261 Operator's manual (EPA) Please read these instructions carefully and make sure you understand them before using the saw.
KEY TO SYMBOLS Symbols CAUTION! Chain saws can be dangerous! Careless or incorrect use can result in serious or fatal injury to the operator or others. Switch off the engine by moving the stop switch to the STOP position before carrying out any checks or maintenance. Please read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand them before using the saw. Always wear approved protective gloves.
CONTENTS Before using a new saw • Read the instructions carefully. • Check cutting equipment is correctly fitted and adjusted. See page 25. • Refuel and start the saw. Check the carburetor settings. See pages 26-29. • Do not use the saw until sufficient chain oil has reached the chain, see page 14. IMPORTANT! If the carburetor mixture is too lean it greatly increases the risk of engine failure. Poor maintenance of the air filter will cause carbon build-up on the spark plug and lead to difficult starting.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ! A chain saw is a dangerous tool if used carelessly or incorrectly and can cause serious, even fatal injuries. It is very important that you read and understand these instructions. CHAIN SAW SAFETY EQUIPMENT This section explains the various safety features of the saw, how they work, and basic inspection and maintenance you should carry out to ensure safe operation. (See the ”What is what?” section to find out where these components are on Your saw).
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1 Chain brake and front hand guard 2 The front hand guard is not designed solely to activate the chain brake. Another important safety feature is that it prevents the chain from hitting your left hand if you lose your grip on the front handle. 3 You can also use the chain brake as a temporary brake when you change position or if you put the saw down for a short time.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 6 The way the chain brake is triggered, either manually or automatically, depends on the force of the kickback and the position of the chain saw in relation to the object that the kickback zone of the bar strikes. If you get a violent kickback while the kickback zone of the bar is farthest away from you the chain brake will be activated by the movement of the counterweight (INERTIA ACTIVATED).
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 5 Vibration damping system 6 Stop switch Your chain saw is equipped with a vibration damping system that is designed to minimise vibrations and make operation easier. Use the stop switch to switch off the engine. When you use a chain saw vibrations are generated by the uneven contact between the chain and the wood you are cutting. Cutting hardwoods (most broadleaf trees) creates more vibration than cutting softwoods (most conifers).
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Inspecting, maintaining and servicing chain saw safety equipment ! 3 SPECIAL TRAINING IS REQUIRED to service and repair chain saws. This is especially true of chain saw safety equipment. If your chain saw fails any of the checks described below take it to your SERVICE AGENT. When you buy any of our products we guarantee the availability of professional repairs and service.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 2 Throttle lock 1 Make sure the throttle control is locked at the idle setting when you release the throttle lock. 2 Press the throttle lock and make sure it returns to its original position when you release it. 4 Right hand guard Check that the right hand guard is not damaged and that there are no visible defects, such as cracks.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 7 Muffler Never use a chain saw that has a faulty muffler. CUTTING EQUIPMENT This section describes how to choose and maintain your cutting equipment in order to: • Reduce the risk of kickback. • Reduce the risk of the chain breaking or jumping. • Obtain maximum cutting performance. • Extend the life of cutting equipment. The 5 basic rules 1 Only use cutting equipment recommended by us! See the ”Technical data” section.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1 Cutting equipment designed to minimise kickback ! Faulty cutting equipment or the wrong combination of bar and chain increases the risk of kickback. Use only the bar and chain combinations recommended in the ”Technical data” section. The only way to avoid kickback is to make sure that the kickback zone of the bar never touches anything.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 2 Sharpening your chain and adjusting raker clearance ! The risk of kickback is increased with a badly sharpened chain! It is very difficult to sharpen a chain correctly without the right equipment. We recommend you use a file gauge. This will help you obtain the maximum kickback reduction and cutting performance from your chain. A General information on sharpening cutting teeth • Never use a blunt chain.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS C General advice on setting raker clearance • When you sharpen the cutting teeth you reduce the RAKER CLEARANCE (cutting depth). To maintain cutting performance you must file back the raker teeth to the recommended height. See the ”Technical data” section to find the raker clearance for your saw chain. • On a low-kickback cutting link the front edge of the raker lip is rounded. It is very important that you maintain this radius or bevel when you adjust the raker clearance.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 4 Lubricating cutting equipment 1 2 3 Undo the bar nuts that hold the clutch cover and chain brake, using the combination spanner. Then tighten the nuts by hand as tight as you can. Raise the tip of the bar and stretch the chain by tightening the chain tensioning screw using the combination spanner. Tighten the chain until it hangs slack on the underside of the bar. Use the combination spanner to tighten the bar nuts while lifting the tip of the bar at the same time.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS C Checking chain lubrication E Lubricating the clutch drum bearing • Check the chain lubrication each time you refuel. Aim the tip of the saw at a light coloured surface about 20 cm away. After 1 minute running at 3/4 throttle you should see a distinct line of oil on the light surface. • Between the engine drive shaft and the clutch drum is a needle bearing that must be lubricated daily. Use the specially designed grease gun and a good quality bearing grease.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO AVOID KICKBACK H Bar ! Check regularly: • Whether there are burrs on the edges of the bar. Remove these with a file if necessary. • Whether the groove in the bar has become badly worn. Replace the bar if necessary. • Whether the tip of the bar is uneven or badly worn. If a hollow forms on one side of the bar tip this is due to a slack chain. • To prolong the life of the bar you should turn it over daily.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS General rules 1 If you understand what kickback is and how it happens then you can reduce or eliminate the element of surprise. By being prepared you reduce the risk. Kickback is usually quite mild, but it can sometimes be very sudden and violent. 2 Always hold the saw firmly with your right hand on the rear handle and your left hand on the front handle.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS GENERAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 1 2 7 Chain saws are designed solely for cutting wood. The only cutting equipment that can be used with this chain saw are the combinations of bars and chains recommended in the ”Technical data” section. Never use a chain saw if you are tired, if you have drunk alcohol, or if you are taking medication that affects your vision, your judgement or your coordination. 3 Always wear suitable protective clothing.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS GENERAL WORKING INSTRUCTIONS ! 4 Check the area around you for possible obstacles such as roots, rocks, branches, ditches, etc., in case you have to move suddenly. Take great care when working on sloping ground. 5 Take the utmost care when cutting through branches or logs that are in tension. A log or branch that is in tension can suddenly spring back into its natural position before or after you cut it.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 2 Basic cutting technique General • Always use full throttle when cutting! • Reduce the speed to idle after every cut (running the engine for too long at full throttle without any load can lead to serious engine damage). Two factors decide whether the chain will jam or the log will split. The first is how the log is supported and the second is whether it is in tension. In most cases you can avoid these problems by cutting in two stages; from the top and from the bottom of the log.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 2 The log is supported at one end. There is a high risk that it will split. 3 Tree felling technique ! It takes a lot of experience to fell a tree. Inexperienced users of chain saws should not fell trees. NEVER ATTEMPT A TASK YOU ARE UNSURE OF. A Safe distance A Start by cutting from below (about 1/3 of the way through). The safe distance between a tree that is to be felled and anyone else working nearby is at least 21/2 tree lengths.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS C Clearing the trunk and preparing your retreat Remove any branches that are in the way. To do this it is best to work from the top down and keep the trunk between you and the chain saw. Never limb above shoulder height. Remove any undergrowth from the base of the tree and check the area for obstacles (stones, branches, holes, etc.) so that you have a clear path of retreat when the tree starts to fall.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS We recommend that you use a bar that is longer than the diameter of the tree, so that you can make the FELLING CUT and DIRECTIONAL CUT with single cutting stokes. (See ”Technical data” to find out which lengths of bar are recommended for your saw). 4 Freeing a tree that has fallen badly = high accident risk A Freeing a “Trapped tree” The safest method is to use a winch. A Tractor-mounted B Portable There are methods for felling trees with a diameter larger than the bar length.
WHAT IS WHAT? 7 6 5 8 24 1 3 2 4 22 12 11 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 10 9 13 25 23 26 What is what? 1. Cylinder cover. 15. Saw bar. 2. Front handle. 16. Bumper. 3. Front hand guard. 17. Chain catcher. Catches chain if it jumps or breaks. 4. Starter cover. 18. Clutch cover. 5. Chain oil tank. 19. Right hand guard. Protects right hand if chain breaks or jumps. 6. Starter handle. 7. Adjuster screw, carburetor. 8. Choke control/Start throttle lock. 21. Throttle lock.
ASSEMBLY Mounting guide bar and chain ! Always wear gloves, when working with the chain, in order to protect your hands from injury. Check that the chain brake is in disengaged position by moving the front hand guard towards the front handle. Hold up the tip of the bar and tighten the chain. The chain is correctly tensioned when there is no slack on the underside of the bar, but it can still be turned easily by hand. Hold up the bar tip and tighten the bar nuts with the combination wrench.
FUEL HANDLING Fuelmix Mixing IMPORTANT! The chain saw is equipped with a two-stroke engine and must always been run using a mixture of gasoline and two-stroke engine oil. It is important to accurately measure the amount of oil to be mixed to ensure that the correct mixture is obtained. When mixing small amounts of fuel, even small inaccuracies can drastically affect the ratio of the mixture. ! Always provide for good ventilation when handling fuel.
FUEL HANDLING Fuelling ! Taking the following precautions, will lessen the risk of fire. • Do not smoke or place warm objects in the vicinity of the fuel. • Always shut off the engine before refuelling. • Slowly open the fuel cap, when filling fuel, so that possible overpressure is slowly released. • Tighten the fuel cap carefully after fuelling. • Always move the saw from the fuelling area before starting. Clean around the fuel cap. Clean the fuel and chain oil tanks regularly.
START AND STOP Start Start and stop ! WARNING! • Never start the saw engine without the bar, chain and clutch cover (chain brake) assembled - or else the clutch can come loose and cause personal injuries. • Always move the saw away from the fueling area before starting. • Place the saw on clear ground and make sure that the chain is not contacting anything. Also, make sure that you have a secure footing. • Keep people and animals well away from the working area.
MAINTENANCE Carburetor Conditions Your Husqvarna product has been designed and manufactured to specifications that reduce harmful emissions. After your unit has been run 8-10 tanks of fuel the engine has broken in. To ensure that your unit is at peak performance and producing the least amount of harmful emissions after break in, have your authorized servicing dealer, who has a revolution counter at his disposal, to adjust your carburetor for optimum operating conditions.
MAINTENANCE Starter device ! WARNING! • When the recoil spring is assembled in the starter housing, it is in tensioned position and can when treated carelessly, pop out and cause injuries. • Always be careful, when changing the recoil spring or the starter cord. Always wear safety goggles for eye protection. Tensioning the recoil spring • Lift the starter cord up in the notch on the starter pulley and turn the starter pulley 2 turns clockwise.
MAINTENANCE Air filter Muffler The air filter must be regularly cleaned from dust and dirt in order to avoid: • Carburetor malfunctions • Starting problems • Engine power reduction • Unnecessary wear on the engine parts • Abnormal fuel consumption Clean the air filter daily or more often if the air is exceptionally dusty in the working area. The muffler is designed in order to reduce the noise level and to direct the exhaust gases away from the operator.
MAINTENANCE Cooling system Winter use To obtain the lowest possible running temperature the saw is equipped with a cooling system. The cooling system consists of: 1. Air intake on the starter unit. 2. Air guide plate. 3. Fan blades on the flywheel. 4. Cooling fins on the cylinder. 5. Cylinder cowling (supplies cold air over the cylinder).
MAINTENANCE Below you will find some general maintenance instructions. If you have more questions, contact your servicing dealer. Weekly maintenance 1. Check that the AV elements are not soft or torn. 2. Lubricate the clutch drum bearing. 3. File off burrs, if any, on the sides of the bar. 4. Clean the spark plug and check the gap. The correct gap is 0,5 mm (0,020 inch). 5. Check the starter and the recoil spring. Clean the fins on the flywheel. 6. Clean the cooling fins on the cylinder. 7.
TECHNICAL DATA 261 Engine Cylinder volume, cu.in/cm3 Cylinder bore, inch/mm Stroke, inch/mm Idle speed, rpm Power, kW/ rpm 3,7/61,5 1,89/48 1,34/34 2 700 2,9/ 9 600 Ignition system Manufacture Type of ignition system Spark plug Electrode gap, inch/mm Electrolux ET Champion RCJ 7Y 0,020/0,5 Walbro HDA144 1,2/0,6 6,5-13,5 0,6/0,3 Automatic Weight Without bar and chain, Lbs/kg 12,7/5,8 Chain/bar Recommended bar lengths, inches/cm Usable cutting length inches/cm Chain speed at max.
FEDERAL EMISSION CONTROL WARRANTY STATEMENT YOUR WARRANTY RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS The EPA (The US Environmental Protection Agency) and Husqvarna Forest & Garden are pleased to explain the emissions control system warranty on your 1999 and later small nonroad engine. In U.S., new small nonroad engines must be designed, built and equipped to meet the federal stringent anti-smog standards.
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