Echo Electric Chain Saw manual

MISUSE MA Y RESUL T IN SERIOUS OR F A T AL INJURIES. YOU MUST READ, UNDERST AND, AND FOLLOW ALL OF THESE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND THE INSTRUCTIONS IN YOUR CHAIN SA W INSTRUCTION MANUAL BEFORE OPERA TING A CHAINSA W . W ARNING ! DANGER ! CHAIN SA W SAFETY MANUAL DANGER! Chainsaw kickback can cause serious or fat al injuries. Read and follow the instr[...]

2 CIRCLE/SLASH SYMBOL This symbol means the specific action shown is prohibited. Ignoring these prohibitions can result in serious or fat al injury . SAFETY ALERT SYMBOL The safety alert symbol is used to alert you to potential personal injury hazards. Obey all safety messages that follow this symbol to avoid serious or fat al injury . DANGER! The [...]

3 IMPORT ANT SAFETY W ARNINGS W ARNING! Never operate a chain saw using a one-handed grip. Always use a secure, two-handed grip! W ARNING! Always control saw firmly with 2 hands to prevent loss of control and kick back if saw begins skating. W ARNING! Always use proper positioning! Keep your body out of cutting plane at all times! W ARNING! Do not [...]

4 W ARNING! Keep hands and arms away from moving chain. Do not reach near a moving chain to grab or remove the material that you are cutting. W ARNING! Do Not cut overhead. The cut material or chain saw can fall on you, causing serious injury . W ARNING! Do Not use a chain saw with a loose chain. A loose chain can be thrown off the guide bar , and [...]

5 KEY CHAIN SA W TERMS – See Glossary at back for additional terms. KICK GUARD ® DEVICE - The ECHO brand name for it s anti-kickback bar tip guard. PINCH - S pecifically the closing-in of the wood which pinches and stops the chain along the top rails of the guide bar during a cut. This can result in the chain saw being propelled straight back to[...]

6 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on taking the right step s to learn basic chain saw safety . Over the years, Echo has developed and improved technology to increase the safety of chain saw use. However , chain saws are powerful cutting tools intended to quickly cut trees and branches and to get the job done fast. Like other types of outdoor cutting a[...]

7 FORCES YOU MUST CONTROL This section explains the forces which must be controlled to avoid injury when operating either a gas or electric-powered chain saw . Always remem- ber that your best defenses are to exercise caution and use the chain saw properly , and to be prepared to react to these forces PULL, PUSH and KICKBACK are terms for the direc[...]

8 FORCE OF GRA VITY & “FOLLOW THROUGH” – Gravity is always present and you must be prepared for it when you are operating a chain saw . During the cutting operation, the weight of the chain saw is supported by the material being cut. When the saw completes the cut, the saw is no longer supported, and the operator must control both the wei[...]

9 KICK GUARD ® INST ALLA TION DANGER! Chain saw kickback is an extremely dangerous reaction. Kickback can cause serious, or fat al injuries! Kick Guard ® Kick Guard ® Prevent s Rot ational Kickback! Kick Guard ® Simple to Inst all! See Inst allation Procedure in your chain saw Instruction Manual. Use the Kick Guard ® in cutting applications wh[...]

10 CONDITIONS WHICH MA Y REQUIRE REMOV AL OF KICK GUARD ® In any circumst ance, it is your responsibility to learn how to minimize the risk of kickback if you are using the saw without the Kick Guard in place. Even if you have prior experience with safe chain saw operation, or are trained in the prevention of kickback, please use extreme caution i[...]

11 OPERA TING SA W WITH THE KICK GUARD ® DEVICE W ARNING! S tudy your safety and instruction manuals, and be sure you understand how to keep control of the chain saw either with or without the Kick Guard ® device. W ARNING! The Kick Guard ® device prevent s rotational kickback when properly inst alled, but it cannot prevent other chain saw misha[...]

12 OPERA TING SA W WITHOUT THE KICK GUARD ® DEVICE DANGER! IF YOU REMOVE THE KICK GUARD, BE A W ARE OF THE INCREASED RISK OF KICKBACK DUE TO THE BAR NOSE NOT BEING PROTECTED. PREVENT KICKBACK YOURSELF . DON’T LET THE BAR TIP CONT ACT ANYTHING! Study the following illustrations related to kickback, and never make these kinds of errors! COMMON CAU[...]

13 W ARNING! Hold the saw firmly with both hands. Make sure your left thumb is always on the underside of the front handle. Never over the top! Keep your left arm straight with the elbow locked to prepare for any sudden or unexpected reaction of the chain saw , and to maint ain better control. W ARNING! Do not let the tip or nose of the saw come ne[...]

14 ADDITIONAL SAFETY DEVICES DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INJUR Y FROM KICKBACK Y our ECHO chain saw and its operator ’s manual have been certified to meet the requirements of V oluntary S tandard B175.1 of the American National S tandards Institute (ANSI). B175.1 set s forth the minimum safety requirements for the manufacture of gasoline-power[...]

15 • Improper assembly of the chain brake to the chain saw may render the brake inoperable. • Wear and fatigue of the activating brake band or spring, and/or wear of the brake/clutch drum and pivot points may lengthen the brake’ s stopping time or render the chain brake inoperable. ECHO chain brakes are designed to retain stopping times as cl[...]

16 REDUCED-KICKBACK GUIDE BAR: In general, guide bars that meet this requirement, have small or reduced- radius noses. All ECHO guide bars with reduced nose radius have been machined to accept a bar tip guard. (Some large radius bars may not accept a tip guard.) REDUCED-KICKBACK GUIDE BAR AND KICK GUARD TM DEVICE - These devices both provide strong[...]

17 OPERA T OR SAFETY PHYSICAL CONDITION – Chain saw work and the associated clearing of branches and logs is a strenuous activity . Y ou should be in good physical and mental health in order to handle your chain saw safely . Errors in judgment can be serious or fatal. If you have any physical condition which strenuous work could worsen, check wit[...]

18 PRECAUTIONS IN HOT , HUMID WEA THER - Heavy logger ’s clothing can cause overheating and increase the risk of operator fatigue. Heat stroke is possible. Under these adverse conditions, you must judge whether wearing heavy protective clothing, or lighter but less protective items, bears the least risk. Or you might choose to work early in the m[...]

19 KEY SAFETY AND RISK PREVENTION RULES DANGER! KICKBACK may occur when the nose or tip of the guide bar touches an object, or when the wood closes in and pinches the saw chain in the cut. T ip contact in some cases may cause a lightning-fast reverse reaction, kicking the guide bar up and back toward the operator (this is called a rotational kickba[...]

20 DANGER! Carbon monoxide is a poisonous odorless gas produced by gasoline engines. Operate the chain saw only in well-ventilated areas. Do not run chain saw inside, in garages or sheds, or in confined areas with the possibility of poor ventilation- such as drainage ditches, low & confined creek beds, etc. W ARNING! Do not operate a chain saw [...]

21 GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS All chain saw service, other than the items listed in the operator ’s manual maintenance instruction, is to be performed only by competent chain saw service personnel. (For example, if improper tools are used to remove the flywheel, or if an improper tool is used to hold the flywheel to remove the clutch, structural[...]

22 W ARNING! DO NOT W ALK AROUND WITH A MOVING CHAIN, ESPECIALL Y IN AREAS OF POOR TERRAIN OR AROUND OBJECTS OR DEBRIS THA T CAN CAUSE TRIPPING . AL W A YS BE SURE OF YOUR FOOTING WHEN REPOSITIONING YOUR SELF FOR THE NEXT CUT . W ARNING! IF YOU SENSE A TRIP OR F ALL, THROW THE SA W A W A Y FROM YOU SO THA T YOU DO NOT F AL L ON IT . EQUIPMENT TO BR[...]

23 RULES FOR SAFE FUELING W ARNING! The engine exhaust from this product contains chemicals known to the S t ate of California to Cause cancer , birth defects, or other reproductive harm. W ARNING! Gasoline and gasoline vapors contain chemicals known to the S tate of California to Cause cancer , birth defect s, or other reproductive harm. DANGER: G[...]

24 SAFE WOOD CUTTING PRACTICES Operating a chain saw safely requires that the chain saw be in proper working order , with the chain properly tensioned. It also requires sound judgment, knowledge of proper cutting methods, and having a plan for every cut you make. W ARNING! Do not let any person use your chain saw unless he or she has read the opera[...]

25 Wind bends trees. Gravity bends logs that are not flat on the ground. A log weakened by a cut over 1/3 the log diameter is like two logs hinged together . The cut may either close or open wider , depending on how the log is positioned. In bucking logs, always make the weakening cut from the direction (opposite the “hinge” side) which causes [...]

26 PRUNING SHADE TREES AND CUTTING SAPLINGS Whippy growth, such as saplings and tree branches, may resist being cut. Be prepared for the saw chain to skate along the surface and the material to vibrate from side to side. This can result in a sharp sudden pull on the saw or can cause branches to snap back at the operator . Be ready to resist this pu[...]

27 Please note that felling a tree is more complicated than often expected. T ake time to plan cuts, fall p ath and escape route before felling the tree. Electric powered units may not be suit able for felling some trees. Consider such factors as tree size and location, circuit breaker capacity , and weather and ground conditions to determine if an[...]

28 If the back cut is too low , or the “hinge” is cut through, the tree will not be under control of the “hinge” and may fall in any direction. Be ready to leave the chain saw and GET A W A Y F AST , away from the tree’ s falling direction! When the tree does not lean in the desired felling direction, insert a plastic or wooden wedge into[...]

29 W ARNING! Do not walk on the trunk or in a log pile, or cut while st anding on it. W ARNING! T ake extra care when walking around a log pile, especially if logs are debarked or wet and slippery . Determine how the log or limb is tensioned. Apply the methods discussed to avoid entrapment of the saw . If the chain becomes pinched in a bind, SHUT O[...]

30 W ARNING! Be alert for spring poles and st ay clear of them during cutting. A spring pole can spring back suddenly when cut, or when the wood holding it down is cut away . A spring pole can strike you or deflect the moving saw chain into your body . Do not cut a tree in order to drop a tree that has lodged against it. Have lodged trees pulled do[...]

31 FELLING VER Y LARGE TREES Pert ains to gasoline-powered saws only . Small gas powered saws and electric powered saws should not be used to fell very large trees. Only those that have been trained to cut very large trees should attempt these techniques. W ARNING! Call a professional tree-felling service to handle jobs that are beyond your abiliti[...]

32 BOW SA W W ARNING W ARNING! ECHO does not recommend the use of bow saws. If you choose to attach a bow guide to an ECHO chain saw , and thus create a bow saw , you do so at your own risk. A bow guide attachment increases the risk of severe kickback and serious injury . Do not use a bow guide unless you have experience or specialized training. Do[...]

33 The electric chain saw unit is made of a molded dielectric material that reduces the risk of electric shock to the operator . Broken or cracked housings or guards may not protect you. Do not operate the unit if housings or guards are damaged. Use only identical ECHO replacement part s when service is required. Use of non-identical part s may cre[...]

34 GLOSSAR Y OF CHAIN SA W TERMS BOW GUIDE - A guide bar (see definition below) with a large open center used by some professional pulpwood loggers. DANGER! ECHO warns against the use of a bow guide on your ECHO chain saw . A bow guide increases the risk of severe kickback and serious injury . Do not use a bow guide unless you have experience or sp[...]

35 FRONT HAND GUARD - This required device is intended to reduce the operator ’s risk of injury from projecting branches and saw-chain contact with the lef t hand in the event the operator loses his grip from the upper part of the handle. Do not operate a chain saw with a loose or broken hand guard. GUIDE BAR - The railed structure that supports [...]

ECHO, INCORPORA TED 400 OAKWOOD ROAD LAKE ZURICH, IL 60047 PHONE: (847) 540-8400 www .echo-usa.com[...]