User Manual
Table Of Contents
14 - English
ADJUSTING CHAIN TENSION
See Figures 19 - 20.
WARNING:
Shut off the motor, wait for all moving parts to stop, and
remove the battery pack. Never touch or adjust the chain
while the engine is running. The saw chain is very sharp.
Always wear protective gloves when performing main-
tenance on the chain. Failure to follow these instructions
can result in serious personal injury.
Proper chain tension is critical to the performance of your
pruning saw. Always check chain tension before using the
saw and periodically until the work is complete.
A cold chain is correctly tensioned when there is no slack on
the underside of the guide bar. The chain should be snug,
but still able to be turned by hand without binding.
A warm chain is correctly tensioned when the flats on the tie
straps hang approximately .050 inches out of the bar groove.
If adjustment is needed:
Loosen the chain cover screw to finger tight.
Raise the tip of the guide bar and continue to hold up until
the end of this procedure.
Turn the chain tensioning knob clockwise until the flats on
the tie straps of the chain contact the bar, making sure the
drive links are seated inside the bar groove.
Retighten the chain cover screw securely.
Release the tip of the guide bar and verify the chain is now
correctly tensioned using the guidelines above.
NOTE: If the chain is too tight and will not rotate, loosen
the chain cover screw slightly, then turn the chain tension-
ing knob 1 click counterclockwise. Lift up the tip of the
guide bar, retighten the chain cover screw securely, then
verify the chain will now rotate without binding.
NOTE: New chains tend to stretch; check the chain ten-
sion frequently and adjust as needed.
NOTICE:
A chain tensioned while warm may be too tight upon cool-
ing. Check the “cold tension” before next use.
CHAIN MAINTENANCE
See Figures 21 - 22.
WARNING:
Remove the battery pack and make sure the chain has
stopped before you do any work on the saw to avoid
accidental starting and possible serious personal injury.
MAINTENANCE
Use only low-kickback chain on this saw. This fast-cutting chain
will provide kickback reduction when properly maintained.
For smooth and fast cutting, chain needs to be maintained
properly. The chain requires sharpening when the wood chips
are small and powdery, the chain must be forced through the
wood during cutting, or the chain cuts to one side. During
maintenance of your chain, consider the following:
Improper filing angle of the side plate can increase the risk
of a severe kickback.
Raker (depth gauge) clearance.
Too low increases the potential for kickback.
Not low enough decreases cutting ability.
If cutter teeth have hit hard objects such as nails
and stones, or have been abraded by mud or sand
on the wood, have service dealer sharpen chain.
NOTE: Inspect the drive sprocket for wear or dam-
age when replacing the chain. If signs of wear or
damage are present in the areas indicated, have the
drive sprocket replaced by a RYOBI Service dealer.
BAR AND CHAIN LUBRICATION
Using a quality bar oil, oil the bar and chain manually, as
needed.
HOW TO SHARPEN THE CUTTERS
See Figures 23 - 24.
Be careful to file all cutters to the specified angles and to the
same length, as fast cutting can be obtained only when all
cutters are uniform.
WARNING:
The saw chain is very sharp, always wear protective gloves
when performing maintenance to the chain to prevent
serious personal injury.
Properly tension the chain prior to sharpening. Refer to
Adjusting the Chain Tension earlier in this manual. Do
all of your filing at the mid-point of the bar.
Use a 5/32 in. diameter round file and holder.
Keep the file level with the top plate of the tooth. Do not
let the file dip or rock.
Using light but firm pressure, stroke towards the front
corner of the tooth.
Lift file away from the steel on each return stroke.
Put a few firm strokes on every tooth. File all left hand
cutters in one direction. Then move to the other side and
file the right hand cutters in the opposite direction. Oc-
casionally remove filings from the file with a wire brush.
WARNING:
Improper chain sharpening increases the potential of kick-
back, which can result in serious personal injury.