WORKING TECHNIQUES
WARNING:
Watch out for
thrown objects. Always wear ap-
proved eye protection. Never lean
over the cutting attachment guard.
Stones, rubbish, etc. can be thrown
up into the eyes causing blindness
or serious injury. Keep unautho-
rised persons at a distance. Chil-
dren, animals, onlookers and help-
ers should be kept outside the
safety zone of 50 feet (15 meters).
Stop the machine immediately if
anyone approaches. Never swing
the machine around without first
checking behind you to make sure
noone is within the safety zone.
Basic working techniques
S Always slow the engine to idle speed after
each working operation. Long periods at
full throttle without any load on the engine
can lead to serious engine damage.
Working methods
WARNING:
Machines fitted with
saw blades or grass blades can be
thrown violently to the side when
the blade comes into contact with a
fixed object. This is called blade
thrust. A blade thrust can be violent
enough to cause the machine and/
or operator to be propelled in any
direction, and possibly lose control
of the machine. Blade thrust can
occur without warning if the ma-
chine snags, stalls or binds. Blade
thrust is more likely to occur in
areas where it is difficult to see the
material being cut.
Avoid cutting with the area of the
blade between the 12 o'clock and 3
o'clock positions. Because of the
speed of rotation of the blade kick-
back can occur if you attempt to
cut thick stems with this area of the
blade.
S Before you start clearing, check the clear-
ing area, the type of terrain, the slope of
the ground, whether there are stones, hol-
lows etc.
S Start at whichever end of the area is easi-
est, and clear an open space from which
to work.
115158126 Rev. 8 5/15/12
S Work systematically to and fro across the
area, clearing a width of around 12- -15 feet
(4- -5 meters) on each pass. This exploits
the full reach of the machine in both direc-
tions and gives the operator a convenient
and varied working area to work in.
S Clear a strip around 250 feet (75 meters)
long. Move your fuel can as work prog-
resses.
S On sloping ground you should work along
the slope. It is much easier to work along a
slope than it is to work up and down it.
S You should plan the strip so that you avoid
going over ditches or other obstacles on
the ground. You should also orient the strip
to take advantage of wind conditions, so
that cleared stems fall in the cleared area
of the stand.
Forestry clearing using a saw blade
S The risk of blade thrust increases with in-
creasing stem size. You should therefore
avoid cutting with the area of the blade be-
tween 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock.
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