avoid Pull-In:

S Always begin cutting with the saw at full

speed and the saw housing against
wood.

S Use wedges made of plastic or wood.

Never use metal to hold the cut open.

MAINTAIN CONTROL

S A good, firm grip on the saw with both

hands will help you maintain contr ol .
Don’t let go. Grip the rear handle with
your right hand whether you are right or
left handed. Wrap the fingers of your left
hand over and around the front handle­bar, and your left thumb under the front
handlebar. Keep your l eft arm straight
with the elbow locked.

4

Right Hand

Left Hand

S Position your left hand on the front han-

dlebar so it is in a straight line with your
right hand on the rear handle when
making bucking cuts. Stand slightly to
the left side of the saw to keep your
body from being in a direct line with the
cutting chain.

S Stand with your weight evenly balanced

on both feet.

S Do not overreach. You could be drawn

or thrown off balance and lose control.

S Do not cut above shoulder height. It is

diffi cult to maintain control of saw above
shoulder height.

KICKBACK SAFETY FEATURES

WARNING: The following features

are included on your saw to help reduce
hazard of kickback; however, such fea­tures will not totally eliminate this dan­ger. Do not rely only on safety dev ices.
Follow all safety rules to help avoid kick­back and other forces which can result
in serious injury.
S Hand Guard: designed to reduce the

chance of your left hand contacting the
chain if your hand slips off the front han­dlebar.

S Position of front and r ear handlebars:

designed with distance between han­dles and “in-line” with each other. The
spread and “in-li ne” 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.

S Reduced-Kickback Guide Bar: de-

signed with a small radius tip which re­duces the size of the kickback danger
zone. This type bar has been demon­strated to significantly reduce the num­ber and seriousness of kickbacks when
tested in accordance with ANSI B175.1.

Small Radius
Tip Guide Bar

Large Radius
Tip Guide Bar

S Low Kickback Chain has met kickback

performance requirements when tested
on the representative sample of these
chain saws specified in ANSI B175.1.

LowKickback Chain

Contoured Depth Gauge

Elongated Guard Link
Deflects Kickback Force
And Allows Wood To
Gradually Ride Into Cutter

CHAIN BRAKE AND CKA ANGLE

S Chain Brake: designed to stop the

chain in the event of kickback.

WARNING: WE DO NOT REP-

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

Kick­back is a lightning fast action which throws
the bar and rotating chain back and up to­ward the operator. Kickback can be
caused by allowing contact of the bar tip in
the danger zone with any hard object.
Kickback can also be caused by pinching
the saw chain along the top of the guide
bar. This action may push the guide bar
rapidly back toward the operator. Either of
these events may cause you to lose con­trol of the saw which could resultin serious
injury or even death.

ANY OF THE SAFETY DEVICES BUILT INTO
YOUR SAW. YOU SHOULD USE THE SAW
PROPERLY AND CAREFULLY TO AVOID
KICKBACK.

DO NOT REL YUPON

Reduced-- kickback guide
bars and low--kickback saw chains re­duce the chance and magnitude of kick­back and are recommended. Your saw
has a low kickback chain and bar as origi­nal equipment. Repairs on a chain brake
should be made by an authorized service
dealer. Take your unit to the place of pur­chase or to your nearest authorized ser­vice dealer.

WARNING: Computed Kickback

Angle(CKA)listedonyoursawandlisted
in the following CKA Table represents the
angle of kickback your bar and chain
combinations will have when tested in ac­cordance with CSA and ANSI standards.
Computedangles represented in the CKA
column indicate total energy and angle

5