Guard Against Kickback - Craftsman 358.350990 Operator's Manual

• Keep t he handles dry, c lean, and
free from oilorfuel m ixture.
• Keep c aps a nd fasteners securely
tightened.
• Nonconforming replacement compo-
nents orthe removal ofsafety devices
may cause damage tothe unit and
possible injury tothe operator orby-
standers. Use only Craftsman acces-
sories and replacement parts asrec-
ommended. Never modify your saw.
• Maintain chain s aw with care.
• Keep u nit s harp a nd clean f orbetter
and safer performance.
• Follow i nstructions forlubricating and
changing accessories.
• Check fordamaged parts. Before fur-
ther u se ofthe chain s aw, aguard o r
other part that i sdamaged should be
carefully checked todetermine that i t
will o perate properly and perform its
intended function. Check for a lignment
ofmoving parts, binding ofmoving
parts, breakage ofparts, mounting and
any other conditions that m ay affect its
operation. Aguard o rother part that i s
damaged should beproperly repaired
orreplaced byaSears Service Center
unless otherwise indicated elsewhere
inthe operator's manual.
• When n ot i nuse, chain s aws s hould
bestored inadry, high o rlocked-up
place o ut o fthe reach ofchildren.
• When s toring saw, use ascabbard or
carrying case.
HANDLE FUEL W ITH CAUTION
• Donot s moke while handling fuel or
while o perating the saw.
• Eliminate allsources ofsparks or
flame i nthe areas w here f uel i s
mixed o rpoured.
• Always have f ire extinguishing tools
available ifyou should n eed t hem.
• Mix and pour fuel i nanoutdoor area
and use anapproved, marked con-
tainer forall f uel p urposes. Wipe u p
all f uel s pills b efore starting saw.
• Move a tleast 10feet ( 3meters) from
fueling site before starting engine.
• Turn t he engine offand letsaw cool
inanon-combustible area, not o n
dry leaves, straw, paper, etc. S lowly
remove fuel c ap and refuel unit.
• Empty the fuel tank before storing or
transporting the unit. Use upfuel left i n
the carburetor by starting the engine
and letting itrun until itstops.
• Store t he unit a nd fuel i nanarea
where f uel vapors cannot reach
sparks oropen f lames from water
heaters, electric motors orswitches,
furnaces, etc.
GUARD AGAINST KICKBACK
Follow a ll s afety r ules t ohelp avoid
kickback and other forces w hich c an
result inserious injury.
"_, _,. ':, Kickback Path
Avoid Obstructions
Clear The
Working Area
,_/LWARNING: 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 re-
sult in loss of chain saw control.
• Rotational Kickback can occur
when the moving chain contacts an
object at the upper tip of the guide
bar. This contact can cause the
chain to dig into the 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.
• 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 sud-
den 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.
• Pull-In can occur when the 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 stop-
ping pulls the saw forward and away
from the operator and could easily
cause the operator to lose control of
the saw.